Cultural Representations in ELT Textbooks Used in a Multicultural School
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Published:
Apr 27, 2021
Keywords:
Cultural representations ELT Textbooks Migrant students Multicultural school SDG
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Abstract
The use of ELT textbooks in multicultural schools is an under-explored issue despite an increasing number of non-Thais studying in the Thai compulsory education system due to mobility within the ASEAN Community. This paper aims to explore the representations of cultural aspects in the ELT textbooks, which are used in a public primary school where Cambodian, Lao, Myanmar, and Thai learners have created culturally and ethnically diverse landscape. Drawing upon the content analysis, the findings reveal five cultural categories ranked in the following order: products (41%), practices (26%), places (20%), persons (6%), perspectives (6%), and unidentified (1%). These cultural aspects are, however, imbalanced and inappropriate due to the misallocation of cultural representations and learners’ lack of recognition of the sociocultural background depicted. Language teachers and school administrators have become instrumental in narrowing down the cultural gap that exists between the textbooks’ cultural content and learners’ sociocultural backgrounds, experience, and contexts. This study can potentially inform language educators, school administrators, policy makers, and textbook writers who are involved in ELT textbook publication to be more culturally sensitive to Thai and migrant learners’ cultural milieu. The right to education of these learners should be recognized, valued, and promoted in multicultural schools that meet the objectives of UNESCO Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), namely Quality Education, which includes equitable education and recognition of cultural heterogeneity and multiplicity.
Article Details
How to Cite
Saemee, K., & Nomnian, S. (2021). Cultural Representations in ELT Textbooks Used in a Multicultural School. REFLections, 28(1), 107–120. https://doi.org/10.61508/refl.v28i1.251027
Section
Research articles
References
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111-130.
Arphattananon, T. (2018). Multicultural education in Thailand. Intercultural Education, 29(2), 149-162.
Beiki, M., & Gharaguzlu, N. (2017). The analysis of Iranian English school textbook: A CDA study based on Norman Fairclough’s 2001 Model. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 4(1), 55-67.
Böcü, A. B., & Razi, S. (2016). Evaluation of textbook series ‘Life’ in terms of cultural components. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 12(2), 221-237.
Chalermnirundorn, N. (2019). Multicultural education and classroom diversity. St. Theresa Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 5(1), 42-54.
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Davidson, R., & Liu, Y. (2020). Reaching the world outside: Cultural representation and perceptions of global citizenship in Japanese elementary school English textbooks, language. Culture and Curriculum, 33(1), 32-49.
Inpeng, S., & Nomnian, S. (2020). The use of Facebook in the TEFL program based on the TPACK model. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network Journal, 13(2), 369-393.
Inphoo, P., & Nomnian, S. (2019). Dramatizing a northeastern Thai folklore to lessen high school students’ communication anxiety. PASAA, 57(1), 33-66.
Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) Mahidol University & Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). (2014). Migrant children’s education in Thailand. Retrieved from http://www.ipsr.mahidol.ac.th/ipsrbeta/FileUpload/PDF/Report-File-503.pdf
Jhaiyanuntana, A., & Nomnian, S. (2020). Intercultural communication challenges and strategies for the Thai undergraduate hotel interns. PASAA, 59(1), 204-235.
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Kim, S., & Paek, J. (2015). An analysis of culture-related content in English textbooks. Linguistic Research, 32, 83-104.
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Phumpho, R., & Nomnian, S. (2019). Challenges of Thai business people using English in ASEAN. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 40(4), 743-750.
Raigón-Rodríguez, A. (2018). Analysing cultural aspects in EFL textbooks: A skill-based analysis. Journal of English Studies, 16, 281-300.
Richards, J. C., & Renandya, W. A. (2002). Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Save the Children Association & World Education. (2015). Pathways to a better future: A review of education for migrant children in Thailand. Retrieved from http://thailand.worlded.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MESR-Full-Report.pdf
Setyono, B., & Widodo, H. P. (2019). The representation of multicultural values in the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture-Endorsed EFL textbook: A critical discourse analysis. Intercultural Education, 30(4), 383-397.
Shin, J., Zohreh, R. E., & Chen, W-C. (2011). Presentation of local and international culture in current international English-language teaching textbooks. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 24(3), 253-268.
Srithi, R. (2014). Cultural diversity in English textbooks at a Thai primary education. Master’s thesis. Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia (RILCA), Mahidol University, Thailand.
