* Corresponding author
IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023, 83-105
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.27898
This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Available online at IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education) Website:
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

CLASSIFYING "CULTURE" IN INDONESIAN SECONDARY PUBLIC
EDUCATION EFL TEXTBOOKS

Saiful Akmal, Nashriyah, Najmiatul Fauza, Chamisah, Khairiah Syahabuddin
Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh, Indonesia

(saiful.akmal@ar-raniry.ac.id)

Received: 31st August 2022; Revised: 01st May 2023; Accepted: 28th June 2023
ABSTRACT

This study investigates the categorization of cultural materials and the sense of the culture of two
"Bahasa Inggris 2017 updated edition" English textbooks for grades X and XI in senior high school in
Indonesian secondary education. This study examines which cultures are exemplified in the textbooks
and how they are characterized. The study's design follows a qualitative descriptive design through
content analysis. Both the "categories of culture" approach of Cortazzi and Jin (1999) and the "sense of
culture" approach of Adaskou, Britten, and Fahsi (1990) were used in the present study. The data
showed that the Bahasa Inggris tenth-grade textbook focused more on source culture instead of the
target culture and international culture. Nonetheless, in the Bahasa Inggris eleventh-grade textbook, the
target culture is more dominant than the source and international cultures. In both books, the pragmatic
sense dominated the aesthetic, semantic, and social sense. This study also uncovered an imbalance in
the number of cultural categories exhibited. This study proposes that writers of EFL textbooks should
accommodate a balanced representation of source culture, target culture, and international culture, as
well as provide an excellent four-cultural sense in the textbooks.

Key Words: EFL textbooks; Indonesian secondary public education; cultural categorization; senses of
culture

ABSTRAK

Penelitian ini menyelidiki kategorisasi bahan budaya dan pemahaman budaya dari dua buku teks bahasa Inggris
"Bahasa Inggris 2017 edisi terbaru" untuk kelas X dan XI di sekolah menengah atas dalam pendidikan menengah
di Indonesia. Penelitian ini menguji budaya mana yang diwakili dalam buku teks dan bagaimana budaya tersebut
dikarakterisasi. Desain penelitian ini mengikuti desain deskriptif kualitatif melalui analisis konten. Pendekatan
"kategori budaya" dari Cortazzi dan Jin (1999) serta pendekatan "pemahaman budaya" dari Adaskou, Britten,
dan Fahsi (1990) digunakan dalam penelitian ini. Data menunjukkan bahwa buku teks bahasa Inggris kelas
sepuluh lebih fokus pada budaya sumber daripada budaya target dan budaya internasional. Namun, dalam buku
teks bahasa Inggris kelas sebelas, budaya target lebih dominan daripada budaya sumber dan budaya internasional.
Pada kedua buku tersebut, pemahaman pragmatik mendominasi pemahaman estetika, semantik, dan sosial.
Penelitian ini juga menemukan ketidakseimbangan dalam jumlah kategori budaya yang ditampilkan. Penelitian
ini mengusulkan bahwa penulis buku teks bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing sebaiknya menyertakan
representasi yang seimbang dari budaya sumber, budaya target, dan budaya internasional, serta menyediakan
pemahaman budaya yang baik dalam empat aspek dalam buku teks.

Kata Kunci: Buku teks bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing; pendidikan umum menengah Indonesia; kategorisasi
budaya; pemahaman budaya

How to Cite: Akmal, S., Nashriyah, Fauza, N., Chamisah, Syahabuddin, K. (2023). Classifying "Culture"
in Indonesian Secondary Public Education EFL Textbooks. IJEE (Indonesian Journal of
English Education), 10(1), 83-105. doi:10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

84-105
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924

P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

INTRODUCTION

Language is the cultural mirror

(Kadarisman, 2005); thus, it is evident

that culture and language are intricately

linked. Brown (2000) affirms that

language and culture are inextricably

linked; if they are separated, it will be

impossible to determine their core

qualities. Risager and Chapelle (2012)

also said that it is unthinkable to detach

language and culture because language

practices are connected to different

public routines in the actual realm.

