Content Analysis of an English Language Teaching Grammar Textbook from a Cultural Perspective and S tatus of English as an International Language

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BALEGHIZADEH SASAN; Aghazadeh Solmaz

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Journal: CRITICAL LANGUAGE & LITERARY STUDIES Year:2020 | Volume:17 | Issue:24 Page(s): 121-144

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Title

Content Analysis of an English Language Teaching Grammar Textbook from a Cultural Perspective and S tatus of English as an International Language

Author(s)

BALEGHIZADEH SASAN | Aghazadeh Solmaz | Issue Writer Certificate

Keywords

English as an International LanguageQ1

Native CultureQ1

Non-native CultureQ1

Yuen’s Cultural ModelQ1

English LanguageTeachingQ2

Abstract

Introduction Given the close relationship between language and culture, language can be seen as a manifes tation of culture. With the advent of globalization and the formation of multicultural and multilingual societies, there is a need to introduce the culture of other countries to es tablish intercultural communication. According to the current s tatus of English as an International Language (EIL), English language learners do not need to internalize the cultural principles of native speakers since this language does not belong to a particular nation exclusively (Smith, 1983). Therefore, the main role of EIL is to create the possibility of intercultural exchange between second language users around the world (McKay, 2004). Similarly, teaching and learning of English should be done in such a way that language is considered only as a means to communicate and exchange ideas on various issues (Kachru, 1992). Hence, the cultural content of language textbooks should not be limited to the presentation of the cultural values of English-speaking countries at the expense of the cultural values of other nations (Alptekin, 2002). Background of the s tudy: In recent years, the s tudy of English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks from a cultural perspective has been of particular importance in various countries (for example, Birjandi & Meshkat, 2003; Ansary & Babaii, 2003; Amini & Birjandi, 2012; Tahririan & Sadri, 2013; Aliakbari, 2004; Khajavi & Abbasian, 2011). A common finding of these s tudies is that the cultural components of non-English speaking countries are not presented in ELT materials. In other words, these s tudies have been unanimous in concluding that ELT materials have not been successful in educating and familiarizing second language learners with the cultural values of other countries and the image presented by them is limited to the culture of Wes tern countries. Methodology The present s tudy aimed to analyze the ESL grammar textbook Communicate What You Mean: A Concise Advanced Grammar (CWYM) from a cultural perspective. The main criteria for selecting this book was that it has been widely used as the course book for teaching Grammar & Writing courses in English language programs at the undergraduate level in mos t of the universities across the country. In order to carry out the content analysis, Yuen’ s (2010) model was employed which consis ted of four components of Products, Practices, Perspectives and Persons. Initially, the researchers carefully perused all the chapters of the book along with various grammar exercises that were included in them. Then, they extracted and categorized the examples of each cultural component in four groups of Products, Practices, Perspectives and Persons and reported the frequency and percentage of each one of them. Discussion and Conclusion The present paper analyzed the cultural content of CWYM grammar book, which is widely used in teaching English grammar to non-native speakers. The findings revealed that despite the current s tatus of English as an International Language, the main emphasis of the book is on the cultural values of English-speaking countries and the culture of non-native users of English has been ignored to a great extent. These results are consis tent with the findings of other s tudies, including Shimoku (2000), McKay (2004), Adaskou et al. (1990), and Zarei et al. (2017). What all these s tudies have in common is that ELT materials promote the attitude and lifes tyle of English-speaking countries that are clearly rooted in the cultural values of Wes tern countries. Despite efforts to localize English language textbooks, imported books which are currently available in the market are s till in favor of of Wes tern cultural values and impose the cultural norms of English-speaking countries on second language learners around the world which is obviously at odds with the current s tatus of English as an International Language. One of the proposed solutions in this regard is to moderately localize ELT materials through providing a combination of educational resources based on the cultural values of learners as well as international cultural values. Moreover, language teachers should critically evaluate the cultural components of ELT materials before presenting them, thereby assis ting learners to achieve intercultural competence and have a good performance in both local and multicultural environments. It is only in this way that language learners can gain more knowledge and confidence about their own culture and reach a point where they can play an active role in introducing their national cultural values to other nations.

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APA: Copy

BALEGHIZADEH, SASAN, & Aghazadeh, Solmaz. (2020). Content Analysis of an English Language Teaching Grammar Textbook from a Cultural Perspective and S tatus of English as an International Language. CRITICAL LANGUAGE & LITERARY STUDIES, 17(24 ), 121-144. SID. https://sid.ir/paper/405770/en

Vancouver: Copy

BALEGHIZADEH SASAN, Aghazadeh Solmaz. Content Analysis of an English Language Teaching Grammar Textbook from a Cultural Perspective and S tatus of English as an International Language. CRITICAL LANGUAGE & LITERARY STUDIES[Internet]. 2020;17(24 ):121-144. Available from: https://sid.ir/paper/405770/en

IEEE: Copy

SASAN BALEGHIZADEH, and Solmaz Aghazadeh, “Content Analysis of an English Language Teaching Grammar Textbook from a Cultural Perspective and S tatus of English as an International Language,” CRITICAL LANGUAGE & LITERARY STUDIES, vol. 17, no. 24 , pp. 121–144, 2020, [Online]. Available: https://sid.ir/paper/405770/en

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