A Comparative Analysis of Lesson Structures and Pronunciation Features in Grade 3-4 English Textbooks Under the 2015 and 2022 Curricula

This study compares the overall lesson structure and treatment of pronunciation features in grade 3-4 English textbooks and teacher’s manuals under the 2015 and 2022 Korean curricula. The findings are as follows. Regarding lesson structure, although both curricula show variation in the number of lessons per grade, the 2022 textbooks demonstrate greater flexibility, including the addition of a phonics-focused fifth period in one textbook series. Special and review units are more varied and systematically organized in the 2022 textbooks than in the 2015 series. In the 2022 textbooks, alphabet instruction is introduced at an earlier stage, whereas the 2015 textbooks adopt a more gradual approach. Regarding pronunciation, although the 2022 textbooks contain more pronunciation-related activities, they remain confined to the phonics periods like they did in the 2015 series, with continued emphasis on segmentals and minimal attention to suprasegmentals. Problematic segmental contrasts for Korean learners remain underrepresented, and some pairings lack phonetic or pedagogical coherence. Finally, although all manuals include articulatory information, their accuracy and pedagogical clarity are sometimes lacking. Overall, the 2022 textbooks demonstrate structural and quantitative improvements but still fall short of fully meeting learners’ pronunciation needs.