Communicative Language Teaching in Arabic Instruction at a Pesantren: Practices, Conditions, and Constraints
Abstract
Students' Arabic speaking proficiency (mahārah al-kalām) at the research site remains low, a condition closely linked to the still uneven implementation of communicative teaching methods. This study describes the implementation of the communicative method in Arabic language learning, the condition of students' mahārah al-kalām, and the supporting and hindering factors involved. A descriptive qualitative field study approach was employed, with data collected through observation, interviews, and documentation involving sixteen informants, comprising eight Arabic teachers and eight tenth-grade (Ulya) male and female students. Data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model, comprising data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. Findings show that implementation of the communicative method remains partial: communicative elements such as question-and-answer sessions, vocabulary memorization, and encouragement to speak are already present, while more structured activities such as paired conversations, presentations, and role play have not been carried out consistently. Students' mahārah al-kalām is still constrained by limited vocabulary, difficulty constructing sentences, and low confidence in speaking. Supporting factors include a conducive boarding-school environment, students' religious motivation, enthusiasm toward communicative learning, the teacher's conceptual readiness, and the simplicity of required resources, while hindering factors include limited instructional time, variation in student ability, and insufficient supporting media. These findings indicate that the success of the communicative method in a pesantren setting depends more on the consistency of structured communicative activities than on teachers' conceptual understanding of the method alone.
Keywords
References
[1] A. Kutlu and A. Kutlu, “The contribution of moral education on raising awareness of citizenship responsibility,” Mediterr. J. Soc. Sci., vol. 5, no. 19, pp. 509–514, 2014, doi: https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n19p509 .
[2] T. Eaude, “Reflections on the role of spirituality in how young children’s identities are constructed,” in Supporting Children and Youth Through Spiritual Education, 2023, p. 22. doi: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6371-0.ch002.
[3] T. Hicks, “Student spiritual growth: perceptions of post-school women about the influence of their Mercy education in fostering spiritual growth and building self-efficacy,” Int. Stud. Cathol. Educ., vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 219–235, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/19422539.2025.2486112.
[4] R. R. A. Razak, “Spiritual dimension in education: The role of institutions of higher education,” Int. J. Humanit., vol. 8, no. 11, pp. 45–56, 2011, doi: https://doi.org/10.18848/1447-9508/cgp/v08i11/41602.
[5] N. Gosić, “Character Education and Culture,” Metod. Ogl., vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 11–32, 2025, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105015453425&partnerID=40&md5=5070a74ca06e306038390b4313ee8bb5
[6] B. Bulkani, A. Riadin, N. Ni’mah, and M. A. Setiawan, “Impact of holistic learning models on character development: a systematic review,” Obraz. i Nauk., vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 111–141, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.17853/1994-5639-2025-5-111-141.
[7] A. Darwanto, R. C. I. Prahmana, A. Susanti, and I. A. Khalil, “Transformation of Boarding School Management Models in Enhancing Student Accessibility and Educational Quality,” J. Pendidik. Agama Islam, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 145–164, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v21i1.8632.
[8] D. M. Ahmad, “The Dynamics of the Pondok Pesantren: An Islamic Educational Institution in Indonesia,” in Currents of Encounter, vol. 43, 2012, pp. 63–74. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789401207584_006.
[9] M. Hanif, Mukroji, H. Suwito, A. C. Mubaroq, and A. Dharin, “Pesantren Resistance To Indonesia’S National Curriculum To Defend Its Curriculum Model,” Rev. Gest. Soc. e Ambient., vol. 18, no. 7, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n7-049.
[10] M. N. Djuaeni and A. Usman, “Al-lughah al-’arabiyah fi al-ma’ahid al-islamiyah bi indunisiya: Mushkilatuha wa turuq halliha,” Studia Islamika, vol. 28, no. 2. pp. 413–455, 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.36712/sdi.v28i2.21936.
[11] St Kuraedah, N. A. Mar, and F. Gunawan, “Improving Students’ Sense to Learn Language in Islamic Institution of Coastal Area Indonesia,” in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2018. doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/156/1/012047.
[12] S. Hussin, M. Mohamad, and A. Ghanad, “Education for emancipation and sustainability: The roles of pesantrens in societal development in Java, Indonesia,” Malaysian Online J. Educ. Manag., vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 1–18, 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.22452/mojem.vol5no3.1.
[13] A. Sarbaini and N. Rahmi, “Enhancing Arabic Speaking Skills: A Study on Instructional Design, Implementation, and Assessment,” Arab. J. Bhs. Arab, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 641–662, Oct. 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.29240/jba.v8i2.10828.
