Evaluating EFL Third Year Primary Education Textbook Alignment with the Didactic Guide for Intercultural Communicative Competence

Abstract

English has gained considerable global popularity, prompting the Algerian government to implement measures promoting its use in all educational sectors. Recently, English instruction has been introduced in the third year of primary education, accompanied by a textbook and a didactic guide to assist teachers in implementing the curriculum. This study aims to explore the compatibility of the textbook content with the principles of intercultural communicative competence outlined in the didactic guide. Through content analysis and theoretical coding, the study examines intercultural components based on Byram's model in both documents. The findings indicate that intercultural knowledge is present in both the textbook and the didactic guide. However, the textbook places greater emphasis on interpretive and relational skills, while the didactic guide highlights discovery and interaction skills. Intercultural attitudes are also emphasized in both documents, with the didactic guide showing a higher focus compared to the textbook. In conclusion, the study reveals that both documents prioritize language knowledge and the ability to interact, but they lack sufficient focus on self, others, and social cultural processes. Additionally, although intercultural attitudes are emphasized in the didactic guide, they are not adequately promoted in the textbook. Therefore, the content provided in the textbook does not fully support the development of intercultural competence as advocated in the didactic guide. The findings of this research suggest recommendations and pedagogical implications to enhance textbook design, aiming to foster the development of intercultural speakers and mediators rather than native-like speakers