INTRODUCTION
Statement of the problem and rationale of the study
Vietnam is a diverse nation, home to 54 officially recognized ethnic groups The Kinh people represent the largest demographic, residing throughout the country.
Vietnam is home to 53 ethnic minorities, primarily found in mountainous and remote regions, which significantly influence local culture These diverse groups often coexist, forming major ethnic communities Additionally, some individuals from these minority groups reside in urban areas alongside the Kinh people.
The Vietnamese government has implemented special policies to enhance the living conditions of ethnic minorities (Nguyen, 2021) As part of these efforts, boarding schools have been established for ethnic minority students, offering tailored secondary and high school programs (Ministry of Education and Training, 2016) According to official statistics from the MOET (2018), there are 59 provincial schools, 256 district schools, and three state schools under its management, serving a total of 109,245 students, with an average of 600 students per boarding school.
Despite their intended purpose, the textbooks used in these schools are standard national materials employed across the country, including English texts A study by Dinh (2014) examining cultural representations in the old grade 10 and 11 textbooks found that the social and cultural content primarily reflects the perspectives of the major Kinh group in Vietnam Additionally, international research has highlighted similar representational issues, such as the underrepresentation of diverse cultural groups.
2006) and from daily context (Yamada, 2010) Therefore, representations of Vietnamese ethnic minorities need analyzing to see whether these problems exist
In an effort to support government policies on education for ethnic minorities, particularly in English learning, I conducted a study on the representation of Vietnamese ethnic minorities in new high school English textbooks This research aims to offer education managers valuable insights for tailoring educational approaches to ethnic students, enabling them to better adapt policies Additionally, it serves as a resource for English teachers seeking material adaptation and effective classroom strategies Such adaptations could potentially shift Kinh students’ negative perceptions of ethnic minorities while simultaneously improving engagement and English proficiency among ethnic students.
Aim and objectives of the study
This study aims to analyze the representations of Vietnamese ethnic minorities in new high school English textbooks, utilizing Weninger and Kiss’ (2013) semiotic approach that considers texts, tasks, and images as a cohesive unit The methodology incorporates various frameworks from other authors, detailed in Chapter 3, to support the analysis To achieve this aim, the study outlines specific objectives, focusing on answering key research questions and sub-questions related to the representation of these minorities in educational materials.
1 How are Vietnamese ethnic minorities represented in the textbooks?
1a How many activities featuring Vietnamese people and culture represent the ethnic minorities?
1b Who are the minorities represented in the textbooks?
1c In what topics do ethnic minorities appear?
1d How are the minorities represented culturally?
2 Is there any opportunity for students to learn about ethnic culture through the analyzed activities?
Scope of the study
This study examines the activities within the new high school English textbooks and teacher’s guides currently utilized in public and boarding schools for ethnic minorities The implementation of these textbooks aligns with Clause 3, Article 29 of the 2005 Law of Education, which grants the Minister of Education the authority to select textbooks for public schools Each grade level features two volumes, with the Grade 10 textbook authored by Hoang, Hoang, Dang et al (2014a, 2014b), the Grade 11 textbook by Hoang, Phan (2014a, 2014b), and the Grade 12 textbook by Hoang, Hoang, Phan (2014a, 2014b) A detailed description of the textbook structures can be found in Chapter 3.
Significance of the study
The study is expected to make multiple contributions to the related fields both practically and academically
This study serves as a valuable resource for Vietnamese textbook authors, guiding them in making essential revisions to create more inclusive materials for ethnic minority learners By incorporating appropriate representations, the textbooks can enhance students' interest in learning, ultimately addressing educational challenges faced by these communities.
The study's findings can inform the development of future textbooks across various subjects, encouraging authors to ensure fair representation of minor groups, including women, the disabled, and the elderly, to prevent the formation of inappropriate mindsets among students.
Teachers can utilize this study as a valuable reference to adapt classroom materials and activities, ensuring they align with the needs and interests of ethnic minority students By making these modifications, educators can enhance student engagement and improve academic performance.
This study enhances the existing literature on textbook evaluation and the representation of minority groups in educational materials, particularly within the context of Vietnam, where research in these areas remains scarce By addressing this gap, the findings contribute valuable insights to the academic discourse surrounding educational publications in the country.
Structure of the study
This study is structured into five chapters, with Chapter 2 dedicated to the Literature Review This section offers an overview of essential definitions pertinent to the research, explores issues surrounding the representation of groups in textbook evaluations, and summarizes findings from prior studies Based on these insights, I identify existing research gaps and suggest methods to effectively address them.
