Page 6 - MODUL
P. 6
knowledge‖. The writing development is a result of imitating and manipulating
processes provided by a teacher.
In fact, a good understanding of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and
spelling of English language is not a guaranty for students, and even for lecturers,
to have a good ability to write. A sense of the local language (students‘ first
language) influences the way to express ideas and thoughts in the foreign
language because writing is a thinking process which needs a comprehensive
knowledge and critical thinking (Pei, Zheng, Zhang, & Liu, 2017: 31). Knapp &
Watkins (2005: 76) state that ―the way expressing ideas and thoughts through a
language is a part of cultural domains‖. For this point, the knowledge of cultural
features in the language learning is able to help students in conveying and
organizing their ideas through writing as a means of communication in the written
form.
The ability to speak (or write) a foreign language fluently and accurately
presupposes not only a good knowledge of language features, but also the ability
to process information based on a target culture. Richards & Renandya (2002: 13)
state that ―whenever you teach a language, you teach a complex system of cultural
customs, values, and ways of thinking, feeling, and acting‖. So, a good knowledge
of a target culture makes it easy to process information from speakers. Without
the understanding of a language target culture, language learners have difficulties
both in their receptive and productive skills because language is inseparable from
its culture.
The role of cultures is assumed to be significant in a foreign language
education (Liddicoat, 2008, Wilson 2015, Stille 2015, Prasad 2015, Morong &
DesBien 2016, & Lau 2015). The teaching of English language skills involves the
teaching of its culture. How the English language teachers conduct their
instruction affects their students‘ attitudes toward language learning, the English
language in particular, and the teachers‘ countries and cultures. The English
language belongs to the English community and its cultures. The teachers of
English in Indonesia bring their cultures in the language learning and teaching
process. Because of this, an instruction model of intercultural language teaching is
2