A critical analysis of Korean culture represented in the Korean language textbooks developed in Thailand

Abstract

The primary objective of this research is to explore the portrayal of Korean culture in Korean language textbooks developed in Thailand for use in Thai universities, and to assess Thai students’ responses to these textbooks. The research utilises Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Visual Image Analysis (VIA), and interviews as methodological tools. The study demonstrates that these textbooks predominantly represent Korean culture, with a particular focus on Korean history, economy, and political culture, as reflected in the themes of the textbooks. Moreover, the study reveals that the textbooks embed specific ideologies and cultural elements such as democracy, nationalism, and patriotism, and occasionally critique Korean culture. Interviews with Thai students disclose that their engagement with the textbooks is not passive; rather, they critically assess and actively interpret the ideologies and cultural representations through their own cultural perspectives.

Keywords

• Critical discourse analysis
• visual image analysis
• Korean language textbook
• Thailand
• Korean language education
• Curriculum Studies