Cultural content in english textbooks used at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Negeri in DKI Jakarta

This study was aimed at analyzing the cultural content of English textbooks used at MTs Negeri in DKI Jakarta and its implication in facilitating intercultural communicative competence. Two series of English textbooks namely English on Sky and English in Focus were chosen as the subjects of research. Content analysis was employed by using some checklists. Theories of culture by Adaskou, et al (1990), Cortazzi & Jin (1990), and Yuan (2011) were used to develop the checklists. Additionally, classification of intercultural competence level by Byram (1997) was used to analyze the status of English textbooks in terms of intercultural communicative competence. Interviews with English teachers and teacher�s group (MGMP) were also employed to support the data. The study finds that the in-use English textbooks portray cultures mainly in the form of visual illustrations, thus cultures are represented mostly by their products and persons. On the other hands, other media of cultural representation, such as: descriptive texts, idioms, collocation, and texts presenting foreign opinions which contain more practices and perspectives are minimally found. Subsequently, source culture, target culture and international target culture are found in a balance proportion where source culture is more dominant than target culture and international target culture. This finding supports Kramch & Sullivan (1996) and Alptekin (2002)�s theories that the EFL pedagogy should prepare learners to be both global and local speakers of English. vii Later on, the study also points out that the textbooks represent more �surface culture� compared to �deep culture�. Aesthetic sense and pragmatic sense are presented more frequently than sociological sense and semantic sense. Cultures are mainly represented by people names, food, landmarks, dances (products) and language forms (expressions of showing symphaty, asking for opinion, et cetera). On the contrary, values, opinions, and perspectives among cultures are not represented. Lastly, the study concludes that the examined textbooks do not support intercultural communicative competence as the cultural content is at the level 1 of Byram�s classification (basic cultural awareness). It implies that the textbooks provide the various existence of culture which enable the learners to be aware other culture than theirs. Level 1 also means that comparison and contrast among cultures are not found, therefore intercultural competence is not facilitated