Unlocking Student Voices: Social Support And Authentic Interaction As Catalysts of English Speaking Engagement in Islamic Higher Education - Indonesia

Abstract

This study investigates how environmental factors, authentic speaking activities, and affective conditions influence students' English-speaking engagement at an Islamic Higher Education institution in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, where English is treated as a foreign language. Although the pedagogical benefits of speaking practice are well documented, many students remain reluctant to speak English due to anxiety, unsupportive environments, and limited opportunities for authentic communicative interaction. Using a qualitative descriptive methodology, the study triangulated data from semi-structured interviews, three-week campus observations, and supporting documentation. Ten English Education students who joined the English-speaking club participated, selected purposively based on their varied involvement in extracurricular speaking activities. Findings show that students speak English only when emotionally and socially safe, drawing heavily on peer encouragement, supportive communities, and real-world communication contexts. The study concludes that speaking participation is socially co-constructed and constrained by affective factors such as fear of mistakes, low vocabulary control, and anxiety. The results reinforce Vygotsky's Social Constructivism and Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis, demonstrating that supportive environments significantly lower anxiety and enhance willingness to communicate. Pedagogical implications include the need for institutional redesign of speaking ecosystems, integration of authentic communicative opportunities, and structured scaffolding for emotional safety in Islamic Higher Education contexts.