A comparison of cultural representation and ideologies in the multimodal discourses of textbooks used in public and private Iranian contexts: a cross-textual study

ABSTRACT

This study is concerned with the evaluation of cultural contextualization of two widely used EFL textbooks in Iran, Prospect (2014) and Interchange (2012). Looking at these textbooks, it tries to investigate key issues such as culture, ideology, and otherness, which are imperative for creating learners’ third space (Kramsch, C. J. (1998). Language and Culture, 67–70, Oxford: Oxford University Press). Therefore, it investigates which types of cultures based on Cortazzi and Jin’s (1999. Cultural Mirrors: Materials and Methods in the EFL Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) classification of culture (source, target, and international target) are demonstrated in the textbooks’ discourses at both linguistic and visual levels. The study is based on a qualitative method of research and utilizes a social semiotic multimodal approach, developed by Souryana Yassine (2012. “Culture Ideology and Otherness in EFL Textbooks in Algeria: A Multimodal Approach” Ph.D. diss., Mouloudi Mammeri University of Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria) according to the maxims of social semiotics. The results indicate how the two textbooks represent culture dissimilarly. While the Interchange series approve the mainstream American target, neglecting source culture completely, the Iranian ELT textbooks contain more source cultural content. Moreover, the representation of Self and Other reflects the societies’ diverse underlying ideological positions in explicit and implicit ways.

KEYWORDS:

• Social semiotic multimodal discourse analysis
• culture material
• ideology
• otherness
• thirdness
• hidden curriculum

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mahsa Gheisari

Mahsa Gheisari received the M.A. Degree in TESL from the Imam Reza International University of Mashhad. She has worked as a researcher, director of studies, course developer, and English teacher for about 10 years. Her research interests lie in the fields of sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, pragmatics, and cultural studies.

Omid Akbari

Omid Akbari holds a Ph.D. in TESL. He is an assistant professor in the English department of Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran. He has been teaching English language courses for graduate and undergraduate students for about 22 years and has published and presented about 60 papers in international conferences and journals. His areas of interest include language teaching methodology, critical pedagogy, and teaching and learning English in the context of culture and identity.