Cultural Discourse in Swedish ELT Textbooks : A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Representation of Global North and Global South Cultures in Swedish Upper Secondary ELT Textbooks

This qualitative study aims to examine the representation of various English-speaking cultures in the English 5 ELT textbooks Echo 5, Viewpoints 1, Core English 1, Progress Gold A, Blueprint A and Traction Blue, used in Swedish upper secondary schools.The study explores and compares the representation of Global North and Global South cultures by identifying what themes are associated with Global North and Global Southcultures.The study utilizes content analysis and critical discourse analysis in order to identify themes in the content and discuss how the content and language in these themes facilitate a particular cultural discourse.The findings of the study illustrate a significant distinction between the incorporated themes.They suggest that the representation of Global South cultures is depicted in an unfavorable manner due to themes that highlight the flawed nature of their cultures.Meanwhile, the representation of Global North cultures is characterized by themes that portray experiences relatable to the pupils and demonstrate the favorable elements of Global North cultures.This study therefore concludes that the distinctive themes that represent the Global North and Global South result in a discourse of cultural inequality and cultural inferiority since the ELT textbooks include themes that highlight the shortcomings and flaws of Global South cultures.Consequently, the results of the study illustrate that this discourse provides a limited representation of cultures, which could affect the pupils ability to develop a nuanced understanding of other cultures in comparison to their own.