The increasing demand of English language learning among different nations and different cultural backgrounds of learners has created the need for an appropriate English language learning textbooks with a variety of cultural contexts. One of the popular textbooks in Qatari educational institutions is the English language textbook series "Q: Skills for Success". The application of such international teaching resources in regional settings, especially concerning cultural relevance and student involvement, is a topic of intense discussion and interest. The way students look at the cultural content of these teaching materials and respond to them offers important insights about Qatar, a nation with a rich cultural legacy and a fast-changing educational environment. Considering Qatari students' attitudes towards the cultural content of these textbooks is important because this factor can immensely affect their learning process. This current study is conducted for the purpose of investigating the Qatari students' attitudes towards the cultural content of the English language textbook "Q: Skills for Success". This textbook is used to teach English language to the foundation program students at the Community College of Qatar (CCQ). The study aims to make educators and textbooks’ authors more conscious of the necessity for these textbooks to accurately represent an appropriate cultural content. This cultural content is expected to facilitate learning English by attracting the attention of learners and it is expected not to conflict with their traditions. The research involves collecting data from a random representative sample of students from the English Language Center (ELC) or what is known as the Foundation program at CCQ. The study sample consisted of 50 male and female students who are enrolled in the pre intermediate level. Q: Skills for Success is used to teach the pre intermediate level which is the reason for selecting all of the participants only from this level. Due to the nature of this research, the study adopted the quantitative technique. To collect data from the sample a Likert scale questionnaire was designed. SPSS was then used to analyze the collected data. The results of the study demonstrate the intricate relationship that exists between students' local cultural identities and how they perceive the target language culture that the textbooks present. Most students expressed their desire for more extensive integration of Qatari local cultural content, even though they appreciated other cultures and expressed their will to meet with people of diverse cultures. These results highlight a gap in the current cultural content of the educational materials between the representation of target language cultural content and the preference of the local one. The findings of the research have significant implications for educators, policymakers, and EFL textbook writers. EFL textbooks and other Instructional materials need to be monitored by more specialized representatives from the countries these textbooks are designed for. Also, they need to further represent the local cultural content. This research contributes to the broader literature of English language teaching and cultural representation in EFL textbooks, particularly in the context of Qatar and other Arab countries.
Abu Jalalah, F. A. (1993). The cultural dimension of teaching English as a foreign language in an Arab Gulf State (Doctoral dissertation, Durham University).
Ahmed, S. (2015). Attitudes towards English language learning among EFL learners at UMSKAL. Journal of education and practice, 6(18), 6-16.
Ahmed, S. T. S., Qasem, B. T., & Pawar, S. V. (2019). Integrating culture into EFL teaching: A study of Yemeni EFL teachers' perceptions and actual Practices. Language in India, 19(4), 1-16.
Al-Khwaiter, J. (2001). Communicative language teaching and curriculum innovation in the teaching of English as a foreign language in Qatar: A study of the classroom and its socio-cultural context.
Al Mawoda, K. R. A. (2011). Exploring secondary teachers’ perception towards teaching intercultural competence in English language classrooms in Bahrain.
ALmhimed, A. (2018). Students’ and Instructors’ Perceptions of Teaching Culture in EFL Classes: A Case Study (Master's thesis, Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU)-Do?u Akdeniz Üniversitesi (DAÜ)).
Alotaibi, M. G. (2020). Saudi EFL high school learners’ attitude toward learning English. Journal of Education and Practice, 11(20), 92-96.
Alshammari, A. K. (2016). Developing the English curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Possibilities and challenges. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Vol, 6.
Ayu, M. (2020). Evaluation cultural content on English textbook used by EFL students in Indonesia. Journal of English Teaching, 6(3), 183-192.
Babbie, E. R. (2020). The practice of social research. Cengage AU.
Bain, S. K., McCallum, R. S., Bell, S. M., Cochran, J. L., & Sawyer, S. C. (2010). Foreign language learning aptitudes, attitudes, attributions, and achievement of postsecondary students identified as gifted. Journal of Advanced Academics, 22(1), 130-156.
Belli, S. A. (2018). A study on ELT students’ cultural awareness and attitudes towards incorporation of target culture into language instruction. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 14(1), 102-124.
Blass, L., Vargo, M., & Folse, K. S. (2013). Pathways 2: reading, writing and critical thinking. National Geographic Learning, a part of Cengage Learning.
Brown, H. D. (1994). Principles of language learning and teaching. Englewood Cliff. N]: Prentice Hall Regents.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence (Multilingual Matters). Multilingual Matters.
Byram, M., & Feng, A. (2004). Culture and language learning: Teaching, research and scholarship. Language teaching, 37(3), 149-168.
Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. New York: Longman.
CCQ. (2022). Community College of Qatar. Available at:
https://www.ccq.edu.qa/English/AboutCCQ/Pages/VisionMission.aspx (Accessed: 24 september 2021)
Cook, T.D., Campbell, D.T. and Shadish, W., 2002. Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference (pp. 103-134). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
Creswell, J. W. (1999). Mixed-method research: Introduction and application. In Handbook of educational policy (pp. 455-472). Academic press.
