Teaching Culture in Introductory Foreign Language Textbooks

by Carol A. Chapelle

Overview

This book demonstrates how foreign language textbook analysis can inform future materials development to improve foreign language teaching. Through chronological analysis of French textbooks in the United States, this book explores the representations of Canada and Quebec in French beginner textbooks produced from 1960 to 2010. Chapelle couples a large collection of 65 textbooks with a social-semiotic qualitative analysis of the genres, language and images that communicate Quebec's cultural narrative to learners. Findings about the amount and type of content are presented by decade to track the trends in foreign language teaching and changes in Quebec’s representation. Particular attention is given to how language politics is presented to students through text and images. This book will be of interest to scholars of Canadian Studies, Quebec Studies and Second Language Acquisition, as well as foreign language materials developers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781137495990
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	07/30/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	263
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Carol A. Chapelle is Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University.  She is editor of the Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (2013), co-editor of the Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series, past president of the American Association for Applied Linguistics, and former editor of TESOL Quarterly.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. The Significance of Culture in Language Teaching.- Chapter 2. Québec's Cultural Narrative and French Textbooks.- Chapter 3. Québec Content in Text.- Chapter 4.  Québec content in images.- Chapter 5. A Closer Look at Language Politics.- Chapter 6. Strengthening Cultural Content in First-Year Textbooks.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Teaching Culture in Introductory Foreign Language Textbooks takes an important in-depth look at the treatment and study of québécois culture in beginning-level French textbooks. Chapelle expertly guides the reader through an understanding of the significance of culture in language teaching, appreciation for Québec’s cultural narrative, and insight into the critical importance of language politics and socio-semiotic theory. Simply-put, a must-read for future and current practitioners seeking to strengthen or improve their teaching of language and cultural narratives.” (Stacey Weber-Fève, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA)

“Few studies of language textbooks have offered the complex, historically situated account that one finds in Carol Chapelle’s book. She presents a compelling, evidence-based case for making cultural and political narratives a central aspect of beginning French textbooks, balancing critique with tangible recommendations for materials design. With its commitment to scholarly rigor and professional relevance, Teaching Culture in Introductory Foreign Language Textbooks places textbook study firmly on the agenda of applied linguistics research and practice.” (Csilla Weninger, National Institute of Education, Singapore)

Editorial Reviews

Chapelle’s work is important beyond its data and its argument that textbooks ought to include more political context in their presentation of Québécois culture and politics. Her book provides an exemplary methodology with five case studies (corresponding to five time periods) that could be used in undergraduate and graduate courses on qualitative research. … The book is also pleasant to read.” (Alexandre Couture Gagnon, American Review of Canadian Studies, Vol. 47 (3), 2017)

From the Publisher