Analyzing the Cultural Aspects in EFL Textbooks: Case of Third-GRADE Primary Level in AinTemouchent

Abstract

The current research work examines the integration of English at the primary level in some Algerian schools in terms of measuring the cultural aspects’ integration in the English third-grade textbook ‘My Book of English”. It also explores the EFL teachers’ cultural awareness and the strategies they use while incorporating culture in teaching English as a foreign language. Content analysis is used to measure the occurrence frequency of cultural aspects in the English textbook’s units, alongside structured interviews conducted with the teachers to probe their awareness of cultural integration. The results revealed that the cultural aspect integration in the English third-grade textbook is neglected and not adequately covered, and despite the teachers’ lack of the necessary knowledge about it and cultural awareness paucity, they still make efforts to help their young pupils build on communicative competencies towards both cultures; be they target or local, without overlooking their national identity. The implications of this study’s results suggest that English Foreign Language classes should be equipped with trained teachers and manageable resources to help improve the quality of teaching and, adequately, integrate cultural aspects to help young learners develop their capacities to communicate across linguistic and cultural boundaries vis-à-vis their national values and identity.