| As the main tool for learning English,English textbooks serve as a medium for carrying and spreading culture.For students,textbooks are an important means for them to interact and understand foreign cultures,providing them with a way to broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of diversity.When using textbooks,teachers’ teaching and students’ learning are mainly discourse centered.Therefore,the arrangement of cultural elements in textbook discourse plays a significant role in cultivating students’ cultural awareness,appreciating cultural diversity,and promoting cross-cultural communication.In the context of the new curriculum reform and the new college entrance examination,the implementation of new textbooks has also emerged.Due to the close relationship between the content of the new textbook Ordinary High School Textbook English released by Yilin Publishing House in 2020 and the old textbook Oxford Advance English released in 2010,a comparative analysis of cultural elements in the discourse of the new and old textbooks can explore specific changes in cultural content in the new textbook and achieve the actual situation of the new curriculum standard’s requirements for cultural awareness,Provide some suggestions as a reference for the use and writing of new textbooks.Therefore,this study explores the following three questions from the perspective of cultural elements in the discourse of old and new textbooks: What are the similarities and differences between the cultural elements of local culture,target language culture,and world culture in the discourse of old and new Yilin High School English textbooks?What are the similarities and differences between the common and contrastive cultural elements derived from the three in the discourse of the new and old Yilin High School English textbooks? What are the similarities and differences between cultural elements in the discourse of the new and old Yilin High School English textbooks in cultivating cultural awareness?In order to answer these three questions,this study focuses on the discourse of old and new textbooks.Based on internal and external evaluations of the textbooks,text analysis and questionnaire surveys are conducted on cultural elements in the discourse,and data is collected for comparative analysis.Internal evaluation is an integral part of this study,which involves a comprehensive analysis of cultural elements present in both old and new English textbook texts.The specific analysis content mainly focuses on the following aspects: the selection of cultural elements in product,concept,and behavior categories in the discourse of new and old textbooks,the configuration of cultural elements in source culture,target language culture,and international target culture,as well as the reflection on the common and comparative cultures among the three,and the distribution of cultural elements in unit sections,The distribution of cultural elements in compulsory and elective courses in old textbooks,as well as in compulsory and elective courses in new textbooks.In addition to conducting internal evaluations through text analysis,this study also conducted external evaluations through a comprehensive questionnaire survey.The questionnaire survey takes teachers and students of our school as the survey subjects,and the purpose of the survey is to understand their views on the selection and configuration of cultural elements in the discourse of new and old textbooks,as well as the actual impact of cultural elements in the textbooks on the cultivation of students’ cultural awareness.Through research,it has been found that there are similarities and differences in the selection and configuration of cultural elements of local culture,target language culture,and world culture in new and old textbooks,and the common and comparative cultures based on these three have this characteristic.In addition,both new and old English textbooks play a crucial role in cultivating students’ cultural awareness.However,new textbooks seem to have more advantages than old ones because they can better stimulate students’ interest and appreciation of local culture.Moreover,the new textbooks are instrumental in promoting students’ cultural self-confidence.The design of the new textbook in this respect is completely consistent with the requirements of cultural awareness cultivation in the new curriculum standard.Through a detailed and thorough comparative analysis of the cultural content existing in the new and old textbooks,this paper aims to provide useful reference for teachers on how to effectively use the new textbooks to teach cultural elements in a way that improves students’ cultural awareness and cross-cultural ability.In addition,this study also provides textbook authors with key feedback on how to select and configure cultural elements to promote students’ understanding and appreciation of culture.When teachers use the new textbook,first of all,the sources of foreign cultural elements in the new textbook are mostly unclear,and teachers should supplement them in this respect,so as to avoid students taking them all as cultural elements of the target language.Secondly,there are very few comparative cultural elements in the same text in the new textbook,and teachers can need to guide intentionally to deepen students’ impression.Finally,teachers should simulate more cross-cultural communication scenes in cultural teaching and create more practice environment for students.When compiling textbooks,textbook compilers should first of all clarify the sources of other foreign cultural elements while highlighting local cultural elements.Secondly,the proportion of common cultural elements can be appropriately reduced,and the proportion of cultural elements in the same text can be increased.Finally,When designing activities with cultural elements,it is crucial to consider the actual situation of students to ensure that the activities are not only culturally relevant and appropriate but also easy to implement. |
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