Joni MN, Aman Rima*
1. Introduction
Culture can be used in communicating because culture and language have a close relationship. Language and culture also are two different side of coin, but it can not be separated each other. Because language is a cultural reflection and the identity of the speaker. It means that English language can influence the society culture or likewise. So language can determine the progress and ‘murder’ the nation culture. Because language is the result the expressions form the someone’s mind or signs of sound used by a society. Gayonese society always interacts with value and gayonese culture. The learning of English will be easier to comprehend by students if they use their habits
Task – Based Language Teaching (TBLT) refers to an approach based on the use of tasks as the core unit of planning and instruction in language teaching. Some of its proponents (e.g., Willis 1996) present it as a logical development of communicative language teaching since it draws on several principles that formed part of the communicative language teaching movement from the 1980s. For example:
– Activities that involve real communication are essential for language learning.
– Activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning.
– Language that is meaningful to the leaner supports the learning process.
The language teacher must know the target language well enough to imitate by the students. Proficiency in the target language includes the four skills: understanding, speaking, reading, and writing but not translation and interpretation, which the separate professional skills essential for the interpreter but not far language teacher as such. Linguistic is not enough to speak a language to qualify to teach it. Even the native speaker a language cannot model the language or guide the students unless and isolated and demonstrate its various elements. Students must know the chief differences and similarities of the two systems and the major vocabulary facts of the target language. In order to understand language more fully and to reflect this understanding in teaching, the teacher might familiarize them self with the major changes that the language has undergone in its history.
2. Culture defining as Universal
In globalization time as the challenges in this century, so, to entrance of the world without limiting which is needed an approach that we said that to manage which base of the “Culture” as the new face must be ability to preventive and to apply of the aptitude and behavior what in harmony with conception of decision which we involve and comprehend together.
In an old dictionary — say, a pre-1960 Webster’s — and you’ll likely find a definition of culture that looks something like this: 1. The cultivation of soil. 2. The raising, improvement, or development of some plant, animal or product”.
This use of the word has its roots in the ancient Latin word culture, “cultivation” or “tending.” By the time the Webster’s definition above was written, another definition had begun to take precedence over the old Latin denotation; culture was coming to mean “the training, development, and refinement of mind, tastes, and manners” (Oxford English Dictionary). However, if you try a more modern source, you’ll find a primary definition of culture which is substantially different than either of the two given above: “The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.”
Over time, these new uses for the word culture have eclipsed its older meanings, into new ones. An aspect of modern culture is its fascination with the issue of culture itself — a fascination which has brought about many changes in the way we speak and the meanings of words which we commonly use. Diversity is stimulating and enriching. People invent, refine and embellish their cultures through contact with and by borrowing from other cultures as a way of living together. A global ethic is arising to recognize the multicultural and multilingual reality of society as a totality.
3. Language defining
Language as a system of conventional vocal signs by means of which human being communicate. So, a language is not just a collection of the words, such as we fine in dictionary. It is also the rules or patterns that relate the word to one another. Language always occurs as medium of interaction and communication between people for the achievement of specific goals and purposes.
4. Function of Language to the culture
The language is not enough to speak to be qualified to teach it. Even the native speaker cannot model the language or guide the students unless they can isolate and demonstrate its various elements, but to understand this language deeply students must understand the intimate relation between a Language and its culture.
The students can not go so far into target language without facing differences in cultural meanings, because the meanings expressed in a language are largely culturally determined. One can not understand a language fully without understanding at least some of the distinct cultural meanings expressed through it. The ideal setting for teaching a language is, of curse, the country where is spoken natively. By residing in that community and being force to use the language for communication, the full impact of a language as the chief mans of communication in a culture is brought out.
5. The Approach of Gayonese Culture in English learning and teaching
The role of instructional materials. The primary goal of materials in the natural approach is to make classroom activities as meaningful as possible by supplying, by relating classroom activities to the real world, and by fostering real communication among the learners. Materials come from the world of realia rather than from texts books.
6. The Definition of Gayonese Culture
Gayonese culture is derived from the custom in Gayo that has resource from the verse of Holy Qur’an and Hadist of Prophet Muhammad. It proves that there are some terminologies of Gayonese custom that show the principle that the custom motivates the implication of Islam religion. This case proves the conviction of society to present the welfare and happiness for men and God’s mercy for world.
