An Investigation Of Identity And Intercultural Awareness In English As A Foreign Language Textbook The Case Of: The Algerian Third Year Secondary School English Textbook

Résumé: One of the most significant skills in the developing twenty first century world is Intercultural awareness. The latter is the key towards successful cross cultural communication. The aim of this research is to analyze the cultural representation in the Algerian high-school English language textbook “New Prospects” used for third year streams in order to understand the influence it has on learners’ intercultural awareness and their local identity. Moreover, this study opts for investigating the actual practices of the Algerian teachers of English as a foreign language in order to implement the textbook’s instructions and assure that learners secure their local identity. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in this study. This research used the content analysis technique in order to analyze the cultural representation in “New Prospects” textbook; meanwhile, the questionnaires were administered to both Algerian teachers of English as a foreign language and learners of English as a foreign language in order to understand their perceptions and implementations of the textbook’ content. A thoughtful analysis of the research findings indicates that the textbook has a logical representation of the different cultures that keeps, in most times, balance between the source culture, target culture and international culture topics. In addition, it determines that the majority of the teachers involved in the study are aware of the cultural content of the textbook they are using and can manage to effectively adapt this content to help learners secure their local identity. The rest minority, who expressed their inability to implement this content, is in need for professional training on using effectively the textbook. The study is an attempt to develop new insights in the field of teaching English as a foreign language mainly concerning developing learners’ intercultural awareness through the effective use of the textbook, highlighting their local identity in the course of cultural exposure and helping them to value their own culture.

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