The representation of english in elt course books: a discourse-based analysis of course books for adult learners of english

Abstract

This study investigates the ways in which the hegemonic discourse of English linguistic imperialism as theorized by Phillipson (1992) is reproduced in ten English Language Teaching course books for adult learners of English in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires. With the purpose of proving the extent to which English is represented as a superior language in textbooks, two research instruments were used. The main one was van Dijk’s (2003) and Fairclough’s (2003) strategies for ideological discourse analysis, which were applied to a selection of 36 excerpts from books. The second research instrument consisted of two different self-completion questionnaires that were administered to students and teachers of English in order to establish their level of awareness in connection with the reproduction of the discourse of English linguistic imperialism in course books for adult students. The scrutiny of the text selection illustrate how the dominant discourse is reproduced and asserted, and the extent to which it is in agreement with Phillipson’s (1992) tripartite definition of what English is, has and does. The results of the questionnaires to students and teachers of English show that most students and teachers are aware of the reproduction of the hegemonic discourse of English linguistic imperialism in textbooks. The results also seem to suggest that teachers may believe in such discourse and they might actively reproduce it as well. In conclusion, not only is the dominant discourse of English linguistic imperialism traceable in the ten course books that were scrutinized, but it is also interwoven with the classroom practices of the agents involved in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language.