The general part of the book reviews the background, current understanding and key principles of the Communicative Approach to second language teaching with regard to their foundation in the Direct Oral Method. Usual teaching techniques and textbook components of Communicative Language Teaching are compared to the ones used in the Grammar‑‑Translation Method to show the essential difference between the direct and indirect language approaches to language acquisition and their implications for the character of textbook components. The research part examines selected textbooks of Czech as a second language which are supposed to epitomise the following tendencies in the area of contemporary writing of textbooks of Czech for foreigners: a) consistent use of the strategies and textbook components based on the Grammar‑‑Translation Method, b) eclectic application of Grammar‑‑Translation strategies and components together with certain features of the Communicative Approach, c) coherent implementation of the Communicative Approach with related techniques and textbook components. The existence of the above mentioned tendencies in current textbooks of Czech as a second language is demonstrated through the analysis of selected materials using five methodologically significant parameters: the preference of a formal (structural) or content unit building principle of the textbook, the prevalence of the deductive vs. inductive principle, the use of pre‑‑reading activities, the type of instructions used (form‑‑focused, content‑‑focused, communicative, pseudo‑‑communicative) and the character of grammatical exercises with multiple repetition of a specific feature. The author suggests that such parameters can serve as guidelines for the choice of a suitable textbook in accordance with a premeditated study goal. Finally, she proposes ways of adjusting textbook components lacking values necessary for communicative teaching and learning: creating the need for the use of the language to achieve an independently meaningful goal, creating content‑‑oriented instructions, relating the content of the activity to the learner’ s interests, content adjustment and creating an information gap.