Comparative Analysis of Readability and Reading Task Design in Grade 8 English Textbooks Used in Mongolia and China

This study investigates the readability and reading task characteristics of Grade 8 English language textbooks used in Mongolia and China. The study aims to compare textual readability, examine the cognitive and pedagogical characteristics of reading tasks, and identify the relationship between readability and task difficulty. A mixed-method comparative research design integrating quantitative readability analysis and qualitative pedagogical interpretation was employed. Seventeen reading passages selected from the Mongolian Wider World 2e Mongolia 3 textbook and the Chinese Grade 8 English textbook were analyzed using four readability formulas: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, and SMOG Index. Reading tasks were additionally categorized according to task difficulty, task type, and reading stage. Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between textual complexity and task difficulty. The findings revealed that both textbooks generally aligned with CEFR-oriented learner expectations; however, important differences emerged regarding linguistic complexity, pedagogical orientation, and cognitive demand. The Mongolian textbook demonstrated relatively greater linguistic complexity and stronger emphasis on communicative interaction and post-reading production, whereas the Chinese textbook prioritized readability accessibility, guided comprehension, and structured cognitive support. Task analysis further indicated that the Mongolian textbook incorporated comparatively more inferential and communicative activities, while the Chinese textbook emphasized medium-level comprehension processing and while-reading support. Correlation analysis demonstrated moderate relationships between readability indicators and task difficulty, suggesting that textbook designers organize pedagogical tasks in relation to linguistic complexity. The study contributes to EFL textbook evaluation research by integrating readability analysis with cognitive and pedagogical task analysis. The findings highlight the importance of examining readability not as an isolated textual property but as part of a broader pedagogical system involving communicative support, cognitive scaffolding, and learner engagement.