In both LGR 11 and LGR 22 (Skolverket, 2019; Skolverket, 2022) Skolverket prescribes that those students within the English subject should be given opportunities to learn about the culture in different English-speaking areas. The researcher therefore investigated the extent to which the culture of different English-speaking countries is represented in ESL textbooks.  The goal with this research study was to reveal which countries that receive the most and least attention in ESL textbooks. The purpose of this was to give English teachers an idea of which countries they need to spend the most, and least, time on when it comes to finding or creating new teaching materials.  To find answers to the research question, the researcher followed a Critical Content Analysis model designed by Short (2019). The textbooks that were analyzed were all intended for students in grade 4, and the researcher used checklist to collect data. The study has a mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative) but is to the largest degree a qualitative study.  The results shows that the culture of USA and Great Britain were represented to a large degree, while New Zealand and South Africa were mentioned to a minor degree. This means that it might be a good idea for teachers to focus their creating and searching for new teaching materials to certain countries if they want to treat English-speaking countries in their teaching in a balanced manner. This also means that the textbooks do not give students equal opportunities to learn about all the countries in which the English language is used. The study thus confirms what previous research in the field of "ELL textbooks" has shown. Namely that ELL textbooks show the culture of English-speaking countries in an unbalanced manner.

In the following essay, a study on three textbooks used for educating pupils in Swedish secondary schools in the subject of English is presented. One aim of the study was to investigate how the selection of texts, both fiction and non-fiction, used for reading and listening comprehension purposes and their respective author representations in three Swedish EFL-textbooks could be considered to represent a broad perspective of the English-speaking world. The categories used to find evidence are based on Kachru’s model of Three Circles of English. Furthermore, an additional aim was to uncover evidence of invisibility- and imbalance and selectivity-biases within each textbook’s content. These biases are originally part of the Sadker et al. framework Seven Forms of Bias. The study results indicate that even though all textbooks provide some examples of the English-language from a global perspective, none manage to present a fully balanced and indiscriminate picture of such. Furthermore, the findings suggest that none of the textbooks succeed in providing learners with an evenly distributed array of texts transpiring in, and authors originating from, countries belonging to Kachru’s inner-, as -and- and expanding circle. Instead, it was found that a majority of texts transpire in, and authors originate from, countries within the inner-circle, which further seem to reinforce the perception of a standard English springing from what is by Kachru referred to as the inner, norm-providing circle. Therefore, based on the findings in this study, it is suggested that further research be carried out. In particular, a more substantial number of textbooks should be analysed in order to ensure that the content of EFL-textbooks used in the Swedish educational system agrees with the standards of the core curriculum for English 5.