Exploring the Challenges Faced by Sundanese Study Program Students in Meeting PTESOL as a Graduation Requirement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i2.12251Keywords:
Challenges, Graduation Requirement, PTESOL, Sundanese Study Program StudentsAbstract
English proficiency tests are a standard for measuring an individual’s English language communication skills and are also designed as one of the graduation requirements for certain educational institutions. As a result, several majors are affected because students must take the test, which is considered an additional obstacle. Since previous studies have discussed a general study program regarding the difficulties in taking the English proficiency test, which found students who experiencing anxiety during the test due to lack of vocabulary, limited preparation, and unprepared basic skills, this study aims to qualitatively explore the challenges faced by a specific students from regional-language of Sundanese study program in meeting PTESOL as a graduation requirement by unpacking the factors and their perspectives toward this condition. This study used a qualitative approach and a single-case study design and involved three students from the Sundanese language education degree who have direct experience facing PTESOL. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis was used to present the data in depth. The findings display the elements of the struggle faced by participants before, during, and after taking the test, i.e limited preparation before the test; vocabulary, listening, concentration, and testing-facility problems during the test; and uncertainty about the result of the test, in tandem with their perspective that tends to handicap them. These factors mainly stem from their individual backgrounds, inadequate institutional support, and their perception that the current requirement should be reconsidered or better adapted to students from different disciplinary backgrounds, reflecting the relevance for all majors.
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