local cultural aspects in the kbsm … (malacca) there is the ‘peranakan’ community from baba...

LOCAL CULTURAL ASPECTS IN THE KBSM ENGLISH LANGUAGE

MATERIALS

NURSOPHIA HASDINA BINTI MOHD HASHIM

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

i

LOCAL CULTURAL ASPECTS IN THE KBSM ENGLISH LANGUAGE

MATERIALS

NURSOPHIA HASDINA BINTI MOHD HASHIM

This Project Report is Prepared as a Requirement for

The Bestowal of Bachelor of Science and Education (TESL)

Faculty of Educational

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

11 APRIL 2008

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Acknowledgements

I would like to grab this opportunity to offer my deepest gratitude to my Supervisor

Lecturer, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Hassan Bin Zakaria for his great guidance and

endless efforts in helping me to complete this project. I would like to dedicate this project

to my very own sister, Nurshahida Binti Mohd Hashim, for becoming my greatest

inspiration in my writing. I would like to give my millions of appreciation to all my

family members for their greatest love to me ever. Last but not least, thank you to my

special buddies, Nor Hidayah Ramli and Rebecca Ida Stephen Kalong as well as all my

course mates and friends for all their helps and never-ending moral support in making

this project a big success to me.

I love you all.

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Abstract

Malaysian students come from various ethnicities and cultural communities since

Malaysia is known as a multiracial and multicultural country. Therefore, issues related to

the portrayal of local cultural aspects in KBSM English Language materials used in some

Malaysian schools have captured the attention of researchers. This study employs a set of

checklist which has been used as a guideline to analyze the cultural aspects in a

curriculum in order to examine English Language Form 1 to Form 5 textbooks used in

schools in Johor Bahru. The findings show that there was insifficient incorporation of

cultural aspects into the English materials. Many of the available cultural elements were

presented at a superficial level and not discussed within the holistic cultural experience.

The findings suggest that the absence and the lack of certain cultural aspects in the

materials may be due to the fact some cultural topics are avoided fearing sensitivity, and

that they may be implicitly portrayed through, for example, value integration, moral and

educational emphasis. This study recommends that language learning materials must be

able to present the language learners’ own culture and all the cultures that suround them

and the materials must be useful and effective both as English learning materials as well

as a tool for promoting cultural knowledge and understanding among Malaysian students.

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Abstrak

Pelajar-pelajar di Malaysia terdiri daripada pelbagai komuniti etnik dan budaya

memandangkan Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang dikenali sebagai negara

berbilang kaum dan negara berbilang budaya. Oleh kerana itu, timbul persoalan

berkenaan dengan pendedahan aspek kebudayaan yang terdapat dalam bahan Bahasa

Inggeris KBSM yang digunakan oleh sekolah-sekolah di dalam negara dan isu ini telah

mendapat perhatian daripada para pengkaji. Kajian ini telah memfokus kepada satu set

senarai semak yang telah digunakan sebagai garispanduan untuk menganalisa aspek

kebudayaan yang terdapat dalam Buku Teks Bahasa Inggeris KBSM Tingkatan 1 hingga

5 yang digunakan di sekolah-sekolah menengah di Johor Bahru. Secara keseluruhannya,

bahan-bahan tersebut mempunyai pendedahan yang cetek terhadap aspek-aspek

kebudayaan dan ia tidak dibincangkan secara meluas dan mendalam. Kajian ini

mencadangkan bahawa kekurangan aspek-aspek kebudayaan tertentu yang terdapat

dalam bahan-bahan tersebut berkemungkinan disebabkan oleh faktor sensitiviti

sesetengah topik kebudayaan dan bahawa ianya mungkin didedahkan secara implisit,

contohnya melalui penerapan nilai-nilai murni, penekanan-penekanan moral dan juga

pendidikan. Kajian ini juga mencadangkan bahawa bahan-bahan pembelajaran bahasa

perlu berupaya mendedahkan budaya sendiri pelajar-pelajar bahasa serta budaya-budaya

yang wujud dalam persekitaran mereka dan bahan-bahan tersebut mestilah berguna serta

efektif sebagai bahan pembelajaran Bahasa Inggeris mahupun sebagai alat untuk

mempromosikan pengetahuan dan kefahaman kebudayaan di kalangan pelajar-pelajar

Malaysia.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER

Thesis Status Approval

Supervisor’s Approval

Title Page i

Researcher’s Admittance ii

Acknowledgements iii

Abstract iv

Abstrak v

Table of Contents vi

List of Figures x

List of Tables xi

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Background of the Study 4

1.3 Statements of the Problem 6

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1.4 Objectives of the Study 8

1.5 Research Questions 8

1.6 Significance of the Study 9

1.7 Limitations of the Study 10

1.8 Definition of Terminologies 10

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 12

2.1 English as an International Language 12

and a World Language

2.2 Learning English through Learner’s 14

Own Culture (C1)

2.3 Learning English through the Target 17

Culture (C2)

