Evaluating Western Cultural Content in Chinese Middle School English Textbooks Using the Zone of Proximal Development

Abstract

With the increasing communication between China and other parts of the world, cross-cultural education has become increasingly important, necessitating the examination of non-Chinese, particularly Western, cultural elements in English education. Vygotsky's “zone of proximal development” (ZPD) theory emphasizes the critical role of development space in students' growth and supports the idea that the inclusion of Western elements in teaching materials acts as a scaffold for students to learn about Western culture. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of textbook compilation from three perspectives: students' current level, potential development level, and auxiliary support, using ZPD theory. By examining the Western cultural content in Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) textbooks through a mixed methods approach, including analysis, questionnaires, and interviews, it was found that the assessment of students' current level is relatively lacking, and the scaffolding for auxiliary cultural teaching is minimal and often overlooked. The study suggests enhancing the evaluation of student's current level, emphasizing Western cultural connotations, presenting multicultural contrasts, increasing interest and authenticity, and adding auxiliary supports to better facilitate students' cognitive and psychological development.

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Author Information
Peihan Ji, Wenzhou University, China
Yujie Su, Wenzhou University, China
Vivian Ngan-Lin Lei, Macao Polytechnic University, China
Xiaoshu Xu, Wenzhou University, China
Yuqing Dai, Wenzhou University, China