Amid the rising influence of the Global South, China has emerged as an important educational hub. Within the 'educational turn' in linguistic landscape (LL) research, international Chinese textbooks constitute a key site of linguistic input and cultural mediation, yet systematic analyses of textbook LLs remain limited. This study examines how international Chinese textbooks construct LLs and shape international students' understandings of China. Drawing on an LL framework and the concept of affective regime, it analyses seven widely used beginner-level international Chinese textbooks in terms of language presence and LL illustrations. The findings reveal a pattern of pedagogical simplification: Simplified Chinese overwhelmingly dominates, non-standard varieties are marginalised, English functions as the primary mediating language, cultural illustrations center on traditional Chinese symbols, and public signage is largely task-oriented with limited critical potential. Together, these features operate through a textbook-based affective regime to produce a streamlined and pedagogically manageable image of China, constraining learners' engagement with linguistic diversity, cultural plurality, and social complexity. From a Global South perspective, the study calls for more socially grounded and critically oriented textbook design in international Chinese education.
Revisions to the national curriculum for English language education in Korean high schools have emphasised intercultural learning goals, yet little is known about how textbooks support such learning. This study investigated the intercultural learning potential of two 'English Conversation' textbooks used in Korean high schools by analysing cultural representations and textbook activities in relation to intercultural learning processes of noticing, comparing, reflecting and interacting. Qualitative content analysis revealed that, although the textbooks represented a wider range of cultures than earlier materials, culture was predominantly presented as fixed and consisting of objective norms rather than dynamic practices or perspectives. Moreover, most activities prompted only superficial engagement with students' own cultural knowledge and experiences, offering limited opportunities for deeper personal interpretations or critical reflection. This study contributes to a more comprehensive perspective on the intercultural learning potential of textbooks and identifies the need for materials designers and teachers to consider how tasks and questions can scaffold deeper, reflective engagement with cultural representations and ideas. Findings also suggest the need for clearer policy guidance on intercultural learning objectives and for textbook design that incorporates interactive and reflective tasks, enabling learners to engage critically with diverse cultural perspectives and practices.
Language ideologies in foreign language textbooks represent an important topic to study due to their influence on teachers and learners. As numerous publications have emerged that critically examine the multiple views and theoretical stances of ideologies embedded within textbooks, there is a need to gain an overview of this research domain. Therefore, this study aims to assess existing research on language ideologies related to textbooks, identify critical gaps, and highlight opportunities to advance this emerging research domain. A total of 51 articles published from 2014 to 2024 were included using the PRISMA approach. Our analysis reveals that the number of studies has increased since 2020 and that they are distributed across 21 countries, with secondary levels as the primary focus. These studies draw on a multitude of linguistic and anthropological perspectives to examine language ideologies, with CDA and CA as the most popular analytical frameworks. Across the reviewed studies, we identified five main strands: representation of sociocultural values, standard language ideology, neoliberal ideology, political ideologies, and social identity shaping.