2.4 Cultural Syllabus 19

2.5 Considerations for Multicultural

Language Learning 20

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 26

3.1 Introduction 26

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3.2 Research Instruments 26

3.3 Research Procedure 28

3.4 Data Analysis 30

4.0 ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS 31

4.1 KBSM English Language Materials Form 1 31





4.6 Summary of Findings 44

5.0 DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 47

5.1 Discussions of Findings 47

5.1.1 Participation of the Whole

Cultural Experience 47

5.1.2 Presentation of Ideals and Realities 49

5.1.3 Support towards Diversity 51

5.1.4 Opportunities for Participation in

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Aesthetic Experiences 53

5.1.5 Presentation of Target Culture and

Use of L1 55

5.2 Conclusions 56

5.3 Recommendations and Implications 58

5.4 Suggestions for Further Studies 60

REFERENCES 61

x

List of Figures

FIGURE TITLE PAGE

1 Multidimensional Engagement 24

2 The Research Procedure 29

xi

List of Tables

TABLE TITLE PAGE

1 KBSM English Language Materials Form 1 31





6 Summary of Findings 45

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes the numerous problems related to cultural aspects in ELT

materials in second language education and also the reason why this study was conducted.

The discussion begins with the introduction, background of the study, statement of the

problem, objectives of the study, research questions, significance of the study, limitations

of the study, and finally ends with the definition of terminologies.

1.0 Introduction

Malaysia is a small Asian country which is known as a multiracial country. It is

populated by 23 million people who are from various ethnicities, races, religions, dialects,

and of course, from hundreds of different cultural practices. Basically there are three

main Malaysian societal communities which are Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Many of

people in the eastern part of the Peninsula, which is Kelantan, have some Thai blood, as

intermarriages between the Thais and Malays have been and remain common. Besides, in

Melaka (Malacca) there is the ‘Peranakan’ community from Baba and Nyonya families.

In some parts of the south like Johor and Selangor, there are Javanese and Bugis

communities that originated from Indonesia and the culture have been brought by the

Indonesian migrants. In the west, which are Sabah and Sarawak, hundreds more of

ethnicities like Iban, Bidayuh, Kadazan, Dusun and Melanau can be found. All these

societal communities are very unique and distinctive. They practice their own cultural

practices and they speak their own dialects and languages. However, no matter how

distinctive and different they are, all of these hundreds of communities form one big,

strong, harmonic community called Malaysians.

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In Malaysian education system, curriculum is one of the tools to promote cultural

understandings. It is clearly stated in the National Educational Philosophy. It emphasizes

the goal of education to produce citizens who contribute to the harmony of the nation

(National Educational Philosophy, 2003). As English is taught as a second language in all

Malaysian primary and secondary schools in line with its status as a second language, it

also aims for the same matter.

“The English language curriculum enables learners to:

i. form and maintain relationships through conversation and

correspondence; take part in social interactions; and obtain goods

and services;

ii. obtain, process and use information from various audio-visual and

print sources; and present the information in spoken and written form;

iii. listen to, view, read and respond to different texts, and express ideas,

opinions, thoughts and feelings imaginatively and creatively in spoken

and written form;

iv. show an awareness and appreciation of moral values and love towards

the nation.”

(KBSM English Language Syllabus, 2003)

KBSM (Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah) English Language Syllabus, as a

national syllabus, incorporates local cultural elements, such as local ethnicities, religions,

as well as societal and family values. This shows that Malaysian educators are aware of

the interconnection between language and culture.

Language is a bridge to access knowledge, skills and attitudes within and across

cultural and political boundaries. Ethnographic language studies done by Ochs &

Schieffelin (1984) and Peters & Boggs (1986) have been summarized as the following:-

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• Language acquisition does not follow a universal sequence, but differs across

cultures.

• The process of becoming a competent member of society is realized through

exchanges of language in particular social situations.

• Every society orchestrates the way in which children participate in particular

situations and this, in turn, affects the form, the function and the content of

children’s utterances.

• Caregivers’ primary concern is not with grammatical input, but with a

transmission of socio-cultural knowledge.

• The native learner, in addition to language, acquires also the paralinguistic

patterns and the kinesics of his or her culture.

(Buttjes, 1990, p.55)

Culture and communication are inseparable because culture not only dictates who

talks to whom, about what, and how the communication proceeds, it also helps to

determine how people encode messages, the meanings they have for messages, and the

conditions and circumstances under which various messages may or may not be sent,

noticed, or interpreted. Culture is the foundation of communication. (Samovar, Porter &

Jain, 1981)

According to a study carried out by Louis (2005), 60 English language teachers in

Johor Bahru agreed that in order to enhance students’ awareness of local cultural heritage,

they need to be instilled with cultural awareness. They also viewed language teaching, as

being the means by which cultural knowledge should be imparted by them. Besides that,

the group of teachers believed that in the process of instilling cultural awareness among

students, the very first thing to be included is the methodology of imparting the

knowledge. The syllabus, which takes into considerations the materials used in imparting

the knowledge, is the second thing to be incorporated.

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Therefore, a question however arises, whether the learners need to acquire the

culture of the target language (C2) or the learner’s own culture (C1) in learning the target

language (L2). Buttjes (1990) cautions readers that since the first language acquisition

takes place differently from second language acquisition, it is expected the acquisition of

the first culture (C1) occurs differently in many aspects from second culture acquisition

(C2).

