USING PAPUAN FOLKTALES AS
NARRATIVE TEXT
FOR TEACHING ENGLISH TO 2nd
GRADE STUDENTS
OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Novita Mulyanita
Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada,
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
[email protected]
Abstract: This paper discusses the use of Papuan folktales as Narrative text material in learning
English for 2nd Grade Students of Junior High School. This research focused on material
development by using local resources, such as the folktales around the students environment.
The source of the data is written text that contains of Papuan folktales. The data is translated
into English, so, it is appropriate for teaching and learning English. Then, researcher considers
that using Papuan folktales as the teaching material is a good technique not only for improving
students ‘vocabulary but also to introduce literature from the students’ culture background.
Beside that, the Papuan folktales have many moral values that are be able to establish students’
character. Therefore, this research aims to persuade the teacher surround Papua to use Papuan
folktales as English teaching material besides using other folktales in Indonesia.
Key Words: narrative text, teaching material, local resource, Papuan folktales
Introduction
Indonesia is an archipelago country consisting of many islands. It ranges from Sabang in Aceh to
Merauke in Papua. Each region has its own uniqueness especially the traditional cultures such as
folklore, that is inherited from generation to generation by words or with mnemonic device. Papua
comprises most of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby island. It is the largest and
the easternmost province of Indonesia. Papua has many potentials such as natural resources, cultures,
and languages. Papuan people consist of 245 ethnics and languages (Laksmana, 2002). The capital
city of Papua is Jayapura, as the capital city of a province certainly there are many demands that must
be completed. For instance: the necessity of society include in health sector, education, peace and
others. In this case, the writer will discuss about the education in Papua particularly in Jayapura.
Recently, character education has been a serious issue in Indonesia that must be developed from
childhood or schoolhood. The goverment in Jayapura city are continues to minimize the occurence of
crime or conflict in Jayapura, one of the efforts is through education by using folktales from Papua.
Character education can be implemented by utilizing natural, so-cultural, and local resources for
successful educational containing useful subject in optimal learning process. Talking about the
education means talking about teachers and students. Working as a teacher is not easy, particularly
teaching English because English is a foreign language. The students encounter many difficulties in
learning English, one of them is the insufficiency of vocabularies. In this case, when the students read
a material, they do not understand the text because they do not know most of the meaning of words in
text. Moreover, the material also influence students’ interest in learning English as a foreign language.
the material that teacher give must be interesting and familiar with their worlds that can motivate the
students to study English.
Language includes four skills, including: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Reading is one of
the four basic skills which will be discussed in this paper. According to Carledge (Sampurna, 2004)
reading is the most useful skill for foreign language learner. We obtain knowledge and a lot of
informations mostly by reading. Therefore, one thing that influence students’ reading skill is the
material.
Using material that are relevant to students’ background as reading material is a good method to
attract students’ desire to learn English. However, the reality is that most teacher in Papua particularly
in Jayapura use only imported teaching material from textbook which from outside Papua, including
Java, Bali, or Sumatra, which are irrelevant to students in Papua. Thus, the writer hopes it would be
beneficial to develop local teaching materials which is relevant to students’ background.
The questions of this research are:
a. What are the significances of using Papuan folktales as teaching material for students in
Papua?
b. How to teach narrative reading by using Papuan folktales?
c. What are the character education or moral values that are found from the Papuan folktales?
The objective of this paper are to describe the significances of using Papuan folktales as
teaching material for students in Papua, how to teach narrative reading by using Papuan
folktales, and the character education or moral values from papuan folktales.
James Danandjaja (1991) asserted that folktale is a collective short story of folktale in oral literature.
He also defines it as the prose story that is consideres not really happened. Stith Thompson (1946)
explained the importance of folktales in society as the narrative form still used by gread majority og
human beings, both among the so-called primitive people and among anletterd of our own culture.
The telling of stories appears to be cultural universal, common to basic and complex societies alike.
According to John Miley Foley (1986) most of the early literary works of nations had their oral
tradition. He considered folktales as tradition in literature. Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary
(2005) defines folktales as a very old traditional story from a particular palce that was originally
passed on to the people in a spoken form.
Folktales can be divided into four types:
1. Animal tales: a story in which the main characters are pets or beats and capable to talk more
likely human being.
2. Ordinary folktales: an ordinary story in which the main characters are human being, such as:
magic tales, religious tales, novella (romantic tales).
3. Jokes and anecdotes: a funny story that make audience laugh.
4. Formula tales: like communicative story: catch tale, and endless tale.
In this research, the writer commonly used the ordinary tales to 2nd grade students of Junior High
School.
Methodology
This paper is a library research. I order to complete the literature which is more relevant to the content
of this paper, the writer read several books that are related to the using of folktales in teaching
reading. The writer also tried out the material to students of Junior High School at 2nd Grade of SMP
Santo Paulus Abepura, Jayapura, in 2011 when she did Teaching Practice for her Bachelor Degree of
Education. The writer gave some Papuan folktales and some comprehension question based on the
text.
Findings
a. Elements of Narrative Text
Narrative text is a text which contains about story (fiction/non fiction, tales, folktales, fables, myths,
epic) and its plot consists of climax of the story (complication) then followed by the resolution.
Here three elements of Narrative text:
1. The purpose/social fuction
The social purpose of this type of text is entertaining because they deal with the unusual and
unexpected development of events. It also instruct because they teach readers and listeners that
problems patterns of behaviour that are generally highly valued.
2. Generic stuctures
The Stories consist of several parts. They are the beginning, the problem that occurred, how the
problem was solved, and the ending of the story.
Orientation: It is about the opening paragraph where the characters of the story are introduced.How
the problem starts until its crisis point (climax) of the problem, in which the character(s) have to face
is called the complication.
Complication: Where the problems in the story developed.How the problem is solved or ended is
called the resolution.
Resolution: Where the problems in the story is solved.The ending of the story which may consist of
closing remark to the story, moral lesson, advice or teaching from the writer is called re-orientation.
However, this part of the story is optional. You may or may not find it in a story.
3.
Language feature
The verbs in past tense form.

