Culture teaching in EFL classes: Teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and classroom practices

It is inevitably believed that culture teaching is the pivotal feeling of integrating culture into the teaching of a language, including in the EFL setting. This study aims to explore the English teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and the reflection of their beliefs and attitudes on the teaching syllabi. The sequential explanatory mix-methods design was applied in junior high schools in Ngawi. The data were obtained from 144 English teachers’ answers to a questionnaire and interviews with six teachers. Then, the data were analysed by using descriptive statistics, the independent sample T-test, and the Mann-Whitney test. The results indicated that the majority of junior high school English teachers believed in the importance of incorporating culture into their teaching of the language taught and students’ learning process. Moreover, both state and private junior high school English teachers showed similar beliefs and attitudes related to culture teaching. When they taught English, the culture associated with that language had also been taught so that the misconception of learning the language can be minimized. The result of teachers’ practices strongly indicates that the English teachers in Ngawi had implemented the teaching of culture and inserted various cultural elements in the process of their teaching and learning in the EFL classes.

MOTIF KARGOISME DALAM CERITA RAKYAT FAKFAK: SEBUAH PENDEKATAN ANTROPOLOGI SASTRA/THE MOTIVATION OF CARGOISM IN FAKFAK'S FOLKLORE: AN APPROACH TO LITERATURE ANTHROPOLOGY

Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis refleksi kargoisme di dalam cerita rakyat Fakfak melalui pendekatan antropologi sastra. Untuk menganalisis unsur budaya motif kargoisme (kultus kargo) masyarakat Fakfak dalam cerita rakyat, maka peneliti menggunakan metode deskriptif interpretatif dengan memanfaatkan cara-cara penafsiran dan menyajikannya dalam bentuk deskripsi. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan teknik wawancara dan catat, kemudian dianalisis dengan menggunakan pendekatan antropologi sastra dengan model analisis konten. Analisis konten dilakukan melalui tahap inferensi, analisis, validitas dan reliabilitas. Dari analisis diketahui bahwa motif kargoisme di dalam 6 cerita rakyat Fakfak yang berjudul “Botol Manci”, “Kisah Kaprangit Gewab”, “Sayap Burung Kasuari”, “Perlawanan Para Binatang Buruan””, Perundingan Sekelompok Burung”, dan “Pohon Kayu” terlihat jelas. Temuan ini mengukuhkan pernyataan bahwa setiap ada tindakan represif pasti akan timbul perlawanan. Oleh karena itu, tidak mengherankan jika sebagian besar cerita yang ada bermotif perlawanan. Kata kunci:motif kargoisme, cerita rakyat Fakfak, antropologi sastra AbstractThe study was intended to describe a cargoism reflection in the folklore of Fakfak through the approach of literary anthropology.To analyze cultural elements of Fakfak cargoism motive (cargo cult) in folklore, descriptive methods of interpretation used to utilize interpretations by presenting them in a description.Data collection is done with interview and recording techniques, and then analyzed using literary anthropology approaches with content analysis models. Analysis shows the cargoism motive in 6 Fakfak folklore called Botol Manci, Kisah Kaprangit Gewab, Patahnya Sayap Burung Kasuari, Perlawanan Para Binatang Buruan, Perundingan Sekelompok Burung, and Pohon Kayuclearly reflected. These findings confirm the claim that any repressive action will inevitably result in resistance. It is not suprising, therefore, that most stories have ulterior motives. Keywords:cargoism motive, Fakfak folklore, literarture anthropology

THE INVESTIGATION OF “DİĞENİS AND AZRAIL” AND “DUHA KOCA OĞLU DELİ DUMRUL” IN CONTEXT OF INTERCULTURAL INTERACTION

Epics are the oldest products in the world. They are passed down from generation to generation. They allow us to detect cultural exchanges. In the study, the works of "Digenis and Azrael" and "Duha Kocaoğlu Deli Dumrul" were compared. The work focused on common cultural elements. Anonymous epic called "Digenis and Azrael" was translated from Dimotiki Greek into Turkish. Both works were analyzed in a holistic way with content analysis method. There are religious elements in both works. Belief in the existence and oneness of God is emphasized. In both works, the protagonists are famous for their beatings. They both fought with the Azrael who came to take their lives. In the end, they accepted God's will and accepted death. In both works, there is a grandfather who is defined as a wise person and he comments on the hero. The differences in the works are as follows: Azrâil wants to take Digenis' life because the time has come. He wants to take Deli Dumrul's life because he is suspicious of God's unity and power. Azrâil, who is a strong character in Deli Dumrul, bows to the power of Digenis in Digenis. Deli Dumrul's mother does not want to give her life for her son. Azrael's mother advises Azrael not to take anyone's life. In both works, the inability to accept death in the universal human thought and the desire to change the result are handled.

