As foreign language acquisition is potentially connected with shaping intercultural and global competences, this paper focuses on textbooks used for learning English to critically reflect on their diversity-related contents. The conceptual frame of the research is based on specific aspects of intercultural and global education, connections between them, and learning English and the hidden curriculum. The qualitative study of textbook analysis content allowed the authors to identify main themes related to ethnic diversity, including petrification with exotization, and povertization. Thus, the findings of the study highlight the limitations in fostering intercultural and global values in the analysed material and stress both the need for critical approach in classroom practice and further study in this area with the use of a theoretical framework suggested by the authors.