Following Chapter 2 is Chapter 3, Methodology In this chapter, research method, including the instrumental used, are described The chapter also reports the steps of data collection and data analysis
Chapter 4, Findings and Discussion, begins by presenting the analyzed data in alignment with the research questions Following each question, the discussion compares the findings to previous studies, explores potential impacts on students' learning processes, and offers explanations for the results.
Chapter 5: Conclusion includes summary of findings as well as suggestion for the educators It also addresses the gaps of this study and suggests feasible directions for future researchers
This chapter provides an overview of the study, setting the stage for a comprehensive review of previous literature in the subsequent chapter It will cover essential definitions of key concepts, pertinent issues surrounding textbook evaluation, and findings from earlier research on the topic Additionally, this study identifies gaps in existing literature and outlines how it intends to fill those gaps.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definitions of key concepts
In this section, definitions of key concepts related to the research topic, namely representation, ethnicity and culture are discussed
According to Oxford English Dictionary (n.d), “representation” is the
Representation refers to the description or portrayal of individuals or concepts in specific ways, achieved through communication processes that encompass the sender's intention, methods of transmission, and interpretation of messages (Miller, 2005) This communication involves various forms such as language, signs, and images that facilitate the creation and exchange of meaning among individuals (Hall, 1997) Hall identifies three distinct approaches to studying representation, highlighting its complexity and significance in understanding how we convey meanings.
The reflective approach perceives representation as a mirror that reveals the world's true meaning, while the intentional approach asserts that meaning is imposed on the world by the message carrier However, this creation of meaning must align with the cultural norms of the carrier In contrast, constructivism posits that meaning is not inherent in the world but is actively constructed by individuals through their interactions and experiences.
The concept of representation is explored through a "system of signs," leading to two main branches of study The first, known as the "discursive approach," views representation as the creation of knowledge rather than mere meaning, emphasizing that it is shaped by discourse rather than language (Foucault, 1972) This perspective suggests that discourse significantly influences how individuals perceive and understand their knowledge.
The semiotics approach, primarily linked to Ferdinand de Saussure, views language as a structured system comprised of "forms" or signifiers This perspective emphasizes the significance of signs in communication, highlighting the relationship between meaning and representation within language.
The semiotic approach examines cultural signs within a structured system, analyzing not only texts and images but also objects as carriers of messages (Hall, 1997) In this study, Vietnamese ethnic minority textbooks are viewed as vehicles for messages from authors to learners Consequently, this approach is adopted as the primary research method, following the procedures outlined by Weninger and Kiss (2013) in section 2.2.4.
2.1.2 Ethnic group and ethnic minority
In 1975, “ethnicity” was considered a new term by Glazer and Moynihan
The term "ethnic group" was first recorded in 1972 in the Supplement of the Oxford English Dictionary by Burchfield, although A Theodorson and G Theodorson defined it earlier in 1969 as a subgroup sharing a common culture within a larger community Bell (2014) supports this definition, emphasizing elements such as a sense of place, ancestry, common history, religion, cultural practices, communication methods, and often a shared language Mooney and Evans (2015) highlight language as a crucial tool for constructing ethnic identity, differentiating ethnicity from "race," which is linked to biological traits like skin color Furthermore, Gould and Kolb (1964) discuss how, within a community of multiple ethnic groups, individuals may exhibit specific traits and assert their identity based on these characteristics.
The terms "ethnicity" and "ethnic group" typically refer to minority groups, as majority members often overlook their own ethnicity unless prompted for personal background (Mooney & Evans, 2015) The concept of an "unmarked" majority, which is considered the norm in a country, is defined by its unmarkedness rather than population size The definitions of majority and minority are influenced by political, social, and historical factors, as well as the conception of the nation (p 134) Consequently, when "ethnicity" is mentioned, it predominantly refers to the "marked" minority groups, highlighting the complexities of ethnic identification.
In Vietnam, the government classifies an ethnic minority as any group comprising less than 50% of the population, with the Kinh group representing nearly 80% This leaves 53 other groups recognized as ethnic minorities Following the concept of unmarked ethnicity proposed by Mooney and Evans (2015), the Kinh people can be viewed as unmarked, while the terms "ethnic" and "ethnicity" predominantly pertain to these minority groups.
According to Decree 05/2011/NĐCP, the 16 ethnic groups in Vietnam with populations under 10,000 are classified as "ethnic minority groups that have a very small population." This study adopts the government's definition and utilizes the terms "ethnicity" and "ethnic minorities" as highlighted by Mooney and Evans (2015) to discuss these groups.
