87 terms of its discourse structure” p. 80 and to help the students to use language
with an appropriate style. A good writing should use appropriate style, for example when composing a recount text, the tenses should be used is past tense.
This textbook provides examples in a form of reading passage and information for the students before composing a text. Those examples and information help the
students to use appropriate style for their writing.
Figure 4.30 Example of writing tips
2. Weaknesses
First weakness of this aspect was that the activities are not suitable in terms of organization of longer pieces of writing. Cunningsworth 1995: 80 states
that writing activities “should deal with paragraphing which is the basic unit of organization for most kind of written English”. Making a good composition of
writing needs a process. The process can be started by composing a paragraph. When the students accomplish to make one paragraph, they will be ready to make
two paragraphs. The length of the writing should increase gradually. The more
88 information the students receive, the longer writing they write. This criterion was
not fulfilled because there is no information about the length of the writing. The second weakness was that the writing activities or tasks are not
appropriate with genre based principles. As mentioned in previous skills aspect, the activities in writing skill should also be sequenced based on teachinglearning
cycle. This criterion was not fulfilled because the activities or tasks in writing skill do not cover all stages in teachinglearning cycle. The writing activities only
cover modelling, joint constructions, and independent constructions. In genre based approach, writing skill is included in written cycle along
with reading skill. Since those two skills are integrated, the modelling stage of writing activities is taken from reading activities. The writing activities cover joint
constructions and independent constructions. Modelling and independent constructions stages are covered in every unit along with speaking activities in
this textbook, but only five units covering joint constructions. Unit I, IV, V, VII, and X are unit which cover modelling, joint constructions, and independent
constructions. The rest of the units only cover modelling and independent constructions.
5. Topic Aspect
Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Student X textbook achieved 100 fulfilment for topic aspect. Topic was one of strengths in this
textbook. First strength of topic aspect was the availability of sufficient material of genuine interest to learners. Students will learn more enthusiastic if the topics
they are learning are interesting.
89 There are ten units in this textbook with various topics and materials such
as traditional ceremony, food, myth, pet, and famous artists. Variation of topics is important because it affects students’ interest in learning. By learning something
new, students are expected to be more excited and active in teaching learning activities. As stated by Cunningsworth 1995:86, “Textbooks represent language
as it is actually used and therefore they contain subject matter and real with topics of various kind”. Those topics are based on the materials covered in this textbook.
Since the materials are adjusted to Curriculum 2006, the sophistication of the topics is suitable to learners’ level.
Not only vary and suitable to learners’ level, but those topics are also real and immediate. As stated by Cunningsworth 1995: 86, “topics which are real
and immediate must command more interest and response from learners than imaginary, made-up content”. It is real because the topics discussed are based on
reality, such as traditional ceremony, traditional dance, traditional food, etc.
Figure 4.31 Example of traditional ceremony
90 It is immediate because the events talked in the textbook are fresh at the moment
the textbook published, such as booming movies, hot news, rising stars, etc. The students can easily relate themselves to the topics.
Figure 4.32 Example of immediate event
The third strength was that the topics in this textbook allow students to expand their awareness and enrich their experience. Students have many
backgrounds, such as knowledge, attitudes, skills, experience, etc. According to Cunningsworth 1995: 86, “Language learning as a process will relate to and
engage these attributes so that the learning process is enriched and made more meaningful”. This textbook, as one of elements in language learning, covers
information about Indonesian culture, worldwide culture, recent issues, etc. to
91 help students to enrich students’ knowledge. The example was shown in figure
4.33.
Figure 4.33 Example of worldwide culture information
As a language textbook, this textbook provides topics that can help students to be able to communicate with others. Those topics represent
expressions which are commonly used in daily conversation, such as introducing self, showing sympathy, showing excitement, thanking, etc. Those expressions are
set in some situations in forms of dialogues and reading passages.
Figure 4.34 Example of materials for developing communicative abilities
92 The fifth strength was that the textbook allows the students to relate the
social and cultural contexts presented. According Cunningsworth 1995: 90, “textbook sets its material in social and cultural contexts that are comprehensible
and recognizable to the learners, in terms of location, social mores, age group, etc”. When the topics are close to students’ real life, they will be able to relate it
to their social and cultural situation. Since this textbook is designed for Indonesian students, the social and cultural contexts should be about social life in
Indonesia and Indonesian culture which close to the students. Besides Indonesian culture, there are also materials related to worldwide culture. The way the students
relate themselves to the material is by finding other information about certain culture, whether it is Indonesian or worldwide.
Figure 4.35 Example of material related to culture
93 This textbook also provides ‘cultural tips’ section in every unit. Cultural
tips cover information about tradition throughout the world, so the students can learn about culture, ceremony, and events from many countries. There are various
topics discussed in cultural tips, such as meeting and greeting in Australia, American customs and taboos, tradition for dinner in America, Being on-time in
America, the importance of saying “please” and “thank you” in America, the importance of writing thank-you note in U.K., the way American dress, eating
horses and ponies is taboo in U.K. and France, the best avoided topics to talk in U.K., and Irish road bowling. Since those topics are not taken from Indonesia, it
needs teachers’ effort to help the students so that they can relate themselves to it.
Figure 4.36 Example of Cultural Tips
The sixth strength was that women are portrayed and represented equally with men in this textbook. It can be seen from the topics and dialogues provided.
Topics covered in this textbook are general and there is no gender bias discussed. For the dialogues, the proportion of role between men and women are equal.
There are also dialogues between women. The activities provided are also equal for men and women. All of the activities can be used for men and women. There
is no activity which is given only for men or women.
94
Figure 4.37 Example of dialogue between men and women
The last strength in this aspect was that the availability of representation other groups ethnic, origin, occupation, disability, etc in this textbook.
Cunningsworth 1995 agrees that equal presentation of those aspects will give better perspective to the students and avoid negative stereotyping. Not only
provide various topics, this textbook is also completed with representation of other groups. Ethnic and origin are represented with traditional ceremony, arts,
food, and folktales from various regions, such as Bali dance, funeral ceremony in Toraja, Chicken Satay from Madura, and story of Princess Loro Jonggrang from
Yogyakarta. For the occupation, there are texts related to jobs, such as actors and actress and athletes in unit IX and X. There is no discrimination of each element.
All of them are presented equally.
95
Figure 4.38 Example of a material related to origin
6. Methodology Aspect
