Locality and Self-Identity : The Inclusion of Local Literature in Indonesian English Text-Books

1. Locality and Self-Identity: The Inclusion of Local Literature in Indonesian English Text-Books Ahmad Bukhori, NiaNafisah, and Ika L. Damayanti Indonesia University of Education SoLLs.INTEC.09 UniversitiKebangsaan Malaysia 5-6 May 2009

2. Introduction • English learning in Indonesia • English as a foreign language, now introduced earlier • Haliday’s (1985) Genre-Based Approach in Indonesian national curriculum of English; narrative text for junior and senior high schools • Wells’ (1987) four literacy levels (performative, functional (JHS), informational, and epistemic (SHS) • Children’s literature improve students’ interest (Lazar, 1993) • Relevance of learning material with students background knowledge (Gu, 2003; Blachowicz & Fisher, 2003; Elley, 1997) • Local stories support students’ learning of English (Muslim, 2008)

3. Globalization • Economic, social, political, psychological, and philosophical hegemony (Sasaki, 2004) • Stealing children’s innocence by corporate culture (Giroux, 2000) • Uprooted and lost generation (Mahfudin, 2009) • Awareness of self-identity (Giden 1991, in Barker, 2000)

4. IntroductionCont. • Identity • Who, what, and how to behave (Giden, 1991 in Barker, 2000) • Various ethnics in Indonesia. Majors: • Javanese, Sundanese (Java), • Padangese, Batakese (Sumatra), • Balinese, • Madurese, • Dayakese (Kalimantan) • Bugisi (Sulawesi) • Asmat (Papua) • Nurturance through formal schooling • Civic education for democracy and self-identity (Saifullah, 2009) • School dance from childhood games and plays (Sunaryo, 2009)

5. Questions: • How do Indonesian text-books incorporate local stories? • How do teachers and students perceive the inclusion of local stories in the text-book? • How does this inclusion influence students’ English learning process?

6. Method • Descriptive in nature • Sample : • 10 teachers of junior and senior high schools • Students 50 high school and 18 junior high • Instrument : • Questionnaire • Students (nationalism, reading interest, local/foreign stories in learning) • Teachers (nationalism, reading interests, local/foreign stories teaching process) • Interview • Location • Urban and suburban schools in Bandung West Java Indonesia • Public and religion schools

7. Finding : Text-book, grades, and authors

8. Finding : number of stories

9. Finding Cont. • Foreign and local stories in each English text-book

10. Finding Cont: Teachers • Nationalism • Very patriotic, proud of being Indonesians • Born, raised, work, and live in the country • Prefer local food and clothes, not always music • Reading interest • Many interested in reading local stories • A few interested in reading both stories (int’l schools) • English Teaching • Many found easier to teach narrative using local stories • A few found indifferent between both stories

11. Finding Cont: Students • Nationalism (food, film, fashion) • Majority, proud of being Indonesians, a few less proud • Like local food and fashion better due to availability and affordability • Many prefer foreign music due to creativity and English learning. • Reading interests • Junior high and religion school Ss like local stories better. • Senior high Ss of urban school prefer foreign stories to the local ones. • Learning process • Students of junior high and religion schools learn the four language skills better with local stories with slight difference for each skill • Some high school students learn the four language skills better with both foreign and local stories

12. Discussion • Inclusion of narrative texts: • As mandated by the curriculum, all sample books have included narrative texts in various forms, meeting the minimum requirement for a good text book set by the government. • Most students found it easier to learn the four English language skills using local stories (Lazar, 1993; Tomlinson, 1990; Wright, 1989), supported by (Muslim, 2008). • The content of text-book is rather relevant with students’ background or prior knowledge (Graves et.al., 2004; Gu, 2003; Blachowicz & Fisher, 2003; Elley, 1997). • Foreign stories are still dominant in English text-books. • Stories from Java are still central • Most book writers and publisher are in Java island

13. Discussion Cont. • Nurturing nationalism by teachers • Introducing local stories and cultures • School location determines students, interests and nationalism. • The less urban, the more nationalistic • Students’ intellectuality also influences their nationalism. • High achieving is more critical and less nationalistic. • Type of schools affect the sense of nationalism. • Religion school is more nationalistic, history approves • School levels influence the sense • JHS students are more nationalistic • Less exposed to foreign cultures

14. Conclusion • Sample books have included narrative texts, but foreign story is still dominant. • Stories from Java island are still central. • Teachers tend to have higher sense of nationalism than their students (maturity and understanding of self-identity). • Ss from urban schools have less sense of nationalism due to their environment. • Some teachers find local stories support the teaching of narrative texts using local literature but others find it indifferent • Most students find it easier to learn the four skills of English via local stories but a few found indifferent. • The younger the students, the higher the nationalism .

15. Suggestion • More quality local stories included in text-books. • Also, more non-Java stories included.

16. end … Thank you Terimakasih