Typically, a particular language

indicates a specific group of

individuals. When people communicate

in a different language, they also deal

with the culture that speaks that

language. Arslan (2016) stated that

communication proficiency means

language users should be culturally

prepared. Culture cannot be

understood without direct access to a

language. Without addressing cultural

norms and practices, language

instruction cannot succeed (Alptekin,

1993). Mukundan (2005) also agrees

that cultural teachings and activities

must be prepared and integrated with

the same attention as language

activities. Therefore, if cultural features

such as mentality, lifestyle, beliefs,

values, race, class, and gender are

absent in language education, students

cannot understand the language

entrenched in the culture.

In addition, the link between

language and culture is distinct and

varied. According to scholars, culture is

a description of the language, and

without languages, cultures would

perish (Kaikkonen et al., 1994;

Lappalainen, 2011). As language echoes

culture and culture also reflects the

language, Fantini (1995) and Moran

(2001) agree that the two have a

reciprocal relationship. Jiang (2000)

further illustrates the connection

between language and culture by

analogy with an iceberg. Language is

the main building block, but the most

substantial part of apparent cultural

differences lies beneath the surface.

Krasner (1999), Holliday (2009),

and Kovács (2017) have pointed out the

central role of culture in language

teaching because of the inherent

connection between the two. McKay

(2002), for example, concludes that

including cultural components in

language, instruction can boost EFL

students' motivation. Similarly,

teaching students to value their

distinctive culture benefits from

exposure to other cultures. As

Edmonstone (2019) puts it, "culture-

bound" refers to the extent to which a

person's cultural norms shape their

worldview and, by extension, their

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

85-105 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

learning. This can be problematic when

they interact with people of other

cultures.

Nevertheless, Brown (2000)

considers that to connect with a new

language, and students must learn the

language and the culture. Since

language and cultural teaching are

meticulously linked, integrating culture

into EFL textbooks has become a broad

fact. Thus, teaching language learners

about cultural factors could be

accomplished via textbooks, as

textbooks play an essential part in EFL

classrooms. Doró (2013) and Khanadi et

al. (2022) stated that textbook selection

is essential as it lays the groundwork

for understanding and interpreting

culture. In addition, McKay (2002)

emphasizes that the cultural element

variation insertion in EFL materials will

assist students in developing an interest

in language learning and increases their

motivation.

Faris (2014) found that secondary

school students in West Java were

primarily exposed to positive

portrayals of the target culture in

textbooks. Indonesia and its aesthetic

parts commonly exemplify the cultural

aspects. Ekawati and Hamdani (2012)

further specified that EFL textbooks

and methods mirror the target, source,

and international cultures. In addition,

there have been some important studies

into how cultures are depicted in

English textbooks. Arslan (2016)

discovered the cultural content and

occurrence of features associated with

the source, target, and international

cultures in EFL textbooks. The results

found disharmony between cultural

matters, meaning that the target and

international cultures were found more

than the source cultures.

Silvia (2015) argues that

Indonesian high school English

textbooks emphasize "surface culture"

over "deep culture." Famous names,

foodstuffs, locations, traditional dances,

and languages formulate the

represented cultures. Cultural values,

thoughts, and standpoints remain

forgotten.

Martono (2016), Matsuda (2012),

and Yuen (2011) discovered that target

cultures were prevalent in English

textbooks. The research mentioned

above findings from Matsuda, Yuen,

and Martono demonstrate that, while

some modern theories advocate a

balanced blend of local and global

cultures, material developers have their

views on cultural content integration.

Because cultural content is essential in

ELT, it should be carefully evaluated. In

this light, Rashidi and Meihami (2016)

researched the ELT textbook's cultural

substance in the inner, outer, and

expanding groups of nation-states. The

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

86-105
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924

P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

outcomes revealed changes between

those EFL textbooks. The inner circle

contained more sources and target

cultures. While the expanding circle

characterized a universal culture, the

outer circle presented a leaning toward

having all types of cultural groupings

together.

