Abstract: Instructional conversations in EFL textbooks offer critical input for developing learners’ speaking and communicative skills. These conversations’ content, cultural elements, contextual features, and situational details shape learners’ ability to communicate appropriately. By simulating real-world language use contexts, they help learners internalize verbal interaction norms. Characters’ names in these dialogues carry cultural significance, implicitly signaling the purpose of communication (e.g., as a lingua franca or between native speakers), participants’ cultural backgrounds, and societal dynamics. Names influence learners’ mental imagery of scenarios, affecting perceived authenticity. For example, using names common among native English speakers in first-language contexts enhances realism, whereas lingua franca scenarios require names reflecting diverse cultural origins. Textbook developers must strategically select names to align with principles of authenticity, relevance, learning facilitation, diversity, and realistic communication. Authentic naming practices help learners visualize appropriate interaction contexts, fostering cultural awareness and pragmatic competence. Thus, names are not merely labels but pedagogical tools that contextualize language use, shaping learners’ understanding of how linguistic and cultural elements intersect in communication. Thoughtful naming in textbook conversations ensures alignment with language-learning objectives, promoting effective, culturally informed verbal interaction skills.
