This task-based discourse study critically examines the representation of speaking activities in Interchange Fifth Edition Student Books 3 and 3A, widely used in international and Indonesian English classrooms. Grounded in Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and informed by critical discourse analysis (CDA), it investigates whether speaking tasks promote meaningful communication, learner autonomy, and authentic interaction. Using critical content analysis, all conversation, discussion, role-play, and speaking exercises were analyzed against four TBLT principles: authenticity, interaction, meaning focus, and outcome orientation, while CDA explored how learners are discursively positioned and how tasks are pedagogically constructed. Findings reveal that the textbooks introduce real-world themes and contextualized dialogues relevant to social, academic, and intercultural contexts. However, most speaking tasks rely on scripted input, limited learner choice, and predictable patterns, constraining negotiation of meaning, spontaneous use, and collaborative problem-solving. Some discussion tasks show clearer outcomes and student agency, yet full task cycles and communicative independence are limited. CDA further highlights learners’ positioning as passive imitators rather than active communicators. The study concludes that while the textbooks partially reflect communicative pedagogy, they fall short of TBLT principles, recommending redesigns that enhance interaction, authentic task cycles, and learner agency.