Cultural content in the textbook

According to Cunningsworth

(1995), textbooks are essential in the

ELT teaching space since educators use

them to organize and deliver programs,

and learners depend on them for

language content and reproduction. In

addition, textbooks supply the course's

primary content, acting as the source

for students' language involvement and

classroom language exercise

(Tomlinson, 2005). For teachers,

textbooks are a map that sets the

direction of the topic learned in the

classroom. It contains substances like

principles and actions that educate the

students on particular cultures (Ekawati

& Hamdani, 2012).

EFL textbooks customarily

transport a direct or indirect collection

of cultural ideals discussed in the texts

as the "hidden curriculum." The hidden

curriculum is understood as implicit,

embedded, and unwritten values,

beliefs, ideologies, morals, and other

cultural features that teachers or

lecturers instill in the learners through

their teachings, interactions, and

classroom activities. Cunningsworth

(1995) believes that a "hidden

curriculum" is regularly starker

compared to the recommended

curriculum as it will affect learners'

cultural awareness, perceptions, and

knowledge after they are exposed at

length to it. Alsubaie (2015) further

highlights that hidden curriculum can

be an issue in education as it can both

positively or negatively impact the

overall curriculum.

On the positive side, a hidden

curriculum encourages the growth of

social and emotional competencies.

Students gain skills in interpersonal

communication, conflict resolution,

teamwork, and professional

development (Orón Semper & Blasco,

2018). Gunawan et al. (2018) further

argue that hidden curriculum can also

contribute to developing positive

character traits such as honesty,

integrity, responsibility, and resilience.

Students may also benefit from the

hidden curriculum as it encourages

critical thinking, problem-solving,

personal growth, cultural awareness,

and civic engagement at the same time

(Elliot et al., 2016).

On the contrary, although the

hidden curriculum may have positive

consequences, it is equally critical to

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

87-105 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

acknowledge any potential negative

impacts. The first negative potential can

appear in unintentionally driven biases

and stereotypes (Cocoradă, 2018). Bray

et al. (2018) reveal that a hidden

curriculum can further reinforce social

inequalities due to its lack of explicit

instruction and limited focus on

individual interests.

In this light, the cultural aspects of

a textbook are classified into three

groups by Cortazzi and Jin (1999): the

source culture, the target culture, and

the international culture.

Elements of the source culture

indicate the materials from which

students can access a specific culture.

Instead of teaching students how to

engage with people from different

cultures, these resources aim to assist

them in speaking with foreign visitors

about their own culture. It is intended

to acquaint learners with the

indigenous culture and promote it to be

more prevalent among them. The

cultures of the British, the Americans,

the Canadians, and the Australians are

presented in EFL textbooks that include

the target culture. Non-English-

speaking communities and places

where English is not the primary means

of communication but is used as the

international language in Asian and

African countries are instances of global

cultures.

Moreover, Adaskou et al. (1990)

propose the four senses of cultural

agenda in the textbook: the aesthetic,

the sociological, the pragmatic, and the

semantic sense. These four senses of

cultural agenda shelter the broad

classifications of culture: the total

interpretation and the mentalist vision,

the big C culture, and the small c

culture. The Big C culture discusses

films, songs, and supplementary

literary facets. At the same time, the

culture with a small c denotes society

and the natural surroundings of family,

friends, and organizations.

The aesthetic sense of culture talks

about films, songs, and literature. The

sociological sense of culture discusses

society, friends, family, personal

relations, physical condition, labor and

leisureliness, tradition, and

organization (Hermawan & Lia, 2012).

The semantic sense of culture mentions

the theoretical arrangement exemplified

in the semantic use of language and

prepares all our insights and assumed

practices. For instance, many

vocabularies (e.g., diet, garments, and

organizations) are unique as they relate

to a specific cultural behavior. The most

recent, the pragmatic sense (or

sociolinguistic), talk about the

contextual information, societal

expertise, and paralinguistic abilities

that, plus mastery of the language code,

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

88-105
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924

P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

make effective communication

(Tajeddin et al., 2018).

To summarize, earlier studies have

revealed that textbook selection,

adopting a "hidden curriculum" of

cultural ideals, and learning culture are

all important in language education.