1.1 Background of the Study

In the 1990s, the cultural syllabus has been supported by research in the National

Core French Study (Flewelling, 1994; LeBlanc, 1990; LeBlanc & Courtel, 1990), and its

importance was reaffirmed by Stern (1992). The European emphasis on cultural studies

has developed further and has also been supported by empirical research. In short, culture

in second language education today is clearly much more than great literature. As our

understanding and communication has evolved, the importance of culture in second

language education has increased. This reality is reflected in current methods of language

teaching and learning, including the incorporation of cultural elements in second

language materials.

All ESL learners in Malaysia, whether primary or secondary schools students, are

provided with the local cultural aspects through the English materials in schools. This is

for the reason that the materials for English language teaching and learning in schools in

Malaysia incorporate local cultural aspects, such as local ethnicities, religions, as well as

societal and family values. Of course, Malaysians are aware of the interconnection

between language and culture. It also further shows that the educational system in

Malaysia follows the theory of learning English (L2) through the learners’ own culture

(C1). Such understanding acknowledges the influence of the sociocultural backgrounds

of the learners and their social network on English language learning. Malaysian learners

of English come form various sociocultural backgrounds which include their ethnicities,

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family socioeconomic status, upbringing , socialization or social network, communities,

as well as school location and its institutional culture (Mohamad Hassan 2006, 2003).

The implementation of the cultural syllabus in Malaysia, though, may not be easy

and uncomplicated. Cultural matters such as races, religions, status, and even mother

tongues (L1) are all very sensitive issues. This phenomenon does not only happen in

Malaysia, indeed, since those issues are sensitive to all people around the world.

Therefore, any matters and decisions related to these sensitive matters need to be done by

the government very carefully so that they will not invite any unwanted controversy in

the country. The same goes in the educational system. The stability of our country and

social cohesion really depend on racial harmony, understanding and tolerance among

different social communities. Reaffirming such national concerns, Mohammad Hassan

(2003, 2002) examined the nation’s policy intents pertaining to cultural pluralism and

multicultural education and proposed a localized conception of the curriculum especially

English syllabus, that examines “shared values, practices, and cultural accessibility

surrounding the learner’s home, school, and community” (p.1).

Taking into consideration, the importance of English language in Malaysia, the

richness of the culture of the Malaysian learners of English, and the roles of the learners’

culture in the learning of English, this study chooses to examine the available textbooks

used in the school in order to identify and describe the cultural elements that are present.

The study adapted the framework and concepts previously used by scholars such as in,

language and culture, language learning, cultural syllabus, multicultural syllabus, and

intercultural communication. Using the adapted checklist, this study examined materials

in the selected text books in order to find out the extent the cultural aspects are presented

to the learners.

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1.2 Statements of the Problem

There are various materials for English language teaching and learning that can be

obtained in the market and from other various sources. Obviously, there are local cultural

elements presented in most of the current English learning materials. However, one can

argue whether they are sufficient and comprehensive enough to tap on the culture of the

English language learners. As known to the world, Malaysia is a multiracial and

multicultural country. It is rich of cultural practices and traditions of many cultural

communities. Therefore, the materials will not be able to present these cultural practices

and traditions of all cultural communities that exist in this country. As a result, the

cultural elements of the majority groups like Malay, Chinese, and Indian are commonly

found. But, what happens to learners from other minority cultural communities in the

country? Their cultural elements also need to be presented for the reason that they are all

language learners and learning a language is learning cultures.

The English materials available also may not provide enough cultural information

to the teachers in order for them to fully utilize cultural aspects that can enhance the

learning of English among the learners. This is important especially when the English

teacher does not really belong to the learners’ community that he or she is teaching. How

can a teacher teach a language to a group of learners without understanding the cultures

that surround them and when language teaching must be incorporated with cultural

elements? Here in Malaysia, we have hundreds of cultural communities including all the

minorities. Let us take a situation for instance. A teacher from Kuala Lumpur is sent to

teach English in the area of an Iban community in Sarawak. In this circumstance, the

teacher most probably will fully depend on the cultural elements that are present in the

English materials in order to make the connection and correlation of what he or she is

going to teach and the learners’ culture. So the moral of the story is clear that the

presence of local cultural elements in the KBSM English materials is important not just

for English language learners but also for English language teachers.

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Although we live in a multiracial and multicultural society, the local and

international mass media are still discussing racial misunderstanding and polarization in

segments of our society. All the discussions of the sensitive issues are made worse when

the international community interferes. As a result, all the impressions of harmony and

peacefulness presented through the cultural elements in the English materials do not

really hit the target. This happens when the learners are exposed to negative perceptions

and at the same time, those can be negative stimulations toward learning English.

Since Malaysia is a multiracial and multicultural country, its stability and social

cohesion are so much depending on harmony, understanding and tolerance among all

members in all communities. Without these elements, then such word like ‘harmony’ is

impossible to be possessed. A social community needs to have the respect to other social

communities so that an impressive multiracial and multicultural country still exists on

this planet.

In summary, in order to understand the problems better, one can ask the following

questions:

1. How relevant are cultural aspects in the materials?

2. How can English language teaching be more effective in Malaysia?

3. Have the materials sufficiently incorporated the cultural aspects?

4. Are the available cultural aspects useful and effective in order to be used as

English learning materials and as tool for understanding cultures?

The answers to the questions allow us to see the major role of the English

language materials in incorporating the cultural aspects. They also inform us on the

status of the English language syllabus, its materials and also the teaching of it.