Ethnicity and culture are distinct yet interconnected concepts, as highlighted by Miller (2005) Although culture is not explicitly mentioned in the research topic, it plays a crucial role in defining ethnicity alongside language and religion (Herbst, 1997) Additionally, ethnicity is deeply tied to one’s heritage, which encompasses cultural elements (Bell, 2014) Thus, understanding ethnic culture is vital for this study.
Communication serves as a fundamental tool for representing culture, which Winkelman (1993) defines as a collective group of people Additionally, Williams (1981) emphasizes that culture can be viewed as the shared way of life among these individuals.
The dynamic nature of cultural systems, as discussed by Keesing (1981) and supported by scholars like Markus et al (1996) and Baldwin et al (2013), highlights the complexities of how groups perceive and express their identities Moon (2002) emphasizes that culture exists within multiple groups, where dominant groups often define issues from their perspective, leaving minority groups with limited opportunities for representation (Mooney & Evans, 2014) This disparity is evident in the portrayal of ethnic minorities, as illustrated by Baldwin et al (2014), particularly in Vietnam, where the major Kinh group coexists with 53 ethnic minorities Consequently, this study aims to investigate the representation of these ethnic minorities in new high school English textbooks in Vietnam, addressing potential issues of visibility and accuracy in their depiction.
This study highlights the need to examine cultural definitions in intercultural communication, particularly as textbooks used by ethnic students are predominantly authored by Kinh individuals According to Baldwin et al (2014), understanding culture within this context is essential for effective intercultural communication.
Culture is the dynamic lifestyle of a community, encompassing symbols, values, behaviors, artifacts, and other shared elements It evolves continuously as individuals exchange messages and is often shaped by the conflicts and interactions between diverse groups with varying perspectives, interests, and power dynamics.
As can be seen, multiple elements are incorporated These elements include
The interconnected elements of "concepts, behavior, artifacts, and systems" play a crucial role in cultural understanding Artifacts can embody meanings, while concepts are shaped by cultural values, beliefs, and social norms that dictate expected behaviors Behavior itself can convey both symbolic and non-symbolic meanings Within communication, various systems exist, notably media, which transmit ideas across cultures and are influenced by a complex interplay of behaviors and meanings.
Representation of groups in language textbook evaluation
This study focuses on high school English textbooks, highlighting the importance of examining various perspectives on textbook evaluation and the representation of ethnic groups within these materials It discusses the authors' viewpoints on these critical aspects and outlines the methodology for employing a semiotic approach to analyze cultural elements in English textbooks.
2.2.1 The main roles of textbooks and teacher’s books in language teaching
Textbooks are agreed to play pivotal roles in a language program Richards
Textbooks play a crucial role in language education by serving as primary sources of content and practice activities in the classroom (Richards, 2001) They provide essential input through exercises that focus on linguistic aspects and tasks that enhance linguistic skills (Weninger & Kiss, 2013) In some cases, textbooks may be the sole resource for learners to engage with the target language, guiding inexperienced teachers with structured activities and instructions Additionally, well-designed textbooks can significantly motivate students and facilitate their progress and proficiency (Tsiplakides, 2011) Consequently, the use of commercial textbooks is indispensable in language programs (Richards, 2001).
Teacher's books are essential components of material packages that accompany textbooks, playing a crucial role in effective course delivery They provide detailed lesson plans and activity keys at the lesson level This study focuses on the cultural aspect of teacher's books, emphasizing their importance in explaining cultural contexts to educators, helping them understand the situations presented in the textbooks.
2.2.2 Textbook evaluation in language teaching
When a set of textbooks is used in a language program, textbook evaluation is vital (Richards, 2001) There are two purposes of evaluating textbooks:
The evaluation of the newly implemented high school English textbooks is retrospective, as it occurs after their nationwide application (Tsipkilades, 2011) This retrospective evaluation can be conducted in two ways: "impressionistic," which assesses the overall course, and "micro-evaluation," which focuses on specific teaching scenarios This study specifically examines the representation of Vietnamese ethnic minorities in the textbooks, making it a micro-evaluation.
When evaluating language textbooks, it is essential to consider multiple aspects outlined in Cunningsworth's (1995) Quick Reference Checklist This study specifically focuses on the representation of ethnic minorities, examining two key categories: "Topic and Subject Content" and "Social and Cultural Values," as well as the cultural criteria within the teacher's book checklist.
