A Diachronic Analysis of Chinese High School English Textbooks Published Since 1996

This study conducts a diachronic analysis of Chinese high school English textbooks published since 1996, focusing on structural changes and language skill development, especially the shift from four traditional skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) to the inclusion of a fifth: viewing.Drawing on eight textbooks across four official editions by the People's Education Press, the study examines how pedagogical priorities have shifted over time in response to national curriculum reforms and global English language teaching trends.The findings reveal a transition from discrete, grammar-focused units to thematically organized, skill-integrated lessons.In particular, the 2019 edition of the textbooks marks a clear shift toward multimodal learning, with an emphasis on project-based tasks, visual literacy, and communicative competence.Meanwhile, an analysis of task distribution across skills indicates a trend toward balanced integration, although practical constraints, such as exam pressure and large class sizes, remain.These findings highlight the increasing alignment between textbook contents and theories of second language acquisition while underscoring the need for classroom-based research to evaluate the effectiveness of textbook contents in fostering meaningful learning in China's public education system.