Representation of Cultural Diversity in SMILE English Textbook: A Critical Semiotic Ethnographic Perspective

Abstract

This study investigates the representation of cultural diversity in/through the content of English language textbook at basic level in Sudan. It focuses on the representation of three cultural dimensions: cultural diversity, national cultural and language teaching ideologies through analysing the content of SMILE textbook. The study aims to identify the patterns of representing cultural diversity in SMILE 1 textbook. It also tries to examine SMILE 1 representation of national culture. The study attempts to explore the language teaching ideologies that SMILE 1 textbook employs to construct culture and language. To achieve these objectives the study draws on textbook and ethnographic data. The study collected ethnographic data through (6) unstructured interviews with material writers, national consultants and curricula officials. Besides, the study performed (12) informal conversational interviews with pupils, teachers, pupils’ parents, educationalists and language specialists. The study employs quantitative content, qualitative content analysis and semiotic analysis as methodologies for analysing textbook and curricula data. The study draws a representative sample from SMILE 1 textbook. It achieved several findings the most important of these are: SMILE 1 textbook does not adequately address the question of cultural diversity in Sudan. Besides, the study finds that SMILE 1 overrepresented national culture at the expense of cultural diversity at the different regions of Sudan. Further, SMILE 1 is based on language teaching ideologies that give priority to linguistic competency at the expense of developing pupils’ cultural and symbolic competencies. The study recommends a balanced representation for cultural diversity and national culture. It recommends applying a cultural federalism for equitable representation of cultural diversity in the different areas of Sudan bearing in mind the hybrid nature of country. Textbooks should go beyond the exclusive focus on the teaching of linguistic structures to include the teaching of language in society and cultural context. The study suggests further research to be carried out on the cultural politics of changing landscape of curricular in the post-revolution context of Sudan.