Alignment of Punjab Textbook Board’s English Textbooks with the National Curriculum for English (2006): An Evaluative Study

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In Pakistan, English language textbooks are considered the most authentic and useful material for language teaching and are expected to be designed by following the objectives stated in the National Curriculum for English, 2006. The federal government has complete control over designing and selecting the content of the books. Pakistani society has a religious, cultural and ethnic diversity that seeks a curriculum which promotes national identity and unity among various groups. As it is a developing country, where traditional methods and techniques are used to teach language, hence, it becomes necessary to minutely evaluate the teaching material. For this purpose, textbooks taught at intermediate-level English classes are evaluated following the objectives stated in the National Curriculum. The data has been taken from the four textbooks taught at HSSC in Punjab, Pakistan. This research employs a qualitative approach to analyse the exercises of various types of deviations and the objectives of the curriculum. The research argues that the textbook exercises are partially aligned with students' learning outcomes of benchmarks, standards and competencies mentioned in the National Curriculum. The study also suggests ways to synchronize the textbooks with the policy document which would ultimately improve the overall English language skills of the students.