Teachers and students rely on their

worldview of the new foreign language

they teach and learn. Cultural

immersion in EFL textbook selection

impacts students' enthusiasm to study

the language and encourages teachers

to engage more with the students in the

classroom (Alshenqeeti, 2019).

However, despite the increasing

tendency among researchers to study

the significance of language and culture

in EFL textbooks, Ozdemir (2010)

mentions that research on textbooks is

currently limited and further research

on cultural elements is needed. The

analysis of the cultural content and the

way it is presented in the textbooks,

especially concerning the enforcement

of specific curricula, is relatively lacking

and understudied. This study is,

therefore, a considerably novel and

essential topic in curriculum

development. This study recognizes the

cultural diversity of Indonesia by

incorporating various rich cultural

elements into EFL Textbooks. Further,

this study can enhance intercultural

and real-world relevance to promote

cultural awareness and sensitivity. To

this end, this study aims to investigate

the cultural content and presentation of

the 2017 revised edition of English

textbooks for tenth- and eleventh-grade

EFL students in the Indonesian

secondary school system.

METHOD

Research design

This study was designed to use

content analysis to describe the English

textbook's cultural contents. Nomnian

(2013) and Wallen and Fraenkel (2001)

stated that content analysis is a research

method that investigates selected

sources' specific written words, texts, or

visual contents. This qualitative study

attempted to describe the cultural

context of the textbook.

As stated previously, English

textbooks utilized by senior high school

students in the tenth and eleventh

grades titled "Bahasa Inggris" revised

edition served as the primary data

source for this study. The Indonesian

Ministry of Education and Culture

published these revised editions of

textbooks in 2017 in response to

changes made to the country's national

curriculum in 2013. Widiati, Rohmah,

and Furaidah authored the first edition

of the textbooks, an updated edition for

the tenth grade. Mahrukh Bashir writes

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

89-105 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

the second textbook and aims to

provide fresh materials for the

eleventh-graders.

There are some explanations for

why the textbook was chosen. First, the

textbooks are appropriate for the

existing core national curriculum.

Subsequently, the textbooks are used

nationally as English instructional

media for EFL students at Indonesian

secondary schools. Then, the textbooks

are sanctioned by The Indonesian

Ministry of Education and Culture to

deal with the need to accommodate the

2013 curriculum revision. Afterward,

the textbooks are unlike the preceding

version of the textbooks. The latest

changes in the content have

accommodated the affirmation of

character-building and incorporated

High-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS).

With culturally relevant materials,

diverse reading texts, rich group

exercises and discussions, and valuable

tips and strategies, the selected

textbooks can help students improve

their English skills, encourage

participation, and expand their

horizons. Therefore, the selected

textbook is vital to be analyzed.

Data collection and analysis

In this study, the data was collected

by choosing the construing paths,

discussions, images, and actions offered

in every unit of the textbooks. One of

the methods used in this study to

analyze the data is by creating a

checklist; 1) to unlock the cultural

content exemplified in these textbooks

from Cortazzi and Jin (1999); 2) to apply

The categorization from Adaskou,

Britten, and Farsi (1990) to disclose how

values are embodied in those textbooks.

This study applied open coding,

which embraces marking conceptions

centered on their particular

characteristics within texts (Saldaña,

2012). We gave the codes for each

cultural element by referring to the

earlier framework. Thus, the data was

converted into categorizations and

percentages. It was associated with and

examined to scrutinize what cultures

arose most often and how they were

exemplified in the textbooks through

tables and charts.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Findings

Cultural content in the English

textbook "Bahasa Inggris" for the

tenth grade

This textbook covers fifteen

units/chapters with diverse themes;

therefore, it is theme-based. The theme

ranges from talking about self,

congratulation, tourist destinations,

idols, Indonesian culture, Japanese

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

90-105
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924

P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

culture, the Wring Brothers, Strong

Wind, and making friends.

Types of cultures exemplified in

the Bahasa Inggris revised

textbook for tenth-grade EFL

Students.