[14] M. Al-Shraydeh and F. Hudieb, “Speaking between theory and practice,” Dirasat Hum. Soc. Sci., vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 633–648, 2010, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84879000862&partnerID=40&md5=5e84209a4c3803ebabd2f66f6fb1e6a5
[15] K. Muhammad and Z. Li, “Analysis of education reform in Indonesia based on qualitative methods for a digital sustainable society,” in Proceedings - 2024 International Conference on Culture-Oriented Science and Technology, CoST 2024, 2024, pp. 291–294. doi: https://doi.org/10.12816/002443010.1109/CoST64302.2024.00064.
[16] M. Kanwit and M. Solon, Communicative Competence in a Second Language: Theory, Method, and Applications. 2022. https://doi.org/10.12816/002443010.4324/9781003160779.
[17] A. A. T. S. Eldin, “Teaching culture in the classroom to Arabic language students,” Int. Educ. Stud., vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 113–120, 2015, https://doi.org/10.12816/002443010.5539/ies.v8n2p113.
[18] R. Jabr and B. Dujani, “Listening and reading skills in the university of Jordan curriculum for non-native Arabic speakers,” Dirasat Hum. Soc. Sci., vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 929–940, 2015, https://doi.org/10.12816/0024430.
[19] Zulhannan, G. C. Kesuma, U. Musyarrofah, and Y. Andriansyah, “Enhancing Communicative Arabic Teaching: Evaluating the Al-Arabiyah Baina Yadaik Model,” J. Educ. Soc. Res., vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 318–335, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.12816/002443010.36941/jesr-2025-0100.
[20] S. Z. Bin Tahir, “Multilingual teaching and learning at Pesantren Schools in Indonesia,” Asian EFL J., vol. 2017, no. 98, pp. 74–94, 2017, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85036592221&partnerID=40&md5=d8facf7f8df2c3530668967035d1f6d9
[21] M. Bagatin, “Linguistic variation according to Ibn Ḫaldūn,” RomanoArabica, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 7–22, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.22046/LA.2023.01.
[22] R. Sayyadi-Nezhad, “The review of linguistic competence in Ebne Khaldon’s view,” Lang. Relat. Res., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 223–243, 2013, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84957608560&partnerID=40&md5=59a71a7eae47a098e954206de9c6cc01
[23] M. S. Khasanova and N. B. Mirzayeva, “Importance of CLT in teaching vocabulary to adult learners,” in E3S Web of Conferences, 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202341303017.
[24] L. Pan and D. Nunan, “CLT and TBLT: looking back and looking forward with Professor David Nunan,” Lang. Learn. J., vol. 53, no. 6, pp. 694–701, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2025.2553019.
[25] M. Canale and M. Swain, “Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing,” Appl. Linguist., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–47, 1980, doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/I.1.1.
[26] M. Peluso, “The functional approach, semiotics and professional discourse,” Training, Lang. Cult., vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 62–72, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.22363/2521-442X-2021-5-2-62-72.
[27] N. Siffrinn and M. Gebhard, “DISCIPLINARY DISCOURSES AND SECOND LANGUAGE LITERACIES: A systemic functional linguistic perspective,” in The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Discourse, 2024, pp. 51–63. doi: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003177579-6.
[28] Z. S. Feuer and D. V. Makarov, “Qualitative and mixed methods in urology,” in Translational Urology: Handbook for Designing and Conducting Clinical and Translational Research, 2024, pp. 195–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90186-4.00083-3.
[29] C. Gillan, C. Palmer, and A. Bolderston, “Qualitative methodologies and analysis,” in Research for the Radiation Therapist: From Question to Culture, 2014, pp. 127–152.
[30] A. Katsiroumpa and P. Galanis, “Data collection methods in qualitative research,” Arch. Hell. Med., vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 565–573, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-18427-6-3.
[31] L. K. Bartels, C. R. Nordstrom, and J. A. Koski, “A structured interview demonstration,” Teach. Psychol., vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 55–57, 2006, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33644536137&partnerID=40&md5=3eaa335ee8f03d0491aaf3e0c1c53d2f
[32] M. Kalliala and I. Pramling Samuelsson, “Pedagogical documentation,” Early Years, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 116–118, 2014, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2014.906135.
[33] J. Green et al., “Generating best evidence from qualitative research: The role of data analysis,” Aust. N. Z. J. Public Health, vol. 31, no. 6, pp. 545–550, 2007, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2007.00141.x.
[34] L. Levin and S. Forward, “Explaining Data Analysis Using Qualitative Methods,” in International Encyclopedia of Transportation: Volume 1-7, vol. 7, 2021, pp. 107–112. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102671-7.10668-2.
