As for reflections on the use of textbooks by teachers, they should always consider the downsides of (overt) textbook use, largely for following reasons (Richards 2007: 255-256, adapted):
They may contain inauthentic language: Textbooks sometimes present inauthentic language because texts, dialogues, and other aspects of content tend to be specially written to incorporate teaching points and are often not representative of real language use.
They may distort content: Textbooks often present an idealized view of the world or fail to represent real issues. In order to make textbooks acceptable in many different contexts, controversial topics are avoided and instead an idealized white middle-class view of the world is portrayed as the norm.
They may not reflect students’ needs: Because textbooks are often written for global markets, they may not reflect the interests and needs of students and hence may require adaptation.
They can deskill teachers: If teachers use the textbook as the primary source of their teaching, leaving the textbook and teacher’s manual to make the major instructional decisions for them, the teacher’s role can become reduced to that of a technician whose primary function is to present materials prepared by others.
They are expensive: Commercial textbooks represent a financial burden for stu-dents in many parts of the world.