課本由書面與音訊資料、練習題以及文法內容組成，所呈現的是一種對現實的簡化版本，因為它無法涵蓋所有內容，必須進行取捨，只保留最基本的部分；這種取捨很容易導致課本中各個部分都包含刻板印象。這些刻板印象雖然難以避免，但有時會造成歧視與誤解，也會成為理解外國文化的一大障礙。課本在課堂上常常是不可或缺的教材，然而自行設計課程並不總是符合實際教學情境。為了追求商業效益，課本通常是為國際間的廣大讀者群所設計，而非針對特定地區或特定國家，因此在本研究中，我們也需要意識到這一點。因此，在本研究中，我們希望探討課本《Latitudes 1》和《Latitudes 2》中呈現的刻板印象與對法國的形象，這兩本課本一直使用到 2024 年 6 月為止，是本系所採用的教材。我們的研究重點是課本與刻板印象，主要參考了 Beacco、Cotton、Bourhis 以及 Leyens 等人的相關研究成果。我們也關注學生對法國與法國人的看法，從他們大一入學之初到大四的同一批學生，觀察他們觀點的變化。我們發現，學生在大四時對法國的觀感比剛進入本系時更不那麼正面。一些大一學生所持的刻板印象可以在課本中看到，而這些印象在大四學生中則比較少見。然而，課本對學生的影響也需斟酌，因為他們只在大一與大二時使用課本，同時他們也修習與《Latitudes》無關的其他法語課程。
The textbook, composed of written and audio documents, exercises, and grammar sections, presents a simplified version of reality, as it cannot cover everything and must make choices to retain only what is essential. This simplification often leads to the inclusion of stereotypes, which can be found in all parts of the textbook. These stereotypes are inevitable, but they can sometimes result in discrimination and misunderstandings; they also hinder the understanding of a foreign culture. Textbooks are often essential in the classroom, and designing one’s own lessons is not always compatible with the pedagogical context. For reasons of profitability, textbooks are usually designed for a broad international audience rather than for a specific region or country—an aspect that must also be taken into account for this study. Therefore, in this research, we aimed to examine the stereotypes and the image of France presented in the Latitudes 1 and Latitudes 2 textbooks, which were used in the department until June 2024. Our research focuses on textbooks and stereotypes, drawing primarily on the works of Beacco, Cotton, Bourhis, and Leyens. We also examined the perception of France and the French among first-year students at the beginning of their studies, and again in their fourth year, in order to observe how their views evolved. We found that students in their fourth year had a less positive view than when they began in the department. Some of the stereotypes held by first-year students are reflected in the textbook, while those of fourth-year students are less so. However, the textbook’s influence on this group must be put into perspective: they use it only during the first two years and also attend other French courses that are not related to Latitudes.