A Comparative Study Of Distribution Of Chinese And Foreign Cultures In Primary English Textbooks

Language is closely related to culture,so the process of learning a language is the process of understanding the culture of the country.The importance of culture in English curricula is highlighted in the Compulsory Education English Curriculum Standard(2011)(hereafter referred to as "New English Curriculum Standard"),based on which the contents of textbooks revised are also adjusted and supplemented accordingly.Pupils are curious and can accept other cultures faster than adults.Textbooks are important channels for students to acquire cultural knowledge,therefore,the study of cultural part in the textbook is very necessary.The Chinese and foreign cultural information transmitted by primary English textbooks should be treated with caution.This research mainly studies the English Textbooks used by most of the primary schools in Hunan Province,which is published by Hunan Children’s Publishing House(hereinafter referred to as "Xiangshao English Textbooks").The contents of the eight Xiangshao English Textbooks used by students from Grade 3 to Grade 6 were compared in detail from the aspect of the distribution and presentation of knowledge and competence objectives required by the “New English Curriculum Standard” in the textbooks in this paper.By analyzing the contents and interviewing the teachers,this research mainly investigated the following three questions:(1)What are the distribution and presentation forms of Chinese and foreign cultures in the revised Xiangshao English textbooks?(2)What are the presentation forms of Chinese and foreign cultural topics in the textbooks?(3)What are the teachers’ opinions about the distribution of Chinese and foreign cultures in the textbooks?Through the textual analysis of the revised Xiangshao English Textbooks,the result shows that the cultural contents of this set of textbooks is basically in line with the requirements of the curriculum standard.And the presentation forms of cultures are logical.But the proportion of foreign culture is higher than Chinese language culture,and the arrangements of cultural contents need slightly improved.At the same time,through the interview,the author investigates the teachers’ views on Chinese and foreign culture in the teaching materials of Xiangshao English Textbooks.The result shows that the arrangement of cultural contents in the teaching materials of Xiangshao English Textbooks is close to the students’ life and conforms to the pupils’ psychological development.However,the education administrative departments and schools need to pay more attention to the cultural knowledge in the English teaching materials.This paper may offer a reference for the development of new English textbooks and further study of English curriculum reform.