[35] P. Liamputtg, “Qualitative data analysis: Conceptual and practical considerations,” Heal. Promot. J. Aust., vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 133–139, 2009, doi: https://doi.org/10.1071/he09133.
[36] A. A. Sadigova, “Some Aspects of Communicative Learning in Russian Lessons As a Foreign Language,” Univ. y Soc., vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 273–279, 2023, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85161896549&partnerID=40&md5=736ed062591d04efb8986023a43e270d
[37] J. Barcroft, Vocabulary in Language Teaching. 2015. doi: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315679549.
[38] P. T. Duong, M. M. Perez, L. Q. Nguyen, P. Desmet, and E. Peters, “The impact of input, input repetition, and task repetition on L2 lexical use and fluency in speaking,” Stud. Second Lang. Learn. Teach., vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 101–124, 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.29727.
[39] H. F. Zhong, “The relationship between receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge: a perspective from vocabulary use in sentence writing,” Lang. Learn. J., vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 357–370, 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2015.1127403.
[40] A. S. Alharbi, “Communicative Language Teaching Approach in a Saudi Context: A Critical Appraisal,” Eurasian J. Appl. Linguist., vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 60–71, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.32601/ejal.10106.
[41] A. A. Al Asmari, “Communicative language teaching in efl university context: Challenges for teachers,” J. Lang. Teach. Res., vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 976–984, 2015, doi: https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0605.09.
[42] K. Kartini, K. A. Nawas, and A. N. Tanal, “Learning Outcomes of Arabic Pedagogy Via Classical Islamic Texts: A Systematic Review of the Indonesian Pesantren Tradition,” Int. J. Learn. Teach. Educ. Res., vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 953–984, 2026, doi: https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.2.42.
[43] S. Marpuah and Sulton, “The mastery of Arabic language communication with communicative active method,” Humanit. Soc. Sci. Rev., vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 484–490, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2019.7371.
[44] M. M. Rahman, A. Pandian, and M. Kaur, “Factors affecting teachers’ implementation of communicative language teaching curriculum in secondary schools in Bangladesh,” Qual. Rep., vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 1104–1126, 2018, https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3220.
[45] T. W. Christ and S. A. Makarani, “Teachers’ attitudes about teaching English in India: An embedded mixed methods study,” Int. J. Mult. Res. Approaches, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 73–87, 2009, https://doi.org/10.5172/mra.455.3.1.73.
[46] Y. G. Butler, “The implementation of communicative and task-based language teaching in the Asia-Pacific Region,” Annu. Rev. Appl. Linguist., vol. 31, pp. 36–57, 2011, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190511000122.
[47] S. J. Savignon, “Communicative language teaching: Strategies and goals,” in Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning, 2005, pp. 635–651. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410612700-49.
[48] I. Elgort and A. Siyanova-Chanturia, “Interdisciplinary approaches to researching L2 lexical acquisition, processing, and use: An introduction to the special issue,” Second Lang. Res., vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 189–205, Apr. 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658320988.
[49] I. Tosuncuoglu, “Communicative language learning as a motivating factor,” Educ. Res. Rev., vol. 6, no. 7, pp. 509–515, 2011, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79961055386&partnerID=40&md5=03e2798321513ff458ca36a26ed7d61a
[50] L. White, “Assessing Adult Linguistic Competence,” in The Routledge Handbook of Experimental Linguistics, 2023, pp. 330–344. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003392972-24.
[51] W. A. Renandya and M. T. T. Nguyen, “Teaching speaking in L2 contexts,” in Handbook of Practical Second Language Teaching and Learning, 2022, pp. 269–280. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003106609-22.
[52] C. Vorwerg, “Communicative Competence: Linguistic Aspects,” in International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition, 2015, pp. 294–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.53042-6.
[53] A. Derbani, S. Islam, W. R. Adawiyah, A. R. Naik, R. F. Gomes, and D. R. Fauzi, “Overcoming public speaking anxiety: the role of personality traits self-confidence, and personal resources among Indonesian and Bangladeshi students,” Curr. Psychol., vol. 44, no. 24, pp. 19194–19206, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-08433-3.
[54] A. A. Agil and M. Mahmudah, “Arabic Proverbs as a Pedagogical Tool to Enhance Arabic Speaking Skills among University Students,” Al-Ta’rib J. Ilm. Progr. Stud. Pendidik. Bhs. Arab IAIN Palangka Raya, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 495–510, 2025, https://doi.org/10.23971/altarib.v13i2.10603.
