English foreign language learners’ perceptions of cultural elements in Chinese EFL textbooks

Abstract

Our study aims to culturally analyze the textbook series for English as a Foreign Language Learner (EFL) Senior High School learners in the context of China using a questionnaire taken from Kilickaya (2004). To this end, 635 EFL students completed a questionnaire. In addition, 31 students were randomly selected for a semi-structured interview. The results of the study indicated that students’ perceptions of the meaning and objectives of textbooks were found to be positive. The findings showed that the teaching aids did a good job of presenting various perceptions from the students’ points of view. Students felt that the textbooks represented diverse societies and were relevant to their home culture, but they felt that the manuals were less effective in presenting the values of social groups. The results from the quantitative section of the study also indicated that there is a positive significant relationship between cultural materials and activities, as well as the teachers’ aids and ob-jectives. The results demonstrated that placing images in line with the text can help learners become familiar with the target language as the pictures can trigger their comprehension. Based on the qualitative results, it can be concluded that EFL textbooks for language learners in China are mainly composed of relationships between texts, pictures, and tasks, showing a focus on denotative meaning. Ultimately, the outcomes of this inquiry provide practical implications for EFL stakeholders.