EXPLORING CULTURAL CONTENT AND EFL TEACHER LOCALIZATION PRACTICES IN BAHASA INGGRIS: WORK IN PROGRESS

Adila Megasih, Joko Nurkamto

Abstract

This study examined cultural content in an EFL textbook, Bahasa Inggris: Work in Progress, and explored an English teacher’s localization practices of the textbook. The data were collected through a qualitative document analysis and interview with one high school English teacher. The findings revealed that the textbook heavily emphasizes surface-level cultural elements, while deeper cultures, such as perspectives, appear less frequently. Most of the cultural content focuses on universal and source cultures, with limited representation of target and international cultures. This study also found that the teacher actively localized the textbook by adjusting its content, linguistic features, and pedagogical strategies to bridge gaps between the textbook and students’ needs. Grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, this highlights the teacher’s role as a cultural mediator who facilitates students’ learning within their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). It is suggested that textbook developers balance cultural dimensions based on students’ level. Future researchers are recommended to investigate more varied learning materials and educational settings to better understand cultural content and localization in a broader context.

Keywords

culture; localization; textbook; textbook analysis; sociocultural theory

Full Text:

PDF

References

Alaei, M. M., & Parsazadeh, H. (2019). Culture in English language teaching textbooks: the emergence of a synergistic blueprint. Asian Englishes, 22(1), 101–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/13488678.2019.1667171

Alfaya, A. F., Rochsantiningsih, D., & Sumardi, S. (2023). Cultural representation in the ELT textbook “Work in Progress.” Diksi, 31(2), 233–243. https://doi.org/10.21831/diksi.v31i2.65026

Andrade, C. (2021). The inconvenient truth about convenience and purposive samples. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 43(1), 86–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/0253717620977000

Ariawan, D. A., Nurkamto, J., & Sumardi, S. (2022). Critical discourse analysis of cultural representations in EFL national commercial textbooks. Studies in English Language and Education, 9(3), 1112–1127. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v9i3.24579

Brody, J. (2003). A linguistic anthropological perspective on language and culture in the second language curriculum. In D. Lange, & R. M. Page (Eds.), Culture as the core: Perspectives on culture in second language education (pp. 37-52). Information Age Publishing.

Chao, T. (2011). The hidden curriculum of cultural content in internationally published ELT textbooks: A closer look at new American inside out. Journal of Asia TEFL, 8(2), 189-210.

Cortazzi, M., & Jin, L. X. (1999). Cultural mirrors: Materials and methods in the EFL classroom. In E. Hinkel (ed.), Culture in second language teaching and learning (pp. 196-219). Cambridge University Press.

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. SAGE Publications.

Garton, S., & Graves, K. (2014). International Perspectives on Materials in ELT. Palgrave Macmillan London.

Hanifa, R., Yusuf, F. N., Yusra, S. R., & Suherdi, D. (2024). Adapting EFL materials and its influences on Indonesia secondary school students’ language learning. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-024-00297-7

Hoa, C. T. H., Tran, L. B., & Tan, K. H. (2024). Analyzing Cultural Representation in an EFL Course Book Newly Applied in Vietnamese Secondary Education. ArtsEduca, 38, 242-255.

Lopez-Barrios, M., & de Debat, E. V. (2014). Global vs. Local: Does It Matter?. In S. Garton S. & K. Graves (Eds.), International Perspectives on Materials in ELT (pp. 37-52). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137023315_3

McGrath, I. (2016). Materials evaluation and design for language teaching. Edinburgh University Press.

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2018). Qualitative data analysis: A Methods Sourcebook. SAGE Publications.

Oxford University Press. (2005). Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Parlindungan, F., Rifai, I., & Safriani, A. (2018). The representation of Indonesian cultural diversity in middle school English textbooks. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v8i2.13276

Pollock, M. (2008). From Shallow to Deep: Toward a Thorough Cultural Analysis of School Achievement Patterns. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 39(4), 369-380. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1492.2008.00028.x

Radić-Bojanić, B., & Topalov, J. (2016). Textbooks in the EFL classroom: Defining, assessing and analyzing. Zbornik Radova Filozofskog Fakulteta U Pristini, 46(4), 137–153. https://doi.org/10.5937/zrffp46-12094

Rathert, S., & Cabaroğlu, N. (2022). Theorising textbook adaptation in English language teaching. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 12(2), 169–188. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1287

Richards, J. (2014). The ELT textbook. In S. Garton, & K. Graves (Eds.), International perspectives on materials in ELT. Palgrave Macmillan.

Sadeghi, K., & Sepahi, Z. (2017). Cultural content of three EFL textbooks: teachers’ and learners’ cultural preferences and cultural themes of textbooks. Pedagogies, 13(3), 222-245. https://doi.org/10.1080/1554480x.2017.1417128

Sulistiyo, U., Wulan, R., Arif, T. Z. Z. A., Efriza, D., & Anwar, K. (2021). A critical content analysis of English textbook for senior high school students in Indonesia. Studies in English Language and Education, 8(1), 84-98. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v8i1.16778

Toledo-Sandoval, F. (2020). Local culture and locally produced ELT textbooks: How do teachers bridge the gap? System, 95, 102362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102362

Tomlinson, B. (2011). Materials Development in Language Teaching, 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press.

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in Society: Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.

Yuen, K. (2011). The representation of foreign cultures in English textbooks. ELT Journal, 65(4), 458-466. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccq089

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20961/ee.v14i1.105930

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.