Abstract

Managing text types is an integral part in teaching/learning reading comprehension and essay writing. Without a good understanding and implementation of strategies for text types success in academic production as well as business handling would be hopeless. EFL textbooks ─ here we focus on MEXT-approved senior high school textbooks ─ do not appear to take into consideration a good balance of texts of various types. In this research 10 textbooks of relatively high market share were examined as to how varied their texts are in terms of four text types: expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative. The result was an immense degree of difference in text type orientations. One of our findings was the major contrast in expository versus narrative, which is often the focus of discussion in second language acquisition. With respect to readiness for university-level academic English education cultivating CALP as its basic element, selection of a textbook with a balanced repertoire in text types sounds rational and fruitful.