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1.3 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of this study are:

1. to determine the degree that the English language materials provide the wholeness

of experiences of ethnic and cultural groups in Malaysia;

2. to examine the extent that the materials present the ideals and realities of

Malaysian societies;

3. to discover the way the materials support ethnic and cultural diversity in

Malaysia;

4. to ascertain the degree that the materials offer opportunities for participation in

aesthetic ethnic and cultural experiences;

5. to find out the degree that the materials present the culture of the native speakers

of English (C2) and make use of the learners’ first language (L1).

1.4 Research Questions

This study will provide answers to the following questions:

1. To what degree do the English language materials provide the wholeness of

experiences of ethnic and cultural groups in Malaysia?

2. To what extent do the materials present the ideals and realities of Malaysian

societies?

3. In what way, do the materials support ethnic and cultural diversity in Malaysia?

4. To what degree do the materials offer opportunities for participation in aesthetic

ethnic and cultural experiences?

5. To what degree do the materials present the culture of the native speakers of

English (C2) and make use of the learners’ first language (L1)?

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1.5 Significance of the Study

The textbook is the main source of teaching in many subjects. Many modern

textbooks strive to give students at least a superficial knowledge base for understanding

other cultures and people. The study on local cultural aspects presented in the English

language materials is necessary for the reason that Malaysia is a multiracial and

multicultural country. The learners’ social background factors need to be taken into

teachers’ serious consideration. This study will enable to guide materials developers or

textbook writers to identify proper cultural elements to be integrated into the materials.

Besides that, this study is important for English language teachers who need to

fully utilize cultural aspects in order to enhance the learning process of the language. The

English materials that they are using may not provide sufficient information on those

aspects. This will, at the same time, bring difficulties to the teachers in order to link the

cultural background of learners and English language learning. With the exposure to such

matters and issues in this study, English teachers in Malaysian schools will have the

awareness of the importance of culture in any second language classrooms.

The study also provides better understanding for English language teaching (ELT)

practitioners as it links the teaching of English to broader but more important cultural

dimension. There is a tendency among practitioners to confine ELT within the teaching

of structures or grammar, neglecting its communicative aspects. Also learner factors and

the differing needs as well as their sociocultural are overlooked.

Besides, the study also offers policy makers or curriculum planners useful insight

into the area of teaching culture across the curriculum. We need to participate in the

global society and curriculum can be a useful tool to impart cultural knowledge and skills.

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1.6 Limitations of the Study

The analysis of this study would be based on a set of textbooks used by secondary

schools in Johor Bahru. The quantity and quality of the materials in the textbooks

examined would depend on many factors, such as the limitations posed by the

Curriculum Specifications designed by the Ministry of Education as well as the

requirement by the publishers.

The description of the cultural aspects in the textbooks depends on the selected

criteria in the checklist used in this study. There are other aspects in Banks’ checklist as

well as from other scholars. Those aspects may not have been examined.

Another limitation is due to the fact that cultural aspects can be implicitly

portrayed. The cultural aspects were also sometimes presented in different forms such as

value integration and moral education. It was thus difficult to identify or describe the

aspect within the scope of this study.

1.7 Definition of Terminology

The following terminologies are used to refer to the intended meanings within the

content of this study:-

• Cultural content or cultural aspects: Any materials used in the textbooks that are

based on a specified important part of the learners’ lives, such as cultural events

or cultural items.

• Local culture refers to any Malaysian cultures of people from various

backgrounds.

• First culture or C1 refers to the learner’s own culture as opposed to the target

culture which refers to culture of the second language learned (e.g. English).

• Materials can consist of language tasks or activities designed for the learners in

the selected textbooks.

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• Checklist is a list of criteria based on previous relevant studies which will be used

in order to analyze the materials.

• The textbooks are English textbooks used by the schools in Johor Bahru. Here are

the ISBN numbers of all the textbooks used throughout this study:-

o KBSM English Form 1 ISBN 983 – 59 – 1491 – 5


o KBSM English Form 3 ISBN 983 – 9403 – 94 – X



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CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter serves as the backbones of the study. It is important to provide the

related concepts of local cultural aspects in ELT materials from other prominent

researchers so that one could see the importance of conducting this study. First of all, I

will highlight on English as an International Language and a World Language. Secondly,

I will highlight on Learning English through Learner’s Own Culture (C1). Next, the

stress will be put on Learning English through the Target Culture (C2). After that, I will

continue with discussing Cultural Syllabus and finally, the last section will deal with

Considerations for Multicultural Language Learning.

2.1 English as an International Language and a World Language

The world in this era is rapidly changing and developing with advanced

technology and modern facilities. The same goes with the communication and language

area. Mediums of communication in this day and age are getting more modern and this

leads to the way we communicate with people around the world faster and simpler. This

is what has being called as ‘globalization’ and ‘the borderless world’.

Globalization is bringing the whole world closer together whereby the world is

becoming a small village. The society in this small village shares educational, economic,

political, environmental, medical and social needs and concerns. Hence, they need one

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language in order to help them to communicate and interact among themselves

effectively. For this reason, English has become one of the most widely used

international languages. Now English is also the first international language that

facilitates interlingual communication.