Chart 1: Types of cultures in the Bahasa

Inggris revised textbook for tenth grade

EFL Students

The bar chart 1 represents the types

of culture in the textbook with the

following information:

Blue bar: Source Culture (SC)

Red bar: Target Culture (TC)

Green bar: International Culture

(IC)

Not all chapters in the textbook

provide source culture content

Despite its continuous and

dominant representation, the chart

above mentions that not all textbook

parts represent Indonesian values as the

source culture. The highest recurrence

rate of source culture was found in Unit

2 (17 occasions). Oppositely, unit 7

provided none of the source cultures.

The source culture was typically

obtainable by people with names such

as Siti, Edo, Alif, Deni, Wayan, Rahmi,

Firda, Bayu, Afgan, B.J. Habibie, and

Cut Nyak Dhien. It was also visibly

detected by the names of cities and

provinces, such as Surabaya, Padang

(cities), Papua, Aceh, and West

Sumatra; images of Indonesian

schoolchildren, venues, and other

pictorial exemplifications. Furthermore,

text types such as descriptive and

recounting Indonesian cultures were

straightforwardly presented. For

example, the recount text about Cut

Nyak Dhien, a war heroine who battled

the Dutch colonialist, is found on pages

145 to 146, as is a story about Malin

Kundang on page 172.

Figure.1 Cut Nyak Dhien

(Acehnese Heroine)

In Figure 2, the source culture was

characterized by interchanges between

Indonesian speakers, as seen on pages

23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 32, and 41. As

displayed below, the two talkers

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

91-105 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

greeted each other and discussed their

origins and what they do for a living.

Figure 2. Dialogue between Raja and Slamet

Limited target culture

representation

The appearance of the target

culture (English-speaking countries) in

this textbook was relatively limited.

However, it was present for all content

categories like names, pictures,

grammar, speech acts, reading

passages, interchanges, songs, and

quotes from world-famous individuals.

The chart also described that every unit

contained a target culture, and the

uppermost occurrence of the target

culture is located in unit 1 (14

occurrences). The example of target

culture is exemplified by individual

names, for example, Steve Jobs, Mark

Zuckerberg, and Oprah Winfrey. In

addition, the talk about target culture

was displayed on pages 97 to 98 on The

Wright Brothers from the United States,

who developed the aircraft."

Figure 3. The conversation about the Wright

Brothers representing the US target culture

Poor international cultural content

Figure 5. The Taj Mahal in India represents

the international culture

Based on the chart 1 displayed

earlier, international culture was the

most negligible cultural content found

in the textbook. The prominent

appearance of international culture's

presence was only found in Unit 12 (9

occurrences). It appeared in the names

of persons; Lionel Messi, Shinto Altar,

and countries; India, Singapore,

Malaysia, and Japan. Thus, some

cultural texts are also found, such as the

descriptive text of the Taj Mahal on

page 58 and the narrative text of a

Japanese fairy tale entitled "Issumboshi"

on page 155. Those passages represent a

type of international culture.

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

92-105
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924

P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

Presentation of Culture in English

Textbooks for the Tenth Grade

Adaskou, Britten, and Fahsi (1990)

formulated the key senses to analyze

the type of cultural representation:

aesthetic, pragmatic, and sociological

sense.

Table 1. The sense of culture occurrences in

English textbooks for the tenth grade

The domination of the pragmatic

sense

It can be evident from the table that

the cultural content was intensely

accessible from a pragmatic aspect. It

materialized 111 occurrences (56.63 %)

in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation,

speech, and reading and writing

exercises.

The pragmatic sense appeared 45

times in the source culture, 54 times in

the target culture, and 12 times in the

international culture. Most pragmatic

sense examples were found in

pronouns, grammar reviews, adjectives,

derivatives, adverbs, and reported

speech.

Figure 6. Grammar review representing a

pragmatic sense of culture

The sociological sense of family image

Furthermore, the social component

emerged in 37 occurrences (18.87 %)

that represent the entire category of

culture: source culture (17 times), target

culture (11 times), and international

aspect of the culture (9 times). This

aspect of cultural sense was regularly

shown in interactions concerning

family relations, groups, and

organizations.

For example, the following figure

exemplifies how sociological sense is

embedded in the source culture. The

dialogue between two friends: Rahmi

and Sinta, concerning the family

vacation and the gift from her sister

resembles how most Indonesian

families look.

