Integrating culture in English language instruction: A comparative study of Hong Kong and Shanghai ELT textbooks

One of the primary objectives of English language learning is to facilitate communication among individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, making the integration of cultural knowledge a crucial component of English curricula worldwide. This paper presents the findings of a comparative study that examined the incorporation of cultural elements in two series of English Language Teaching (ELT) textbooks published by Oxford University Press for two Chinese societies—Hong Kong and Shanghai—each with distinct historical contexts. Utilizing Moran’s 4P framework, the study aimed to compare the representation of local and other cultures, as well as the opportunities provided for learners to develop intercultural communicative competence. The results indicated a relatively balanced distribution of local and other cultures, though with a noticeable emphasis on American and British cultures. Additionally, the representation of cultural aspects was uneven, with “products” being the most frequently described and “perspectives” the least. This tendency to present cultural information as a fixed body of knowledge does not effectively foster intercultural communicative competence. The paper further explores how the differences between the two textbook series reflect the prevailing political and social ideologies within their respective local contexts. Copyright © 2024 AsiaTEFL All rights reserved.