Новости МГИМО
День открытых дверей Института международной торговли и устойчивого развития
Президент России В.В.Путин и Президент Казахстана К.-Ж.К.Токаев подтвердили открытие филиала МГИМО в Казахстане
Результаты третьего ренкинга МГИМО регионов России по показателям достижения ЦУР ООН
Volume 6, No 1
Лингвистические и лингводидактические проблемы диалога культур он- и офлайн | Cross-Cultural Communication and Language Teaching On- and Offline
Investigating Intercultural Pragmatics in International and Local English Textbooks: a Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis
DOI: 10.24833/2949-6357.2024.GEO.1 УДК: 81’42
Zahra Rahbarmah
M.A., Ph.D. candidate, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran;
email: z.rahbarmah@gmail.com
Hamid Allami
PhD, Associate Professor, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran;
email: h.allami@modares.ac.ir
Amin Dehghan
Ph.D, Lecturer, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran;
email: aminnima@gmail.com
Abstract
Given its transformative impact on learners’ language proficiency and intercultural competence, cross-cultural communication has become an indispensable aspect of language teaching. However, successful cross-cultural communication is a complex endeavor that requires understanding intercultural pragmatics—the study of interactions between interlocutors from diverse cultures through the lens of pragmatics [Kecskes 2014]. As a result, this study investigates the cross-cultural knowledge embedded in international English textbooks’ content compared to the local ones. In this sequential exploratory study, two sets of English teaching textbooks, including Prospect English books 2, 3, Vision 1 (local textbooks), and American English File Starter and Book 1 (international textbooks), were subjected to rigorous scrutiny regarding cross-cultural knowledge. Cross-cultural knowledge in internationally and locally developed textbooks was examined with five levels: famous names, names of cities and countries, names of famous places and buildings, customs, and ceremonies. A chi-squared test of independence indicated a significant difference (p < 0.05) among these categories regarding the type of textbooks. The findings highlighted the American English File series’s superiority in emphasizing international cultures. This study’s findings will assist curriculum developers, teachers, students, and policymakers in enhancing the adequacy of current textbooks’ cross-cultural knowledge required for successful interaction.
Keywords: cross-cultural communication, English textbooks, intercultural pragmatics, language teaching.