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

93-105 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

Figure 7. The interface between two friends

represents a sociological sense

Moreover, the semantic element

presented 30 occurrences (15.30 %). This

type of cultural sense was limited to

fashions. The aesthetic element was a

minor portion of culture discovered in

this textbook, appearing in 19

occurrences (9.69%) of moving pictures

such as Harry Potter and Twilight and

songs.

Cultural Content Found in the English

Textbook "Bahasa Inggris" for the

Eleventh Grade

This textbook is typically grammar-

based, unlike the one made for the

tenth grade earlier. It has eight units or

chapters, including an enrichment unit

or chapter that offers reading

comprehension with various subjects

ranging from offers and suggestions,

opinions and thoughts, natural

disasters, letter writing, cause and

effect, music, and explanation.

Types of Culture represented in

the textbook Bahasa Inggris for

grade 11th

Chart 1. Types of Culture represented in the

textbook Bahasa Inggris for Grade 11th

The visualization implied that not

every textbook chapter contained the

source culture. The highest occurrence

of source cultures was surprisingly

found in the Enrichment Unit (17

occurrences). In reverse, some chapters

did not discuss the source culture, such

as chapters 4, 7, and 8.

Using Indonesian names, cities,

and arts to teach source culture

Similar to the previous textbook for

the tenth grade, the source culture

mainly existed through the person

names, for instance, Soekarno, Rahmad,

Joko, Budi, Riadi, Yanti, Soeharto, and

RA Kartini.

Next, it also emerges in the names

of Indonesian cities (including in

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

94-105
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924

P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

postcards), such as Ciputat, Tangerang

Selatan, and Lombok. Also, in the last

part of the textbook, there was a

particular unit on reading

comprehension comprising two reading

texts associated with source cultures.

For instance, on page 130, the reading

passage describes the biography of the

first Indonesian President, Soekarno.

An extra reading on page 161 provides

a text about the life story of Ki Hajar

Dewantara with his three well-known

statements on education and the

Wayang art image representing famous

Javanese tradition in Indonesia.

Figure 8. Picture of Indonesian Wayang arts

from Java representing source culture

Using names, places, and

literature to introduce the target

culture

Since this textbook is very much in

a grammar-based mode, the target

culture was primarily offered in terms

of grammar, names of people (i.e.,

Johnson, etc.), and places (i.e.,

Brooklyn, etc.). All book units offered

target culture; the top portion of the

target culture was found in unit 7. Unit

7 discusses the importance of songs and

poems from the target cultures.

In addition, in the last chapter, a

text representing the target culture

entitled "The last leaf" by O Henry, an

American short story, is also found in

the textbook.

Figure 9. "The Last Leaf," a story written by

O Henry, portrays the target culture

Using famous figures, texts, and

letters to acknowledge

International Culture

In the remaining units, merely

three address topics related to

international culture. It was constrained

only to people with names like Gandhi

(India) and Mandela (South Africa). In

addition, three texts represent

international culture. First is a text

entitled "Vanity and Pride" about

Monsieur and Madame Loisel. Second,

the reading titled "The Enchanted Fish"

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

95-105 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

was adjusted from the Grimm Brothers'

story (Germany), 1812, "The Fisherman

and his wife." The last text is "Letter to

God and is about Rancho Lucas from

Argentina, who sent the letter to God to

listen to his appeal.

Figure 10. "Letter to God" from Argentina

represents International Culture

Frequent target culture in a

pragmatic sense

Table 2. Presentation of Culture in English

Textbooks for the Tenth Grade

The table 2 shows that pragmatic

sense was heavily obtainable in the

textbook and found as many as 55

occurrences (48.67%) in condensed

grammar and speech act themes. In this

textbook, the topic of pragmatic sense is

found 15 times in the source culture, 36

times in the target culture, and 5 times

in the international culture.

Unlike the tenth-grade textbook,

which highlighted the dominance of the

pragmatic sense in the source culture,

the pragmatic sense in the eleventh-

grade textbook produced more

dominant evidence in the target culture.

