The Influence of Policies and Challenges in Adopting Multiliteracies in TESOL Textbooks of Pakistan

Abstract

The concept of multiliteracies has extended language education beyond basic reading and writing; it has emphasised TESOL learners' ability to produce and interpret meanings across various layers i.e., cultural, visual, digital, linguistic, and critical. This paper aims to evaluate the influence of instructional policies regarding the integration of multiliteracies, particularly in secondary-level TESOL textbooks in Pakistan. It examines both policy frameworks shaping ELT and the key elements of multiliteracies embedded in secondary TESOL textbooks. Furthermore, the paper identifies obstacles that hinder the proper incorporation of multiliteracies within the Pakistani context. The study highlights technological and infrastructural constraints, pedagogical barriers, and policy limitations as primary challenges. It also notes that despite the trend towards broadening literacy skills, their practical relevance in textbook development remains inconsistent and largely reliant on traditional skills. This is compounded by teachers' lack of preparedness, uneven resource distribution, and technological challenges in effectively implementing multiliteracies. The study concludes that there is an urgent need to align educational policies, curriculum design, textbook development, and teacher training to foster an inclusive multiliteracies-based TESOL culture. This aims to enable young TESOL learners in Pakistan to be sufficiently competent to meet the challenges of the 21st century.