The Relationship between Culture and ELT: The Representation of Aesthetic Sense Culture in “Oxford Progressive English”

Abstract

The present research is basically a qualitative study using also quantitative methods which involve the role of culture in English language teaching (ELT) mainly focusing on Pakistani context. The research makes hypothesis that the Pakistani learners of English (especially from religious and rural cultural background) are de-motivated to learn English because the textbooks developed for them by foreign textbook writers are culturally irrelevant. The study involved evaluation of “Oxford Progressive English” (OPE) textbook series for cultural relevance. For evaluation the data was collected from “Oxford Progressive English” series designed especially for Pakistani learners of English. An evaluation model was developed for the content analysis of the OPE textbooks for cultural relevance from Adaskou, Britten and Fashi (1990) and the data has been analyzed to explore in the textbook series the cultural gaps between the target culture and the learner’s culture in the aspect of aesthetic sense culture. Various instances regarding cultural contrast in these textbooks have been highlighted and their irrelevance to Pakistani culture has been explored. The findings of the research show that the OPE textbooks by the foreign authors mainly focus on the target culture with little knowledge and information of the indigenous or learner culture. Moreover, the learner culture is presented as negative stereotypes. The OPE textbooks are culturally biased and based on hidden curriculum to impart Western values among the young learners to westernize them.

Key words: ELT, Aesthetic sense culture or high culture, colonialism, hidden curriculum, motivation, textbook evaluation,