Event catering

Food is not only essential for our sustenance and survival but often defines a culture. It is in fact, a central feature of most cultures and lifestyles around the world. Cultural elements that can be expressed through the food that people eat, the way in which it is prepared, and the knowledge, skills and rituals that surround gastronomic traditions, are useful and effective ways of communicating and sustaining a national culture. As a result, food represents a particularly important element at cultural festivals and events.

Organizational-Cultural Elements for Improved Workplace Performance of Disabled Individuals

This chapter embarks from the increasing number of disabled individuals in private companies and public institutions and examines the working conditions of disabled employees in these organizations. Although this case is relevant to a considerable number of international contexts, the author focuses on Turkey as a case, illustrative of countries going through similar processes. The author starts by providing an introduction followed by literature on organizational culture. Next, the author discusses the recent legislation regarding the employment of disabled individuals and discusses with literature on their workplace performance. Next, the author focuses on the relationships between the organizational culture and workplace performance of disabled employees. Finally, the author concludes by recommendations for future practice to enhance performance of disabled employees and future research to conduct robust studies in the area. The chapter assumes that organizations can enhance performance of everyone by creating an inclusive culture surrounded by elements involving positive attitudes, equity, equality, and beliefs of productivity.

Cultural Concept in Furniture Design: Perceptions, Issues and Challenges

Sarawak Borneo has long been known for its diverse culture and multi-ethnicity, which is reflected in its arts and crafts. Pua Kumbu and Orang Ulu are famous visual motifs that can be seen on many products from Sarawak, including textiles and paintings, which could potentially be integrated into furniture design as cultural elements. The purpose of this study was to identify the perception, issues and challenges of cultural concepts embedded in furniture design from the perspective of manufacturers, designers and the public. In-depth interviews, surveys and observation were the three qualitative research methods applied in this study at MIFF 2018 and MIFF 2019. In general, the findings from the surveys done in 2018 and 2019 show that manufacturers, designers and consumers agree that cultural elements can be a unique feature and a competitive advantage for furniture design. A range of furniture designs that feature different cultural elements, such as local materials, colors, stories and history, are discussed in this article, which is expected to inspire designers and manufacturers to experiment and explore this approach in furniture. However, to achieve this, manufacturers and designers have to have their own views and strategies on how they interpret cultural-related elements in furniture, based on their consumers’ interests and global market needs.

Packaging Design and the Changing Needs of End Consumers

With the rapid development of China’s economy, the society has entered the era of big data intelligence, leading to tremendous changes in people’s shopping methods. From the original way of shopping via traditional channels from street vendors and farmer’s markets to shopping via WeChat, Douyin, Taobao, Pinduoduo, and other digital e-commerce channels, online shopping has become the norm and an integral part of people’s life in the post-pandemic era. The shift from traditional offline shopping to online shopping calls for a change in design thinking, integrating food packaging design, consumer needs, and brand stories, reflecting individual characters and regional cultures, as well as incorporating traditional Chinese style and cultural elements.

Manto and Culture: An Exploration of Cultural Code in Manto’s “My Name is Radha”

This study aims to explore Manto’s short story “My Name is Radha” from a cultural perspective. The purpose of the investigation is to bring the hidden meaning to the surface, which is there but not visible. Manto has used many political, religious, historical, and cultural references in the story, which are significant in the understanding of the researcher. These references have deflected the norms, values, and taboos of Indian society. These are investigated with the help of Barthes, cultural code. This code helps in cultural understanding of the story. The study finds that Manto has used many cultural elements in his text like, bhai, behan, Raksha Bandan, kurta, sari, and panjama. These words provide a vivid description of the Indian people, as well as their culture. Furthermore, this study discovers that Manto has used a unique codec language to portray the way of living of the Indian people. Sometimes he has spoken directly of the cultural taboos and sometimes he has spoken indirectly of the said. The study concludes that the writer has deflected the society through different cultural elements. And these elements help in the true understanding of the text.