This study explored the linguistic and cultural implications of foreign aid on English language curriculum content in selected secondary schools in Vubwi Zone, Vubwi District, Eastern Province, Zambia. It situated the inquiry within debates about curriculum sovereignty, linguistic equity, and cultural relevance, and it specified five objectives focused on donor influence, cultural fit of materials, teacher perceptions, latent ideological and linguistic biases, and strategies for textbook localization. The study presented a clear problem statement: externally produced English materials risked misalignment with local linguistic realities and cultural identities in rural Zambian classrooms. A qualitative case study design was employed to generate in-depth, contextually grounded evidence. Purposive sampling produced 30 participants (20 English teachers, 5 school administrators, and 5 curriculum officers) across ten schools. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and systematic document review of donor-funded textbooks and teacher guides, and were analysed using thematic and discourse-analytic procedures. It was anticipated that the findings would reveal substantive donor influence on curriculum content, recurring cultural dislocations within textbook narratives and images, teacher-led adaptations in classroom practice, and subtle linguistic and ideological biases privileging foreign norms over local multilingual practices. The study contributed empirical insight into how foreign-funded ELT materials affected language teaching and learners’ cultural belonging in a rural Zambian setting, and it offered practicable strategies for localization. Findings were expected to inform policy discussions, guide curriculum developers and donor agencies toward more collaborative and context-sensitive resource design, and support schools in adopting adaptations that preserved cultural integrity while maintaining pedagogical effectiveness.