Representation of Cultural Aspects in English Language Textbooks: Teachers’ Reflections

Abstract

Language and culture are inseparable in education. The linguistic activities we engage in through prescribed textbooks are inherently tied to cultural concepts. Therefore, language textbooks should be developed with a strong cultural foundation. The study aims to explore how culture is incorporated in grade 11 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks and how EFL teachers address those cultural contents in classroom teaching. Similarly, it particularly focuses on whether the EFL textbook interlinks global culture with indigenous culture or just the stereotype of it. Building on a qualitative approach with phenomenological research design, we chose two participants from Lalitpur District for in-depth interviews who have been teaching in two different community schools for more than a decade. The findings revealed that culture can be embedded in a language textbook in different ways: content, activities, and different pictures or images. The study suggests that the policymakers, language educators, and learners should be aware of the cultural aspects of the students who use the textbooks, considering it as one of the most inevitable parts of language teaching and learning.