Stake, R. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Suebwongsuwan, W., & Nomnian, S. (2020). Thai hotel undergraduate interns’ awareness and attitudes towards English as a lingua franca. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 9(3), 704-714.
Syahri, I., & Susanti, R. (2016). An analysis of local and target culture integration in the English textbooks for senior high school in Palembang. Journal of Education and Human Development, 5(2), 97-102.
Thumvichit, A. (2018). Cultural presentation in Thai secondary school ELT coursebooks: An analysis from intercultural perspectives. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6(11), 99-112.
UNESCO. (2016). Global education monitoring: Education for people and planet. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/gemreport/sites/gemreport/files/GEM_Report_ 2016_2nd_edition.pdf
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2019). SDG 4 data book: Global education indicators. Quebec: Canada.
UNICEF. (2019). Education knows no border: A collection of good practices and lessons learned on migrant education in Thailand. Retrieved from https://www.unicef. org/thailand/media/3696/file/Education%20knows%20no%20border%20-%20 report.pdf
Waharak, S. (2015). Cultural representation in high school English textbooks and teachers’ perceptions. Master’s thesis. Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.
Wu, J. (2010). A content analysis of the cultural content in the EFL textbooks. Canadian Social Science, 6(5), 137-144.
Yin, R. K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods (5th ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Yuen, K-M. (2011). The representation of foreign cultures in English textbooks. ELT Journal, 65(4), 458-466.
Za, E. T., & Ramnath, R. (2016). An evaluation of cultural contents and activities in the general English textbook. The New English Teacher, 10(1), 72-82.
English Language Teaching, 17(2), 127-135.
Anita, A. N. (2019). Cultural representation in language textbooks: An analysis. Language in India, 19(3), 4-19.
Arphattananon, T. (2013a). Multicultural content in Thai textbooks. Journal of Mekong Societies, 9(1), 107-130.
Arphattananon, T. (2013b). Education of migrant students in Thai public schools. Silpakorn University Journal, 33(1),
111-130.
Arphattananon, T. (2018). Multicultural education in Thailand. Intercultural Education, 29(2), 149-162.
Beiki, M., & Gharaguzlu, N. (2017). The analysis of Iranian English school textbook: A CDA study based on Norman Fairclough’s 2001 Model. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 4(1), 55-67.
Böcü, A. B., & Razi, S. (2016). Evaluation of textbook series ‘Life’ in terms of cultural components. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 12(2), 221-237.
Chalermnirundorn, N. (2019). Multicultural education and classroom diversity. St. Theresa Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 5(1), 42-54.
Cunningsworth, A. (1995). Choosing your coursebook. Oxford, England: Macmillan Heinemann ELT.
Davidson, R., & Liu, Y. (2020). Reaching the world outside: Cultural representation and perceptions of global citizenship in Japanese elementary school English textbooks, language. Culture and Curriculum, 33(1), 32-49.
Inpeng, S., & Nomnian, S. (2020). The use of Facebook in the TEFL program based on the TPACK model. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network Journal, 13(2), 369-393.
Inphoo, P., & Nomnian, S. (2019). Dramatizing a northeastern Thai folklore to lessen high school students’ communication anxiety. PASAA, 57(1), 33-66.
Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) Mahidol University & Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). (2014). Migrant children’s education in Thailand. Retrieved from http://www.ipsr.mahidol.ac.th/ipsrbeta/FileUpload/PDF/Report-File-503.pdf
Jhaiyanuntana, A., & Nomnian, S. (2020). Intercultural communication challenges and strategies for the Thai undergraduate hotel interns. PASAA, 59(1), 204-235.
Kachru, B. B. (1985). Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the Outer Circle. In R. Quirk & H. Widdo wson (Eds.), English in the world, teaching and learning the language and literatures (pp. 11-30). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Kaewsakul, W., & Teo, A. (2016). Cultural contents in fundamental English coursebooks. NIDA Journal of Language and Communication, 21(27), 1-17.
Kim, S., & Paek, J. (2015). An analysis of culture-related content in English textbooks. Linguistic Research, 32, 83-104.
Krippendorff, K. (2012). Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lee, K-Y. (2009). Treating culture: what 11 high school EFL conversation textbooks in the South Korea. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 8, 76- 96.
Mahmud, Y. S. (2019). The representation of local culture in Indonesian EFL textbooks: Rationales and implications. Indonesian EFL Journal, 5(2), 61-72.
