Possible specific aims (in my study): What aspects of culture are in focus in the textbooks compared and what

t kind of situations are presented? (For example, typical sights or monuments, lifestyle, food, habits, customs, history...) To what extent are the cultural elements of English-speaking Western countries included in the textbooks? Are there any aspects of international/foreign cultures? To what extent are the Serbian cultural aspects included?

Possible hypotheses: A great amount of cultural items are referring to target cultures (British, American, Australian). Elements of target cultures outnumber the elements of international cultures. Cultural aspects referring to the target culture predominate over the source (Serbian) culture All the textbooks published by Serbian publishers contain elements of Serbian culture (???)

Possible structure: Abstract Introduction o Aim and research questions Review of literature o Definition of culture o Language and culture o Culture and (English) language teaching o Aspects of culture in textbooks o Evaluating Textbooks for Cultural Elements Methodology o Data collection (selection of material) o Instrument o Procedure of the study o Data analysis Results Discussion Conclusions

Research: present each book separately (organization of units, elements of culture) examine the total number of units in each textbook with respect to cultural representations both visual (pictures, photographs illustrations, etc.) and written (names of characters and places, theme of the written texts, etc.) categorize the cultural references into two groups: the target (British/American) and the international cultures (French, German, Spanish, Chinese etc.) compare and contrast two groups of textbooks (foreign and Serbian publishers)

Serbian publishers

Talk Talk 4 Elements of source culture they are present in almost each unit in texts, on illustrations and in exercises Serbian culture is compared to the culture of the UK (only in this book!) comparing education systems, music events, history etc. pictures of famous people from Serbia this textbook contains a lot more elements of Serbian culture than the other two books

Step by Step 8 there are no elements of Serbian culture; Serbia is not even mentioned

Enjoying English 8 there is only one text related to Serbian culture (about sport) in the last unit (text is called Spectacular rollerblading day an event taking place in Belgrade) some historical events are mentioned (Battle of Kosovo) there are only exercises such as: Write a brochure Cultural tips for visitors to Serbia British culture mostly there are two texts about Los

Elements of target culture

the texts are mostly related to the culture of the UK there are no texts about

culture of the UK mostly described there are no

the culture of the US there is one unit about Australia

Elements of international cultures

only mentioned (for example, Spain or some other country is mentioned in a text)

Use of literature (poems, stories) African American people on illustrations

examples of English proverbs and Serbian equivalents

texts about American culture in this textbook, there is also a lesson about Australia; a lesson about New Zealand at the end, there is section Culture spot about the UK, Australia and New Zealand there is one text about Greek mythology some illustrations related to foreign cultures there is a story / The Grasshopper and the Ant (fable) 4-5 (in 2-3 units) there is one unit titled It is not easy being a teenager where there are a lot of pictures of children but no one is African American /

Angeles and Hollywood (only in this book!) there is a lesson about Australia

elements of foreign cultures only present on illustrations, in questions

very few, less than 10 not even nearly equal to the number of white people

only 1 or 2 spotted

Latino, Chinese people on illustrations

Foreign publishers To the Top 4 Elements of / source culture Access 4 there is one exercise in the starter unit where avolja Varo, Mt Radan, Yellow River and Serbia are mentioned apart from this, there are only exercises with questions, such as: What do the banknotes in your country show? after each unit there is a section Culture Corner/Curricular Cut mostly related to the culture of the UK (e.g. Socialising in the UK, English Banknotes, Traditional Costumes of the British Isles, Traditional UK / Messages 4

Elements of target culture

after each unit there is a Culture page or a Song section two texts from the Culture pages are about British culture, one is about New York and one talks about Hip-Hop (related to the US) thus, cultures of both England and America are included

each unit has Extra Reading section with cultural elements presented (e.g. about Liverpool, Haunted Britain, New Zealand, Native American Indians,

Dishes) one section Cultural Corner talks about Canada; one is about a festival in California, USA; one talks about the history of Native Americans; one is about a festival in New Zealand there are texts about foreign cultures (e.g. different meanings of body talk in Japan, China, Thailand, Greece etc.) there is a text about food in Japan texts about children from Malawi, Brazil, Somalia pictures at the end of the book, there is a section Songsheets with 5 songs

African Slave Trade, Victorian Britain) texts mostly about the UK culture only one or two texts dedicated to the US culture pictures of both the UK and US pictures text about Gandhi in some texts cultures of, for example, Spain, Kenya, Slovakia are only mentioned

Elements of international cultures

mentioned in some texts pictures there is one text about orphans in Africa

Use of literature (poems, stories)

African American people on illustrations

there is an excerpt from Around the World in 80 days by Julies Verne (!) excerpt from Frankenstein (!) there are four songs at the end of lessons approximately 30 (far more than in the previous three textbooks) on the covers, there are three Caucasians

poem by Benjamin Zephaniah from Jamaica

approximately 20

about 20 African American boy is on the cover page

Latino, Chinese people on illustrations

Chinese people are present in almost every unit