Brian isn't feeling so refreshed. He's tired of the exam factory.

What can we do when we are required to complete a coursebook - say for example the learners need to successfully pass an exam - but the content is not relevant to the learner or motivating them to be participative and communicative in class?

This is a very real situation that a lot of teachers find themselves in.

Find out what motivates the learners. It could be, as I have found, that passing the exam itself is what motivates them. If they see the relevance of an activity to helping them perform better in the exam, the material that is used in the class could be anything that also matches their age and interests. Editing, supplementing coursebook activities and adapting real texts from the world that surrounds the learners (according to the exam skills set objectives) could be an answer.

Know your learners as people. Find out what spins their wheels. Harness that interest and channel it.