Beyond the Norm of Standard English : A Content Analysis of Standard and Non-Standard Varieties in EFL Textbooks

Sammanfattning: To achieve the Swedish National Agency for Education’s (2022) aim of developing all-round communicative skills, knowledge of the vast diversity of English may be needed. Therefore, this study analyses the representation of standard and non-standard varieties in four EFL textbooks aimed for the English 5 course in Swedish upper secondary school. The study applies the theory of linguistic variation and includes consideration to sociolinguistics in terms of differences within varieties. The methodological approach is based on qualitative ethnographic content analysis, where textbooks are systematically analysed to determine how standard and non-standard English varieties are showcased. The textbook material consists of Blueprint A Version 1.0 (2002), Blueprint A Version 3.0 (2017), Pick & Mix 1 (2013), and Echo. 5. Main Issues (2013). The results show a vast representation of standard varieties of English, while non-standard varieties constitute a limited representation. The linguistic variation in regard to standard English is instead observed in the use of slang and informal language within standard varieties such as American English and British English. This demonstrates an outcome in the textbooks of favouring standard varieties over non-standard varieties, which entails implications for the teaching profession in terms of a reliance on teachers to introduce language variation through other channels.