2.2.3 Representation of groups in language textbook evaluation
As mentioned above, in Cunningsworth’s (1995) checklists, representation of groups is categorized into the general aspect “Topic” and non-linguistic aspects
The article discusses the importance of integrating authentic topics, such as geography and history, into English lessons alongside linguistic elements to maintain student interest Richards (2015) critiques English textbooks for predominantly showcasing a "middle-class lifestyle" focused on "travel and consumption," often neglecting the diverse backgrounds and real-life issues of students This approach can lead to content that is not only irrelevant but may also convey hidden messages (Cunningsworth, 1995) To enhance learning, the content must be authentic, serving real purposes like informing and stimulating students rather than presenting random, context-less incidents Additionally, the article highlights the necessity of using checklists for both student and teacher's books to ensure cultural relevance, as illustrated in Figure 1.
Cultural and social values play a crucial role in language learning, as they are intertwined with factors like location, social norms, and age groups Understanding these values enables students to use language appropriately in various social contexts This transfer of cultural and social knowledge occurs through what is known as the hidden curriculum, which influences students' perspectives without being explicitly stated As highlighted by Cunningsworth (1995), the official curriculum is not neutral, making it essential for evaluators to explore specific elements to reveal these underlying values.
Figure 1: Cunningsworth (1995)’s quick and detailed checklists on topic, subject content and social values for student’s book and teacher’s book
2.2.4 Semiotic approach to studying cultural representation in language textbooks
Culture serves as a defining marker of ethnicity (Herbst, 1997), as discussed in section 2.1.3 This section reviews the semiotic approach to studying culture within language textbooks, building on the principles and applications introduced earlier in section 2.1.1.
Weninger and Kiss (2013) introduced a semiotic approach to explore the dynamic nature of culture in their analysis of two Hungarian English textbooks, Bloggers and Steps They examined how meaning is constructed through the interplay of texts, tasks, and images, utilizing Peirce's (1980) model of sign, object, and interpretant This qualitative approach highlighted the contextual nature of cultural learning, emphasizing that the interconnectedness of these elements guides students' interpretation of textbook content, a process they termed "guided semiosis." Their findings revealed that the textbooks significantly influenced students' meaning-making, with cultural tasks serving primarily as supplements to linguistic content, potentially reinforcing fixed stereotypes and limiting opportunities for genuine cultural learning.
In activities bearing cultural representation, there exist images portraying people in a community, whose social relation is an analytical aspect (Cunningsworth,
1995) To interpret the relation of these people, Painter et al (2012) propose the model of interpersonal meanings developed based on Kress and van Leuween’s
(2006) aspects of interpersonal meanings between the characters and the viewer In this model, characters’ body orientation towards each other can help realize whether
Power dynamics among characters can shed light on their social relationships (pp 15-16) Cunningsworth (1995) emphasizes the importance of the social context in which these characters exist Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) introduce the concept of "social distance," suggesting that characters portrayed at medium to long distances are often seen as part of a community, while those depicted up close represent individuals However, Weninger and Kiss (2013) argue that to fully comprehend the social setting, it is essential to analyze accompanying texts alongside images as a cohesive unit.
Dinh (2014) expanded on existing methodological frameworks for studying culture by categorizing it into Big Culture (Big C) and small Culture (small c) Big C encompasses tangible cultural products like songs, houses, and clothing, while small c refers to practices, perspectives, and real individuals rather than fictional characters.
Section 2.2 examines the representation of ethnic minorities and their cultures, while the following section reviews previous research on the portrayal of ethnic groups in textbooks.
Research in representation of ethnic minorities in textbooks
This section reviews findings on the representation of ethnic groups in textbooks, focusing on two main categories: English and other subjects The literature survey highlights the importance of analyzing these two types of educational materials to understand their impact on ethnic representation.
2.3.1 Representation of ethnic minorities in non-English language textbooks
The topic of non-language textbooks has garnered significant attention from scholars In his review of American textbooks from the late 20th century, Banks (2013) noted that during the 1960s, these materials reflected a hierarchy of ethnic groups, largely due to their authorship by dominant mainstream groups.
In the past, Caucasian individuals were portrayed as superior to other races regarding social status, politics, and economic power Although there have been some positive changes over time, they have been minimal In China, research by Chu (2015) highlights that the values and beliefs of the Han people, the dominant ethnic group, are primarily represented, while minority groups remain marginalized.
Research on textbooks has revealed significant issues, particularly in social sciences In China, studies by Bing (2006) and Chu (2018) echo Chu's (2015) findings, highlighting that cultural symbols in elementary textbooks are rooted in Han culture Similarly, Bing (2006) critiques Chinese history textbooks in Canada for presenting culture from a tourist perspective, which oversimplifies complex historical and societal issues Additionally, the marginalization of ethnic minorities and the normalization of the majority are evident in history texts from Sri Lanka (Gaul, 2014) and secondary music textbooks in Norway (Ronningen, 2015).
