Age, gender and social class in ELT course books: A critical study

HACETTEPE ÜNİVERSİTESİ EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ DERGİSİ, vol.28, pp.29-38, 2005 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)

Recent trends in English Language Teaching (ELT) research necessitates the study of coursebooks and

instructional materials from various perspectives including but not limited to their cultural, social, and psychological qualities

and effects (Kramsch 2000). Age, social class, and gender, as represented in coursebooks are studied because teachers and

students are exposed to many words and images effecting their knowledge, perceptions and world views. In this critical

research study, visual materials in two ELT coursebooks are studied by using the insight and perspective derived from

Cunningsworth (1995) who had previously examined how age, social class, and gender were represented in ELT

coursebooks. It is believed that by focusing on how characters are depicted, possible injustice and imbalance these visual

materials may transmit and strengthen stereotypical thinking in students’ mindsets will be articulated, verbalized, and

eventually solutions will be suggested. Findings revealed that many social imbalances were detectable in these visual

materials both quantitatively and qualitatively