THE CHALLENGES OF ADAPTING ENGLISH NOVEL IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN INDONESIA

Authors

  • Elshita Octaverina Alfadhilah Universitas Pekalongan
  • Dwi Agustina Universitas Pekalongan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31851/vnwygy49

Keywords:

English novel adaptation, EFL classroom, Indonesian high school, teacher challenges, literature teaching, language learning

Abstract

This study investigates the primary challenges faced by English teachers in adapting English novels for instruction in Indonesian senior high school EFL classrooms. It explores the difficulties encountered and suggests practical strategies to enhance the integration of literature into language teaching. Employing a descriptive qualitative design, data were collected via online structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework. Participants were selected through purposive sampling from two senior high schools. Findings reveal that while teachers value adapted English novels for fostering language proficiency and cultural understanding, they face significant obstacles, including students’ limited reading competence, lack of instructional time, inadequate resources, and a curriculum that emphasizes functional English over literary study. Teachers commonly respond by simplifying texts and selecting more accessible literary content. This study contributes meaningful insights into the realities of literature adaptation in both vocational and general secondary EFL contexts in Indonesia. It offers practical implications for curriculum planners, educators, and policymakers by highlighting feasible classroom strategies and aligning literature use with existing curricular constraints. The research adds to current ELT literature by emphasizing context-specific pedagogical adaptations and advocating for more inclusive and literature-enriched English instruction.

References

Adhitya, N., & Novita, J. (2021). Students’ Responses Towards Self-Selected Reading in Extensive Reading Class. JELA (Journal of English Language Teaching, Literature and Applied Linguistics), 3(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.37742/jela.v3i2.53

Almusharraf, N. (2021). Perceptions and application of learner autonomy for vocabulary development in saudi efl classrooms. International Journal of Education and Practice, 9(1), 13–36. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.61.2021.91.13.36

Ambrose, M. ., & Lourdusamy, A. (2022). Review of displacement, space, and identity in the postcolonial novels of jhumpa lahiri, rohinton mistry and manju kapur. International Journal of Management, Technology, and Social Sciences (IJMTS), 7(1), 354–372. https://doi.org/10.47992/IJMTS.2581.6012.0195

Arhire, M. (2023). Multilingualism in the Romanian translation of C. N. Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus: Sociolinguistic considerations. Open Linguistics, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/opli-2022-0255

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis. Qualitative Psychology, 9(1), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000196

Buriddge, K., & Stebbins, T. N. (2015). For the Love of Language: An Introduction to Linguistics. Cambridge University Press.

Collie, J., & Slater, S. (2017). Literature in the language classroom: A resource book of ideas and activities. Cambridge University Press.

Dornyei, Z., & Taguchi, T. (2019). Questionnaires in second language research: Construction, administration, and processing (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203864739

Fitrawati, B., Syarif, H., & Zaim, M. (2023). Undergraduate EFL Learners’ Perception Toward ICT Use in English Language Learning. In Proceedings of the 2nd Padang International Conference on Educational Management and Administration 2021 (PICEMA 2021). Atlantis Press SARL. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-11-4

Gallacher, D., Rahimi, M., & Hung, H. . (2019). Contextualizing Project-Based Learning in EFL Classrooms. TESOL Journal, 10(3).

Ganaie, A. A. (2018). Literature and ecology: An experiment in ecocriticism. Pune Research.

Gardner, H. E. (2018). Motivational variables in second language acquisition. In In S. H. Foster-Cohen, M. S. García, & M. B. Reinders (Eds.), An introduction to language and linguistics (pp. 83–102). Cambridge University Press.

Garrard, G. (2020). The Cambridge introduction to literature and the environment. Cambridge University Press.

Gee, J., & Gee, J. P. (2020). Social Linguistics and Literacies: Ideology in Discourses (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203944806

Gill, P., & Baillie, J. (2018). Interviews and focus groups in qualitative research: an update for the digital age. British Dental Journal.

Halliday, M. A. . (2019). Language as Social Semiotic. Edward Arnold.

Jaya, A., Hartono, R., Wahyuni, S., & Yulianto, H. J. (2025). Los efectos de la estrategia de aprendizaje basado en proyectos con actividad física en función del género sobre el rendimiento escolar y la confianza en sí mismos de los estudiantes. Retos: Nuevas Tendencias En Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación, 66, 349–360. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v66.110067

Khadafi, B. I. (2021). Feminist and Pessimist Existentialism in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”: A Systemic Functional Grammar Analysis. Journal of English Language Studies, 6(2), 138. https://doi.org/10.30870/jels.v6i2.10419

Kvale, S. (2021). Doing Interviews. Sage Publications.

Mardiani, M., & Baharuddin, A. F. (2023). Literature-based efl instruction: benefits for language skills development, learning motivation, and cultural understanding. Llt Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 26(2), 796–811. https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.v26i2.6366

McKay, Sandra Lee. (2018). English As an International Language: What It Is and What It Means For Pedagogy. RELC Journal, 49(1), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688217738817

Mertler, C. A. (2024). Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators. Sage Publications.

Miall, D. S., & Kuiken, D. (2019). Aspects of literary response: A new questionnaire. Research Teaching in English, 29(1), 37–58. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.58680/rte199515356

Nunan, D. (2023). Practical English Language Teaching: Young Learners. McGraw-Hill.

Patton, M. . (2020). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. Sage Publications.

Rahmawati, A. (2022). EFL Students’ Critical Thinking in Speaking Activities (A Descriptive Study at English Conversation Club (ecc)). Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Science, Education and Technology (ISET 2020), 574, 211–220. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.211125.040

Rojabi, A. R. (2021). EFL Learners’ Perceptions on Schoology Use in the Reading Class. VELES Voices of English Language Education Society, 5(1), 10–26. https://doi.org/10.29408/veles.v5i1.3219

Rosenblatt, L. M. (2018). The Reader, the Text, the Poem: The Transactional Theory of the Literary Work. SIU Press.

Seroja Br Ginting, R., & Fithriani, R. (2021). Using the Hello English Application in the EFL Classroom: Its Efficacy in Helping Students to Master Vocabulary. KnE Social Sciences, 2021, 592–600. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v5i4.8714

Shi, C., Kassim, A., Raha, N., & Radzuan, M. (2024). Improving EFL Learners’ English Public Speaking Performance through Project-based Learning Strategy at Tertiary Level. Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 42, 126–144.

Sirisrimangkorn, L. (2021). Improving EFL Undergraduate Learners’ Speaking Skills Through Project-Based Learning Using Presentation. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 12(3), 65. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.12n.3.p.65

Sugiyono. (2021). Metode Penelitian Pendidikan (Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, Kombinasi, R&D dan Penelitian Pendidikan) (A. Nuryanto (ed.); Kedua). ALFABETA, CV.

Suoth, A. A., Wuntu, C. N., & Rorintulus, O. A. (2023). The effectiveness of using novels in learning process to improve the english language skills: a systematic review. Journal of English Language Teaching, Literature and Culture, 2(1), 84–95. https://doi.org/10.53682/jeltec.v2i1.6250

Tisdell, E. J., Merriam, S. B., & Struckey-Peyrot, H. L. (2025). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons.

Wahyuni, D., Oktavia, W., & Addinna, A. (2021). Indonesian High School Teachers’ Approaches in Teaching Literature in English. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research. Eighth International Conference on English Language and Teaching (ICOELT-8 2020), Padang, Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210914.010

Downloads

Published

2025-07-24