Culture, Local Wisdom, and Identity in EFL: A Literature Review

Abstrak

This literature review examines the integration of culture, local wisdom, and identity in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching through five interrelated themes: preserving local identity through EFL instruction, using local wisdom as content for speaking and writing tasks, implementing culturally responsive teaching in multilingual contexts, examining students’ attitudes toward culture-based EFL learning, and negotiating global English with local culture in classrooms. Drawing on sociocultural theory, intercultural communicative competence, culturally responsive pedagogy, and World Englishes perspectives, this review synthesizes studies from Indonesia and broader international scholarship. Findings indicate that integrating local culture and wisdom into EFL instruction strengthens learner motivation, intercultural competence, identity affirmation, and communicative performance. However, challenges remain in teacher preparedness, materials development, and balancing global English norms with local authenticity. The review concludes that culture-based EFL should be treated not as supplementary content but as a foundational principle for curriculum, pedagogy, and teacher education, particularly under Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum.