Culturally Responsive English Language Teaching Through Dayak Punan Oral Tradition: A study of Vocabulary Acquisition in a Remote Primary School

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31963/rial.v4i2.6460

Keywords:

vocabulary acquisition, culturally responsive teaching, Dayak Punan Oral Traditions, English Language Teaching, Remote Primary School, North Kalimantan

Abstract

This study explores vocabulary acquisition outcomes and learner perceptions among fourth-grade students at SDN 005 Mentarang, a remotely situated primary school in Kalimantan, following instruction delivered through a culturally responsive English Language Teaching (ELT) framework built on Dayak Punan oral traditions. Adopting a descriptive quantitative design, the investigation drew on two data sources: a structured vocabulary test and a five-item Likert-scale perception questionnaire administered to thirty purposively selected participants. The vocabulary test yielded a class mean of 74.67, with 66.67% of students satisfying the Minimum Mastery Criterion (KKM) and 63.33% attaining Good or Excellent proficiency ratings. Questionnaire analysis produced a strongly positive aggregate reception, with 89.86% of all responses falling within the Agree or Strongly Agree categories; items measuring learning motivation (96.5%) and vocabulary retention (90.0%) recorded the highest endorsement rates. These findings affirm the instructional value of anchoring English vocabulary teaching in indigenous cultural materials and carry meaningful implications for ELT curriculum development in geographically remote and culturally distinct Indonesian learning environments.

Author Biography

RAMLI, Universitas Borneo Tarakan

Ramli is currently a lecturer at the English Education Department, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Universitas Borneo Tarakan, North Kalimantan, Indonesia. His teaching and research interests encompass language skills development, educational technology in English Language Teaching (ELT), and English grammar.

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Published

2026-08-24

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