The article highlights the ability to form linguistic students’ critical thinking as the main criterion for evaluating a textbook for teaching a foreign language. A model of the critical thinking formation is given, the need for self-acquisition of knowledge by students is emphasized. The principles that should be taken into account when creating a training manual, as well as the functions that should be implemented in it, are considered. The definition of integrative tasks combining various types of speech activity and their examples from specific textbooks are given. Comparative characteristics of three textbooks, one written by Russian authors and two authentic ones, with the critical thinking formation tasks are given: Listening Comprehension tasks for Linguistic Majors, Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT Test and Straightforward Advanced, and it is concluded that Straightforward Advanced best meets the criteria of a textbook focused on students' critical thinking formation. The least suitable textbook forming critical thinking is the Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT Test, since it is aimed at developing the communicative, sociocultural and linguistic competencies of students for testing. It is concluded that it is necessary to consider didactic manuals in terms of the requirements for them, as well as the advisability of taking into account students` opinions when comparing manuals for further study.