ASSITALLIANG AND CULTURAL AWARENESS IN LEARNING INDONESIAN LANGUAGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Indonesia, as a country with diverse cultural richness, faces challenges in maintaining and fostering cultural awareness among the younger generation, especially in higher education environments. Optimal Indonesian language learning should not only be limited to linguistic aspects, but should also be able to integrate the cultural values ​​contained therein. Local concepts‘Assitalliang’, which is full of cultural wisdom, has great potential to be used as teaching materials that support these goals. This study aims to explore how the role of teaching materials based on‘Assitalliang’can increase students' cultural awareness in the context of learning Indonesian at the university level. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method at a higher education institution in Indonesia. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with lecturers and students, observations during the learning process, and review of teaching material documents and student assignment results. Data analysis was carried out thematically to reveal the contribution of teaching materials‘Assitalliang’towards increasing students' cultural awareness. Research findings show that teaching materials that adopt the concept‘Assitalliang’not only enriches the linguistic dimension in the learning process, but also provides a contextual learning experience. This allows students to understand and absorb local cultural values ​​such as cooperation, respect for others, togetherness, and social harmony. These results emphasize the importance of integrating cultural elements in the development of teaching materials as a comprehensive approach in learning Indonesian. Therefore, teaching materials based on‘Assitalliang’has the potential to be an effective model in instilling cultural values ​​while strengthening students' national identity.