This paper was supported by “Fund for Fundamental Research of Central Universities” (2025MS196), “Scientific Research Project of Higher Education Institutions in Hebei Province” (QN2025610), and “2025 Foreign Language Teaching Reform and Research Practice Project for Regular Undergraduate Universities in Hebei Province” (2025WYJG056).
Abstract
With regard to the phenomenon of digital transformation in foreign language education, digital textbooks seem now to be changing from just “content carriers” into “intelligent teaching support systems”. A survey of recent work published in China National Knowledge Infrastructure as well as abroad is used here to assess what has been done so far, what problems remain, and what might be expected in the future concerning digital textbooks in language teaching. At present, development is being encouraged by policy-friendly measures, by highly focused studies of design and of evaluation, and by many forms of practice. Yet serious problems remain: no universally accepted technical standard has been achieved, too little attention has been paid to real-world use cases, digital divides are growing, and difficulties connected with teacher role transition. To meet them, we suggest a multi-pronged strategy based on the idea of “education first, technology second,” which entails standardization of platforms, rethinking of teaching models, and growth in digital literacy. We note the new possibilities of-fered by generative AI for flexible learning and for tailored feedback. The conclusion drawn is that attention should now be given to intelligent textbooks and to fair access to unlocking the full promise of digital materials in reforming foreign language instruction.
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How to cite this paper
Digital Textbooks in Foreign Language Education: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Pathways
How to cite this paper: Ruijia Zhang. (2026). Digital Textbooks in Foreign Language Education: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Pathways. The Educational Review, USA, 10(6), 376-380.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2026.06.007