Study Of Value Orientation Of English Textbooks For Higher Vocational College

Textbooks are carriers of knowledge and skills as well as notions, which leads to the logical result that textbooks contain certain value orientation. It is required by the government's relevant policies of textbooks for higher vocational colleges that teachers are able to evaluate textbooks in a correct way, finding out the value orientation of the textbooks and then effectively impress that on their students. This thesis, focusing on the value orientation of English textbooks for higher vocational colleges, selecting Student's Books (Books 1-4) of 21st Century Practical College English as the subject, applying Wu Kangning's "Differences in Quantity" and "Portrayals of Characters", taking a perspective of "Individual Ego" and "Social Ego", intends to probe what kind of knowledge, skills and notions the presently used English textbooks for higher vocational colleges carry.This thesis falls into five chapters.The first chapter is the introduction, which deals with the background of this study.The second chapter is the groundwork of this study of value orientation of textbooks, which provides an overview of the documents that benefit this study, sums up the content and the study methods of this study as well as its significance, and defines some important concepts mentioned in this thesis.The third chapter is the statistical result of 21st Century Practical College English. With the help of 11 tables and relevant literary representations, it presents the statistical data about headings and subheadings, contents of texts, characters of texts, characters of illustrations and scenes of illustrations. Chapter Four focuses on the value orientation of 21st Century Practical College English and its inside information about culture. By means of analysis of "Differences in Quantity", analysis of "Portrayals of Characters" and "Content Analysis", it deals with the frequency of Chinese culture and foreign cultures which work their way in the texts, that of city background and countryside background described in the texts, that of city scenes and countryside scenes reproduced in the illustrations, the stamp and gender of characters in the texts and illustrations, finding out three points listed as follows:First, 21st Century Practical College English approves the following:a. "Individual Ego" is paid much more attention to and well protected.b. "Social Ego" is angled towards environmental protection and harmony.c. "Individual Ego" is angled towards self development, persistence andaggressiveness.d. Education is paid great attention to, and professionals are valued.e. 21st Century Practical College English is written for civilians.f. 21st Century Practical College English is mainly written for students who come from cities and towns.g. Men are superior to women.h. 21st Century Practical College English focuses on foreign cultures.Second, the following specified information is infused into 21st Century Practical College English:a. Having both moral integrity and professional competence is the basic information 21st Century Practical College English communicates to the students of higher vocational colleges.b. Values which 21st Century Practical College English conveys reflect the dominant values of China.c. The dominant knowledge 21st Century Practical College English conveys corresponds with the social requirements for the professional competence required of higher vocational college students.d. Persistence, aggressiveness, environmental protection and harmony arethe anticipation of the Chinese government and employers.Third, the value orientation of 21st Century Practical College English is greatly influenced by Chinese ideological culture.The fifth chapter is the concluding section. The following conclusions are reached: 21st Century Practical College English is a good carrier of both dominant values and English knowledge and skills.At the end of this thesis, reflections and suggestions about English textbook construction and English teaching induced by the analysis are provided.