Until a decade ago the government controlled the publication and distribution of textbooks, but now it is the teachers’ professional choice and preference that determine whether a textbook should be used or not. Previous research shows that the vast majority of teachers use textbooks in their tuition and that textbooks still have a strong standing in English education. The present study investigated the factors that influence teachers’ choice to use or not to use textbooks, such as the grade and programme they taught, student compositions, fulfilment of policy documents, school finances and personal interest. The students’ views and experiences of textbooks were also included in the research, as well as the extent of students’ influence in the choice of teaching material. The results revealed that most teachers use textbooks in their tuition, but the extent to which they use them differs. The majority of students prefer using textbooks in English, but stress that it is important to mix it with other teaching materials to vary the tuition. However, students appeared to have relatively little influence in the choice of teaching materials. The most influential factor with regards to choosing teaching materials was the teachers’ own personal interest and in some cases finances played an important role. It is the teachers’ individual teaching styles and choices that has the greatest impact on tuition, since the textbooks themselves do not perform the teaching. Thus, the important issue is not necessarily if teachers use textbooks or not, but rather how often and in what way they use them and why. The findings in the present study further suggest that there is reason to believe that teachers would benefit from increasing students’ influence on the choice of teaching materials.