In the sector of world, people of Gayo have some culture values as a principle for conducting in getting the orderliness, discipline, faithful, mutual corporation, and diligence. The experience of culture values is spurred by one value called ‘bersikemelen’. That is a competition to show a basic value to find out a self-confident (mukemel). These values are presented in several aspects of life such as economic field, art field, familiarity, and educational field. The source from those values is Islam religion and the original custom that followed by all Gayonese people.
7. The Values of Gayonese Culture
Gayonese people are in Perlak and Pase ( the east beach and half of them in north beach of Aceh) since pre-Christian. They came from Old Hindia. The Anisme they believe and the custom they follow are several centuries before Islam came. Gradually it has changed and is suited with the values and norm of Islamic rules. Although the reality shows that anisme still influences the certain groups so far. There is a person who glorifies the devil or praises the big trees, etc. and they still trust that the spirit of dead person is able to keep the safety of members of family. For that reason, the spirits of dead person are given the food, drink and the dish. According to them, the work is done for not be disappointing the spirit of dead persons.
Nevertheless, the principle of unity among the values and the Islamic religion norm and custom is prescribed since the existence of Islam Perlak Empire on 1st Muharram 225H or 840 M and the Islam Lingga Empire 295H or 910 M and the Islamic Lingga Isaq empire on 376 H or 989M. From this, it belongs the conviction of society to get the rules, orderliness, tranquility, safety, welfare, and happiness.
The unity between the custom and Syari’at appears from the Gayonesse society’s aspiration langsyne. It belongs the value implication and Islamic religion norm and Gayonese custom at once. The aspiration develops and is done in the process of government and society life since Islam established in that area on the 3th centuries of Hijriah or 10 centuries of Masehi till Holland occupied the area on the 3th centuries of Hijriah. The society of Gayonese people integrates between the custom and the religion like the proverbs: “Agama urum edet lagu zet urum sifet” (Islam religion and the custom is like substance and characters). They can not be separated each other and they corroborate by the utterance of Philosophy ‘Edet kin Peger, Seriet kin senuen’ (the custom fences the Syariat of Islam that is expressed as the plantation).
Actually the unity becomes sallow on the society because of the visit of Holland in Gayonese area on 1901. Moreover, C.Snouch Hurgronje brings forward his theory about Reception that separates the religion and the custom. Here the system is Reje (King) as the responsibility of implementation for custom, and Imem (leader of Islam) as the responsibility of implementation for syari’at. So, the values and norm of custom is wan and gradually becomes weak from the leader and the members of society.
The principle of unity between syari’at and custom respecting Syariat has been taken hold since the 4th centuries of Hijiriah or the 10 centuries of Masehi. It has been stated in the rules of law Subsection 75 and 78 Regering- Reglement (RR) Staat Blad (Stbl) on 1855 that states the effectuation of Islamic law for Moslems and the habits of Indonesian people. In that subsection 75 RR. Paragraph 3 : oleh hakim Indonesia itu hendaklah diperlakukan undang-undang Agama (goodsienstige wetten) dan kebiasaan penduduk Indonesia itu. By the validity of the law, the custom and the law have more roles than the laws from Islamic religion; additionally, the certainty of religion is separated with the custom.
To do the unity principles between the syari’at motivated by custom, so two functionaries of government namely Reje(Raja) and Imem (Ulama) have a beneficial role. Reje looks after and brings about the custom, meanwhile the Imem takes care and implements syariat. Both of formal officials must be together in doing the implementation of Syariat and custom in order that the principle of unity on implementation of those runs well. It will also prevent and increase the authority of government and the welfare of all society.
One element of culture that is never pale in gayonese society is art. It never ends and it is developing wider and wider. The famous Gayonese arts are tari samaan and didong art, speaking art. Beside for entertainment and recreation, the arts have functions for ritual, education, information, and a facility to defend the balance in social society structure. Also,there are other arts like Tari bines, tari guel, tari munalu, sebuku (pepongoten), guru didong and melengkap (art in speech based on custom). They are unforgettable alongside of time. Because Gayo is rich of cultural art.
In all life sectors, Gayonese people have culture and civilize many kinds of cultures as a mold to conduct in getting the orderliness, discipline, solidarity, mutual help, and diligence (mutentu). The experience of cultural values is spurred by a value called bersikemelen. It is a competition to present a basic value about a confidence (mukemel). Those values are showed in many life aspects such as in an economic field, art, solidarity and education. The source of those values is Islam religion and the custom of Gayonese people.
