Discourse Analysis of Content in Conversation Parts of Headway 2

The aim of the study was to analyze English textbooks according to the importance of social inequality, power dominance and gender differentiation. For this study, critical discourse model of Fairclough (1989) was used. This model estimates three dimensions such as content, relations and subject positions. In this study, content was estimated in Headway 2 as an English book was taught in language institutes in Iran. The researcher counted the frequency of content in conversation parts of this text book to collect data. Analyzing the data showed that interpersonal and introspective had the highest rank regarding content in this textbook. This study can improve critical thinking of learners and teachers because it focuses on the relationship between the texts and society and how the texts gives importance to social inequality, power dominance and gender differentiation, so they can change their attitudes towards these factors. Furthermore, the people in the ministry of research and science and education can order language institutes and schools to use specific techniques for teaching English and increasing critical thinking of learners.

Keywords: Social Inequality, Critical Discourse Model, Power Dominance, Content.