Investigating the cultural values in EFL textbooks : a case study of North Star intermediate textbook
Other Title(s)
استكشاف القيم الثقافية في كتب تدريس اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية : أنموذجاً North Star كتاب
Joint Authors
Duwaykat, Khalid Abd al-Jalil Ayshah
Shbyitah, Ghadah
Source
IUG Journal of Educational and Psychology Sciences
Issue
Vol. 21, Issue 1 (31 Jan. 2013), pp.563-589, 27 p.
Publisher
The Islamic University-Gaza Deanship of Research and Graduate Affairs
Publication Date
2013-01-31
Country of Publication
Palestine (Gaza Strip)
No. of Pages
27
Main Subjects
Topics
Abstract AR
This study investigated the cultural values in the North Star textbook which has been taught since 2008 at An-Najah University as a compulsory course.
To answer the questions of the study, content analysis methodology was used.
The study revealed that the frequency of cultural values was higher in some units depending on the main theme of the unit.
These frequencies ranged between 22 and 274.
The religious value had the lowest frequency, while the social value had the highest frequency.
Moreover, it was found that the textbook did not only focus on different values of a foreign culture but it also dealt with different cultures.
The content analysis revealed that the most frequent cultural values were related the American culture which indicated an obvious bias towards the foreign cultural values in general and the American cultural values in particular at the expense of the Arab–Islamic culture as no unit talked about Arabs or Muslims except the mentioning of the word “Arab” which was mentioned only once in the textbook and in a way that even displeases the Arabs.
In the light of the results, the researchers recommended analyzing and evaluating the content of EFL textbooks of foreign authors to be sure that they do not include cultural values that might go against our Arab-Islamic culture.
Therefore, careful attention should be paid to how the others are presented and how to filter the undesirable cultural values that in a textbook.
Finally, the researchers called for EFL national curricula at the Palestinian universities.
Abstract EN
This study investigated the cultural values in the North Star textbook which has been taught since 2008 at An-Najah University as a compulsory course.
To answer the questions of the study, content analysis methodology was used.
The study revealed that the frequency of cultural values was higher in some units depending on the main theme of the unit.
These frequencies ranged between 22 and 274.
The religious value had the lowest frequency, while the social value had the highest frequency.
Moreover, it was found that the textbook did not only focus on different values of a foreign culture but it also dealt with different cultures.
The content analysis revealed that the most frequent cultural values were related the American culture which indicated an obvious bias towards the foreign cultural values in general and the American cultural values in particular at the expense of the Arab–Islamic culture as no unit talked about Arabs or Muslims except the mentioning of the word “Arab” which was mentioned only once in the textbook and in a way that even displeases the Arabs.
In the light of the results, the researchers recommended analyzing and evaluating the content of EFL textbooks of foreign authors to be sure that they do not include cultural values that might go against our Arab-Islamic culture.
Therefore, careful attention should be paid to how the others are presented and how to filter the undesirable cultural values that in a textbook.
Finally, the researchers called for EFL national curricula at the Palestinian universities.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Duwaykat, Khalid Abd al-Jalil Ayshah& Shbyitah, Ghadah. 2013. Investigating the cultural values in EFL textbooks : a case study of North Star intermediate textbook. IUG Journal of Educational and Psychology Sciences،Vol. 21, no. 1, pp.563-589.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-320157
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Duwaykat, Khalid Abd al-Jalil Ayshah& Shbyitah, Ghadah. Investigating the cultural values in EFL textbooks : a case study of North Star intermediate textbook. IUG Journal of Educational and Psychology Sciences Vol. 21, no. 1 (Jan. 2013), pp.563-589.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-320157
American Medical Association (AMA)
Duwaykat, Khalid Abd al-Jalil Ayshah& Shbyitah, Ghadah. Investigating the cultural values in EFL textbooks : a case study of North Star intermediate textbook. IUG Journal of Educational and Psychology Sciences. 2013. Vol. 21, no. 1, pp.563-589.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-320157
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references : p. 588-589
Record ID
BIM-320157