The yellow devil and the American dream

Totalitarian states attempt to filter political information in such a way that, in the main, the population receives exposure only to those sources, materials, and presentations that serve and reinforce the goals and ideals of the state. In eastern and southeastern Europe before 1989, the teaching of the English language proved a delicate yet critical field, since it provided a mediated introduction to the (capitalist) English-speaking world. This study examines the fashion in which EFL (English as a Foreign Language) textbooks represented the United States, in order to ascertain the East Bloc's image of the US. The selection and arrangement of topics is investigated to discuss what kind of knowledge (and judgments) the textbooks attempted to impart. Then, new EFL textbooks appearing after 1989 are examined