The Assessment of Cultural Impropriety in EFL Textbooks in Morocco: A Critical Analysis

Résumé

EFL textbooks hold significant importance as instructional materials for educators and learners They are meticulously crafted to offer well-organized lessons and exercises that facilitate the enhancement of students' language proficiency. However, cultural issues within EFL textbooks pose a considerable matter of concern, as they have the potential to result in misunderstandings, misinterpretations, or even offense towards learners originating from various cultural backgrounds. Such problems may inadvertently reinforce stereotypes or biases. The primary aim of this quantitative and qualitative research is to offer a detailed understanding of the problem of cultural inappropriateness that is prevalent in one of the official EFL textbooks employed in Moroccan high schools, namely Gateway to English 2. The findings demonstrated that EFL textbooks taught in Moroccan high schools exhibit numerous instances of cultural inappropriateness, mainly taboo language, which directly contradict the values and principles upheld by Moroccan parents and families.