DABOU, S. P., HAMMOUDI, A., & CHIBANI, R. (2021). Teachers and students’ attitudes towards the integration of the target culture in the English as a foreign language class: A case study. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 4(4), 253-266.
Eslami, Z., Seawright, L. E., & Ribeiro, A. (2016). Attitudes toward English as a lingua franca: University students in Qatar. Learning across borders: Perspectives on international and transnational higher education, 132-148.
Getie, A. S. (2020). Factors affecting the attitudes of students towards learning English as a foreign language. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1738184.
Graddol, D., Thompson, L., & Byram, M. (Eds.). (1993). Language and Culture: Papers from the Annual Meeting of the British Association of Applied Linguistics Held at Trevelyan College, University of Durham, September 1991 (Vol. 7). Multilingual Matters.
Jabeen, Farhat, and Sayed Kazim Shah. "The role of culture in ELT: Learners’ attitude towards the teaching of target language culture." European Journal of Social Sciences 23, no. 4 (2011): 604-613.
Khalifa, B., Nasser, R., Ikhlef, A., Walker, J. S., & Amali, S. (2016). A qualitative study of student attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, outlook and context in Qatar: Persistence in higher education. Near and Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education, 2016(1), 2.
Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford university press.
Kuhlemeier, H., Van Den Bergh, H., & Melse, L. (1996). Attitudes and achievements in the first year of German language instruction in Dutch secondary education. The Modern Language Journal, 80(4), 494-508.
McKay, S. L. (2000). Teaching English as an International Language: Implications for Cultural Materials in the Classroom. TESOL journal, 9(4), 7-11.
Norušis, M. J. (2012). IBM SPSS statistics 19 advanced statistical procedures companion. (No Title).
Nurjanah, I., & Umaemah, A. (2019). An analysis of cultural content in the textbook “Pathway to English” for second grade in senior high school. ELT Echo: The Journal of English Language Teaching in Foreign Language Context, 4(1), 83-92.
Rao, P. S. (2019). The importance of English in the modern era. Asian Journal of Multidimensional Research (AJMR), 8(1), 7-19.
Babbie, E., & Rubin, A. (2016). Empowerment series: Research methods for social work.
Riazi, A. M., Rezvani, R., & Ghanbar, H. (2010). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Perspectives, 17(1), 26-27.
Rodríguez, A. R. (2018). Analysing cultural aspects in EFL textbooks: A skill-based analysis. Journal of English Studies, (16), 281-300.
Rohmani, L. A., & Andriyanti, E. (2022). Culture teaching in EFL classes: Teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and classroom practices. Studies in English Language and Education, 9(1), 237-257.
Rousseau, R. (2011). Acknowledging cultural values and diversities when teaching English as a foreign language to adult learners in Qatar (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Africa).
Salim, S. K. (2017). Teaching language and teaching culture. In 8th International Visible Conference on Educational Studies & Applied Linguistics (pp. 464-470).
Ta'amneh, M. (2019). The Pedagogical Evaluation of Q: Skills for Success Textbooks as Perceived by EFL Instructors at Taibah University. International Journal of Learning and Development, 9(2), 27-39.
Tajeddin, Z., & Teimournezhad, S. (2015). Exploring the hidden agenda in the representation of culture in international and localised ELT textbooks. The Language Learning Journal, 43(2), 180-193.
Tryzna, M. M. (2023). Intercultural Content in EFL Materials at Secondary Schools in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. English as a Medium of Instruction on the Arabian Peninsula.
Valdes, J. M. (1986). Culture bound: Bridging the culture gap in language teaching (Vol. 25). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Yin, R. K. (2003). Designing case studies. Qualitative research methods, 5(14), 359-386.
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.
Abu Jalalah, F. A. (1993). The cultural dimension of teaching English as a foreign language in an Arab Gulf State (Doctoral dissertation, Durham University).
Ahmed, S. (2015). Attitudes towards English language learning among EFL learners at UMSKAL. Journal of education and practice, 6(18), 6-16.
Ahmed, S. T. S., Qasem, B. T., & Pawar, S. V. (2019). Integrating culture into EFL teaching: A study of Yemeni EFL teachers' perceptions and actual Practices. Language in India, 19(4), 1-16.
Al-Khwaiter, J. (2001). Communicative language teaching and curriculum innovation in the teaching of English as a foreign language in Qatar: A study of the classroom and its socio-cultural context.
Al Mawoda, K. R. A. (2011). Exploring secondary teachers’ perception towards teaching intercultural competence in English language classrooms in Bahrain.
ALmhimed, A. (2018). Students’ and Instructors’ Perceptions of Teaching Culture in EFL Classes: A Case Study (Master's thesis, Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU)-Do?u Akdeniz Üniversitesi (DAÜ)).
Alotaibi, M. G. (2020). Saudi EFL high school learners’ attitude toward learning English. Journal of Education and Practice, 11(20), 92-96.
Alshammari, A. K. (2016). Developing the English curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Possibilities and challenges. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Vol, 6.
Ayu, M. (2020). Evaluation cultural content on English textbook used by EFL students in Indonesia. Journal of English Teaching, 6(3), 183-192.