Here are some opinions by some scholars and researchers toward English and the

global world.

“As an international language, English is perceived by many as the future

language of the global village. In Oman – as in many parts of the world –

English has become the language of education, technical and vocational

training, the workforce and technology … English came to be perceived by

many Omani officials and authorities as the second language through

which all economic, technological, vocational, educational, and

communicative functions could be conducted.”

(Al-Balushi, 2001: 5)

“Globalization involves systematic interrelationships of all individual

social ties that are established on the planet … it involves processes of

economic systemization, international relationship between states, and an

emerging global culture of consciousness.”

(Waters, 1995:62)

As an international language, English needs to accommodate the sociocultural

aspects of the international communities of English speakers. English speakers of various

cultures use different forms of English to express various language functions. This

creates various sociolinguistic variations in the uses and among users of English

(MacKay, 2004, Holmes, 2000). Meanings, to an extent, must be understood from the

cultural lens of the speakers.

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Why must learners of English be made aware of their own culture through the

materials? Such concept of international and world language allows learners of English to

capitalize on their own culture in order to facilitate their communication as well to inform

the listeners on the speakers’ cultural differences. Materials designers must select the

learners’ cultural nuances in order to facilitate their learning of English. They must also

be able to identify and highlight the crucial cultural aspects of the speakers to the

listeners in order to avoid misunderstanding and miscommunication. Thus, knowledge of

the speakers’ own culture benefits both the speakers and the listeners, supporting the

arguments for English as an international language and world language.

2.2 Learning English through Learner’s Own Culture (C1)

There are various materials for English language teaching and learning that can be

obtained from various sources. Textbooks, however, are the major source of cultural

knowledge and vicarious experience for learners of English as the second language in

schools and higher education contexts. There are also some cases where textbooks

become the only source that is available for those aspects.

“Some national textbooks largely or exclusively feature students’

presumed own culture and cultural identity, i.e. their ‘home’ or ‘source’

culture (C1), although the target language is clearly English (L2).”

(Cortazzi & Jin, 1999)

Norway is a country which is known for a tolerant, international and peace-

brokering outlook. Recent changes in this country include significant numbers of ‘new

Norwegians’ who have migrated from other countries. In the Norwegian English syllabus

(The Royal Ministry of Education, Research & Church Affairs, 1999), English is learned

from grade 1 until grade 10. In grade 1, all students need to be exposed to two different

forms of Norwegian. First is about the northern minority language, which is called ‘Sami’,

and second is the culture. The main aim or the learning outcome for grade 7 is to ensure

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that learners are able to describe the cultures of Norway, including Sami, in English. For

example, they will exchange letters with learners in other countries, using English as the

medium of communication. Learning French or German is then to be started only in

grade 8. Finally, by grade 10 learners will be able to make use of international contacts in

English for other kinds of learning, including C2 or even C3. (Cortazzi & Jin, 2003).

In this country, schools are viewed as a mediator of C1 and an international

culture of learning which links humanity together through the development and use of

new knowledge to better the human condition, which depends on familiarity with other

countries, languages and cultures. (Cortazzi & Jin, 2003).

As can be seen, there are some emphases on C2 culture in this country in the

contexts of creative work, critical reflection, and a school’s culture of knowledge and a

culture of cooperation.

In Omani Language Education System, an interesting concept is introduced

(Ministry of Education, 1997-98a). ‘Our World Through English’ (OWTE) is a concept

that corresponds very much with ‘learning English through learner’s own culture’.

However, literature part, which has been described as particularly good and highly

generative by Ghosen (2002), is absent from the material that they provide. Literature

plays a significant role in Second Language Acquisition (SLA).

“Literature described this way can provide exposition, imagination,

insights and argument. Argument here can lead students to engage in

active thinking and critical analysis beyond the mechanical aspects of the

EFL system.”

(Al – Issa, 2005)

OWTE gives more attention to the local culture and tries to use the language to

transmit knowledge about ‘selective traditions’ (Williams, 1989) and ‘interested

knowledge’ (Pennycook, 1989). Even the accompanying stories, rhymes and songs are

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simplified and controlled in terms of the structural and lexical items they present (Stern

1992). Access to English is confined to the classroom parameters and to the school texts.

However, OWTE contains simplified listening tasks, a few songs and rhymes on

the accompanying tapes, which attempt to stress certain lexical and structural aspects of

the lesson or topic introduced. The tasks, which contain native speakers, are primarily for

the students to listen to and try and model their pronunciation. In other words, OWTE

restricts access to the native speaker. The students listen to the mandated textbook’s

language and voice more through the carefully controlled presentation of the teacher,

despite the fact that the writers advocate building flexibility into the material. (Al – Issa,

2005)

Furthermore, the Teacher’s Guide – Elementary Level (Ministry of Education of

Oman, 1997 – 98) claims that learners learn when they are enjoying themselves and

finding things out for themselves, or via discovery learning. In other words, there is an

emphasis laid on autonomous learning where students actively and dynamically take

initiatives, manipulate knowledge and create meaning. OWTE, however, is largely

teacher – proof and teachers are required to finish teaching it in time as the end – of –

semester exams are to a large extent based upon it. (Al – Issa, 2005)

“It is important … that you complete the syllabus as this is what you test.”

