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F. Cultural Content Analysis of English Textbooks
Looking at the importance of cultural information in English textbooks, a process of textbook evaluation is essentially
needed before textbooks are chosen to use in classrooms. Byram in his study of textbook evaluation developed criteria for textbook
evaluation which focuses on cultural content. In his criteria, cultural content in textbooks should include a focus on eight areas
as mentioned in the following list:
1. Social identity and social group social class, regional identity,
ethnic minorities 2.
Social interaction differing levels of formality; as outsider and insider
3. Belief and behavior moral, religious beliefs, daily routines
4. Social and political institutions state institutions, health care,
law and order, social security, local government 5.
Socialization and the life cycle families, schools, employment, rites of passage
6. National history historical and contemporary events seen as
markers of national identity 7.
National geography geographical factors seen as being significant by members
8. Stereotypes and national identity what is typical symbol of
national stereotypes
66
However, the most common used criteria to analyze the representation of culture in English textbooks is those that were
developed by Adaskou, Britten, and Fahsi by classifying the culture into four senses: aesthetic sense, sociological sense, semantic
sense, and pragmatic sense.
67
66
Michael Byram, ―Language and Culture Learning: The Need for
Integration ‖ In Byram, ed. Germany, Its Representation in Textbooks for
Teaching German in Great Britain Frankfurt am Main: Diestered, pp. 5 —10.
67
K. Adaskou , et al., ―Design Decisions on the Cultural Content of a
Secondary English Course for Morocco ‖ in ELT Journal Volume 441 January
1990: pp. 3 —10.
154
Indonesian Board of National Education Standard BSNP has constructed some criteria for accredited English textbooks to be
used at schools in Indonesia.
68
BSNP developed some instruments of English textbook evaluation for every level of schools from
primary schools SDMI to high schools SMAMA. However, this instrument only touches some physical aspects of the English
textbooks without analyzing the cultural appropriateness as one of the criteria of evaluation. Three components that are assessed
comprise: 1 the language appropriateness appropriateness with
the level of students‘ cognitive development and socio-economic factor, communicativeness, cohesiveness and coherence; 2
presentation of the book technique of presentation and presentation of learning activities; and 3 the completeness of
presentation all the chapters are complete from introduction to closing.
Other countries through their Ministries of Education are concerning this cultural content in EFL textbooks. It is aimed at
raising the students‘ cultural awareness of their own culture as well as to raise the intercultural competence so that they can reflect their
own culture by learning other cultures from English speaking countries. Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science
and Technology MEXT, for instance, maintains that ―the understanding of cultures‖ should be regarded as one of the main
objectives in teaching English at the secondary school level
69
. Even, Ministry of Education of Peoples Republic of China took a
big step by asking an internationally standardized publisher Longman to work together with the academics of China to
develop EFL materials
70
. This partnership is aimed at developing textbooks which preserve Chinese culture as well as introducing
target culture and international target culture to Chinese students.
68
Badan Standar Nasional Pendidikan, Instrumen Penilaian Buku Teks Pelajaran Tahun 2011 retrieved from
http:bsnp-indonesia.orgid?p=734
69
Simon Humphries, ―Western-published versus MEXT-mandated: A
comparative textbook analysis ‖ in Doshisha Studies in English Vol. 90 January
2013: pp. 217 —238.
70
Bob Adamson and Paul Morris, The English Curriculum in the Peoples Republic
of China,
retrieved on
January 2013
from http:eprints.ioe.ac.uk47551Morris1997TheEnglish1.pdf
155
For secondary level, EFL textbooks for SMP Negeri and Madrasah Tsanawiyah are similar. Apparently, the need of these
schools cannot be generalized as similar to public schools since the students of Islamic schools possess some additional needs of more
appropriate English textbooks which comply with Islamic values and cultures. In daily EFL practices, students of state Islamic
schools encounter various cultures, such as: their inherited culture Javanese, Betawese, Sundanese, etc., local culture Indonesian
culture eastern culture, Islamic culture, and added by cultures from English speaking countries represented in the English
textbooks.
A recent study on need analysis of EFL materials in Islamic schools in Indonesia was conducted by LAPIS-ELTIS Learning
Assistance Program for Islamic Schools – English Language
Training for Islamic Schools under the Indonesia Australia Partnership. This research indicates that some common used
English textbooks are English on Sky, Effective English, Let‘s Talk and English for Junior High Schools. From these books, 54 of
English teachers who are the respondents stated that there is no Islamic content in the available course books. Therefore, it implies
that EFL materials should also discuss Islamic values besides the representation of English culture and international culture
71
. Cultural content analysis in EFL textbooks usually focuses
on one aspect of culture, for instance: the elements of culture such as Rajabi Ketabi in 2012, and one type of culture such as Yuen
in 2011, Zakaria Hashim in 2002. The cultural content analysis is firstly conducted through tabulating the types of information
based on the constructed frameworks and analyzing the content based on the theories used.
71
Zuliati Rohmah, ―EFL Materials in Madrasah Tsanawiyah: What Do They
Really Need? ‖ in TEFLIN Journal, Volume 20, Number 1 February 2009: pp.
104 —117.
156
F. Related Previous Studies on Cultural Content in English Textbooks
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