Teh Jie Xin

Education materials can be analysed in many ways. The current study analysed EAL (English as an Additional Language) coursebooks as to the presentation of nonhuman animals in the books. The study examined 22 EAL coursebooks. The research looked at the percentage of activities that contained animals in the coursebooks, what types of animals were present, and whether animals were the focus of the activity. Animals that appeared were categorized as wild animals, animals for human consumption, animals used in research (e.g. rabbits for cosmetic products), companion animals, work animals, animals viewed as pests (e.g. rats), animals in entertainment and extinct animals. The Discussion section offers suggestions as to what teachers can do if they are dissatisfied with the content of their coursebooks in regard to presentation of nonhuman animals.