From the textbook analysis, cultural-free information made up a large part of the textbook content, and all sources of culture are represented in the target textbook.
However, this textbook had an unequal representation of cultural sources, with a strong presence of source culture and a noticeable absence of elements about the international target culture and intercultural interaction.
In the English textbook for 10th-grade students, the findings point out that the majority of the information in this book tends to be culture-neutral. This is congruent with the studies by Kieu (2020) and Nguyen (2022), and the high coverage of Universality across Culture content suggests that the textbook aims to provide information that applies to a broad range of cultures rather than solely focusing on
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any specific cultural group. Therefore, this may be useful for learners seeking to gain a general understanding of the world around them, and they can use this type of information as a medium to convey messages and exchange information.
Apart from the content that is universally applicable across cultures, the target textbook contains a substantial number of materials focused explicitly on Vietnamese culture, which is consistent with previous research by Nguyen (2018), as well as studies by Idriani (2017) and Diana (2021). These cultural information and tasks can help students better relate to and connect with the materials being taught, improving their engagement and retention of the content. Additionally, exposure to source culture materials can help students gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of their culture. It also allows students to embrace the ownership of English (McKay, 2003).
On the other hand, the target textbook does not highlight the target culture to the same extent as source culture. This contrasts with the results of previous studies by Ashrafi and Ajideh (2018) and Lee and Lee (2020). Intercultural interaction and International target culture are the least represented cultural sources in the target textbook.
Concerning students’ perceptions towards the cultural content in the English textbook for 10th graders, most agreed that diverse cultures are represented in this textbook. Specifically, the majority of students agreed that the book emphasised Vietnamese culture, followed by target culture, with a slightly lower agreement rate.
However, many students felt that the textbook did not focus enough on the international target culture. The survey also revealed divided opinions on the level of intercultural interaction in the book, with some students agreeing and others disagreeing. These are congruent with the findings of Xiao (2010) and Vu (2016).
The alignment between the analysis and perceptions of the students of the target textbook suggests that the content of the English 10 Textbook successfully reflects a diverse range of cultural sources and topics, which is likely to contribute to a more inclusive and comprehensive learning experience for the students. Among all sources of culture, the textbook has managed to represent Vietnamese culture with
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high coverage, while it may not adequately emphasise international target culture and intercultural interaction.
With its international status, English has become a language that guarantees broader communication amongst individuals from different countries or in a single country (McKay, 2002). Since learners are preparing themselves for the use of English in international contexts, the cultural content that should be taught is much broader. For teaching materials to capture such broadness, their cultural content must be drawn from multiple sources. The target textbook clearly reflects the authors' awareness of the global nature of English and their commitment to the inclusivity of different cultural sources. As stated in the preface, the authors have successfully incorporated a variety of cultural sources, including not only the target culture but also Vietnamese culture, international target culture, and intercultural interaction.
However, the coverage of cultural elements is not soundly distributed to some extent.
Regarding students' expectations about cultural representation in the textbook, the survey reveals that students generally hold positive attitudes towards cultural education and most aspects of culture-related content, which is consistent with the findings of Zhang and Ma (2004), Xiao (2010), Vu (2016), and Kahraman (2016).
There are some reasons for students’ cultural preferences, stated in the interviews, including knowledge expansion, language learning support, practical use, cultural awareness, personal interests, and familiarity of the cultural content.
However, when asked to prioritise the importance of three cultural groups, the students' levels of interest varied. The source culture, intercultural interaction, target culture, and international target culture were ranked in order of preference, from most favoured to least favoured. The variation in students' preferences regarding the importance of cultural groups suggests a shift in perception compared to previous research. While Xiao (2010) and Vu (2016) found that students prioritised learning about the target culture, the present study indicates that students have a different ranking of preference, with the source culture being rated as more important than the target culture and international target culture. This shift in preference may be
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attributed to various factors, such as changes in increased globalisation or evolving educational approaches. Moreover, including intercultural interaction as a cultural source in the present study highlights a significant deviation from the previous research by Xiao (2010) and Vu (2016).
Traditionally, in foreign language teaching, teaching and learning have been linked to target culture, which is the cultural information about English-speaking countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States (Alptekin, 1993).
Nevertheless, English has gradually become the most widely used language all over the world since the second half of the twentieth century (Yano, 2009). The fact that source culture and intercultural interaction were considered by the students in this study suggests a growing awareness of the importance of engaging with diverse cultures and fostering intercultural competence.