Comparative Analysis Of Cultural Orientation In Reading Materials Between New Senior English For China And Senior High English

New Senior English for China(NSEFC)published by People's Education Press and Senior High English(SHE)published by Beijing Normal University Publishing Group are two versions of textbooks adopted by high schools across Beijing,as well as other provinces.Their authority is guaranteed.With globalization and scientific development,cultural orientation plays a vital role in guiding students to build up correct values,to strengthen sense of responsibility and to broaden their horizon.And in basic education,high school is the critical time when students grow up,acquire knowledge and know this world.The English subject,involved in the teaching schedule of most high schools,not only attracts students' attention but also earns society's attention.English,on one hand,can be regarded as a ticket to the outside world;on the other hand,regardless of the reform of National Entrance Examination,and constant revolution of teaching methods,it still plays a vital role in senior high schools.According to requirements of new English curriculum,cultural competence has become one of necessary abilities for English learners in China.This paper focuses on the comparison of cultural orientation based on NSEFC and SHE.Cultural orientation concerns the selection of cultural materials,development of cultural awareness,and appliance of intercultural communication in textbooks.The purpose of this research is to help teachers to select and adopt proper cultural materials in textbooks.And then students can acquire cultural knowledge,develop cultural awareness,and improve communication abilities.This paper adopts both qualitative and quantitative researches.Through case analysis,data analysis,and based on the domestic and foreign academic theories,this paper compares the cultural factors in two textbooks.It can help teachers effectively select teaching books and teaching strategies.Although there are many parts in textbooks,this paper only summarizes the reading materials of the textbooks.This paper concludes that the two editions of the textbooks generally meet the requirements of the curriculum standards in term of cultural orientation.However,there are also some problems,such as unbalanced cultural classifications,outdated materials and the lack of Chinese culture materials.Some suggestions have been put forward in the end.On one hand,teachers need to pay more attention to raising cultural awareness,making cultural contrast and cultural interpretation,and supplementing cultural contents.On the other hand,teachers need to improve the traditional teaching methods,and to adopt the notion of culture teaching in the teaching strategies,so as to use the teaching materials better.