The Role and Use of Course Books in EFL By

Course books continue to play a significant role in EFL teaching and learning by providing useful ready-made material to both teachers and students. However, inappropriate use of course books may de-skill teachers and tire students. This paper explores the role of course books in EFL teaching and examines how teachers can make effective use of the material. It mainly applies to novice teachers and those working in centralised systems, where decisions are made by ministries and committees. The first part of the paper refers to the role of course books, their impact on teaching and learning processes, and explains why teaching should be course book-based rather than course book-led. The second part of the article is an attempt to demonstrate how course books can be appropriately exploited by using the important processes of evaluation, selection, adaptation and supplementation. It also refers EFL teachers to sources of guidance and practical advice