An Analytical Study of the Cultural Content of English Language Textbooks for Secondary School in the Saudi Arabia in Light of the Challenges of Globalization

The present study aimed at identifying the extent of the inclusion of cultural contents in the English textbook "Flying High "in the light of globalization challenges. Thus, this analytical study intended to answer the following question: to what extent does the English textbook "Flying High" include the cultural contents in the light of globalization challenges? The researcher conducted the descriptive analytical approach to answer the research question. The sample of the study consisted of the English textbook of 1st Secondary Stage "Flying High", level (1) published in Saudi Arabia. A content analysis tool was prepared by the researcher for collecting data depending on theoretical framework. The results of the study can be summarized as follows:1) Local cultural content" received the lion's share of total cultural contents in (56.8%) for big "C" culture and (63.5 %) for Small "c" culture. 2) Target cultural content received (16,2%) for big "C" culture and (25,4%) for small "c" culture. 3) International cultural content received (27%) for big "C" culture and (11,1%) for small "c" culture. Therefore, the results revealed that there was an extensive use of local cultural references while there was an obvious absence of many other target and international cultural contents. It was also clear that cultural elements were presented in many positions, but in a superficial and narrow way. Based on the findings of the study, several suggestions for enhancing the cultural content of English textbooks have been offered.