Analysis of Culture-Based Learning Media in Marugoto Books

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the culture-based learning media contained in the Marugoto A1 Nyumon and A1-1 rikai and katsudou books, and to find out students' perceptions of these media in supporting Japanese language learning in the current era. Marugoto books are designed with a communicative approach by integrating Japanese culture in the learning materials. This study used descriptive qualitative method with content analysis technique of all units in the book, as well as distributing questionnaires to students who have used the book in the learning process. The results showed that Marugoto book consistently presents various forms of culture-based media, audio media (vocabulary introduction recordings and conversations), visual media (illustrative pictures, maps, Japanese specialties), print media (vocabulary texts, conversation texts, and worksheets) and audio-visual media (videos, combined audio+visual+text presented together). These media not only introduce Japanese culture explicitly, but also build a real social context of language use. The questionnaire results show that the culture-based learning media in the book facilitate the introduction of Japanese culture, the media used in Marugoto books reflect current life, the culture-based learning media that appear in Marugoto books make it easier to understand Japanese, and the culture-based learning media in Marugoto books play an important role in understanding how Japanese is used in context. The cultural elements that appear in the media consist of knowledge systems, lifestyle elements, values and norms in Japanese society. Thus, the culture-based media in Marugoto proved to support more authentic, communicative, and meaningful Japanese language learning.