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Envisaging the other Korea in English textbooks

Toward a Reconfiguration of Contemporary Koreanness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2023

Sun–Hee Kim Open the ORCID record for Sun–Hee Kim [Opens in a new window]  and
Hikyoung Lee Open the ORCID record for Hikyoung Lee [Opens in a new window]
Sun–Hee Kim
Affiliation:
Korea University in South Korea
Hikyoung Lee*
Affiliation:
Korea University in South Korea
*
Corresponding author: Hikyoung Lee; Email: hleeku@korea.ac.kr
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Extract

Textbooks have long been considered resources for empowering nationalism within historical, social and political contexts. In particular, nations which have experienced socio-political turmoil place emphasis on promoting learners’ national identity through a national curriculum and designated textbooks (So, Kim & Lee, 2012). These textbooks serve as a pedagogical tool that plays a pivotal role in how learners should position themselves in the face of globalization (Matsuda, 2012; Matsuda & Friedrich, 2011). By the same token, they are artifacts that reflect realities alongside certain ideologies and values that society expects its citizens to learn while consolidating national identity through formal language education (Norton, 2013; Pavlenko, 2003; Pavlenko & Norton, 2007). Recent studies have also revealed that government-authorized English textbooks tend to be less hesitant about dealing with historical disputes regarded as contentious in nature (see Kim & Lee, 2023).

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English Today , First View , pp. 1 - 6
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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