(Teacher’s Guide – Elementary Level, 1997 – 98)

OWTE is not accompanied with any material appearing either in a hard copy form

or produced as software to facilitate independent learning and varied exposure to the

target language in a contextualized manner and to its culture. Teachers are invited to

supplement OWTE in case they finish teaching it in time. OWTE is designed in a way

that guarantees the teacher finishes teaching it by the end of the academic year. (Al – Issa,

2005)

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Davis (1996) has proposed the principles underlying good classroom materials.

In the principles, one of the principles says that English learning teaching materials

should be relevant to the local social, cultural and political situation, besides be

purposeful and functional. Banks (1991) emphasizes on the importance of learner’s

culture in learning experience and the curriculum. Therefore, culture is a big element to

be seriously taken into consideration in producing materials for English language

learning.

2.3 Learning English through the Target Culture (C2)

Let us take a look at another interesting example of English and cultural

orientation. The people in Lebanon are well known for their cosmopolitan or

international outlook and in their education system, English plays a significant role. The

cultural orientations to EFL in the republic have quite distinct emphases.

“By learning about C2 cultures, students are expected to obtain ‘a livelier

appreciation’ of both C1 and C2, and in fact, to promote C1 among C2

people, to spread in the world a better understanding and appreciation of

one’s own religion, culture and values and to influence world opinion

favourably towards one’s people and their causes.”

(Ministry of National Education, Youth & Sports of Lebanon, 1997)

This type of cultural learning outcome of English in Lebanon is seen as a part of a

wider education, which fosters spiritual and intellectual development, critical thinking

and a critical awareness of the ethical dimension of language use. Although, as it is

known to others, French has a strong influence of heritage in Lebanon and in fact many

students go to French medium schools. But then a growing number go to English –

speaking schools. Until now, the majority of the Lebanese people are educated through

English – speaking educational institutions.

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Many countries in this world, in fact, are implementing this Colonialist /

Culturalist type in ELT. A textbook series from Greece for secondary school students,

Task Way English (Epikefalis & Denthrisou, 1991), contains mainly C2 context, but with

some examples of C1 situations. Many tasks require students to imagine and express their

ideas and opinions towards C2, which they have been exposed to through the material

itself, and then reflect their own culture (C1).

Another textbook, English G, Band 6 (Hennig, 1999), for year 10 or 11 German

learners of English, is focused on the C2 of the United States, but the target culture (C2)

is treated in problematizing task which invite the exploration of alternative explanation of

minority groups. Black Americans, for instance, are shown to be middle class and

successful as well as from struggling working class groups. A historical dimension is

given with a time line of Black history and learners are asked to make comparisons with

groups of people in Germany and elsewhere in Europe who have had difficulty in

winning equal rights. In other words, the textbook presents contrasting views of Black

Americans, offering more complex, problematized views of C2, with the comparison of

C1 and C3 (Black Americans).

“Arguably, such a nuanced approach to cultural engagement is much

easier for material designers for more advanced levels of learners …”


Besides, it may be true that material designers and those who are expert in this

field internationally will find that it is much easier for them to design materials engaged

with C2 which will be able to suit advanced level learners for the sake of more effective

and excellent materials to be produced. This, though, may also be not true when all the

effective and excellent materials cannot be understood by or attractive to the learners

since they have never being exposed to different and strange cultures. These English

syllabuses in different countries emphasize quite different kind of engagement with

cultures.

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2.4 Cultural Syllabus

Jiang (2000:328) claims that culture and language are inseparable and are

intimately related. Jiang suggests some interesting metaphors about culture and language

taking different views into account. For instance, from a philosophical view, she

describes language as flesh, culture as blood, and the two of them make living organism.

She also provides a communication view by saying that language is a swimming skill,

culture is water, and the two of them make swimming. Jiang further considers a

pragmatic view through her statement which says that language is a vehicle, culture is a

traffic light, and the two of them make transportation.

Here are some opinions quoted from some scholars and researchers toward the

definition of culture and language. Let us see how they view these two terminologies are

correlated and associated with each other.

“Current pedagogy stresses that language cannot be taught without

culture and that culture is a necessary context for language use.”

(Singhal, 1998)

“… culture teaching is essential to language learning…”

(Singhal, 1998)

“… culture teaching is a part and parcel of second language education.”

(Singhal, 1998)

“… language teaching is indeed culture teaching.”

(Lessard – Cluston, 1997)

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“Students will master a language only when they learn both its linguistic

and cultural norms … linguistic competence alone is not enough for

learners of a language to be competent in that language.”

(Krasner, 1999)

“In order for communication to be successful, language use must be

associated with other culturally appropriate behaviour.”

(Peterson and Coltrane, 2003)

“Language reflects culture and that culture must be fully incorporated as

a vital component of language learning since students can be successful in

speaking a language only if cultural issues are an inherent part of the

curriculum.

(Peterson and Coltrane, 2003)

All these definitions, consideration and views toward language and culture show

that there is a very strong association and correlation between the two terminologies.

Also, Brown (1994) describes language and culture as ‘intricately interwoven’. This

gives us an idea that language and culture reflect each other and they furthermore need

each other.

2.5 Considerations for Multicultural Language Learning

There are many principles for designing materials and even for designing

materials and even for selecting them. A set of guidelines has been proposed for teachers

by Renner (1994) so that their efforts do not meet walls of frustration and resistance.

