Gender Stereotype Analysis of the Textbooks for Young Learners

Visual images are often treated as decorations, although they are much more than that. Young learners learn from illustrations which help them to formulate their own roles in the society. Books and textbooks are role models for our children who can form stereotypes by the age of five. Childreńs books are important source of gender stereotype because they present a model to children on which they organize gender behaviour. The gender stereotype analysis of three textbooks for young learners (Playway to English 1, Magic Adventure 2, Cookie and Friends) showed that these textbooks need some corrections according to child́s cognitive development and their visual perception. Textbooks all include a lot of gender stereotypes. Male characters are much more presented than females in all textbooks. What is more, in all textbooks males present more active and females present quiet, socially approved roles.