Systematic Integration of Values Education into ESP Textbooks: A Case Study of Cross-Cultural and Professional Ethics Design in Cruise English Materials

Abstract

Values education, or “curriculum-based ideological and political education”, has become a national policy priority in Chinese vocational education, yet its integration into English for Specific Purposes (ESP) textbooks often remains fragmented or superficial. This paper addresses the challenge of systematically embedding values education into language teaching materials through a case study of Daily Practical English for Cruises, a newly developed new-form textbook for cruise service majors at a Chinese higher vocational institution. Moving beyond isolated moral prompts or tokenistic insertions, the textbook adopts a “One Core, Three Dimensions” framework: Chinese Service Philosophy as the integrating core, and three value pillars—cultural confidence, professionalism, and service awareness—as the systematic organizing dimensions. Each of the 12 units features a dedicated “Cross-Cultural Competence and Professional Values” section with three fixed modules: cross-cultural focus (comparing communication norms across major source countries), professional ethics (case-based discussion of workplace dilemmas), and traditional Chinese service values (integrating 12 classical philosophical concepts into authentic service scenarios). The paper analyzes how this systematic design aligns with the four core competencies of China’s national English curriculum standards, particularly “multicultural exchange” and “language thinking,” while also addressing the Confucian legacy in Chinese vocational education perceptions. Drawing on the collaborative “Three-Chief-Editor” development mechanism involving school teachers, corporate trainers, and industry experts, the paper examines how values content is validated for both linguistic authenticity and pedagogical relevance. Based on course implementation data from two iterations involving 237 students, the paper demonstrates that systematic, scenario-embedded values education enhances learners’ cultural confidence, professional identity, and communicative competence without undermining language acquisition objectives. The paper further contextualizes this approach within broader debates on the role of traditional culture in modernizing vocational education, addressing the tension between Confucian values and contemporary skill-based training paradigms. This case provides a practical and theoretically grounded framework for ESP textbook developers seeking to achieve organic integration of knowledge, skills, and values in vocational education contexts.