Using Target Language Culture in Teaching English : Call from Indonesian Teachers

The phenomenon of English is the the most spoken language in the world is undeniable. The issue of imperialism appeared to be blown away and was replaced by a huge awareness of mastering the language for better prestige. In a developing country like Indonesia, English teaching become more popular and require the government in the country to continously reform English curriculum. Consideration of target language (TL) culture in teaching English is one of the issues raised in the curriculum reform. This book, therefore, presents teachers' perceptions of TL in teaching English in middle school context. It covers issues about the relationship between language and culture, aspects of culture teachers perceive to be important to teach, materaials use in teaching culture and related benefits and obstacles in teaching language and culture. The analysis yields some recommendations for teachers on how to balance cultural information they give for effective English teaching.