A Semiotic Analysis of Textbooks’ Pictures in Iraqi Intermediate Schools

Abstract

The research focuses on analyzing the cultural content present in several pictures from an English language textbook designed for first intermediate learners in Iraq. Eight pictures were examined to determine their cultural content and type of culture represented. The study employs a qualitative analysis approach and uses an eclectic model that combines Peirce's semiotic analysis framework(1991), Cortazzi and Jin's (1999) types of culture, and the categories of cultural content by the Common European Framework (CEF)(2001) to analyze the pictures. The semiotic analysis revealed that the cultural content of the pictures varied from interpersonal relationships to rituals and customs. The type of culture represented in the pictures was either the source culture or an international culture. The study highlights the effectiveness of using semiotic analysis in understanding the cultural content and type of culture represented in a textbook's picture