A corpus-based study of cultural content in integrated course 1–4 New Advanced College English (3rd Edition)

In the context of globalization, English textbook must balance local relevance and international perspectives to cultivate learners’ multicultural awareness. This study employs Kachru’s world Englishes to categorize cultural content in New Advanced College English (3rd Edition) Volumes 1-4 into five typologies: inner circle cultures, outer circle cultures, expanding circle cultures, mixing cultures, and common cultures. A corpus-based analysis of the 48 reading texts reveals that while the textbooks successfully enhance universality through common cultures and reinforces cultural identity via Chinese elements, the absence of outer circle cultures and limited mixing cultures may constrain learners’ understanding of global English diversity. To better align with English as an International Language pedagogic objectives, we propose strategic inclusion of outer circle discourse and balanced design of mixing cultures. This study contributes to the field in two distinct dimensions. First, it presents the first corpus-based analysis covering all volumes of NACE which addresses a gap that often focuses on single volume or school-level materials. Second, it aligns textbook content with China’s national educational agenda of “articulating China’s narratives” and cultivating intercultural communicative competence, thereby bridging pedagogical practice with policy discourse. The findings contribute to the ongoing discussion on cultivating cultural awareness in English language education.