Stimulating critical awareness of Javanese language in elementary schools: Exploring mother language teaching practices in Indonesia

Abstract

AbstractThis study reports on self-reported language teaching practices by Javanese language teachers in primary schools aimed at stimulating students’ critical language awareness. This study investigates the extent to which critical Javanese language awareness raising practices are applied in elementary schools in Indonesia, starting from the characteristics of critical language awareness practices, and how critical language awareness raising practices can be developed and further integrated in Javanese language learning. A total of 10 teachers were involved in semi-structured interviews, by modeling teaching practices to stimulate critical awareness of the Javanese language. A total of 50 Javanese teaching practices have been collected. An analysis of teachers’ teaching practices revealed that about half of all reported practices included increasing critical awareness of the Javanese language. these practices are integrated in several materials. At the same time, many practices are reported as practices that do not meet some critical awareness of the Javanese language and there are also some practices that do not at all fall into the efforts to raise awareness of the Javanese language. Nevertheless, these practices provide interesting clues to opportunities for raising critical awareness of the Javanese language. In short, an analysis of Javanese teaching practice presents a valuable opportunity for teachers to discuss their ideas about better practice. In addition, this analysis can support teachers in adapting Javanese teaching practices.

Keywords

• critical language awareness
• teaching practice
• language teaching
• Javanese language