Gender in English Language Teaching Coursebooks

The relation between gender and language is bi-directional; that is, gender is reflected by language and language helps to shape gender. English Language Teaching coursebooks are important as tools of learning a second language and a second culture. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to maintain gender equality in them to enhance gender equality in life. The aim of this study is to investigate how gender is embedded into English teaching course books in the first four-year period of state schools in Turkey and to discuss whether gender is explicitly or implicitly presented; the indirect aim is, however, to raise teachers’ and textbook writers’ awareness in gender related issues.