Textbooks play a fundamental role in providing learners with authoritative linguistic and culture information. (Luke, 1989; Matsuda 2002). As many previous studies on Spanish as a foreign language (SFL) textbook focused on the language elements (Lu, 2009; MartÍnez et.al, 2020), a scarcity of research has critically investigated the representation of Hispanic culture contents in the local context of Chinese secondary and tertiary schools, where LOTE education is experiencing a rapid growing, and Spanish was recently officially included in the high school foreign language curriculum.
Thus, we aim to identify and analyze the Hispanic culture contents in China's SFL (CSFL) textbooks. Data were collected from four sets of most popular CSFL textbooks . The first two volumes of these textbooks, which correspond to CEFR A1 Level in general, were chosen as analysis object. We conducted a multimodal content analysis method to discover how Hispanic culture contents (HCC) are represented and constructed through the deployment and coordination of textual and visual semiotic resources (Weninger,2020; Xiong et al.2020). Departing from the "big C and small c" conceptualization of culture (Xiao, 2010; Kramsch et.al, 2015), we adapted a criterion to classify HCC into 2 dimensions and 17 types. Based on this framework, each HCC in the main body of textbooks, including text, vocabulary, explanation, exercises, activities and pictures were examined and coded carefully by one researcher and two senior SFL major university students with a consensus of at least 2 people.
Some of main findings include: (1) The CSFL textbooks have rich HCC in general. On the whole, 617 big C and 1997 small c HCC were spotted.（2）However, the quantity of culture points is inconsistent among different sets and levels of textbooks. The fluctuating unpatented quantity changes represent the arbitrary of culture contents planning and designing. (3) The distribution of culture contents among different types is unbalanced
"hard core" and "safe" culture contents (such as geography and food culture) are favored by CSFL textbook authors while "peripheral" and "sensitive" contents (such as social norm and value) are ignored. (4) The teaching of culture is shallow and narrow. Exercises and activities are centered on language elements (See note 4, pic 1). A single Spanish and European angle were emphasized (note 4, pic 2). An external viewpoint of foreign tourists (note 4, pic 3) and the inner standing point of the "middle-class white man elite" (note 4, Pic 4) were used alternately.
Some common strategies of cultural reconstruction are revealed in this preliminary study. For example, direct translating is used widely to introduce Hispanic classic cultures, and parallel narrating is preferred to exhibit Hispanic institutional cultures, while a contrastive tone is added in teaching Hispanic behavioral and conceptual culture to Chinese students. These strategies reflect the agency of CSFL textbook author and editor to rearticulate and reconstruct the target language culture in local context, especially their endeavor to achieve a balance between academic pursuits, and commercial needs and political requirement.
Taken as a whole, this study helps us better design and use Spanish textbook, and learn how to in view and teach multiple cultures in the era of globalization.
