A critical discourse analysis of cultural representation in language learning tasks: The case of an English language textbook used in Indonesian secondary schools

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the extent to which language learning tasks promote intercultural awareness. Drawing on Kachru’s (Citation1985) circles framework, the analysis of 15 chapters and 107 tasks shows that more than fifty percent of the analyzed tasks do not belong to any of Kachru’s circles. In terms of Baker’s (Citation2011) ICA levels, the majority of the tasks demonstrate the basic level (Level 1); none belongs to the advanced level (Level 2); and only fourteen percent exhibit the top level of intercultural awareness (Level 3). These findings suggest the need to incorporate more intercultural dimensions into language learning tasks to enhance students’ intercultural awareness.