VIETTESOL INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2025

Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) has gained increasing emphasis in English language teaching (ELT) in today’s globalized context. Vietnam’s national education policy has recently highlighted the importance of developing ICC alongside linguistic proficiency to equip learners for effective intercultural communication. This study investigates how ICC is represented in three Grade 10 English textbook series approved by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET): Tiếng Anh 10 – Friends Global, Tiếng Anh 10 – Bright, and Tiếng Anh 10 – Global Success. Drawing on Byram’s (1997) model of ICC and Cortazzi and Jin’s (1999) cultural framework, the study employs qualitative content analysis to examine how cultural knowledge, attitudes, skills, and critical cultural awareness are integrated into lessons and activities. Findings reveal notable differences in the treatment of intercultural components: Friends Global emphasizes target cultures but offers limited opportunities for critical comparison; Bright presents a balanced mix of Vietnamese and international cultures, particularly from ASEAN; and Global Success adopts a national orientation, focusing mainly on Vietnamese culture with minimal intercultural engagement. The presentation discusses pedagogical implications for fostering ICC among Vietnamese high school learners and suggests ways to enhance intercultural dimensions in ELT materials. As the first comparative study of these textbooks using dual cultural frameworks, this research offers timely insights into the alignment between textbook content and national ELT goals, particularly the National Foreign Language Project and Vision 2035. Practical implications are proposed for curriculum design, textbook development, teacher education, and policy-making to advance global citizenship through ELT.

Keywords: Intercultural Communicative Competence, textbook analysis, Vietnamese English education, English textbooks, Tiếng Anh 10