The Yuen’s Dimension-Based Cultural Diversties in The ELT Textbook for Senior High School Students: A Crritical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study uses critical discourse analysis to examine the representation of the cultural diversities in the first year of the senior high school textbook published by non-government publisher, i.e Airlangga. This present study analyzed both visual and verbal text emerged in the textbook which is expected to give a deep understanding of cultural diversities to the learners and teachers also to give enlightenment for the depiction of cultural diversities for EFL textbook writers and future researchers. To analyze the cultural diversities the researcher categorize the cultural materials according to Yuen‟s (2011) cultural dimension (i.e., products, practice, perspectives, and person) and to explore the source of the cultures, Kachru (1985) category of English use into inner, outer and expanding circle countries have been chosen. The material contained in the textbook carries ideological values in terms of cultural diversity values that must be instilled in students. Visual and verbal texts in textbooks which carry values are expected to increase students' critical awareness of cultural values around the world. The findings show that there are four cultural dimensions represented in the textbook through 6 pictures and 20 texts. Those cultural materials present the cultural dimension of product, practice, person, and perspective. The source of the cultural material comes from various countries from inner, outer, and expanding circle countries including Indonesia. Therefore, through the representation of the cultural diversities from various countries in the worldwide circle, it can enhance the cultural awareness of the students and increase their Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC). Hence, it is a great challenge for the English teachers to explain and make the students understand and aware of the culture the textbook and help them through the activity in the class.