[55] K. Nicholls, “‘You have to work from where they are’: academic leaders’ talk about language development,” J. High. Educ. Policy Manag., vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 67–84, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2019.1658922.
[56] A. A. Rekan et al., “Arabic Language Curriculum as a Foundation for Strengthening Religious Education in Public Higher Education,” J. Pendidik. Agama Islam, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 97–121, 2025, https://doi.org/10.14421/jpai.v22i1.11340.
[57] S. Z. Bin Tahir, “Multilingual behavior of pesantren IMMIM students in makassar,” Asian EFL J., vol. 2015, no. 86, pp. 45–64, 2015, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85036558971&partnerID=40&md5=d30cbb9865fdbd279525a4b90e35ab97
[58] J. C. M. Parina, “Individual differences in a proficiency task as a function of L2 and non L2 specific dimensions,” 3L Lang. Linguist. Lit., vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 32–39, 2011, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79959630187&partnerID=40&md5=1a8a32ffbdf7b8d4ffdbc6319fcf61c5
[59] K. Saito and T. Uchihara, “Experiential, perceptual, and cognitive individual differences in the development of declarative and automatized phonological vocabulary knowledge,” Bilingualism, 2024, https://doi.org10.1017/S1366728924000609.
[60] E. Hoter, M. Yazbak Abu Ahmad, and H. Azulay, “Enhancing Language Learning and Intergroup Empathy through Multi-User Interactions and Simulations in a Virtual World,” Virtual Worlds, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 333–353, 2024, https://doi.org10.3390/virtualworlds3030018.
[61] G. E. Joseph, J. Soderberg, R. Abbott, R. Garzon, and C. Scott, “Improving Language Support for Infants and Toddlers: Results of FIND Coaching in Childcare,” Infants Young Child., vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 91–105, 2022, https://doi.org10.1097/IYC.0000000000000214.
[62] K. Moranski, “Domestic immersion in postsecondary language education: Review and research agenda,” Mod. Lang. J., vol. 109, no. 2, pp. 301–325, 2025, https://doi.org10.1111/modl.12995.
[63] A. Roskvist, S. Harvey, D. Corder, and K. Stacey, “‘To improve language, you have to mix’: teachers’ perceptions of language learning in an overseas immersion environment,” Lang. Learn. J., vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 321–333, 2014, https://doi.org10.1080/09571736.2013.785582.
[64] Sulalah, M. Rohman, S. Fatima, and M. Ahmad, “Islamic Religiosity and Learning Motivation in Indonesian University Students,” J. Behav. Sci., vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 44–71, 2026, [Online]. Available: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105029754447&partnerID=40&md5=981537b138cc07f2ac39c34c506a7481
[65] R. Rashimbetov, N. Utpinov, G. Mazhiyev, and N. Kairbekov, “Correlation between secular state and religious orientation: Internal and external motives of madrasa students,” Pharos J. Theol., vol. 106, no. 5, pp. 1–19, 2025, https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.106.58.
[66] E. Sato and Y. Fujita, “Tracking language learners’ motivations within a translanguaging perspective,” Transl. Translanguaging Multiling. Context., vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 171–199, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1075/ttmc.00161.sat.
[67] K. A. Noels, D. I. Vargas Lascano, and K. Saumure, “THE DEVELOPMENT of SELF-DETERMINATION ACROSS the LANGUAGE COURSE,” Stud. Second Lang. Acquis., vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 821–851, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263118000189.
[68] D. Li, “‘It’s Always More Difficult Than You Plan and Imagine’: Teachers’ Perceived Difficulties in Introducing the Communicative Approach in South Korea,” TESOL Q., vol. 32, no. 4, p. 677, 1998, https://doi.org/10.2307/3588000.
[69] S. Sekiziyivu and C. B. Mugimu, “Communicative language teaching strategies for german as a foreign language in uganda,” J. Lang. Teach. Res., vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 8–15, 2017, https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0801.02.
[70] B. Zakarneh, N. Al-Ramahi, and M. Mahmoud, “Challenges of teaching English language classes of slow and fast learners in the United Arab Emirates universities,” Int. J. High. Educ., vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 256–269, 2020, https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v9n1p256.
[71] P. Pouzergues, “Blended Learning Opportunities for Personalized Learning in Multi-Level Classroom,” in Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2026, pp. 180–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-17557-1_13.
[72] C. Rouffet, C. van Beuningen, and R. de Graaff, “Constructive alignment in foreign language curricula: an exploration of teaching and assessment practices in Dutch secondary education,” Lang. Learn. J., vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 344–358, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2022.2025542.
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
