Cultural Content on English Textbook used by State Junior High School Students
(Content Analysis on Flying Start at Grade VIII in State Junior High School 6 Ambon)
Rosina F.J. Lekawael, S.Pd, M.A.
(Universitas Pattimura, Maluku)
Email: [email protected]
Abstract
Language as a means of communication plays a very important role in social relationship among
human beings. In Indonesia, English as one of the compulsory subjects is taught in state junior
high school, the research subject, to become a foreign language such as in Ambon city of
Moluccas. Through this research, the students of state junior high school could understand the
cultural content consisting in the English textbook. Culture as well as language has the same role
in social life. The term of culture could not be separated from the language as a communication
tool for human. In schools, the students were not only studying about grammar and
comprehension texts, but also practicing the cultural content through materials given by the
teachers. English for students at grade VIII in Ambon is urgent in the case of fulfilling teaching
and curriculum need to increase their communicative competence including speaking. Therefore
this research impacted on both sides. First, the students’ awareness about foreign culture through
the English materials is increased. Second, they master communicative competences to speak
English on various cultural contexts in the foreign countries rightly and appropriately. The
research method used here is qualitative by using content analysis method. In collecting data, the
researcher analyzed the English materials on Flying Start 2A and 2B at grade VIII Junior High
School which are derived from four types of cultures: source culture, target culture, international
target culture, and free culture. The result of this research which is engaged the teachers and the
students to criticize the cultural content through cultural values on the English textbook, covered
more representation of international target culture and target culture than source culture. The
international target cultures are presented in the picture materials, while the target cultures are
dominated in the text materials.
Keywords: cultural content, values, source culture, target culture, international target culture.
Background
Indonesia culture is a rich culture because of plural society that spreading from Sabang to
Merauke. This culture contains of values which must preserve for all rising generation. One of
the essential cultural aspects is a language. A languge could not be separated from the culture.
Language as a means of communication plays a very important role in social relationship among
human beings. However, culture is the part of social and cultural in life of certain society.
The problem now is the students particularly at junior high school do not understand
about the culture existed in the language that is English taught by the teacher in the class. One of
the ways in order to give the understanding of cultural content for the students is by equipping
them with materials in the textbook which contain of cultural values. Why is textbook? A
textbook is considered as a learning tool to increase the students’ knowledge and cultural
behavior to be applied either at school or in society. The English textbook is not only about the
English but also the culture of the languge users itself. Thus, the English textbook at least should
describe about cultural values in it.
Some social issues faced by people who are now increasingly widespread are often
referred to as juvenile delinquency. From the news there are issues on the fighting students, the
spread of narcotics, use of drugs, and even pregnancy done by children were the teenagers. These
errors could be happen because of culture degradation in the society. The disturbance needs to be
solved by giving more attention on the students’ behavior that can be formed through English
learning focusing on the cultural values in the class. The textbook is an advantageous means to
help them in increasing the awareness of foreign culture. That’s why the researcher took the title
of cultural content as her research focus to offer a solution for these teenagers’ problems.
Similar research had done previously by Ya-Chen Su in 2014. The purpose of the study is
to evaluate linguistic and cultural issues around the status of English as a lingua franca and
intercultural understanding as presented of Taiwan’s high school textbooks. Results found that
the textbooks generally legitimate the hegemony of American English and British English as the
only acceptable varieties or standard forms of the language. Furthermore, most of the texts are
limited to specific aspects of societal issues which represent influential cultures. In comparing
the research done by Su and the researcher there are similarities and differences. The first is that
Su and the researcher analyzed about cultural content in the English textbooks. The second, they
used different data resources. In addition, Su is more emphasized the cultural aspects but the
researcher is about cultural content through cultural values in EFL learning at state junior high
school.
Based on the above situation, the researcher did her analysis study focusing on the
cultural values in English textbook entitled Flying Start, Start Your Journey for the students at
grade VIII of the state junior high school 6 Ambon. This study is done in order to answer the
research question: How is the cultural content through the cultural values evaluated from texts,
expressions, and pictures impacted on the English understanding of the students at grade VIII in
the state junior high school 6 Ambon?
Theoretical Framework
Cunningsworth says that textbooks are very useful resources for self-directed learning, a
reference source for students, a source of ideas and activities, a syllabus that helps to reflect preestablished objectives and a support for less experienced teachers who need more confidence in
exerting their profession.1 This opinion is supported with the idea by Sheldon that textbooks are
the visible heart of any ELT programme. 2 It can be concluded that a textbook plays an important
role in supporting either curriculum at school or English language teaching program. Besides, it
is as a key in English teaching and learning processes. It means that without it, the English lesson
will be unvaluable.
