A Comparative Study Of Cultural Representation In Senior High School English Textbooks In China And Russia

In the era of internationalization,globalization and multilingualism,exceptional intercultural communicative competence is needed for foreign language learners to engage in intercultural communication effectively.In order to foster the intercultural communicative competence of English-as-a-foreign-language(EFL)learners,it is imperative that English textbooks incorporate relevant cultural knowledge and intercultural knowledge as an essential input carrier in foreign language teaching.Under this context,the latest foreign language curriculum standards for senior high school levels in both China and Russia place significant emphasis on students’intercultural communicative competence.The efficacy of fostering students’intercultural communicative competence may be influenced by the diversity of cultural contents in EFL textbooks and their authentic impact on students’ cultural education.Scholars have increasingly conducted comparisons of English textbooks across and within countries to advance the development of textbook materials.In light of the aforementioned context,this study adopted content analysis and comparative analysis to examine the portrayal of cultural representation in English language textbooks used in China and Russia,with a focus on intercultural communicative competence.The cultural representation in four sets of English textbooks is examined according to the Framework for Analyzing the Representation of Cultures in English Textbooks(Zhang and Li 2022)in two sets of Chinese and Russian high school English textbooks compiled in accordance with the latest national curriculum standards and educational policies.The study compares the cultural presentation of English textbooks between the two countries,focusing on the similarities and differences in cultural contents and their forms.The findings show that rich cultural contents are represented in all four sets of textbooks in China and Russia.In terms of categories of countries,the four sets of textbooks used by China and Russia attach great importance to their home culture and the culture of inner circle countries.Specifically,Chinese English textbooks represent their home culture more,while the culture of inner-circle countries is founded the most represented in Russian English textbooks.It should be noted that the EFL textbooks in the two countries both attach less importance to international culture,which is European mainly culture in four sets of textbooks.From the perspective of cultural categories,cultural products account for the highest proportion in the four sets of English textbooks,while cultural communities and cultural perspectives occupy the lowest proportion.In terms of forms,Russian English textbooks generally integrate more explicit forms of cultural representation,while more implicit forms of cultural representation are captured in Chinese English textbooks.The aforementioned findings indicate that there are certain similarities and differences between EFL textbooks used in China and Russia in cultural representation.This present analysis aims to provide insights into the cultural representation in English textbooks in our country,and additionally,some recommendations are given to teachers and students on the creative use of cultural contents in English textbooks.