Messekher, H. (2014). Cultural representations in Algerian English textbooks. In S. Garton & K. Graves (Eds), International perspectives on materials in EFL (pp. 69-86). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ministry of Labor. (2019). Statistics of migrant workers in Thailand. Retrieved from https://www.doe.go.th/prd/assets/upload/files/alien_th/52dab4165bbb5c8b3f92a d6c1fc3321d.pdf
Moran, P. R. (2001). Teaching culture: Perspectives in practice. Canada: Heinle & Heinle.
Nomnian, S. (2013a). Thai cultural aspects in English language textbooks in a Thai secondary school. Veridian E-Journal, 6(7), 13-30.
Nomnian, S. (2013b). Review of English language basic education core curriculum: Pedagogical implications for Thai primary level teachers of English. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 34, 583-589.
Nomnian, S. (2018). Thai doctoral students’ layers of identity options through social acculturation in Australia. Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 11(1), 99-116.
Nomnian, S., Trupp, A., Niyomthong, W., Tangcharoensathaporn, P., & Charoenkongka, A. (2020). Language and community-based tourism: Use, needs, dependency and limitations. Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 13(1), 57-79.
Nomnian, S., & Arphattananon, T. (2018a). School administrators’ competencies for effective English language teaching and learning in Thai government primary schools. IAFOR Journal of Education, 6(2), 51-69.
Nomnian, S., & Arphattananon, T. (2018b). A qualitative study on factors influencing achievement of English language teaching and learning in Thai government secondary schools. Asian EFL Journal, 20(6), 207-233.
Office of the Basic Education Commission. (2008). Basic Education Core Curriculum B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008). Bangkok, Thailand: Ministry of Education.
Office of the National Education Commission. (2003). National Education Act, B.E. 2542 (1999) and Revision (Issue 2), B.E. 2545 (2002). Bangkok, Thailand: Aksornthai Press.
Phumpho, R., & Nomnian, S. (2019). Challenges of Thai business people using English in ASEAN. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 40(4), 743-750.
Raigón-Rodríguez, A. (2018). Analysing cultural aspects in EFL textbooks: A skill-based analysis. Journal of English Studies, 16, 281-300.
Richards, J. C., & Renandya, W. A. (2002). Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Save the Children Association & World Education. (2015). Pathways to a better future: A review of education for migrant children in Thailand. Retrieved from http://thailand.worlded.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/MESR-Full-Report.pdf
Setyono, B., & Widodo, H. P. (2019). The representation of multicultural values in the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture-Endorsed EFL textbook: A critical discourse analysis. Intercultural Education, 30(4), 383-397.
Shin, J., Zohreh, R. E., & Chen, W-C. (2011). Presentation of local and international culture in current international English-language teaching textbooks. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 24(3), 253-268.
Srithi, R. (2014). Cultural diversity in English textbooks at a Thai primary education. Master’s thesis. Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia (RILCA), Mahidol University, Thailand.
Stake, R. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Suebwongsuwan, W., & Nomnian, S. (2020). Thai hotel undergraduate interns’ awareness and attitudes towards English as a lingua franca. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 9(3), 704-714.
Syahri, I., & Susanti, R. (2016). An analysis of local and target culture integration in the English textbooks for senior high school in Palembang. Journal of Education and Human Development, 5(2), 97-102.
Thumvichit, A. (2018). Cultural presentation in Thai secondary school ELT coursebooks: An analysis from intercultural perspectives. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6(11), 99-112.
UNESCO. (2016). Global education monitoring: Education for people and planet. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/gemreport/sites/gemreport/files/GEM_Report_ 2016_2nd_edition.pdf
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2019). SDG 4 data book: Global education indicators. Quebec: Canada.
UNICEF. (2019). Education knows no border: A collection of good practices and lessons learned on migrant education in Thailand. Retrieved from https://www.unicef. org/thailand/media/3696/file/Education%20knows%20no%20border%20-%20 report.pdf
Waharak, S. (2015). Cultural representation in high school English textbooks and teachers’ perceptions. Master’s thesis. Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.
Wu, J. (2010). A content analysis of the cultural content in the EFL textbooks. Canadian Social Science, 6(5), 137-144.
Yin, R. K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods (5th ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Yuen, K-M. (2011). The representation of foreign cultures in English textbooks. ELT Journal, 65(4), 458-466.
Za, E. T., & Ramnath, R. (2016). An evaluation of cultural contents and activities in the general English textbook. The New English Teacher, 10(1), 72-82.