Copyright © the author(s)
Jurnal Onoma: Pendidikan, Bahasa dan Sastra, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2022
https://e-journal.my.id/onoma
344
The Representation of Multicultural Values in Pearson Big
English 6 ELT textbook: A Discourse Analysis
Suci Rizki Sigid Harahap
1
Didin Nuruddin Hidayat
2
Nida Husna
3
Alek
4
1,2,3,4
UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Indonesia
1
suci.rizkisigid20@mhs.uinjkt.ac.id
2
didin.nuruddin@uinjkt.ac.id
3
nida.husna@uinjkt.ac.id
4
alek@uinjkt.ac.id
Abstract
This research aims to examine the visual components of a Pearson primary school
English textbook. By applying visual semiotic theory to the visual aspects (Barthes,
1977), this research demonstrates that the EFL textbook has three kinds of
multicultural values: respect for other people's traditions, appreciation for women's
equal rights, and appreciation for other people's viewpoints. Three photos exemplified
respect for other people's traditions, one exemplified gratitude for women's equal
rights, and two exemplified appreciation for another person's viewpoint. Additionally,
two visual components identified in this research are classified as source culture (SC),
four visual elements are classified as universality culture (UC), and there are no visual
elements that reflect target culture (TC). The current study discovered that the EFL
Pearson textbook for Indonesian primary school continues to have an asymmetric
depiction of multicultural values.
Keywords: Discourse Analysis, EFL textbook, Multicultural Values
Introduction
Recent research on implementing multicultural values in English language teaching
(ELT) textbooks has uncovered several issues concerning culture and students' social
competence. According to Setyono and Widodo (2019), English students must be
proficient in interacting with others, particularly those from diverse linguistic and cultural
backgrounds. The English as a foreign language (EFL) textbook depicts the Anglo-
American and British cultures and the students' domestic and intercontinental cultural
values. They suggested that ELT textbooks should emphasize the multicultural value of
countries in the outer and expanding circle.
The inclusion of multicultural values in ELT textbooks benefits students. Purba,
Malihah, and Hufad (2019) discovered that ELT textbooks' multicultural value enables
students to better understand the value of diversity and accept diversity more readily,
particularly in terms of faith and ethnicity. The inclusion of multicultural values in
education undoubtedly can help future generations understand the meaning of diversity
and contribute to the development of a harmonious society. They identified the
implications of textbooks in displaying the orientation of culture based on Weninger and
Kiss's (2013) research and multicultural representations, particularly in sessions on