How do textbooks in International English invite students to expand their intercultural perspectives through tasks related to texts about multiculturalism?

Abstract

The present thesis investigates tasks in textbooks in International English taught the second year at the Upper Secondary level in Norway. The study aims to investigate how tasks may teach students about culture to better develop their intercultural communicative competence. The present study analyses whether tasks related to multicultural texts in four textbooks currently on the market may promote aspects of intercultural communicative competence among students. A mixed method which combines both qualitative and quantitative methods is used. The study bases the investigation on theory and Byram's model of intercultural communicative competence (1997) is used to see if the different tasks in the textbooks have the potential for promoting some or all aspects of intercultural communicative competence. Byram's model was chosen because it has been very influential within the field of foreign language teaching and his work and model of intercultural communicative competence has been important when curricula in many European countries have been developed. The results of the investigation suggest among others that textbooks may present more reflection tasks related to fictional and factual texts in order to promote aspects of ICC and it suggests that tasks should ask about students' own culture in order to better understand foreign cultures.