Objectives

 This study aims to investigate the perspectives of English Language teachers and students about how material adaptation should be conducted to decrease the discrepancy between the cultural background required in the English textbooks and the sociocultural background of the students in a rural setting.

Theoretical framework

Sociocultural factors in language lessons outline success in rural communities (Lamb, 2012; Miller, 1988). Rural schools suffer from geographical isolation and economic/technological disadvantages, which severely hamper the quality of education in rural areas and present a major handicap for the students (Gürel & Kartal, 2015; Huang, 2011). Following a centralized education system, materials underestimate the realities and the needs of rural areas and disregard the different interests and norms peculiar to rural settings. Therefore, instructional input is not always recognizable, meaningful, and relevant to all students (Aikman, 2011; Çiftçi & Cin, 2017). Although there are boundaries between the students’ worlds and the school context, when these boundaries are crossed through adjustment, reorientation, adaptation, and reassessment, a smooth transition can be achieved, bringing academic success (Phadelan, Davidson & Cao, 1991).

According to sociocultural theory, when individuals learn a language, words not only codify objects and actions but also reflect cultural perceptions (Lantolf & Thorne, 2001). For example, young children's actions and verbal developments reflect their surrounding culture, specifically the words and actions of adults at the early stages of their ontogenetic development (Kozulin, 1990). Therefore, it is important to strive for foreign language education that addresses rural students’ and communities’ needs and interests for foreign language learning (Alptekin & Tatar, 2011). While learning a new language, students’ previous knowledge can help them grasp the new input structures socially and culturally (Alptekin, 1993; Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2004). Incorporating the local culture in teaching the target language can lead to a positive attitude towards language learning and help students build their confidence (Freeman & Freeman, 1998; Clarke & O’Donoghue, 2017; Roberts & Green, 2013). Using materials meaningful for the students seems to increase student participation and facilitate language development (Bransford., Brown, & Cocking, 2004; Lantolf, 2013). However, in-depth studies are needed to identify how adaptation strategies bring such desirable outcomes.

This qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews with two English teachers, 12 students, and focused classroom discussions with 50 students. Both the teacher and student interview questions were developed after an extensive literature review, and three experts were consulted regarding the appropriateness of the questions. Teacher interviews were conducted to better understand how teachers with experience working in rural areas perceive the need for material adaptation and to elicit their suggestions. Teachers were interviewed twice; the first round of interviews took about 15 minutes each, where the teachers talked about themselves and their experiences in the rural areas. The second round lasted around 30 minutes, and they focused on understanding teachers’ perceptions about why and how to adapt ELT materials. The teachers had four and two years of teaching experience in the rural setting, respectively. Student interviews were conducted to investigate how students perceive the cultural content in the English coursebook, what kind of experiences they had with the available curricular materials, and what their expectations were. Student interviews lasted around 15 minutes each. The principal investigator took notes during the interviews and reviewed them regularly to determine issues that could be expanded. All the interviews were recorded with the permission of the interviewees and transcribed verbatim for further analysis. Finally, focus group discussions were conducted with approximately 50 students in total, in three classrooms and seven times during the data collection process. These focus group discussions were conducted after English lessons in which the adapted materials were used. Students were invited to talk about their experiences with the adapted materials and ask to reflect on their expectations about effective EFL materials. One of the authors took field notes during these meetings. The data set was subjected to an inductive thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke (2006). First, both authors read the transcripts several times to develop familiarity with the data and to conduct an initial coding of ideas voiced by the participants. Next, salient themes across the collected data were determined, and initial themes were generated. Finally, the themes were reviewed and presented with sample quotations and interpretations. Different data sources capturing different perspectives allowed us to make a cross-validation of the emerging themes. The themes were reviewed to make sure that they reflect the participants’ perspectives. The member check technique was employed with the teachers to enhance the trustworthiness of the results (Creswell & Miller, 2000).

First of all, the teachers expressed that the adapted materials should provide sociocultural support for the unfamiliar items for the students. They mentioned that since the school was located in a remote and isolated area, students were deprived of some sociocultural opportunities. In relation to this, promoting sociocultural support, using some realia and authentic materials, and culturally relevant approaches could be important for an effective learning. Moreover, they stated that it is important to consider regional limitations such as technical problems while adapting the materials so that the efficiency of the lessons will not decrease. They added that it would be easier to understand the course subject if students became familiar with sociocultural concepts. Students also pointed out the need for adapting the course materials in a way to bridge the sociocultural gap between the materials used in the course and their reality. Another point the participants emphasized was that the adapted activities should contain authentic materials. It was important for the rural students to see the real objects as much as possible due to their familiarity. Students’ data pointed out the need for more realia. Teachers also put emphasis on the cultural relevance aspect. They stated that it was important to relate the coursebook activities to the local culture. They mentioned that seeing themselves represented in the course material might even help students to overcome their negative feelings about the target language. The need for cultural relevance also appeared in the student interviews. From the student data, it was seen that students need and wish to see some content related to their village and village life. Nearly all of the students stated their desire to see some local elements or representations of themselves and their lives in the course materials.

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