28 the strength of the textbook also need to be considered. It is also necessary to
check whether the supply of the textbook can be obtained easily. In selecting textbook with its accompanying materials such as listening recording and video, it
is also important to check whether the equipment are reliable, available and ready to be used.
5. Genre Based Approach
Nowadays, Indonesia uses 2006 curriculum which is commonly known as Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan KTSP or school based curriculum. In this
curriculum, the standards of competence for Senior High School level deal with various kinds of genres. The term genre can be simply defined as text type
Derewianka, 2003. There are various types of texts that should be learned in senior high school such as narrative, report, analytical exposition, etc Basic
competences of Senior High School. Since this curriculum deals with learning through texts, the application of genre theory should also get attention.
According to Feez and Joyce 2002 genre approach is related to a text based syllabus which puts the concern on what students do with whole texts in
context. This approach is firstly developed in Australia based on three assumptions. Firstly, it is said that learning language is a social activity. It means
that the language learning involves social interaction. The result of this language learning should make the students be able to learn language, to learn through
language and to learn about language. Secondly, learning will be more effective if what is expected from students is explicit. The application of genre approach in
29 Australia has provided students with explicit knowledge about language. Besides,
it also concerns for clear identification of what is to be learned and what is to be assessed. The third assumption is that the language learning process is a series of
scaffolded developmental steps which deals with different aspects of language. Genre approach includes joint construction and scaffolding process which support
learning progress through independent performance and potential performance which is gained through social interaction with the teacher or other students Feez
and Joyce, 2002: 26-29. Derewianka 2003 also mentions some principles about genre theory
which are relevant in educational context. She says that genre based approach emphasizes on meaning creation at the whole text level. Its goal is to achieve
social purposes which focus on communicative competence such as shopping for food or telling the doctor about an illness. She also says that in genre approach
“language is learned through guidance and interaction in the context of shared experience” Derewianka, 2003. Therefore, Derewianka 2003, Feez and Joyce
2002 seem to agree that besides focusing on texts, genre based approach aims at social communicative competence. The learning is done through social interaction.
The implementation of genre based approach involves a teaching learning cycle which is also known as curriculum cycle. Feez and Joyce 2002 mention
that this cycle consists of five stages. Both the student and teacher go through each stage until the students master a certain text type. The five stages of teaching
learning cycle according to Feez and Joyce 2002 are building the context,
