The Analysis of the Cultural Content in the Tenth Grade of Senior High School English Textbook based on Yuen‟s Cultural Dimensions

Abstract

The research analyzed the representation of cultural content in the English textbook entitled “Bahasa Inggris” (Revised edition) which is used for Senior High School published by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Republic Indonesia. The written texts including reading text, dialogues and quotes are analyzed by using Yuen‟s cultural dimension. This research was expected to give enlightenment towards the discussion of cultural contents needed in English teaching and learning process. The research analyzed the cultural contents provided in the written text of the English textbook, by using content analysis and documentation. Those written texts were analyzed based on the four types of cultural dimensions by Yuen (2011); products, practices, perspectives, and persons. The cultural dimension of products are frequently measure a cultural dimension in such things like entertainments, travel, foods, merchandise and a printed form. Next, practices include customs, daily life and society. Then, perspectives include cultural materials that express the particular perceptions, values, and beliefs and that guide people‟s behaviors in social practices. Last, persons refer to the individual members who represent the particular culture and communities. The findings showed that the four types of Yuen‟s cultural dimension (products, persons, practices, and perspectives) which are represents the cultural contents, were appeared in the English textbook. The result of the analysis showed that cultural contents deals with persons were most frequently presented in 45%. Then, the cultural contents of products were presented 36%. Next, the cultural contents of perspectives were presented 14%. The lowest percentage of the type of cultural contents belonged to practices (5%). Meanwhile, the cultural contents presented in the English textbook were still unbalance by indicating the frequency of the emergence of Indonesian and foreign cultures. Therefore, the government should concern to the less presented cultural contents related to the recent socio-cultural and educational phenomena in Indonesia, since building and developing intercultural communicative competence (ICC) for the learners is important. Moreover, the role of English teachers to provide and improve other additional learning sources and activities containing cultural contents are also important to enhance students‟ intercultural communicative competence (ICC). Furthermore, the results of this research also suggests to the future researchers who are interested in conducting a similar research to find the gap and investigate other elements in the area of EFL textbook analysis.