Figure 11. Speech acts of disagreement

represent a pragmatic sense.

Emphasizing the target culture in

the textbook brings authenticity to the

language learning process. It exposes

students to real-life scenarios, cultural

references, idiomatic expressions, and

colloquialisms they will likely

encounter when communicating with

native English speakers. This prepares

students to use English in practical,

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

96-105
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924

P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

everyday situations and promotes a

deeper understanding of the language

beyond the classroom.

Aesthetic sense via songs and

poems

Furthermore, the aesthetic

component came into view 18 times

(15.92%), obtainable through songs and

poems. This aesthetic sense appeared

four times in the source culture, 12

times in the target culture, and twice in

the international culture.

Three songs like "Stand by Me" by

Ben E. King (page 87), "We Shall

Overcome" by Pete Seeger (page 89),

and "Hero" by Mariah Carey (page 91),

accompanied by three poems such as

"Invictus" by William Ernest Henley

(page 93), "The Road Not Taken" by

Robert Frost (page 94), and "Dreams" by

Langston Hughes (page 95), all

represented the native English

speakers' culture.

In addition to the pragmatic and

aesthetic sense, the sociological aspect

emerged in 32 occurrences (28.31%) in

dialogue, readings, or information

about family, friends, and institutions,

similar to the tenth-grade English

textbooks. So does the existence of

semantic elements, which were only

discovered eight times (7.07%) in the

forms of clothes and their wearers.

Discussion

The findings of this present study

imply that Cortazzi and Jin's

framework of cultural features was

represented differently in the two

selected textbooks. In addition, the

textbooks' representation of culture was

grounded on the four elements, which

differed slightly from the framework

proposed by Adaskou et al. (1990). The

cultural representations in each book

were presented through visual

illustrations, reading comprehension,

declarations, people's names, places,

conversations, and other activities.

In addition, the findings revealed

an imbalance in the tenth-grade

textbook between the cultural elements,

whereby the source culture was

presented more than the target culture

and the international culture. This

result was consistent with earlier

studies by Rashidi and Meihami (2016),

Silvia (2014), and Syahri and Susanti

(2016).

Rashidi and Meihami (2016) found

that the source culture proportion

exceeds other cultural senses. The

finding also revealed that the second

most frequently offered type of culture

was the target culture, with a

percentage of 38.26%, surpassing

international culture, with 13.26%.

Thus, the first textbook can advocate

students' cultures in English teaching

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

97-105 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

and education. The finding also

revealed that the target culture was the

second most frequently offered type of

culture, with a percentage of 38.26%,

surpassing international culture with

13.26%. Thus, the first textbook can

advocate students' cultures in English

teaching and education.

Learning resources that mirror the

students' cultural background are more

likely to inspire their interest and foster

engagement. The textbook can foster a

sense of familiarity and cultural

relevance, as Dee and Penner (2017)

emphasized, by emphasizing the source

culture, which is the learners' own

culture. Students may feel more at ease

and inspired to learn as a result. As a

result, according to Selmanović et al.

(2020), it may open access to intangible

cultural heritage preservation.

A textbook with a strong source

culture can aid in preserving the

students' cultural heritage by

highlighting the original culture. It

enables individuals to discover and

comprehend the traditions, values,

history, and customs unique to their

indigenous culture. (Trung & Van,

2020). This may encourage pride in

their cultural heritage and more

motivation to learn.

For students learning English as a

second or foreign language, including

aspects of the source culture in the

textbook, can make language

acquisition across cultures easier

(Masek et al., 2021). Students'

comprehension and content retention

can be improved by tying new

vocabulary and grammar to well-

known cultural expressions. It also

enables intercultural comparisons and

the investigation of cultural parallels

and divergences between the source

and the target.

The target language's cultural

context is reflected through authentic

materials in the textbook, such as

dialogues and audio visualizations

presented to learners. Using English as

a globally used language, the textbook

equips students to interact with a global

community of English speakers by

emphasizing the target culture. It gives

students the cultural knowledge,

fluency, and proficiency necessary to

communicate and work effectively with

people from different backgrounds who

speak English as a common language.

