Representation of monoculturalism in Chinese and Korean heritage language textbooks for immigrant children

Abstract

This article examines heritage language school textbooks issued by Chinese and Korean governments that are widely used for overseas heritage language learners at the preschool and elementary school levels. Using the lens of critical discourse analysis, this paper explores how cultural diversity is represented in the materials as well as the ideologies that underlie such representations. Findings reveal that the analysed textbooks embody a monolingual, monocultural, and static view of culture, language, and identity. We argue that heritage language textbooks should focus on promoting multiculturalism, dynamic forms of ethnic identification, and critical consciousness, so as to better support immigrant students as they navigate the ever-changing and increasingly heterogeneous world. This article reveals the need to develop heritage language textbooks that are relevant to the learners’ dynamic and complex identities in a transnational and multicultural/multilingual context.