An Analysis of Local Content in the Local English Textbooks in Indonesian High Schools

Abstract

Local content is one way to promote local wisdom in a country. Indonesia, being a very big and plural country, has a tremendous local wisdom that can promote the country in many aspects: political, economic, cultural, and in the educational sector. One of the main issues in the local wisdom is the local content. This research is trying to investigate the local content found in the reading passages in the local English textbooks used in Indonesian high schools. The research shows that many local English textbooks do not include local content in their reading passages. The problem arises due to the fact that many authors and or publishers are not aware of the importance of such local wisdom in their textbook writing. Another problem is due to the hegemony of so called the ideology of political identity within one nation which affects the philosophy of textbook writing in the respected country. By doing the research, it is hoped that many Indonesian authors write the reading passages which promote the local content in order to highlight the local wisdom of the country to other countries in the world.