A Comparative Study Of Children’s Images In English Textbooks In Mainland And Hong Kong Primary Schools

Children’s image has always been an important topic of concern in educational theory and practice.The existing studies mainly focus on children’s images in films and TV works,literature and art works,and children’s images in Chinese textbooks.There is no comparative study on children’s images from the perspective of English textbooks in primary schools,which is obviously incompatible with the current situation of deepening the research on English textbooks in primary schools in China.At the same time,in the context of globalization,the importance of primary school English has become increasingly prominent.Especially in Hong Kong,English is regarded as an important tool for learning,career and economic success.The study of primary school English textbooks is the key to achieving the value of primary school English teaching.Therefore,this study takes the image of children in English textbooks of primary schools in Mainland and Hong Kong as the research object,and comprehensively uses the methods of literature research,content analysis and comparative study to compare and analyze the similarities and differences of children’s image in English textbooks of primary schools in both places,so as to provide specific suggestions for improving the compilation and use of English textbooks of primary schools in Mainland and Hong Kong.Firstly,referring to the existing research,combining with the particularity of children’s image,using the theories of literature,cognitive psychology,pedagogy and sociology,this paper establishes the analytical framework of children’s image.The framework puts forward that children’s image mainly includes children’s external image and internal image,the former includes physical image and social image,thelatter includes psychological image and moral image.One step is divided into twelve dimensions: gender,age,age,country,nationality,learning identity,emotion,personality,self,others,collective and nature.Secondly,the textbooks published by the People’s Education Publishing House in Mainland China choose the experimental textbooks of compulsory education curriculum standard for primary schools from Grade 3 to Grade 6,totaling eight volumes.The textbooks of Longman Edition in Hong Kong,published by Peisheng Group,choose Primary Longman Elect(PLE)3A to 6B as samples.Thirdly,using the analytical framework,the author codes and counts the images of children in the two versions of primary school English textbooks according to the analysis dimensions,compares the images of children in the two versions of English textbooks by frequency analysis and content analysis,finds out the similarities and differences between the two versions,and analyses the differences of the images of children in the textbooks of the two places from a multi.disciplinary perspective.CONCLUSION:(1)In terms of physical image,boys and girls are the main children in the two versions of textbooks,and the gender proportion of children in the textbooks published by the Mainland People’s Education Press differs greatly.The gender proportion of children in Longman textbooks in Hong Kong is relatively close;(2)In terms of social image,both versions highlight the socialization of children by shaping contemporary images of children at home and abroad.Among them,children in the Mainland Educational Press are learning as recipients,while those in the Hong Kong Longman Edition are learning as discoverers;(3)In terms of psychological image,both versions of textbooks attach importance to the description of positive children’s emotions and personality,among which,the Mainland Educational Press textbooks attach importance to the shaping of children’s extroverted mood and personality.Hong Kong Langwen Edition emphasizes the coexistence of children’s introverted and extroverted emotions and personality;(4)In moral image,textbooks in both places attach importance to children’s wit and courage,despise children’s morality of dedication and environmental protection,and neglect children’s virtue of modesty and tolerance.Mainland textbooks emphasize children’s honesty and trustworthiness,good learning,mutual help,filial piety and respect.Teachers,loving the motherland,loving the party and the people,loving public property and cherishing life.Hong Kong Longman textbooks emphasize children’s moral character of devotion,self.improvement,self.discipline,diligence,thrift,respect for the elderly and children,cooperation and coexistence,determination,respect for work,discipline and law,love of labor,love of science and love of life.Finally,the following suggestions are put forward for the compilation and use of English textbooks for primary schools in the Mainland and Hong Kong: to optimize the presentation of children’s image elements in textbooks;to enrich the educational connotation of the age of children’s image in textbooks;to narrow the differences in the value orientation of English textbooks between the two places;and to enhance the international understanding of children’s image in English textbooks.