As foreign Ianguage, English can be studied through a textbook used by education
institution in Indonesia as guidance, in this case at high school. Textbook is not merely
containing information and knowledge of Ianguage to stimulate students but also used to
formulate syllabus in instructing teacher in learning according to competence standard which
have been determined previously. There are many benefits of textbook in supporting the learning
process to be done in direct, effective, and efficient ways.
Position of Ianguage textbook is as key component in so many language learning.
Textbook is guidance where students accept language input and language practice in teaching
learning activity in class. English textbook requires to considering cultural values in language
learning. Themes contain of culture can push students to have ability and knowledge in adapting
by sosio-culture so that it can reach social ability and develop one personality in global society.
Recently, many researchers develop research about teaching materials based local culture.
One of them is development of English textbook based local culture. This matter also as
according to contextual approach concept so that they will experience and won’t merely
acknowledge about what they learned. The contextual approach will push student to relate what
they studied with everyday life. Core of of the the language learning did not laid on the existing
meaning in the language, but adapted it with the cultural context where the language will be
used.
Therefore English textbook have to personate guidance to introduce about English
function as a foreign language in Indonesia and values matching with growth of global world in
1
2
Alan Cunningsworth, Choosing Your Coursebook (Heinemann: Oxford, 1995), h.7
L.E. Sheldon, Evaluating ELT Textbooks and Materials, ELT Journal 42/4 (Oxford: Oxford University
Press), h.237
this era. Core of the textbook is content as teaching material to be transferred from teacher to
students. Cultural content consisting in textbook require to be signalized in English learning.
Thereby, construction of English learning as foreign Ianguage through the teaching materials for
students, have to be paid attention and become responsibility of education institution and also
society in general.
In English learnig activities at school, teacher needs to prepare the Ianguage materials as
well as foreign cultural values to be introduced to all students. By managing preparation and
English learning process, the students can communicate in English, comprehending knowledge
of culture and cross culture, particularly to understand of local culture, national and international
through English.
To understand about the cultural values required to be given to all students because
values cannot be separated from culture and each culture have pre-eminent value in cultural
society which is called as cultural value. On the contrary, they shouldn't only study about text
and grammar in English, but also cultural content through materials about the cultural values to
complete their communicative competence.
Cultural values also represent some aspects in ideology system which consists of
cosmology aspect, attitude pattern aspect, and system value aspect. Fundamentally, a cultural
value system means a range of wide and abstract concept. This system functions as guidance for
human life.3 Allport, Vernon and Lindzey (in Suriasumantri) identified six elementary values in
culture, namely theory value, economic value, esthetic value, social value, political value, and
religion value.
Theory value is truth invention reality through various methods like rationalism,
empirism, and scientific. Economic value includes usefulness of various objects in
fulfilling requirement of human being. Esthetic value relates to the beauty and artistic
facet in form, harmony, and other artistic to give enjoyment for human being. Social
value oriented to relationship among human being and humanity. Political value
centered to power and good influence in social life and also political world. And
religion value is about a comprehension mystically and transdentally in effort of
human can understand their existency on earth.4
3
4
Koentjaraningrat, Pengantar Ilmu Antropologi (Jakarta: Penerbit RIneka Cipta, 1981), h. 190.
Jujun S. Suriasumantri, Filsafat Ilmu, Sebuah Pengantar Populer (Jakarta: Pustaka Sinar
Harapan, 2005), h. 263.
A cultural value system consists of conceptions in human thoughts of mostly society
concerning on essential and valuable things. Concept of cultural value in one society has not
been understood by others. Each member of society learned his culture from family and school,
in this case, parents and teachers. The society realizes that the effect of cultural value differences
has generated feeling of uncertainty.5
Based on the theories above, hence the cultural values related to English learning in
Flying Start textbook grade VIII at state junior high school 6 in Ambon cover: social value and
esthetic value.
Methodology
In this research, the researcher uses qualitative approach with content analysis method.
The goal of doing this research is to get a deep, detailed, and complete description on
documentation study about cultural content through the cultural values in the students’ English
textbook at grade VIII in the state junior high school 6 Ambon.
This qualitative descriptive research is a research to get a descriptive data in words by the
analyzed documentation. This documentation is applied in order to determine culture types and
cultural values evaluated from texts, expressions, and pictures.
