The Role Of Middle School Textbooks Of English In Shaping The Cultural Identity Of Algerian Learners The Case Of Middle Schools In Khenchela And Oum El Bouaghi

Résumé: ABSTRACT This study examines how cultural content is represented in ‘The Algerian Middle School Textbooks of English’ for the four grades. It adopted a mixed methods approach. The quantitative data gathered using the teachers’ and learners’ questionnaires were analyzed statistically, a sample of 71 middle school teachers nationwide and a sample of 118 pupils from several middle schools in Khenchela and Oum El Bouaghi were selected randomly. The qualitative data of middle school textbooks of English designers’ interviews were analyzed thematically. Data were further gathered and analyzed qualitatively using classroom observations and content analysis of the four textbooks. The findings indicated that aesthetic aspects dominate the frequency of cultural content, followed by sociological and semantic reasons. Notably, the pragmatic aspect was entirely missing. The study also found that the source culture has the highest percentage, followed by international culture, while the target culture has the lowest rate. Furthermore, the findings revealed that textbooks do not adequately assist learners in enhancing their cultural knowledge or in communicating in situations of intercultural communication. Key words: Cultural identity; Target/Source culture; Algerian Middle School; EFL textbooks/ curriculum; Multiculturalism

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