Babbie, E. R. (2020). The practice of social research. Cengage AU.
Bain, S. K., McCallum, R. S., Bell, S. M., Cochran, J. L., & Sawyer, S. C. (2010). Foreign language learning aptitudes, attitudes, attributions, and achievement of postsecondary students identified as gifted. Journal of Advanced Academics, 22(1), 130-156.
Belli, S. A. (2018). A study on ELT students’ cultural awareness and attitudes towards incorporation of target culture into language instruction. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 14(1), 102-124.
Blass, L., Vargo, M., & Folse, K. S. (2013). Pathways 2: reading, writing and critical thinking. National Geographic Learning, a part of Cengage Learning.
Brown, H. D. (1994). Principles of language learning and teaching. Englewood Cliff. N]: Prentice Hall Regents.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence (Multilingual Matters). Multilingual Matters.
Byram, M., & Feng, A. (2004). Culture and language learning: Teaching, research and scholarship. Language teaching, 37(3), 149-168.
Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. New York: Longman.
CCQ. (2022). Community College of Qatar. Available at:
https://www.ccq.edu.qa/English/AboutCCQ/Pages/VisionMission.aspx (Accessed: 24 september 2021)
Cook, T.D., Campbell, D.T. and Shadish, W., 2002. Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference (pp. 103-134). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
Creswell, J. W. (1999). Mixed-method research: Introduction and application. In Handbook of educational policy (pp. 455-472). Academic press.
DABOU, S. P., HAMMOUDI, A., & CHIBANI, R. (2021). Teachers and students’ attitudes towards the integration of the target culture in the English as a foreign language class: A case study. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 4(4), 253-266.
Eslami, Z., Seawright, L. E., & Ribeiro, A. (2016). Attitudes toward English as a lingua franca: University students in Qatar. Learning across borders: Perspectives on international and transnational higher education, 132-148.
Getie, A. S. (2020). Factors affecting the attitudes of students towards learning English as a foreign language. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1738184.
Graddol, D., Thompson, L., & Byram, M. (Eds.). (1993). Language and Culture: Papers from the Annual Meeting of the British Association of Applied Linguistics Held at Trevelyan College, University of Durham, September 1991 (Vol. 7). Multilingual Matters.
Jabeen, Farhat, and Sayed Kazim Shah. "The role of culture in ELT: Learners’ attitude towards the teaching of target language culture." European Journal of Social Sciences 23, no. 4 (2011): 604-613.
Khalifa, B., Nasser, R., Ikhlef, A., Walker, J. S., & Amali, S. (2016). A qualitative study of student attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, outlook and context in Qatar: Persistence in higher education. Near and Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education, 2016(1), 2.
Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford university press.
Kuhlemeier, H., Van Den Bergh, H., & Melse, L. (1996). Attitudes and achievements in the first year of German language instruction in Dutch secondary education. The Modern Language Journal, 80(4), 494-508.
McKay, S. L. (2000). Teaching English as an International Language: Implications for Cultural Materials in the Classroom. TESOL journal, 9(4), 7-11.
Norušis, M. J. (2012). IBM SPSS statistics 19 advanced statistical procedures companion. (No Title).
Nurjanah, I., & Umaemah, A. (2019). An analysis of cultural content in the textbook “Pathway to English” for second grade in senior high school. ELT Echo: The Journal of English Language Teaching in Foreign Language Context, 4(1), 83-92.
Rao, P. S. (2019). The importance of English in the modern era. Asian Journal of Multidimensional Research (AJMR), 8(1), 7-19.
Babbie, E., & Rubin, A. (2016). Empowerment series: Research methods for social work.
Riazi, A. M., Rezvani, R., & Ghanbar, H. (2010). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Perspectives, 17(1), 26-27.
Rodríguez, A. R. (2018). Analysing cultural aspects in EFL textbooks: A skill-based analysis. Journal of English Studies, (16), 281-300.
Rohmani, L. A., & Andriyanti, E. (2022). Culture teaching in EFL classes: Teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and classroom practices. Studies in English Language and Education, 9(1), 237-257.
Rousseau, R. (2011). Acknowledging cultural values and diversities when teaching English as a foreign language to adult learners in Qatar (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Africa).
Salim, S. K. (2017). Teaching language and teaching culture. In 8th International Visible Conference on Educational Studies & Applied Linguistics (pp. 464-470).
Ta'amneh, M. (2019). The Pedagogical Evaluation of Q: Skills for Success Textbooks as Perceived by EFL Instructors at Taibah University. International Journal of Learning and Development, 9(2), 27-39.
Tajeddin, Z., & Teimournezhad, S. (2015). Exploring the hidden agenda in the representation of culture in international and localised ELT textbooks. The Language Learning Journal, 43(2), 180-193.
Tryzna, M. M. (2023). Intercultural Content in EFL Materials at Secondary Schools in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. English as a Medium of Instruction on the Arabian Peninsula.
Valdes, J. M. (1986). Culture bound: Bridging the culture gap in language teaching (Vol. 25). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Yin, R. K. (2003). Designing case studies. Qualitative research methods, 5(14), 359-386.
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.