Result and Discussion
1. General Findings
Flying Start, Start Your Journey 2A & 2B for Junior High School Year VIII, which is
written by I/A/L/F, Esis publication, consists of 7 units. The unit, topic and text genres in the
textbook can be seen in the table below.
5
Geert Hofstede, Culture and Organizations. (HarperCollinsBusiness. Hammersmith, 1994),
h. 109.
Table 1
Unit, Topic and Text Genres
Flying Start 2A & 2B
Unit
Unit 1
Flora and Fauna
Unit 2
Friendship
Unit 3
Travel
Unit 4
Health
Unit 5
Teenage Life
Unit 6
Entertainment
Unit 7
Weather
Topic
Comparative and superlative
Text Genres
Descriptive text
Adjectives of personality
Descriptive text
Recalling holiday experiences
Recount text
Present simple for facts
Descriptive text
Giving opinions and suggestions
Recount text
Story telling
Recount text and narrative
text
Recount text
Weather in Indonesia and around
the world
Whereas, the materials in connection to cultural values are:
Unit 1 entitled “Flora and faunaI”, is aimed at understanding meaning in the functional
texts especially to matching short texts with the pictures, descriptive text (reading for specific
information), and cultural pictures related to the environment around.
Unit 2 is about “Friendship”, aimed at understanding meaning in the functional texts such
as poem (inferring meaning from the poem), letters (to match the problem with the reply) and
descriptive text (reading for specific information).
Unit 3 presents a title namely “Travel”, aimed at understanding meaning in the functional
texts such as chart (to get information about places that a friend has been to on holiday),
advertisement (to get information about different type of holiday), flight schedules (to get
information in details about the flight), post cards (to tell about things done on a holiday),
recount text (reading for specific information), and cultural pictures related to the environment
around.
Unit 4 is about “Health”, aimed at understanding meaning in descriptive text (reading for
specific information) in relation to the environment around.
Unit 5 presents “Teenage life”, aimed at understanding meaning in the functional texts
such as graph (to interpret a graph about British family), letters (to get information about British
parents), magazine article (how to deal with a friend who has upset you), a polite request
expression (to make and respond a polite request), recount text (to retell an experience that
someone was personally involved), and cultural pictures related to the environment around.
Unit 6 is about “Entertainment”, aimed at understanding meaning in some expressions
like invite/accept an invitation, ask/give a suggestion, recount text (to retell an experience that
someone was personally involved), narrative text (the story about ‘Monkey Business’), and
cultural pictures related to the environment around.
Unit 7 entitled “Weather”, aimed at understanding meaning in the functional texts such as
a weather chart (to name the weather in Asia), recount text (to get information about natural
cycles), and cultural pictures related to the environment around.
2. The Cultural Values in the Texts, Expressions, and Pictures
a. The Cultural Values in the Texts
There are 3 kinds of texts, descriptive, recount, and narrative in Flying Start textbook.
These texts are taken from some cultures either national or international. The difference between
the texts can be seen in the examples below.
Input text 1 is a descriptive text describes about making an appointment with a doctor in
Britain. In the beginning of the text, it mentions a state ‘Britain …’, is a large island in the north
Atlantic Ocean of the northwest coast of continent Europe. As a big country, Britain has many
‘… local clinics …’ which serve a health problems from the citizens. Considering the content of
the text, the students of junior high school can understand about the doctors’ services in Britain
are good. Some examples are they ‘keep good time’; they will give ‘a free prescription’, and so
on. By knowing that, the students can differ about the doctors in Britain and Indonesia as part of
culture.
Input text 1
Input text 2 is a recount text explains about cruise Sumbawa of Indonesia. ‘Sumbawa’ is
an Indonesian island, which is located on the South East Asia in the middle of the Lesser Sunda
Islands. The text declares that tourism places in the province of West Nusa Tenggara consist of
many islands around the area. The text entitled ‘cruise the islands of Indonesia’ shows that
Indonesia culture are rich because of beautiful islands laid on the archipelago. It mentions
‘Komodo Island …’ where people can go and see the fierce dragons at Loh Liang.
Input text 2
Input text 3 is a narrative text strats with a sentence ‘it was a lovely day’ to show that the
story happened in the past time. The story tells about ‘the woman wanted the monkey to do a
trick’ in purpose to get some coins from people who passed her. The message taken from the
story teaches about how to making money in appropriate way.
Input text 3
Then in chart 1 shows the percentages of cultural values found in the texts as follows.
