Representation of Cultures in Local Italian Language Textbooks for Chinese Universities: A Diachronic Content Analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores the evolving landscape of cultural representations within locally produced Italian as a foreign language (IFL) textbooks in the Chinese educational context. Employing a diachronic content analysis, three distinct textbooks spanning different chronological periods (1972, 1991, 2022) were scrutinised to discern the nuanced evolution of cultural representations. Findings reveal a notable transformation in emphasis, shifting from an initial spotlight on source culture towards an increasing prominence of target culture across successive textbooks. What is more, a consistent emphasis on cultural products, cultural practices, and cultural persons (this latter following Moran, 2009), with an emergence of cultural perspectives in the latest textbook, aligns with an evolving understanding of culture in the domain of foreign language teaching. The observed dynamics, evident through both explicit and implicit representations, underscore the multifaceted relationship between educational priorities, socio-historical contexts, and cultural representations in language textbooks.