Cultural Representation in Primary School English Language Teaching Textbooks in Chinese Mainland

Abstract

This study aims to conduct a mixed-method analysis of PEP Primary English, a primary school English language teaching textbook series covering eight volumes widely used in Mainland China, to depict its representation of different cultures and explore whether the cultural representation follows the National English Language Curriculum Standard. Major results showed that considerable diversity was portrayed in the cultural representation of this textbook series whilst Chinese culture was appropriately represented in line with the values and ideologies embedded in Chinese society. The cultural content of this series generally accorded with the National Curriculum despite the provision of a few higher-level cultural topics. Three pedagogical suggestions were provided for future textbook adaptation and development, including a broader selection of cultural diversities and varieties of English, the use of implicit presentation and meaningful contexts for cultural content, and the implementation of ‘glocalisation’.