STUDENTS READING INTEREST TOWARD THE USE OF SOUTH SULAWESI FOLKTALES AT THE SEVENTH GRADE OF SMPN 1 SUKAMAJU

This research aims to determine the students‟ perceptions toward the use of South Sulawesi Folktales for their reading interest at seventh grade of SMPN 1 Sukamaju. This research applied the mix method quantitative and qualitative research design by using questionnaire and interview. The participation of this
research were the students in the seventh grade of SMPN 1 Sukamaju, which consists of 26 students. The data were analyzing using Miles and Huberman analyzed. The result of this research informs that mostly students were strongly agreed and agree that using of south Sulawesi folktales were truly interested to
them. It indicated that students‟ perception on teacher‟s teaching reading through local folktale was positive welcomed because increased engagement, interdisciplinary connections, interactive learning methods, and community involvement further enrich the educational experience, making reading not only enjoyable but also deeply enriching and culturally significant. Therefore,
integrating South Sulawesi folktales into the curriculum stands as a compelling and effective approach to enhancing students' reading interest. The integration of traditional folklore into education is also thought to shape a sense of pride and
identity among the younger generation, with 62% of students agreeing with this statement. And although not that much, some students (46%) feel that South Sulawesi folklore has benefits and relevance in everyday life. The use of South Sulawesi folklore in English classes was assessed as providing valuable insight
into the way of life, with the majority of students (77%) agreeing with this. Overall, the data shows that the use of South Sulawesi folklore has great potential in increasing students ' interest and involvement in the learning process, as well as providing a deeper understanding of the culture and life in South Sulawesi. It can
be concluded that the poem south Sulawesi folktales is very good to use in learning