Browsing by Author "Hanson, Aubrey J."

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    Am I Being Framed to Fit? English as Additional Language Learners’ Critical Perspectives on Western Academic Cultural Representation in Textbooks
    (2024-04-29) Chen, Danni; Hanson, Aubrey J.; Bhowmik, Subrata; Callaghan, Tonya D.
    English for Additional Language (EAL) textbooks have traditionally served as a primary resource for language learners to receive language input. These textbooks help learners become acquainted with the linguistic aspects of the language, as well as the cultural elements inherent in the English language. However, it is important to note that the language used in EAL textbooks to represent cultures is not neutral and is socially constructed within complex power relations. This study critically examines how two EAL textbooks, used in Canadian higher education, use language to represent Western academic cultures. It also explores the extent to which learners' academic community interactions have been addressed. By conducting Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) with EAL learners, this study explores the qualitative manner in which features of Western academic cultures are revered and legitimized in two EAL textbooks used in Canadian higher education. The findings show that the EAL textbooks, rooted in different ideologies such as standard language ideology and linguistic imperialism, promote the values, characteristics, and practices of the dominant Western academic culture as a skill set, while excluding other academic cultures and positioning learners as deficient. This study contributes to promoting critical language awareness in English language education and provides insights for teachers and students to question the ideology, norms, and values that are present in curriculum artifacts, such as language textbooks, in order to build a more inclusive and equal learning environment. Additionally, textbook designers and publishers could use the findings to inform future textbook iterations.