Textbooks in various languages, including Malay and Chinese in Malaysia, often depict ethnic minorities in a stereotypical manner, failing to accurately represent the diverse structure of these groups (Liew, 2007) Furthermore, Kwon and Sun (2018) highlight another concern: the portrayal of culture as "monocultural, monolingual, and static," which overlooks the dynamic nature of cultural identities.
Summaries of the findings previously discussed are presented in table 1
Table 1: Previous studies on representations of ethnic minorities in non-English language textbooks
Textbook treatments of ethnic groups
Banks (2013) - American textbooks in the 1960s presented a hierarchy of ethnic groups with Caucasian being superior to other groups
- Ethnic minorities were not portrayed accurately
The power of knowledge: a critical analysis of the depiction of ethnic minorities in China’s elementary textbooks
Chu (2015) - The values and beliefs of the Han people primarily represented Chinese culture
- Ethnic minorities experienced marginalization with incomplete and stereotypical representations
- The knowledge on ethnic from the perspective of Han people
Images of ethnic minority groups in
Chinese elementary social studies textbooks
Chu (2018) - The frequency of visual images was limited compared to representation of the major Han group
- Ethnic minorities were portrayed differently from Han people in terms of key aspects
Minorities in Textbooks in Canada and China
Bing (2006) - The teaching of China culture in
Canada was from a tourist’s point of view
- Knowledge, experience and ideas in the textbooks were presented from Han people’s perspectives
- Cultural and traditional values of ethnic people were not presented in Chinese history textbooks
Gaul (2014) Tamil people and ethnic minorities were not recognized and undergo negative representations
The Ethnic Move – A discussion on cultural diversity in pedagogical texts for Norwegian
- Cultural psychological distance was created between the minorities and majority
- Minority cultures were considered secondary schools “others” and majority cultures were viewed as normal
An analysis of gender and ethnic representations in
Chinese and Malay primary school reading textbooks: Grades 2–6
Liew (2007) - Ethnic minorities in Malaysia were portrayed stereotypically
- Both texts and images did not represent the actual ethnic make-up in Malaysia
Chinese and Korean heritage language textbooks for immigrant children
Language textbooks for immigrant children in China and South Korea viewed culture, language and identity as monocultural and monolingual
2.3.2 Research in Representation of ethnic minorities in English language textbooks
The representation of ethnic minorities in English language textbooks is notably problematic, particularly in local contexts that include ethnic students, as this representation is crucial for teaching English as a global communication tool (Kirkpatrick, 2014) Studies have highlighted significant issues, such as the absence of certain minority groups from national character depictions For instance, Yamada (2006) found that the Ainu people were largely unrecognized in Japanese English textbooks from 1987 to 2002, while in South Korea, the lack of representation for various minor groups stems from the country's focus on a singular notion of pure Korean identity, despite the existence of diverse ethnic groups (Kim & Ma, 2018).
In Indonesia, the representation of ethnic cultures is limited to four main groups (Setyono & Widodo, 2019), while in Vietnam, the Kinh culture is predominantly showcased as the national culture, despite the consensus that national identity should encompass all ethnic groups (Dinh, 2014; Ho, 2008) This lack of representation leads to an inaccurate portrayal of local ethnic diversity, as seen in British Columbia's primary textbooks, where certain groups are either over- or under-represented (Bassani, 2015) Furthermore, ethnic groups are often depicted without meaningful interaction or acknowledgment, exemplified by the Ainu people of Japan, who, according to Yamada (2006), are primarily featured in historical contexts without engaging with other characters.
The patterns of how ethnic minorities are represented in English language textbooks as found out by aforementioned authors are summed up in Table 2
Table 2: Previous studies on Representations of ethnic minorities in English language textbooks
Yamada (2006) - Although foreigners in Japan were specified, Japanese minority Ainu were not fully recognized
- Some minority groups were absent
Yamada (2010) - Japan was described as multicultural countries with the characters from Inner Circle countries
- Ainu was the only ethnic minority described and they only appeared in historical accounts, not interacting
Ethnic Representation in Canadian Primary
Bassani (2015) - The majority of the characters depicted were Caucasians
- The representations of characters failed to portray to the real diversity of the local learning context
Indonesian cultural diversity in middle school English textbooks
- The studied textbooks did not present Indonesian cultural diversity equally
- The same values were attributed to Indonesian people regardless of their ethnic groups
- Cultural artifacts portrayed belonged to the four major ethnic groups of Indonesia
Linguistic Diversity in an English Textbook is
Kim & Ma (2018) Representations of culture in textbooks distorted the actual situation in South Korea Korean people were solely referred to as
“pure” Koreans despite there are citizens of various origins living in the country
Cultural representation in locally developed
Dinh (2014) - Vietnamese culture was described as Kinh people’s culture in old Grade
- big culture was presented rather than small culture
In summary, ethnic minorities face misrepresentation and inequality in textbooks, characterized by their absence, stereotypical portrayals, trivialized roles, and limited interactions with other characters Additionally, there are still research gaps in the existing studies that need to be addressed.
