Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials

Reza Sahmaniasl; İsmail Yaman

doi:10.71362/eltrj.1713302

Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials

Abstract

The relationship between language and culture is critical in English Language Teaching (ELT), especially in non-native contexts where English is a foreign language. Language and culture are two inseparable aspects of human life and thus the inclusion of cultural components throughout a language learning process is something indispensable (Yaman, 2017). This study looked into the treatment of culture integrated in the ELT curricula and materials within Turkey and Iran. These are two neighbouring countries characterized with different yet distinct socio-political and educational contexts. By comparing curriculum documents and teaching materials this research examined the inclusion of local cultures, global cultures, and the culture of the target language in English education. An exploration of the similarities and differences in approaches to culture integration will thus illuminate effective pathways for cultural identity within intercultural competence. The results will inform curriculum developers and policymakers on the need for a cultural balance in English education.

Keywords

References

Aliakbari, M. (2004, August). The Place of culture in the Iranian ELT textbooks in high school level. In Proceedings of the 9th Conference of the Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics.
Arıkan, A. (2011). Prospective English language teachers’ perceptions of the target language and culture in relation to their socioeconomic status. English Language Teaching, 4(3), 232–242. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v4n3p232
Boroujeni, S. A., & Fard, F. M. (2013). A needs analysis of English for specific purposes (ESP) course for adoption of communicative language teaching: (A case of Iranian first-year students of educational administration). Life Science Journal, 10(1), 1740–1744.
Baker, W. (2015). Culture and identity through English as a lingua franca: Rethinking concepts and goals in intercultural communication (Vol. 8). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Multilingual Matters.
Cakir, I. (2010). The frequency of culture-specific elements in the ELT coursebooks at elementary schools in Turkey. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language, 4(2), 182–189.
Curdt-Christiansen, X.L., & Weninger, C. (Eds.). (2015). Language, Ideology and Education: The politics of textbooks in language education (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315814223

Dasli, M., & Díaz, A. R. (Eds.). (2016). The critical turn in language and intercultural communication pedagogy: Theory, research and practice. Taylor & Francis.
Demir, Y., & Yavuz, M. (2017). Do ELT coursebooks still suffer from gender inequalities? A case study from Turkey. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 13(1), 103-122.
Kirkgöz, Y., & Agcam, R. (2011). Exploring culture in locally published English textbooks for primary education in Turkey. CEPS journal, 1(1), 153-167.
Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and culture. Oxford University Press.
Lee, J. S., & Drajati, N. A. (2019). English as an international language beyond the ELT classroom. ELT Journal, 73(4), 419-427.
Matsuda, A. (Ed.). (2017). Preparing teachers to teach English as an international language (Vol. 53). Multilingual Matters.
McKay, S. L. (2018). English as an international language: What it is and what it means for pedagogy. RELC Journal, 49(1), 9-23.
Porto, M., & Byram, M. (2015). A curriculum for action in the community and intercultural citizenship in higher education. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 28(3), 226-242.
Riazi, A. M., & Mosallanejad, N. (2010). Evaluation of learning objectives in Iranian high-school and pre-university English textbooks using Bloom’s taxonomy. TESL-EJ, 13(4), 1–16.
Sadeghi, K., & Sepahi, Z. (2018). Cultural content of three EFL textbooks: teachers’ and learners’ cultural preferences and cultural themes of textbooks. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 13(3), 222-245.
Sahmaniasl, R., & Ersanlı, C. Y. (2024). Secondary school students’ language learning motivation and perceptions about English as a lingua franca in Iran. Elt Research Journal, 13(2), 167-204.
Tran, T. Q., & Dang, H. V. (2014). Culture teaching in English language teaching: Teachers’ beliefs and their classroom practices. Korea TESOL Journal, 11(1), 207-223.
Valizadeh, S., & Gunday, R. (2022). Investigation on Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan English Language Teaching on School Grades. Open Access Repository, 8(03), 121-129.
Vettorel, P. (2022). World Englishes, English as a lingua franca and ELT. In Research questions in language education and applied linguistics: A reference guide (pp. 183-186). Springer.
Weninger, C., & Kiss, T. (2013). Culture in English as a foreign language (EFL) textbooks: A semiotic approach. TESOL Quarterly, 47(4), 694-716.
Yaman, I. (2017). The role of culture in English language teaching. IX. Uluslararası Eğitim Araştıąrmaları Birliği Kongresi Eğitim Araştırmaları Birliği, Ordu.
Yuen, S. C. Y., Yaoyuneyong, G., & Johnson, E. (2011). Augmented reality: An overview and five directions for AR in education. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE), 4(1), 11.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Comparative Language Studies

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Reza Sahmaniasl ^*
0000-0001-6368-3433
Türkiye

İsmail Yaman
0000-0003-1323-4909
Türkiye

Publication Date

January 1, 2026

Submission Date

June 5, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 25, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 14 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.71362/eltrj.1713302

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA99TB48ST

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Sahmaniasl, R., & Yaman, İ. (2026). Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials. ELT Research Journal, 14(2), 182-197. https://doi.org/10.71362/eltrj.1713302

AMA

1.Sahmaniasl R, Yaman İ. Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials. ELTRJ. 2026;14(2):182-197. doi:10.71362/eltrj.1713302

Chicago

Sahmaniasl, Reza, and İsmail Yaman. 2026. “Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials”. ELT Research Journal 14 (2): 182-97. https://doi.org/10.71362/eltrj.1713302.

EndNote

Sahmaniasl R, Yaman İ (January 1, 2026) Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials. ELT Research Journal 14 2 182–197.

IEEE

[1]R. Sahmaniasl and İ. Yaman, “Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials”, ELTRJ, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 182–197, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.71362/eltrj.1713302.

ISNAD

Sahmaniasl, Reza - Yaman, İsmail. “Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials”. ELT Research Journal 14/2 (January 1, 2026): 182-197. https://doi.org/10.71362/eltrj.1713302.

JAMA

1.Sahmaniasl R, Yaman İ. Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials. ELTRJ. 2026;14:182–197.

MLA

Sahmaniasl, Reza, and İsmail Yaman. “Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials”. ELT Research Journal, vol. 14, no. 2, Jan. 2026, pp. 182-97, doi:10.71362/eltrj.1713302.

Vancouver

1.Reza Sahmaniasl, İsmail Yaman. Cultural Integration in English Language Curricula: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Iran High School Materials. ELTRJ. 2026 Jan. 1;14(2):182-97. doi:10.71362/eltrj.1713302