Reinterpreting Indonesian Folklore in EFL Education: Symbolic Meaning, Local Wisdom and Generation Z Perspectives

Andi Irlina; Hidayah Nor; Thaibatun Nisa

doi:10.21093/ijeltal.v11i1.2601

Reinterpreting Indonesian Folklore in EFL Education: Symbolic Meaning, Local Wisdom and Generation Z Perspectives

Andi Irlina, Hidayah Nor, Thaibatun Nisa

Abstract

This qualitative study explores how Indonesian local folklore can function as a literary and pedagogical resource in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education by examining symbolic meanings, educational values, and generational reinterpretation. Focusing on the legends of Princess Mayangsari from the Banjar community and Princess Tadampalik from the Bugis tradition, the study integrates Symbolic Interactionism and Value Theory (Western and Islamic) to analyze how moral, cultural, and spiritual values are constructed and transformed. Data were collected through content analysis and in-depth interviews with 20 Generation Z participants, and analyzed using thematic coding. The findings reveal that traditional symbols such as the sacred sword, mirror, white buffalo, and heirloom kris are reinterpreted by Generation Z within contemporary frameworks of rationality, gender equality, ethical leadership, and digital creativity. Rather than perceiving folklore as sacred and static, participants engage with these narratives as reflective texts that support identity formation and moral reasoning. From an EFL perspective, the study demonstrates that local folklore provides authentic narrative materials that enhance narrative literacy, cultural awareness, and character education. The integration of symbolic analysis and digital storytelling further highlights the potential of folklore-based pedagogy to support critical reading, interpretation, and intercultural competence in language learning contexts.

Keywords

Cultural Literacy, EFL Education, Folklore, Generation Z, Islamic Values

Full Text:

PDF

References

Ajabshir, Z. F. (2024). Empowering EFL writing through digital storytelling: A quasi-experimental assessment of CALF measures and multidimensional engagement. Acta Psychologica, 250, 104564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104564

al-Attas, S. M. N. (1991). The concept of education in Islām: A framework for an Islamic philosophy of education. International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC). https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1970586434936603396

Al-Obaydi, L. H., Rahul, D. R., & Pikhart, M. (2024). The effect of online oral reading on reading comprehension, reading anxiety, and classroom anxiety among EFL learners. Education and Information Technologies, 29(3), 2841–2855. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11950-y

Blummer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism. Perspective and Method. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1570291224966988800

Bronner, S. J. (2018). The Challenge of American Folklore to the Humanities. Humanities, 7(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/h7010017

Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Multilingual Matters.

Chen Hsieh, J., & Lee, J. S. (2023). Digital storytelling outcomes, emotions, grit, and perceptions among EFL middle school learners: Robot-assisted versus PowerPoint-assisted presentations. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(5–6), 1088–1115. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1969410

Crawford, W. J., McDonough, K., & Brun‐Mercer, N. (2019). Identifying Linguistic Markers of Collaboration in Second Language Peer Interaction: A Lexico‐grammatical Approach. TESOL Quarterly, 53(1), 180–207. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.477

Danandjaja, J. (1995). A Comparative Study of Japanese and Indonesian Folklores. Japanese Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 33(3), 484–496. https://doi.org/10.20495/tak.33.3_484

Hellystia, D., & Hermawati, S. (2024). Leveraging L1 Folklore: Enhancing Fictional Narrative Writing with Metacognitive Strategies in Blended Learning Environments. 3L The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 30(2), 263–279. https://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2024-3002-16

Huang, X., Yang, Y., Liu, S., & Wang, J. (2026). Does ‘the real’ matter? Technological affordances and Generation Z’s experience of authenticity in heritage games. Annals of Tourism Research, 116, 104112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2025.104112

Irlina, A., & Djamalie, Z. (2024). A Comparative Analysis of Local Wisdom in Banjarese and Buginese Folklore: Qualitative Insights for Language Use and Teaching in Education. LET: Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal, 14(2), 249–269. https://doi.org/10.18592/let.v14i2.13946

Kramsch, C. (2002), In search of the intercultural. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 6: 275-285. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9481.00188

Liang, J.-C., & Hwang, G.-J. (2023). A robot-based digital storytelling approach to enhancing EFL learners’ multimodal storytelling ability and narrative engagement. Computers & Education, 201, 104827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104827

Lickona, T. (1992). Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. Bantam. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1971712334817739146

Marsellaa, E., & Putri, D. M. (2020). Folklore as Ethnic Embodiment Bias: Value Analysis on Karo Folklore. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal), 3(4), 2619–2628.

Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed). Sage Publications. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1971993809782145081

Nurgiyantoro, B. (2010). Sastra Anak dan Pembentukan Karakter. Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan, 1(3). https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v1i3.232

O’Dowd, R., & Dooly, M. (2022). Exploring Teachers’ Professional Development Through Participation in Virtual Exchange. ReCALL, 34(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344021000215

OECD. (2021). 21st-Century Readers: Developing Literacy Skills in a Digital World. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/a83d84cb-en

Peng, H., Jager, S., & Lowie, W. (2024). Complexity and dynamicity of EFL learners’ multi-dimensional engagement in digital storytelling tasks: An exploratory case study. The Language Learning Journal, 52(6), 694–709. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2023.2244513

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 2: Do They Really Think Differently? On the Horizon, 9(6), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424843

Ramezanzadeh, A., & Ebadi, S. (2025). AI-generated storytelling for socially just EFL pedagogy: Exploring learner emotions through Fraser’s justice theory. System, 129, 103588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103588

Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. Free Press. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1970867909783746092

Scheler, M. (1973). Formalism in Ethics and Non-Formal Ethics of Values Osi: A New Attempt Toward the Foundation of an Ethical Personalism. Northwestern University Press.

Seemiller, C., & Grace, M. (2016). Generation Z Goes to College. Jossey-Bass. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1970023484841742869

Seftika, Sakhiyya, Z., Mujiyanto, J., Faridi, A., & Widhiyanto. (2025). EFL Learner’s Perceptions of Multimodality in Online Speaking Class: Exploring Linguistic, Visual, and Gestural Aspects. MEXTESOL Journal, 49(4). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1492449

Setyorini, S., Rahayu, D. S., Septiana, N. Z., & Rahayu, R. (2024). ‘Defying the odds: Can women truly thrive in a patriarchal world?’ Journal of Public Health, 46(4), e711–e712. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdae238

Smith, B., & Mark, D. M. (2001). Geographical categories: An ontological investigation. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 15(7), 591–612. https://doi.org/10.1080/13658810110061199

Spranger, E., & Pigors, P. J. W. (1928). Types of men: The psychology and ethics of personality. Max Niemeyer Verlag. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1971430859856251675

Teng, M. F. (2022). Incidental L2 vocabulary learning from viewing captioned videos: Effects of learner-related factors. System, 105, 102736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102736

Widodo, H. P. (2016). Engaging Students in Literature Circles: Vocational English Reading Programs. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 25(2), 347–359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-015-0269-7

Young, K. (2001). Becoming Intercultural: An Integrative Theory of Communication and Cross-Cultural Adaptation. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452233253

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21093/ijeltal.v11i1.2601

Refbacks

There are currently no refbacks.

IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics) by http://ijeltal.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.