This chapter reviews literature on key aspects of the study, focusing on ethnic minority representations in English textbooks and cultural studies It emphasizes definitions crucial to understanding the role of Vietnamese high school English textbooks as vehicles for conveying messages about ethnic minorities, whose culture serves as a significant identifier The study employs a micro evaluation framework, specifically analyzing how ethnic minorities are portrayed to Vietnamese learners through "Topic and subject content" and "Social and cultural value," as proposed by Cunningsworth (1995) To assess the characteristics of these representations, the research examines pedagogical activities, including both textual and visual tasks or exercises.
From the review of previous studies on similar topics, I have identified several research gaps
Many studies on textbooks have been overly broad, analyzing multiple sets or spanning long timeframes without considering the specific contexts in which the textbooks were created This lack of focus makes it challenging to derive targeted recommendations from such extensive research.
Many studies on representation in language textbooks tend to focus on limited aspects, often neglecting the quality of tasks, which is crucial for effective learning While cultural diversity is acknowledged in research, Bassani (2015) primarily concentrated on the portrayal of individuals, overlooking other important elements.
In Vietnam, the portrayal of ethnic minorities in educational textbooks has been largely overlooked, despite significant research focused on the representation of women (Duong, 2017).
This study aims to enhance the existing literature by examining the portrayal of Vietnamese ethnic minorities in the newly published high school English textbooks It specifically seeks to address key research questions related to these representations.
1 How are Vietnamese ethnic minorities represented in the textbooks?
1a How many activities featuring Vietnamese people and culture represent ethnic minorities?
1b Who are the minorities represented in the textbooks?
1c In what topics do ethnic minorities appear?
1d How are the minorities represented culturally?
2 Is there any opportunity for students to learn about ethnic culture through the analyzed activities?
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Data collection
This section provides background information of the data and explains the criteria for selecting activities suitable for data analysis process
3.1.1 Vietnamese new high school English textbooks
The data were collected from the new high school English textbooks, including grade 10, 11 and 12 textbooks, written by Hoang, Hoang, Dang et al
In 2014, Hoang, Phan, and Hoang published a series of textbooks by the Education Publisher, each comprising two volumes that include five units and two review lessons Each unit begins with a "Getting Started" section to introduce the topic, followed by vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar in the Language section The Skills section offers activities for practicing listening, reading, speaking, and writing Additionally, the Communication and Culture section explores the cultures of ASEAN and English-speaking countries, leading to a Project related to the unit's themes Finally, the "Looking Back" section revises the content covered The overall lesson structure is outlined in the book map located at the end of each textbook.
The article categorizes pedagogical activities into exercises and tasks, as outlined by Richards Exercises emphasize linguistic components such as pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, while tasks focus on the four essential language skills To maintain clarity, the author adopts Richards' terminology to differentiate from Weninger and Kiss’ (2013) use of "tasks," which pertains to the command of activities like "texts, tasks, and images." In the subsequent chapter, the specific term used will depend on the function of the activity.
“exercise” and “task” is used interchangeably with the term “activity”
After the third and fifth units of each volume, students revise the knowledge on the linguistics aspects and skills in a Review lesson
Each textbook is accompanied by a teacher's book that offers suggested procedures, exercise keys, and supplementary information, enabling teachers to effectively conduct their lessons.
To gather data on Vietnamese ethnic minorities, I began by analyzing the activities in Volume 1 of the grade 10 textbook (Hoang et al., 2014a) I selected those activities that explicitly referenced ethnic minorities through textual prompts, information, and character names, drawing on Nguyen's (2006) study of Vietnamese ethnic group names For activities featuring visual images without accompanying textual descriptions, I consulted the teacher's book for additional context In cases where no descriptions were provided, I noted that some images were sourced from the Internet, as indicated at the end of the book.
I used Google Image engine to retrieve the original images to see whether the ethnic minorities were represented The similar procedures were applied for volume 2 and the other two textbooks
Following the implementation of the targeted activities, the accompanying teacher’s books were reviewed for recommended procedures and supplementary information To facilitate a more efficient data analysis, I documented the findings.
