"INTERCONNECTION OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF EFL TEXTBOOKS "

Abstract

"Introducing English to learners should be facilitated through cultural materials included in the textbooks. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks should contribute to students’ respect of their local culture and the culture of the studied language, followed by honouring the disparities between different ethnic or religious groups and uniting with nature and life. The EFL textbooks should raise students’ comprehension of the diversity of cultures while learning English as a foreign language. Thus, the purpose of our study is to investigate the structure of EFL textbooks used in Kazakhstani primary schools, examining how cultural content is presented within them and to what extent they support students’ ICC. The descriptive study used the content analysis of the three textbooks for teaching EFL in Kazakhstan’s primary schools – Smiles 2, Smiles 3, and Smiles 4. The results showed that the textbooks mostly contain information about the target culture, including the source culture and international cultures. The textbooks focus on culture themes such as Social, Personal, Politics, Religious, and Environmental Issues. The textbooks also provide adequate intercultural communication skills. The study includes the practical implications of providing students with a sufficient number of references to the target, source, and international cultures for the development of their intercultural communicative competence. Keywords: language, culture, foreign language, textbook analysis, Kazakhstan. "