Developing English-Speaking Confidence through a Communicative English Program in Amanatussalam Boarding School: An Evaluation of Intensive Language Learning
Abstract
Communicative competence in English remains a persistent challenge for students in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) in Indonesia, where Arabic dominates the linguistic environment. This community service study evaluated the effectiveness of the Global English Goes To (G-TO) Program, a five-day intensive English language learning initiative conducted at Pondok Pesantren Modern Wisata Amanatussalam, Wonosalam, Jombang. Employing a communicative language teaching approach integrated with game-based learning and student-centered instruction, the program engaged 47 participants from junior and senior high school levels. Participants were stratified into four proficiency classes (Basic 1, Basic 2, Pre-Intermediate, and Intermediate) based on placement test results. Assessment encompassed vocabulary, grammar, fluency, and pronunciation dimensions evaluated through daily scores (60%) and a final test (40%). Findings revealed that 70.1% of participants achieved the Good and Excellent categories. Affective outcomes indicated mean scores of 4.0 for confidence and motivation (Very Good category) and 3.8 for participation (Good category). The program achieved a 95.08% attendance rate across 16 instructional sessions. These results confirm that structured communicative English programs can effectively bridge the digital and linguistic gap in pesantren settings, fostering English habit formation and enhancing learners' speaking confidence. Implications suggest the need for sustained follow-up programs and institutional reinforcement to ensure long-term speaking competence development.
Kompetensi komunikatif dalam bahasa Inggris tetap menjadi tantangan yang signifikan bagi siswa di pondok pesantren di Indonesia, di mana bahasa Arab mendominasi lingkungan kebahasaan. Studi pengabdian masyarakat ini mengevaluasi efektivitas Program Global English Goes To (G-TO), sebuah inisiatif pembelajaran bahasa Inggris intensif selama lima hari yang dilaksanakan di Pondok Pesantren Modern Wisata Amanatussalam, Wonosalam, Jombang. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) yang diintegrasikan dengan pembelajaran berbasis permainan dan pembelajaran berpusat pada siswa, program ini melibatkan 47 peserta dari jenjang SMP dan SMA. Peserta dikelompokkan ke dalam empat kelas kemampuan (Basic 1, Basic 2, Pre-Intermediate, dan Intermediate) berdasarkan hasil placement test. Penilaian mencakup aspek vocabulary, grammar, fluency, dan pronunciation yang dievaluasi melalui nilai harian (60%) dan final test (40%). Hasil menunjukkan bahwa 70,1% peserta mencapai kategori Good dan Excellent. Capaian afektif menunjukkan rata-rata skor 4,0 untuk kepercayaan diri dan motivasi (kategori Sangat Baik) dan 3,8 untuk partisipasi (kategori Baik). Program mencapai tingkat kehadiran 95,08% dalam 16 sesi pembelajaran. Hasil ini mengonfirmasi bahwa program bahasa Inggris komunikatif yang terstruktur dapat secara efektif menjembatani kesenjangan linguistik di lingkungan pesantren, mendorong pembentukan English habit dan meningkatkan kepercayaan diri berbicara peserta. Implikasi menunjukkan perlunya program tindak lanjut yang berkelanjutan dan penguatan institusional untuk memastikan pengembangan kompetensi berbicara jangka panjang.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30872/plakat.v8i2.28399
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