To address the initial research question, it is essential to identify representations of Vietnamese people and culture This process mirrored the approach taken for examining representations of ethnic minorities, which were not the focus of this study and therefore were not analyzed.
Data analysis
After retrieving the necessary activities, I conducted a data analysis following the method proposed by Weninger and Kiss (2013) This approach emphasizes studying all texts, tasks, and images within an activity as interconnected units, given their contextual relationships Since these relationships are not fixed, the analysis must adapt to the specific units involved Additionally, teacher's books, which are crucial for guiding educators on effectively utilizing textbooks (Cunningsworth, 1995), were also analyzed alongside the texts, tasks, and images.
The qualitative analysis of the data involved coding into various categories based on distinct analytical aspects Given the quantifiable nature of the data, the descriptive statistics method was utilized (Baldwin et al., 2013).
Quantitative analysis was the major approach to answer the sub-question 1a:
1a How many activities featuring Vietnamese people and culture represent ethnic minorities?
The analysis involved recording the number and positions of activities featuring ethnic minorities in comparison to those depicting Vietnamese people and culture Representations of Vietnamese culture were identified through character names and textual clues While it is often assumed that these representations reflect the Kinh group due to their status as the ethnic majority, a direct comparison with ethnic minorities proved challenging This is because some ethnic residents share names and cultural practices with the Kinh, complicating the reliability of distinguishing between the two groups.
In addition, descriptive statistics was in the comparison different categories of qualitative findings after they were coded The detailed categories are discussed in Chapter 4: Findings and Discussions
3.2.2 Qualitative method: semiotic analysis of pedagogical activities
Qualitative analysis was the procedures mainly employed to answer the remaining questions
Sub-question 1b aligns with Cunningsworth’s criterion regarding the reference to ethnic origin in the general checklist for topics To address this sub-question, I examined whether the ethnic backgrounds of the characters are explicitly referenced in activities that represent specific groups.
For sub-questions 1c and 1d, I utilized Cunningsworth's (1995) checklists, focusing on "topic and content," "social and cultural values," and a Quick reference checklist The overarching theme of the parental unit encompasses its various activities, with ethnic minorities represented as sub-topics through textual information and prompts By analyzing the textual elements and guidelines in teacher's books, I identified the intended purposes of the content and subsequently evaluated whether it meets these objectives.
The representation of ethnic minority cultures is crucial, as highlighted by Moon (2002), especially in relation to sub-question 1d To explore this, I compared activities featuring cultural elements with those that do not, while identifying the types of cultures represented through the lens of big culture and small culture, following Dinh’s (2014) framework A deeper analysis of cultural representation utilized Cunningsworth’s (1995) checklist on cultural and social values, focusing on the community context and the emotions conveyed to learners To examine the language of feeling, I incorporated the concept of “connotation” from Baldwin et al (2014) The checklist emphasizes the importance of characters' social settings and relationships, which can be illustrated through visual images Thus, I applied the interpersonal meanings in images as suggested by Painter et al (2012) and Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) Detailed discussions of these frameworks are available in section 2.2.4 of Chapter 2.
To address the second research question, I utilized the methods outlined by Weninger and Kiss (2013), who noted the absence of a fixed procedure They proposed an approach that begins by determining whether activities are denotational, emphasizing correct answers, or connotational, allowing students to express their feelings and opinions Subsequently, I analyzed the relationship between texts, tasks, and images, incorporating specific activities Additionally, I applied several criteria from Cunningsworth (1995) as guidelines during this analysis.
Detailed presentation of qualitative frameworks used in qualitative analysis is presented in Table 3
Table 3: Analytical frameworks used in the study and adaptation
- Are ethnic minorities represented with reference to their origin?
Is there enough variety and range of topic related to ethnic minorities?
Are ethnic minorities put in real topics and how varied are the topics?
Do the content actually do what they set out to do?
1d big culture and small culture
What do we learn about the inner lives of the characters?
Can learners interpret the relationship, behavior, intentions of ethnic characters portrayed?
What professional and social positions are the ethnic characters showed as occupying?
What physical and character attributes are ethnic minorities given?
What professional and social positions are the ethnic characters showed as occupying?
To what extent is the language of feeling depicted?
Do the ethnic characters exist in some kind of social setting, within a social network?
Are social relationships portrayed realistically?
Will the topics help expand students’ awareness and enrich their experience?
Can students’ awareness on ethnic minorities be expanded?
This chapter outlines the data and analytical instruments utilized in the study, detailing the steps involved in the data analysis process The research focuses on activities representing Vietnamese ethnic minorities and employs a mixed-method approach tailored to address various research questions.
