The purpose of this study is to analyze English language textbooks authorized by Monbukagakusho for lower secondary schools with special reference to skits to foster students' practical communication ability. First of all, the concept of practical communication ability, which was one of the keywords stated in the course of study published by Monbusho, was discussed and a research framework was established to scrutinize the characteristics of the skits in newly published English textbooks from three perspectives: situation-setting, characteristics of dialogues, and language functions. After analyzing three kinds of textbooks based on the framework, the following characteristics were found. 1) New textbooks provide students with situations to use English which they possibly meet in their daily life. 2) There are some differences among textbooks in the main patterns of conversational structure. 3) The textbooks treat few language functions which show a speaker's subjective request with negative form (e.g. You must not ～. Won't you ～?, etc.). In conclusion, some pedagogical implications of the way of using new textbooks were mentioned according to those findings.