1. Teachers need to begin seeing themselves as educators and not people who are

just doing their job. Whenever the teacher observes racism, prejudice and hate, he

or she must speak out against it. This implies that the teacher needs to start taking

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time for his or her own study and reflection and his or her own opinions seeing

where the learners need to be broadened; what attitudes do the teachers hold are

based on racist stereotypes and falsehoods they were taught along their life

journey.

2. Teachers need to be aware of the language they use with the students and the

racial attitudes it reflects. This includes prejudice referrals about people from your

own country as well. Why are people in the south (of Italy, Germany, France,

Spain, USA) always considered inferior to people from the north? (Renner, 1994).

This must happens for a reason.

3. Besides that, teachers need to convey a positive image of all racial and ethnic

groups in the classroom. For instance by putting up pictures of people of colour or

immigrants to the country may work. Also, the teacher can try to change the maps

so they reflect real proportion and not the usual disproportional maps of big

northern countries and small southern countries.

4. Teachers need to choose wisely the teaching materials. Set up for themselves

some criteria as a textbook must have: people of colour, cultural diversity, English

as a world language principles, diverse pronunciations and social standings. Most

of the textbooks in use contain both blatant and subtle stereotypes of ethnic

groups. Point out to students when a publisher has stereotyped a group or

presented historical events from only a Eurocentric point of view.

5. If the textbook is not all it should be, then the teacher needs to use supplementary

materials which present the perspectives of ethnic and racial groups.

6. Children see colour and become aware of racial differences at a very early age.

Banks (1991) points out that not only do students see colour, they tend to accept

as normative the evaluations of various ethnic groups by the wider community.

Therefore, the teacher may invite his or her friends of various ethnic backgrounds

into the classroom. This is to show that he or she does not ignore racial and ethnic

differences but always responds positively and affirmatively.

7. Teachers must be aware of students’ developmental levels when selecting themes

or concepts to present. Learning activities should be clear and specific in lower

levels, gradually becoming more complex as the level of the student increases.

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There are a variety of children’s fiction which presents concepts like similarities,

differences and prejudice which can be used at lower levels. At upper levels,

fiction biographies can be used to present the more complicated ideas of racism

and oppression.

8. If the teacher has a racially or ethnically mixed classroom, pair and group work

among different races or ethnics can promote integration and provide students

with the possibility of creating friends.

9. Finally, for schools that have diverse racial groups, make sure that these groups

are included in school activities and functions. They need to be viewed as winners

and encouraged to ensure academic studies. They need teachers who make them

feel like they belong and who help them succeed in their academic goals.

Banks (2001) outlines the following guidelines among his 21 items for his

Curriculum Guidelines:

1. The curriculum should reflect the cultural learning styles and characteristics of the

students within the school continuity.

2. The multicultural curriculum should provide students with continuous

opportunities to develop a better sense of self.

3. The curriculum should help students understand the totality of the experiences of

ethnic and cultural groups.

4. The multicultural curriculum should promote values, attitudes, and behaviors that

support ethnic pluralism and cultural diversity as well as build and support the

nation-state and the nation’s shared national culture.

5. The multicultural curriculum should help students develop their decision-making

abilities, social participation skills, and sense of political efficacy as necessary

bases for effective citizenship in a pluralistic democratic nation.

6. The multicultural curriculum should help students develop the skills necessary for

effective interpersonal, interethnic, and intercultural group interactions.

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7. The multicultural curriculum should be comprehensive in scope and sequence,

should present holistic views of ethnic and cultural groups, and should be an

integral part of the total school curriculum.

8. The multicultural curriculum should include the continuous study of the cultures,

historical experiences, social realities, and existential conditions of ethnic and

cultural groups, including a variety of racial compositions.

9. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches should be used in designing

and implementing the multicultural curriculum.

10. The multicultural curriculum should use comparative approaches in the study of

ethnic and cultural groups.

11. The multicultural curriculum should help students to view and interpret events,

situations, and conflict from diverse ethnic and cultural perspectives and points of

view.

12. The multicultural curriculum should provide opportunities for students to study

ethnic group languages as legitimate communication systems and to help them

develop literacy in at least two languages.

13. The multicultural curriculum should make maximum use of experimental learning,

especially local community resources.

A survey and some works carried out by Cortazzi & Jin (2003) for the ‘Creating

Reading’ series in China have made them come out with a model of ‘Multidimensional

Engagement’. These kinds of engagement presented through the model fit the recent draft

requirements for English in Chinese schools and universities. It attempts to summarize

some key relations in orientations to materials between language skills and socio-cultural,

creative and cognitive engagement, where engagement crucially includes participation in

classroom interaction together with personal and affective engagement.

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Figure 1: Multidimensional Engagement

Presented through this model, according to Cortazzi & Jin (2003), language

consists of knowledge and skills, which are listening, speaking, reading, writing and plus

with teaching (LSRW + T). Cognitive aspects covers thinking and study skills. Creative

aspects, furthermore, includes the creativity and flexibility in appropriate use. Socio-

cultural aspects explains the cultural awareness, C1, C2, C3, IC (intercultural

communication), while engagement means cognitive and social participation in

classroom interaction, personal and affective engagement.

