earticle

영어

This research aim to understand how to enhance the intercultural awareness for Korean EFL learners using middle school English language textbooks. English language textbooks can play key roles in building learners’ intercultural competence. For the purposes of this study, we analyzed 15 English textbooks currently used in Korea and reflect the country’s English education policy. We investigated the diversity of cultural backgrounds and topics, especially those related to the intercultural understanding activities represented in the reading texts and culture sections of each lesson. As a result, we found that Korea has tried to cultivate its learners’ cultural competence through introducing the diverse cultures in the world, but in the aspects of enhancing the intercultural understanding of Korean EFL learners, English language textbooks should be organized in the direction of diversifying intercultural communication activities that can compare and understand the differences between diverse cultures rather than just list the diverse cultural representations.