Simple past tense :
S + V2+ O (Active)
The King built the castle.
S + to be (was/were) + V3 (Passive)
The castle was built by the King.

Past Continues tense :
S + to be (was/were) + verb(-ing) + O
He was fishing

Appropriate Vocabularies :
Once, Once Upon a time, a long time ago, one day, finally, etc.
b. How to teach Narrative Reading using Papuan Folklore
Curriculum is developed by keeping in mind the diversity of learners’ characteristic, geography
condition, level and type of education, as well as appreciating differences in religion, ethnics,
tradition, socio-economic status and gender. Curriculum must contain required subjects, local
content, and integrated aelf development and is develop in a meaningful and right inter subject
integration.
In this case, the writer consider that teaching narrative reading using Papuan Folktales and teaching
with folklore from outside is not different. They are mostly same. Firstly, teacher can explain the
basic narrative material using folktale, then teacher and students can discuss the moral value from the
story.
1. Pre Activity
In this first session, teacher do some opening activities, praying, greeting students, checking
attendance, checking students’ readiness, asking the last learning, and giving some brainstorming
by telling a piece of an old story and asking the students about what folktale is, and what good
human characters are, etc.
2. While Activity
In this session, teacher start the main purpose of teaching-learning process, teacher read a
folktale, describe and explain the elements of Narrative text of the folktale, teacher and students
figure out the specific vocabularies, help students to recognise and understand the message of the
folktale by using several related questions, then give a beginning exercise and discussing the
answers together.
3. Post Activity
In this last session, teacher conclude the material and asking the difficulties or comments from
students. Furthermore, teacher evaluate students by giving some exercises or homework.
c. The Character Education/Moral Value in Papuan Folktales
The major purpose of using literature in reading is to promote children’s development of reading
tastes and lifetime appreciation of fine the reading material. Literature also encourages children to
learn about literary heritge and develop skill of literary analysis and language, and it enriches the
content of the curriculum and stimulates creative activities (Burns, 1979).
Althought it is interesting to compare culturally specific details in folklore from different times and
places, one of the most intriguing phenomena in human experience is the similarities in stories with
universal themes from all over the world. Since folk and fairy tales represent human experience
throught symbol and archetypes, there is room for endless debate about how to interpret particular
tales. They provide excellent examples of the complex interplay of realism, fantacy, and symbolism
in literature. Folklore teach many social and moral value, goodness is always rewarded and it is also
always teaches moral value so it is good reading material for students, particularly at tenager-hood
such as High School Students.
Here are examples of Folktales:
Tribal War
In 1997, West Wamena district was attacked by some irresponsible people. During that time, a lot of
people died and some ran to the jungle. They also brought along their children and grandchildren.
They did not eat well in the forest. They keep staying in the jungle until their place was declare save.
They consisted of various tribes and stayed in village Wolo. They lived there until two to three
weeks. Then they were sent home to their village.
The riot did not stop there since they were also involved in tribal wars. They even killed each other.
Even they used magic to kill their enemies. But, after the Christianity came, they stopped killing
others. The church also burnt all the traditional weapons and other means to kill people. Now they
live peacefully: helping and respecting other people. The church teaches them about love and peace.
The Moral values/Chracter Education from the story:
a. Caring: the people within the their tribe are love, and caring each other, a tribe is a family. It is
shown that “they also brought along their children and grandchildren”
b. Patient: the west Wamena people are patient people: “They lived there until two to three weeks.
Then they were sent home to their village.”
c. Peace: the war is useless, the riot never ever stop if they still keep did it.
d. Religion: since the tribe recognized the Christianity, the live peacefully: helping and respecting
other people.
Conclusions
There are some significances of using papuan folktales as local resource for teaching material. The
significances of using local resources such as Papuan folktales are: to develop and promote locally
designed English teacher material which emerges from the local potential resources. It also can
introduce Papuan Folklore to young generation. Thus the young generation can learn the social and
moral values from the story of the folklore, it can help the goverment effort to campaign the
curriculum and apply the character education.
Through this paper, the writer would like to propose to the teachers in Papua to use local resources
such as foklore as english teaching material beside using textbook. The writer assumes that using
Ppauan folklore is better to students in Papua because it is more relevant to their culture environment.
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