The inverted cone for language skills shows a narrow traditional focus. As shown

by the dotted lines, the language skills aspect needs to be taken into consideration more

seriously and broadened towards a greater engagement with the three aspects discussed.

At the same time, they emphasize on the flexible use language skills in the real world,

together with the development of cultural awareness, and knowledge and ability in

MULTIDIMENSIONAL ENGAGEMENT

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intercultural communication (IC). Therefore this model also puts stress on cultivating a

creative spirit, cultivating students’ thinking, besides developing collaboration and

teamwork as well as developing their learning and study strategies.

The orientation to cultural engagement in ELT materials is deeply linked to

critical thinking and creativity. For this reason, English language teachers in China, for

instance, are encouraged, as priority, to make greater use of imaginative texts to develop

critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. By definition, engagement includes

personal and affective involvement (Cortazzi & Jin, 2003).

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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter will start with the Introduction. The discussion will continue with

discussing Research Instruments, which contains all the adapted questions from Banks’

Multicultural Curriculum checklist. Next, this chapter continues with discussing Research

Procedure and finally Data Analysis.

3.1 Introduction

This section discusses the methodology of the study. The main purpose of this

research is to investigate the local cultural aspects in the KBSM English Language

materials. To access and evaluate the aspects presented in the KBSM English textbooks,

the document analysis is used. Data was collected from Form 1 to Form 5 KBSM English

Textbooks and analyzed based on Banks’ Multicultural Curriculum Checklist which was

adapted for this study.

3.2 Research Instruments

This study utilizes a checklist adapted from Banks’ (2001) checklist for

multicultural curriculum to examine Form 1 to Form 5 KBSM English textbooks. Here

are the questions adapted from the checklist which was used to evaluate the English

materials:-

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1. Does the textbook help students understand the wholeness of experiences of

ethnic and cultural groups in Malaysia?

a. Does the textbooks include the study of societal problems some ethnics

and cultural group members experience, such as racism, prejudice,

discrimination, and exploitation?

b. Does the textbook include the study of historical experiences, cultural

patterns, and societal problems of ethnic and cultural groups?

c. Does the textbook include both positive and negative aspects of ethnic and

cultural group experiences?

2. Does the textbook help students identify and understand the ever-present conflict

between ideals and realities in human societies?

a. Does the textbook help students identify and understand the value

conflicts inherent in a multicultural society?

b. Does the textbook examine differing views of ideals and realities among

ethnic and cultural groups?

3. Does the textbook promote values, attitudes and behaviours that support ethnic

and cultural diversity?

a. Does the textbook help students examine differences within and among

ethnics and cultural groups?

4. Does the textbook provide opportunities for students to participate in the aesthetic

experiences of various ethnic and cultural groups?

a. Do students read and hear the poetry, short stories, novels, folklore, plays,

essays, and autobiographies of a variety of ethnic and cultural groups?

5. Does the textbook provide opportunities for students to develop full literacy that

considers both local and target language and culture?

a. Are students taught about the culture of the people who use the second

language?

a. Are students for whom English is as second language taught in their native

languages as needed?

(Banks, 2001)

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The checklist was adapted to fit the focus of this study. Banks’ checklist was

designed for the evaluation of multicultural curriculum. It has broader scope of inquiry

and much more comprehensive criteria. Since the focus in this study is on the English

language material within the context of second language learning (ESL materials), only

relevant items from the checklist were selected to be used. The following criteria were

taken into consideration when identifying and adapting Banks’ guidelines for this study:

• In English language materials, cultural elements must be linked to the linguistic

items intended for teaching.

• Integration of both culture and language has to translate into manageable content

for classroom procedures.

• In Malaysian national English language curriculum, multiculturalism may not be

explicitly stated or it may appear in different forms, such as value integration,

moral emphasis, and broader educational emphasis.

• Multiculturalism may entail some sensitive issues that are sometimes avoided in

public discussions.

3.3 Research Procedure

During the actual study, all Form 1 to Form 5 KBSM English Textbooks used in

schools in Johor were selected. Then I evaluated and examined the books in a holistic

manner identifying the local cultural elements in the books. After that I continued

adapting Banks’ Multicultural Curriculum Checklist.

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Figure 2: The Research Procedure

SELECTION OF FORM 1 TO FORM 5 KBSM ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS

HOLISTIC EVALUATION AND EXAMINATION

IDENTIFYING

CULTURAL ELEMENTS

USING BANKS’ MULTICULTURAL

CURRICULUM CHECKLIST

DESCRIBING THE

CULTURAL ASPECTS IN THE MATERIALS

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3.4 Data Analysis

In analyzing the data, Form 1 to Form 5 KBSM English Textbooks were

preliminarily studied. All local cultural elements found in the textbooks were identified.

Each of the aspects was then further described.

All the local cultural aspects that were found in the KBSM English Textbooks

were studied in terms of the extent that they influence the usefulness of the materials to

the English language learners in Malaysian society.

Finally, all the data was studied and analyzed again on how they describe the

syllabus of English education in Malaysia as a cultural syllabus. In this section, Banks’

Multicultural Curriculum Checklist was referred to.

local cultural aspects in the kbsm … (malacca) there is the ‘peranakan’ community from baba...

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