One of the missions of the English Language Education Department, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya is to conduct research in English education and language which is responsive and adaptive toward the dynamic of education context. One of the effort to achieve this mission is by conducting regular Research Discussion Forum (RDF). This month, the RDF has been conducted in its series 30.
Discussing language barriers in ELT context, series 30 of the RDF was conducted online on the 31st of July 2024. A collaborative research team, Galuh Ellyna Turbinita, S. Pd, Afida Safriani, Ph.D. and Rizka Safriyani, M. Pd. shared the findings of the research ‘Language Barriers Faced by Indonesian Pre-Service English Teachers while Conducting Teaching Practice in Thailand.’ The Dean of the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training officially opened the forum.
On his remark, Prof. Dr. M. Thohir, M. Pd. Stated that given the varieties of languages and dialects across the globe, language barrier is something unavoidable in global interaction and communication. ‘The dynamic of the languages is worth discussing not only from the broad aspects of sociolinguistics but also in the small social context such as language classroom. Discussion of language barriers in this context is deemed to be important,’ he added. The Dean also appreciated the strong commitment of the English Language Education Department in building and sustaining the academic atmosphere by having regular RDF. The forum should become a model for other departments; he further confirmed.
Using a qualitative design, Galluh Ellyna Turbinita, S. Pd. presented that the research aims to investigate the barriers faced by the Indonesian pre-service teachers during their teaching abroad program in Thailand. The findings revealed that Indonesian pre-service teachers discovered and faced several major barriers in the practicum for teaching abroad program in Thailand The toughest challenge experienced by Indonesian pre-service teachers is the language barrier. In addition, the response given by residents and the school environment to the language barriers experienced by Indonesian pre-service teachers was very good. Utilizing how students facilitate communication between Indonesian pre-service teachers and other students, and how in-service teachers offer advice and continue to assist Indonesian pre-service teachers in overcoming language barriers throughout the program.
In addition to the findings, Afida Safriani, Ph.D. further suggests topics for further studies. Among the potential topics are explorations of different experiences of teachers including pre-service teachers, junior teachers and veteran teachers. There is also a suggestion for the management team to anticipate any issues related to international internship program such as mitigation of the language barriers. Led by Rizka Safriyani, M. Pd. as the moderator, the forum was attended by participants not only from the university but also from other universities such as STAIN Bengkalis and IAIN Jayapura. (SA)