Chart 1
Texts in Flying Start 2A & 2B
Social Value
Esthetic Value
Chart 1 shows that the texts which are analyzed based on the culture types consist of
social value 97% and esthetique value 3%. Firstly, the social value is divided into four types of
culture. The source culture can be found in seven descriptive texts; the target culture are in nine
descriptive texts and two recount texts; international target culture are in eight descriptive texts;
and free culture are in six descriptive texts. Secondly, the esthetique value only has one culture
type that is the source culture. It can be found in one narrative text.
b. The Cultural Values in the Expressions
In this research, the researcher has gotten 7 kinds of expressions: asking for opinions;
agreement; polite requests; apologizing; invite and accept invitation; asking and giving
suggestion; serta asking for information. So, the cultural values in the expressions based on the
culture types can be seen in chart 2 below.
Chart 2
Expressions in Flying Start 2A & 2B
Economy Value
Social Value
Esthetic Value
Chart 2 shows that the expressions which were analyzed based on the culture types
consist of economy value 13%, social value 80%, and esthetique value 7%. Firstly, economy
value is divided into two culture types. The source culture can be found in one expression of
asking and giving suggestion, while the target culture is in one expression of asking for
information. Secondly, the social value is divided into three types of culture. The source culture
can be found in one expression of asking and giving suggestion and two expressions of asking
for information; the target culture are in two expressions of polite requests, one expression of
apologizing, one expression of invite and accept invitation, four expressions of asking for
information; free culture are in one expression of agreement. Thirdly, the esthetique value can be
found in one expression of asking for opinions.
c. The Cultural Values in the Pictures
Through the cultural content analysis in the pictures, the researcher found that there are
three culture elements: product, practice, and people. Furthermore, the cultural values in the
pictures can be seen in chart 3 below.
Chart 3
Pictures in Flying Start 2A & 2B
Economy Value
Social Value
Esthetic Value
Political Value
Chart 3 shows that there are 4 cultural values in economy value 2%, social value 50%,
esthetique value 42%, and political value 6%. Firstly, the economy value in free culture has 1
product element. Secondly, the social value is divided into 4 four culture types. They are the
source culture has 1 product element, 2 practice elements, and 7 people elements; the target
culture has 2 practice elements and 2 people elements; the international target culture has 1
practice element and 1 people element; the free culture has 3 product elements and 7 practice
elements. Thirdly, the esthetique value is divided into 4 culture types. The source culture has 3
product elements and 2 practice elements; the target culture has 2 people elements; the
international target culture has 1 practice element and 1 people element; the free culture has 3
product elements and 7 practice elements. Thirdly, the esthetique value is divided into 4 culture
types. They are the source culture has 3 product elements and 2 practice elements; the target
culture has 2 people elements; the international target culture has 6 product elements, 3 practice
elements, and 4 people elements; free culture has 2 practice elements. Fourthly, the political
value is divided into 2 culture types. They are the target culture has 1 practice element and the
international target culture has 2 practice elements.
The cultural content through the cultural values evaluated from texts, expressions, and
pictures has impacted on the English understanding of the students at grade VIII in the state
junior high school 6 Ambon. Although, Flying Start 2A & 2B varied in culture types but it still
has some weaknesses. The researcher found that there were few materials from the source
culture or local culture in the textbook. Therefore, the students at grade VIII have less interest in
the English learning process. Otherwise, from the textuality side, almost all materials are
dominated by various pictures in product, practice, and people elements. The pictures can help
them in understanding English material and also various cultures contented in the textbook.
Conclusion
Based on the research findings about the cultural content through the cultural values
evaluated from texts, expressions, and pictures, it can be concluded that the cultural content on
the English textbook covered more representation of international target culture (ITC) and target
culture (TC) than source culture (SC). The international target cultures are presented in the
picture materials, while the target cultures are dominated in the text materials. On the other
hands, the cultural values in the texts, expressions, and pictures are mostly dominated by the
social value and the esthetic value. Thus, the cultural content through the cultural values has
impacted on the English understanding of the students at grade VIII in the state junior high
school 6 Ambon.
References
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Harmer, Jeremy. The Practice of English Language Teaching. Edinburgh: Pearson Longman,
2007.
Hofstede Geert. Culture and Organizations. HarperCollinsBusiness. Hammersmith, 1994.
Koentjaraningrat. Pengantar Ilmu Antropologi. Jakarta: Penerbit Rineka Cipta, 1981.
Krippendorff, Klaus. Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology. California:
SagePublications Inc., 2004.
Suriasumantri Jujun S. Filsafat Ilmu Sebuah Pengantar Populer. Jakarta: Pustaka Sinar Harapan,
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