So the custom has many roles in supporting the implementation of Syariat especially in doing in “Ma’ruf” on Holly Qur’an. It contains the society, economy, communication, politics; but, they are not about Aqidah and Ibadah.
8. Gayonese Culture in English Learning
According to British anthropologist Edward Tylor:
“Culture … is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, custom and any other capacities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” Culture is transmitted through learning rather than genetically and cultural universals make cross-cultural communication possible. Cultural traits can diffuse from one group to another”.
In another hand Cem Alptekin in his book of “Target-language culture in EFL materials” Said That; Expressing and interpreting meanings in a given language involves two types of knowledge. Systemic knowledge refers to the formal properties of language, comprising its syntactic and semantic aspects. Schematic knowledge, on the other hand, is socially acquired. It is an important part of the ‘fit’ which exists between people’s culture-specific cognition and their native language.
9. Summary
The language teacher must know the target language well enough to imitate by the students. Proficiency in the target language includes the four skills: understanding, speaking, reading, and writing but not translation and interpretation, which the separate professional skills essential for the interpreter but not far language teacher as such. Linguistic is not enough to speak a language to qualify to teach it.
Culture, As a Body of Learned Behaviors Common to a Given Human Society, Acts Rather Like a Template, For Example, It Has Predictable Form and Content, Shaping Behavior and Consciousness within a Human Society From Generation To Generation. Culture is transmitted through learning rather than genetically and cultural universals make cross-cultural communication possible. Cultural traits can diffuse from one group to another.
The unity between the custom and Syari’at appears from the Gayonesse society’s aspiration langsyne. It belongs the value implication and Islamic religion norm and Gayonese custom at once. The aspiration develops and is done in the process of government and society life since Islam established in that area on the 3th centuries of Hijriah or 10 centuries of Masehi till Holland occupied the area on the 3th centuries of Hijriah. The society of Gayonese people integrates between the custom and the religion like the provebs: “Agama urum edet lagu zet urum sifet” (Islam religion and the custom is like substance and characters). They can not be separated each other and they corroborate by the utterance of Philosophy ‘Edet kin Peger, Seriet kin senuen’ (the custom fences the Syariat of Islam that is expressed as the plantation).
Culture can be used in communicating because culture and language have a close relationship. Language and culture also are two different side of coin, but it can not be separated each other. Because language is a cultural reflection and the identity of the speaker. It means that English language can influence the society culture or likewise. So language can determine the progress and ‘murder’ the nation culture.
The classes in language and culture aim at improving one understands of the language and the people who speak it. Trained to be prospective teachers of English, for Students of ELT, studying English culture are not an arbitrary but a necessary activity.
The findings of the study suggest that a culture class is significantly beneficial in terms of language skills, raising cultural awareness, changing attitudes towards native and target societies, and contribution to the teaching profession. The participants in this study emphasized some kind of transformation in their thinking and listed six points as potential contribution of a culture class they received.
This study has implications for a culture class in the curriculum of language teaching departments. Incorporated in the curriculum, a culture class would prove to be a vital component of language learning and teaching, since as this study illustrates, it has a great deal to offer to the development of communicative competence as well as other skills in the Instruction of any language.
Reading sources
Customer Services Department. Online ISSN 1477-4526 – Print ISSN 0951-0893. Copyright 2007 Oxford University Press. Oxford Journals Oxford University Press.
http://www. Un. Org/ overview/rights. Html
Ibrahim, H. Mahmud, Drs. 2001. Syari’at dan Adat Gayo. Penerbit; Yayasan Mahmuda. Press, Takengon Aceh Tengah.
Krashen and Terrell 1983 the extra linguistic context that helps the acquirer to understand and thereby to acquire. P.33
Robert Lado, “Language Teaching” a Scientific Approach, McGraw-Hill, Inc. Toronto London, 1964. P.44
Yuxiang Li *Tongji University Sino-US English Teaching May 2005, Volume 2, No.5 (Serial No.17), ISSN1539-8072, USA
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* Pengajar di Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam (STAI) Gajah Putih Takengon
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Reading the writing above has been giving our stock of knwledge in terms both of our culture and other aspects of our identity as well. Approaching from sphere, to a great degree, will somehow enrich our understanding of both Gayonese culture aspects and at the same time sharing the to people whose language has been English. Appreciation should be given to the writer who has been reaching of the two aspects mentioned above.
Congritulation to you my brother. I am happy to read and please go on your other writing my brother. Thanks a bunch and always looking forward your next ideas.
As always,
Your brother on the altar under the hill of Preben