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.
This study examines how English as a Multilingua Franca (EMF) and translanguaging practices support linguistically diverse learners in a Japanese as a Second Language (JSL) classroom within a partial English-immersion secondary school in Japan. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, including classroom observations and a semi-structured interview, the study explores how a JSL teacher navigates linguistic diversity through flexible, context-sensitive pedagogical practices mediated by EMF. Analysis of classroom interaction identified both inter-sentential and intra-sentential translanguaging in teacher-student exchanges, serving three principal functions: addressee specification, clarification and reiteration. The findings show that EMF-mediated translanguaging enhanced student engagement while providing affective support for learners marginalised by monolingual ideologies. The study argues that EMF-mediated translanguaging functioned not only as a pedagogical strategy but also as an inclusive orientation to multilingual classroom practice where teachers and students did not share a common first language. By illustrating how EMF facilitates equitable participation and meaning-making, the study contributes to current understandings of the relationship between English and translanguaging in multilingual educational settings and highlights implications for teacher education and curriculum development in increasingly diverse English-immersion contexts in Japan.
This article addresses the invisibility and underrepresentation of alternative pedagogies in secondary education. It considers the concept of Jadal, Arabic for debate, argumentation, or disputation, as a form of praxis in intercultural education. It argues that Jadal can be introduced as a non-Western instructional strategy that complements the existing dominant practices, such as the Socratic method. This paper aims to articulate Jadal not merely as a concept rooted in the Islamic intellectual tradition but also as a practical instructional strategy applicable within contemporary classroom settings. The goal is to extract and synthesize the core components of Jadal as praxis: Niyya (intentionality), Bay & amacr;n (clarity of expression), Tathbit (epistemic confirmation), and Tadabbur (deliberation). By reframing Jadal in this manner, the article contributes to the development of intercultral communication pedagogy and offers an alternative paradigm within liberal arts education, grounded in dialogical reasoning, moral intentionality, and the ethics of listening and persuasion. This model is particularly relevant in multicultural and multilingual classrooms, where the act of debate can transcend cultural binaries and foster deeper intercultural understanding. The aim, therefore, is to diversify instructional strategies, integrate intercultural epistemes rooted in Arabic thought, and challenge dominant educational models.