This chapter outlines the findings from the data analysis and discusses these results in relation to existing research The data is organized to effectively address the research questions posed.
1 How are Vietnamese ethnic minorities represented in the textbooks?
1a How many activities representing Vietnamese people and culture
1b Who are the minorities represented in the textbooks?
1c In what topics do ethnic minorities appear?
1d How are the minorities represented culturally?
2.Is there any opportunity for students to learn about ethnic culture through the analyzed activities?
The article presents a thorough analysis of data, followed by discussions that address specific research questions These discussions include an in-depth interpretation of the findings, insights into the implications based on prior studies, and potential explanations for the observed outcomes.
This chapter outlines activities sourced from textbooks, with their positions indicated by specific abbreviations explained in the abbreviation section For instance, G10-U10-Cu-2 signifies task 2 from the Culture section of Grade 10, Unit 10 All extracted activities are detailed in Appendixes D, E, and F, accompanied by brief explanations Key representations within the items are highlighted in a red rectangle Due to the unavailability of colored versions of the Grade 11 textbook and teacher's book, the extracts from these resources are presented in black and white.
4.1 How are Vietnamese ethnic minorities represented in new high school English textbooks?
4.1.1 Number of activities featuring Vietnamese people and culture representing Vietnamese ethnic minorities
In total, there are 21 representations of ethnic groups in the form of activities for students This accounts for 7 of representations of Vietnamese people and culture (See Table 4)
Table 4: Frequency of representations of Vietnamese ethnic minorities in New high school English textbooks
Number of activities featuring ethnic minorities
In Grade 10 textbooks, representations are notably limited, with only three instances out of a total of 90, resulting in a mere 3% representation rate This percentage is the lowest among the three grade levels analyzed.
In Grade 11 textbooks, 7% of the content features representations of Vietnamese characters and culture, totaling eight out of 119 Notably, Grade 12 textbooks stand out with over 10% representation, showcasing ten depictions of ethnic minorities out of 86 representations of Vietnamese culture.
These 21 representations appear in five units across the three textbooks (See Table 5) While grade 10 and grade 12 each has one unit featuring ethnic minorities, grade 11 textbook has two The number of representations of ethnic minorities in specific units mostly takes up less half of the total activities representing Vietnamese people and culture In the Review 2 lesson of Grade 11, the proportion is one-half but there are only two activities featuring Vietnamese people and culture Remarkably, Unit 5 of Grade 12 has 10 representations of ethnic minorities out of 14 representations of Vietnamese people and culture
Table 5: Analyzed data in specific units
Grade Number of units and review lessons
Representing Vietnamese people and culture
Number of activities representing ethnic minorities
This sub-question examines the representation of ethnic minorities in comparison to Vietnamese people and culture, revealing that Vietnamese ethnic minorities are significantly underrepresented, comprising only 7% of the total When analyzed in specific units, this figure rises to 25% This finding aligns with Chu (2018), which noted a similar trend in Chinese social sciences textbooks, where visual representations of minorities are limited compared to the majority Han population Likewise, in British Columbia, Canada, elementary English textbooks predominantly feature Caucasian characters, highlighting the ongoing issue of minority underrepresentation in educational materials.
Is there any opportunity for students to learn about ethnic culture through
This chapter summarizes major findings, suggests implications for educators, identifies the limitations of the study and provides future researchers with feasible methods to address the limitations
The findings reveal that ethnic minorities are represented in only 7% of the content related to Vietnamese people and culture in the textbooks Furthermore, these representations are unevenly distributed, appearing in just five out of the 30 lessons and three out of the 12 review sections.
The research revealed that only nine of the 53 ethnic minorities in Vietnam are represented, primarily in cultural and tourism-related topics aimed at informing students Cultural representations constitute 29% of the total, with a focus on major cultural themes Ethnic characters are portrayed as active community members in these cultural activities However, when it comes to expressing cultural values, only four out of 21 activities utilize emotional language, with three reflecting positive sentiments and one conveying a negative feeling.
With effective teacher guidance, students can engage in learning about ethnic culture through 57% of the activities analyzed, demonstrating a higher-than-expected capacity for cultural education Additionally, there is a balanced mix of both denotational and connotational activities among those examined.
To tackle the issues surrounding the representation of Vietnamese ethnic minorities in educational materials, it is essential for education policymakers, textbook authors, and teachers to collaborate effectively The Ministry of Education must carry out comprehensive evaluations of textbooks to identify and rectify any misrepresentations Furthermore, textbook writers should prioritize inclusive and accurate portrayals of diverse ethnic groups in their content.