This study aimed to categorize grammar items in English textbooks used across Korean elementary, middle, and high schools by specific grade levels. To achieve this, we developed an automated grammar item analyzer using natural language processing techniques, which analyzed 52,964 sentences from the textbooks. We selected 173 grammar items from the 2022 revised national curriculum and classified them according to the methodology used to determine CEFR levels in the English Grammar Profile. The classification results are as follows: 18 items for Grade 3 of elementary school, 6 for Grade 4, 11 for Grade 5, 8 for Grade 6, 29 for the first year of middle school, 43 for the second year, 22 for the third year, 29 for the first year of high school, and 7 for the second year. Based on these findings, this study discusses pedagogical implications, focusing on practical applications such as refining assessment tools, more precisely defining curricular objectives, and developing grade-specific instructional materials.

This study attempts to examine the distributions and characteristics of language forms and learning activities necessary for communication used in the middle school textbooks based on the 2015 revised national curriculum. To this end, 12 textbooks were analyzed and compared by grades and 4 textbooks by different publishers. The results are as follows: 1) Of the 38 language forms required for communication in middle school textbooks, 23 forms were commonly addressed in all the textbooks, while 12 forms were optional or missing, which may cause problems in articulated learning. 2) Even in the same language form, the level of difficulty increases as the grade goes up, which follows spiral curriculum. 3) Some language forms were omitted in the list presented in the 2015 revised curriculum, where only examples were presented without explanation. Explicit explanations need adding with elaborately classified examples. 4) Although the activities in the textbooks focus more on language acquisition than language use, they are well-organized to practice core language forms focusing on meaning in a controlled manner and gradually apply them to real life situations.

This study probes how cultural contents are represented in middle school English textbooks based on the 2015 revised national curriculum. To this end, culture-related sections of 15 textbooks were analyzed in terms of five aspects: cultural subject matters, cultural types, backgrounds, activities for cultural learning, and language integration. The results reveal that the middle school textbooks deal with everyday life of various cultures, including tasks for introducing Korean culture. The three culture types are provided at a relatively balanced ratio, but as the grade goes up, the portion of spiritual culture increases whereas that of material culture decreases. As for cultural background, non-English cultures in the outer and expanding circle are the most frequently presented. In the analysis of cultural learning activities, searching and communication activities connected to speaking and writing have a large portion, but experiential activities are rare. 45.5% of cultural activities are presented in a single communication skill and 54.5% of them are integrated into two or more skills. Finally, based on the study results, some suggestions for effective culture education to attract students' spontaneous participation in middle school English classes are presented.