1 Introduction

In recent years, breakthroughs have been made in the theory of foreign language teaching in China, such as the output oriented approach and continuation theory, which combine Chinese context innovation and have localization, originality, and international comprehensibility. These theories have strong operability and have been empirically tested for their effectiveness in promoting learning. This article takes continuation theory as an example to explore how to apply innovative theory to textbook writing and improve teaching efficiency. The article first discusses the relationship between theory, practice, and textbooks, then analyzes the core viewpoints of the continuation, and through task design examples, transforms theoretical viewpoints into teaching processes, learning tasks, and evaluations, effectively applying them to teaching practice.

2. Second Language Acquisition Theory, Teaching Practice, and Textbooks

Explored the connection and gap between second language acquisition theory research and teaching practice, pointing out that theoretical research has guiding significance for teaching practice, but its practical application is limited. Ellis and other scholars believe that teaching methods originate from theory, and their effectiveness depends on theoretical support. However, the disconnect between theory and teaching practice is not conducive to foreign language teaching and theoretical development. The main reasons include a lack of communication between teachers and theoretical researchers, making it difficult for teachers to understand theoretical concepts and grasp theoretical developments. Schmidt and Richards proposed that textbooks can serve as a bridge between theory and teaching practice, helping teachers understand and apply theory. The key to realizing the intermediary role of textbooks lies in transforming theory into teaching design principles and operationalizing learning principles, which are integrated into the teaching process through task and activity design.

The cognitive foundation of the third continuation

The continuation theory holds that language learning is achieved through "continuation", which means that the speaker understands and accepts the expressions of others in communication, in order to expound their own ideas and promote communication. The continuation focuses on creative imitation as the core, integrating key mechanisms of second language acquisition and providing new ideas and methods to solve fundamental problems in foreign language learning. The continuation proposes the "dynamic static interface problem", which refers to the transformation of language knowledge and language ability, emphasizing that content driven meaning creation is the key to transforming knowledge into applications. There are more constraining factors in foreign language learning, such as the disconnection between language form and context, lack of interaction opportunities, and negative emotional interference, which lead to low learning efficiency. The continuation theory proposes a solution based on "continuation", which includes cognitive processes such as interacting with high-quality input, understanding the original author's communicative intention, predicting input content, utilizing multi-level contexts, and achieving the bonding of language form and use. Continuation through "continuation" tasks, such as reading and writing, operationalizes these psychological cognitive processes, promoting the close integration of content creation with language imitation, understanding, and output. Empirical research has shown that reading continuation tasks can stimulate learners' collaboration with the input text in vocabulary, syntax, discourse, and other aspects, promote long-term development of the second language, and enhance the complexity, fluency, and accuracy of language expression.

Principles and Methods of Textbook Design Based on Continuation Theory

Explored how to integrate the core concepts of continuation into foreign language textbook design to promote the application of second language acquisition theory in teaching practice. The continuation emphasizes creative imitation, linking key variables of language learning such as interaction, collaboration, and understanding to achieve the rational allocation of learning resources. Textbook design should follow three principles: combining content creation with language imitation, closely integrating understanding with output, and providing high-quality contextual input. To implement these principles, textbook design should adopt the principle of task design operability, including language input and output tasks combined with context, designing different collaborative tasks to stimulate multi-level collaboration, and enhancing the interaction intensity between learners and input through various ways. Textbooks can provide Chinese commentary, multimodal input, peer collaboration, evaluation feedback, etc., to enhance the interaction and collaboration between learners and input. Teachers can adapt existing textbooks based on these principles, design collaborative tasks, and encourage students to pay attention to the matching of context and language form, and apply them in new contexts to stimulate creative imitation.

5 Conclusion

As a bridge between second language acquisition theory and teaching practice, foreign language textbooks play an important role in improving the quality of foreign language teaching and theoretical development. As a language acquisition theory proposed by Chinese scholars, Xulun provides innovative solutions to the problem of knowledge and ability transformation in foreign language learning, and has broad application prospects in foreign language teaching. This article proposes design principles for foreign language textbooks based on the continuation viewpoint, and demonstrates through examples how these principles can be operationalized. The compilation of textbooks should comprehensively consider factors such as learning context, teaching objectives, and cognitive characteristics of the target audience, and reasonably adapt theories and writing objectives, promote the integration of teaching concepts and practices, improve teaching efficiency, and promote the development of Chinese characteristic foreign language education theory.