CULTURAL BARRIERS TO SPEAKING ENGLISH AMONG ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CIREBON

Abstract

 Research Objective: This study aims to identify and describe the cultural barriers that hinder the English speaking skills of Islamic boarding school (pesantren) students in Cirebon, and to explain how these barriers relate to students' psychological, sociological, and institutional experiences within the pesantren environment. Methodology: A qualitative approach with an interpretative phenomenological design was employed. Ten active pesantren students in Cirebon were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participatory observation, documentation, and a supplementary short survey, then analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2019) reflexive thematic analysis. Key Findings: Four primary cultural barriers were identified: (1) norms of politeness and unwillingness to make mistakes, (2) dominance of Arabic and regional/Indonesian languages in daily communication, (3) lack of a supportive English immersion environment, and (4) perceptions of English's role relative to curriculum priorities. Application of this research: The findings are relevant for English teachers, pesantren administrators, and curriculum developers seeking to design culturally responsive speaking instruction in Islamic boarding schools and comparable faith-based educational settings. Novelty/Originality of this research: Unlike prior studies that isolate linguistic or socio-economic barriers, this research foregrounds the interaction between religious identity, politeness norms, and language ecology as a multidimensional cultural barrier, offering a more contextually grounded basis for pesantren-specific English pedagogy.