ERIC Number: EJ1291823
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0143-4632
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
EFL Textbooks, Culture and Power: A Critical Content Analysis of EFL Textbooks for Ethnic Mongols in China
Xiang, Rong; Yenika-Agbaw, Vivian
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, v42 n4 p327-341 2021
This study examines the cultural contents in one textbook series, which is currently in use for English as a foreign language (EFL) education among ethnic Mongol junior high students in Inner Mongolia, China, to understand the representations of multiculturalism and underlying power relations that appear in them. Applying Kachru and Nelson's model of English spread and their categorisation into Inner, Outer and Expanding circles, this critical content analysis investigates which countries are introduced and how multicultural variables including race/ethnicity, gender/sexuality, social class, and people with disabilities are represented. The results show that representations of cultures of three circle countries and multicultural variables are shown in an unbalanced, stereotypical way and lack diversity. Additionally, we present the tensions within power relations among different countries, race/ethnicity, social classes, and gender/sexuality. The findings suggest that a critical multicultural perspective not only helps students and educators recognise both the international and internal diversity, but also urges educators and textbook writers to emphasise the importance of cultural knowledge of EFL textbooks to better serve ethnic Mongol students.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Textbooks, Textbook Content, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Junior High School Students, Ethnic Diversity, Cultural Awareness, Power Structure, Race, Ethnicity, Gender Issues, Social Class, Disabilities, Social Influences, Stereotypes, Diversity, Ethnic Groups, LGBTQ People, Minority Groups
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China; Asia; Europe; Latin America; North America; Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A