A Review of the Thematic Content and Presentation Methods of Chinese Culture in Domestic High School English Textbooks

This study systematically reviews the thematic content and presentation methods of Chinese culture in domestic high school English textbooks from 2011 to 2024. By comparing the textbooks of the People’s Education Press Edition (PEP) and the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press Edition (FLTRP), combined with 32 literatures, the topic types, presentation methods and version differences were analyzed. Research has found that both editions of the textbooks in 2019 have optimized the content of Chinese culture. The themes of the PEP Edition cover ideological concepts and humanistic history, but the distribution is uneven. The content of the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press version is closely related to life, with strong systematic cultural knowledge. It has added niche and modern inheritance content. In terms of presentation, the PEP Edition has shifted from textual narration to multiple media, but the integration of some modules is not satisfactory. The Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press version uses text, images and cross-cultural comparison activities, but the proportion of cultural illustrations is relatively low. Version comparisons show that the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press version has more advantages in the integration of Chinese and Western cultures and the cultivation of cross-cultural abilities, while the PEP version focuses on the direct inheritance of traditional culture. The existing research has problems such as sample limitations, insufficient exploration of cultural connotations and lack of teaching effect evaluation. Future research needs to expand the sample range and deepen the analysis of the synergy effect of presentation methods to enhance students' understanding and dissemination ability of Chinese culture.