Abstract:

The aim of this paper is to explore the extent to which state-approved English textbooks explain the concept of intercultural communication.

We analysed four middle school-level English textbooks that are widely used in schools in Russia, namely whether:
1) any sections on intercultural communication are present
2) what types of exercises are given for this topic
3) what appears to be the definition of intercultural communication.

We found that most textbooks represent intercultural communication as communication of people from different nation states, presenting exercises in the form of traveling tips, stories of nationals of English-speaking countries and regional studies to the learners. We created a concept map of intercultural communication in the studied textbooks and compared it with the concepts presented in the White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue by the Council of Europe. The concept map misses such parts of the definition of intercultural communication as gender, age, social background and also the possibility of choosing one’s identity. Since societies are only becoming more multicultural, it is important for students to explore the notion of culture in a way that will provide them the knowledge to thrive in diverse communities, which requires a view of intercultural communication that is not only tied to citizenship. We suggest that English textbooks should utilize such a definition of intercultural communication since ESL classrooms are often the main spaces where in-depth conversations on culture and dialogue are appropriate. To illustrate what learning materials on this topic can look like, we created an intermediate-level worksheet that promotes reflections on students’ own culture and community.

Keywords:

Intercultural Communication, English, multicultural society, ESL classroom, English textbooks.