A critical multicultural analysis of a Romanian textbook taught in elementary international language programs

This case study proposes a critical multicultural analysis of a Romanian language textbook used for instructing students in grades one and two in the Elementary Language International Program (ELIP) in Toronto public schools in Ontario, Canada. Based on an analysis developed from Fairclough and Parker’s criteria, this paper determined stereotypes held by middle class Romanians, revealing a post communist society with certain classist, religious, sexist and nationalist biases. Particular characteristic of confrontational behavior and lack of pedagogical patience often reported in Romanian schools and society were found in this text. With all of these stereotypes, this book offers admirable resistance for Romanian-Canadian community that seems to battle to build its own special identity. As this book is the first schooling attempt to identify and promote the Romanian-Canadian identity, redesigning the textbook in a multicultural, multilingual and multimodal framework is highly recommended, in order to afford a safe negotiation between various Romanian and Canadian national experiences.