The Construction of New Political Identities through the Internationally Distributed English Learning Textbooks

Abstract

Today, English education is very important but language learning has long been challenged since learning a second language is not only the mastery of its forms but also a process of identity construction and self-positioning in the second language. A review of recent studies shows that the cultural effects of learning English in the internationally distributed textbooks of English learning has been the main research interest while the construction of new political identities through these book series has not been sufficiently noticed. The present study aimed to investigate the construction of new political identities in learners through reading the internationally distributed English learning textbooks. Paying attention to the variety of subjects in these books have caused the researchers, and readers to ignore some political aspects embedded in these books which try to politically marginalize certain countries through their content and impose political hegemony as well as cultural hegemony on readers.