This focus on the target culture

encourages global citizenship and

enhances cross-cultural interaction. In

the end, Savignon (2017) believe that

students' communicative competence

will improve and their language

proficiency should be better.

Students can better manage

cultural differences and adjust their

communication style by learning about

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

98-105
http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924

P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

the target culture's practices, traditions,

beliefs, and societal norms. This

cultural competence fosters open-

mindedness, empathy, and successful

communication in intercultural

environments. Focusing on the target

culture encourages global citizenship

and facilitates cross-cultural dialogue

(Goren & Yemini, 2017).

Both textbooks have also been

analyzed by using the four senses of

culture: the aesthetic sense, the

semantic sense, the pragmatic sense,

and the social sense (Adaskou et al.,

1990). The pragmatic sense materializes

more frequently in these two textbooks.

It was offered in grammar,

pronunciation, vocabulary, reading,

and speech acts. The semantic sense,

however, was addressed insignificantly

in the first textbook.

The pragmatic sense is essential to

emphasize the practical aspects of

language usage and communication in

everyday contexts (Ishihara & Cohen,

2022). That is perhaps why the

pragmatic sense of culture frequently

predominates in secondary English

language education textbooks.

Textbooks assist students in

learning appropriate language use,

social cues, and conversational skills

that are particular to the target culture

by focusing on the pragmatic sense of

culture. Risager (2007) says it can

improve students' understanding of

cultural dimensions to communicate

clearly with native speakers.

The second textbook ranked the

second last significant cultural sense

before aesthetic cultural sense,

restricted to clothing images and

fashion-related content. The textbook

may attempt to visually illustrate

various cultural features to engage

students and give them a practical

grasp of cultural concepts (Tajeddin &

Teimournezhad, 2015). Visually

appealing content about clothing and

fashion can be used to explore cultural

values, current trends, and individual

expression. It enables students to take

note of and evaluate culturally relevant

visual clues.

In the eye of Entwistle (2000),

fashion body, morals, and symbolism

can all be reflected in clothing and style,

which is frequently linked to cultural

identity. The textbook may attempt to

combat preconceptions and promote

critical thinking by exploring the

connection between sartorial choices

and cultural identity.

Accordingly, it can be inferred that

both textbooks offer comparatively less

semantic sense than the other three

categories of sense. Therefore, in-depth

knowledge of language structure,

vocabulary, and context is necessary to

explore semantic elements fully. It may

http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee

IJEE (Indonesian Journal of English Education), 10(1), 2023

99-105 http://journal.uinjkt.ac.id/index.php/ijee | DOI: http://doi.org/10.15408/ijee.v10i1.29924
P-ISSN: 2356-1777, E-ISSN: 2443-0390 | This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license

be challenging to understand semantic

intricacies because of textbooks' time

and space restrictions. English language

textbooks frequently prioritize

acquiring language abilities like

speaking, listening, reading, and

writing. These abilities often require a

concentration on language, vocabulary,

and communication techniques. This

might also explain why semantic sense

is less and less discussed, as it involves

profound interpretation and may be

more relevant to university-level

students with a solid foundation in the

language (Goddard, 2018).

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION

The examination of the cultural

content of these two textbooks has

exposed some interesting findings. In

the textbook for the tenth grade, the

dominant presence was about the

source culture. In contrast, the textbook

for the eleventh grade mainly discussed

the target culture, not the source and

international cultures. Visual artworks,

people, places, grammar, speech acts,

songs, and poems offer cultures.

However, this study did not

provide a close and meticulous cultural

content comparison of the selected

textbooks but instead decided to focus

on the cultural content analysis of only

these two textbooks. Also, this present

study did not include the textbooks

used for twelfth-grade students, which

can be a limitation. Although the

twelfth-grade students' textbook is

excluded because most of their time is

spent preparing for the national final

examination, it is still very far from a

complete analysis of the EFL textbooks

for students in the tenth, eleventh, and

twelfth grades at higher secondary

schools.

As a result, this study seems to

suggest that policymakers for language

education curriculum changes should

re-enact the textbook assessment

criteria by requiring cultural material

integration and improve culturally