SOME REASONS FOR USING TRANSLATED INDONESIAN FOLKTALES IN TEACHING GENERAL ENGLISH FOR UNDER GRADUATE STUDENT OF NON-ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Abstract

The teaching of English as a foreign language inIndonesia universities is gaining popularity nowadays. Indonesian Universities give English as the vehicular language for all or part of the general curriculum. It is therefore important to identify the types of materials that best prepare students for academic work in L2. The traditional structurally-based texts and the newer, integrated, communicative courses might not be sufficient for the demands of the academic classes. On the other hand, material for reading comprehension that is based on translated Indonesian folktales provides a motivating medium for language learning while fostering the development of the thinking skills that are needed for L2 academic literacy. Folktales can act as a powerful change agent and lead to student cultural awareness while at the same time nurturing empathy, tolerance , and emotional intelligence. Furthermore through folktales, Indonesian students can promote their culture become a world heritage like batik and anklung