i-manager Publications

Tracing Intercultural Approach in EFL Coursebooks

Emrah Ekmekci*, Rabia Irem Demirci **

* Department of English Language Teacher Education Program, Ondokuz Mayis University, Turkey.

** Department of English Language Teaching, Ondokuz Mayis University, Turkey.

Periodicity:January - March'2020
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.10.1.16567

Abstract

It is well-known that foreign language education is a cultural education in a sense; therefore, it is of great importance for language learners to learn native and international cultural elements along with the target culture items and to develop their communication skills at the international level. The current study explores what target, native, and foreign culture- specific elements are represented and whether intercultural approach is followed to present these elements in the selected EFL coursebooks. To this end, thirteen English 9th, 10th, and 11th grades coursebooks approved by the Ministry of Education of Turkey were examined in the context of intercultural approach. Employing descriptive content analysis method, we determined native, target and international cultural elements under fourteen categories. The results of the study revealed that the use of intercultural approach was quite restricted in the selected EFL coursebooks. Only four out of thirteen books were identified as having the most basic characteristics of intercultural approach. Based on the findings of the study, we also made some recommendations for the culture-specific elements that are missing in the coursebooks.

Keywords

Internationality, Intercultural Approach, Intercultural Communicative Competence, Culture-Specific Elements, EFL Coursebooks.

How to Cite this Article?

Ekmekci, E., and Demirci, R. I. (2020). Tracing Intercultural Approach in EFL Coursebooks. i-manager's Journal on English Language Teaching, 10(1), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.10.1.16567

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Appendix

The List of Selected Coursebooks

Progress Preparatory Class Student's Book by Halil ibrahim Demirbilek, Atiye Gamze Altunay, Yeşim Akmanol Çınar, Esra Akbaş Dakni, Janset Fırat, Zehra Tamer, Ayhan Ayten Tanrıverdi, Ruhan Eren Terzi, Muhibbe Nazan Yurt, MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2018.
Yes You Can A2.1 Student's Book by Fatih Ertürk, Mehmet Ateş, Sedat ALKAN, MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2017
Yes You Can A2.2 Student's Book by Funda Baydar Ertopcu, Hatice İnci, Sevinç Özbıçakcı Samur, MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2017.
Yes You Can A2.3 Student's Book by Ertuğrul Perşembe, Nermin Uluğ, Z. Zeynep Eroğlu Canmetin, MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2017.
Yes You Can B1.1 Student's Book by Devrim Özbek, Hatice Kumral, Sevinç Örer, MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2017.
Yes You Can B1.2 Student's Book by Cansu Çağlar, Esra Emel Hoyraz, Havva Arslan, MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2017.
Yes You Can B2.1 Student's Book by Hatice Selcan Ağırbaş, Kader Uyanık Bektaş, Zülal İşbilen, MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2017.
English A1.1 Student's Book by Pınar Özmen, Nejla Gezmiş Ceyhan, Yıldırım Yayınları, Ankara, 2017.
Teenwise 9 Student's Book by Ebru Bulut, Funda Baydar Ertopçu, Seda Umur Özadalı, Sibel Şentürk, MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2018.
English Course Student's Book by Mehmet Şener, Dikey Yayıncılık, Ankara, 2017
Sunshine English 11 Student's Book by Müge Akgedik Can, Neslihan Atcan Altan, Cem Veb Ofset, Ankara, 2017.
Silver Lining 10 Student's Book by Cansu Selçuk Çağlar, Ebru Akdağ, Hatice Selcan Ağırbaş MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2018.
Silver Lining 11 Student's Book by Cansu Selçuk Çağlar, Ebru Akdağ, Hatice Selcan Ağırbaş, Kader Uyanık Bektaş, Tuğba Aktaş Kaya, MEB Publishing, Ankara, 2018.