Collaborating Ethnography of Communication, Experiential

Learning and Islamic Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested

Teaching Practices
Ani Meitikasari
STAIN Jurai Siwo Metro, Lampung
animei16@yahoo.co.id

Abstract

In the globalization era, the perspective of language especially English for Foreign
Language (EFL) as a means for communication around the world becomes the major
consideration that should be emphasized by the educators; it means that the language
teaching not only refers to linguistics competence but also communicative
competence. Communicative competence relates to the social-cultural context of
language use. In this case, social-cultural context deals with ethnography of
communication as a method to analyze the context of utterances proposed by Hymes
(1964) and Islamic Value as a real point of character building in educational setting;
especially the way of communication. Therefore, it is a demand to the teacher to
provide the method that encounters the students’ language ability by providing the
opportunity to obtain experience of language use based on the real context and
Islamic values.

Keywords: Communicative Competence, Experiential Learning, Islamic Values

1. INTRODUCTION communication describes a new approach

Nowadays, the role of English as
lingua franca of the world becomes the
important consideration in the language
learning. Burchfield (1985) argues that
these perception guides the teacher to
empower the opportunities of experiencing
language in the classroom. Consequently,
the students have to be involved and
experienced in using language on the
various sociolinguistics situations: knowing
a language was much more than just
memorizing a bunch of rules of grammar,
on other words, it refers to the context of
language use (Finegan, 2006). It indicates
that the students should master not only
about the content of language but also the
context of language.
Furthermore, one of the initiation
steps to comprehend and act with the
context of language use is by exploring
and integrating the language input i.e.
speaker utterances heard by the listener
based on the ethnography of
communication proposed by Hymes
(1964). Hymes argues that ethnography of
to understand language in use. On other
words, it is a the study of language that
concerns with describing and analyzing
the ability of the speakers to use language
for communication in real situations
(communicative competence) rather than
limiting itself to describe the potential
ability of the ideal speaker/listener to
produce grammatically correct sentences
(linguistic competence). Speakers of a
language in particular communities are
able to communicate with each other in a
manner which is not only correct
grammatically but also acceptable
appropriately to the socio-cultural context.
Additionally, dealing with socio-
cultural context, the students as a subject
of society in which they live in and bring
their identity up should be understood
about the values, in other words, the way
to communicate with others must be
suitable with their character/identity; in this
case as a Moslem, by applying Islamic
values. Consequently, they can share their
ideas/message acceptably and wisely in
society, hence, it signifies that educational

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 Meitikasari: Collaborating Ethnography of Communication, Experiential Learning and Islamic
Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested Teaching Practices
settings must highlight not only “content-
based context: linguistics
communicative competence” but also
“meaningful wisdom: values”.
By the implications, EFL classroom
especially in Indonesia have to encounter
these paradigm in order to guarantee that
the students are able to communicate by
using English appropriately
acceptably based on the context situation
in the real life. Some of the preliminary
studies proposed that most of the students
were able to understand language as a
tool for “communicating” their scores in the
exam rather than “communicating” their
ideas wisely and acceptably to others. It
implies that the teaching English in
Indonesia is just functioned as “a vacuum
goal” in achieving the structural
appreciation without engaging students to
“act” with the language in overcoming their
field problems.
Therefore, according to those
explanations above, this study is intended
to investigate and describe
collaboration of ethnography
communication, experiential learning,
Islamic values and their implication in
English Foreign Language (EFL) teaching
practices.
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Ethnography of Communication
(Hymes, 1964)
According to Donald Carbough (1989)”
Ethnography of Communication is an
approach, a perspective, and method to
and is the study of culturally distinctive
means and meanings of communication”.
It implies that Ethnography of
Communication concerns about the
function of language as a tool for sharing
or communicating the speaker’s idea to
others in real situation. Moreover, Farah
(1998: 125) states that the understanding
of language is important especially
aspects of speaking that Hymes feels
cannot be separated: what speakers can
and do say, and the communal context
such speech occurs in. Speech does not
occur in a vacuum, but rather within a
specific context, and ‘when the meaning of
speech styles are analyzed, we realize
and that they entail dimensions of participant,
setting, channel, and the like, which partly
govern their meanings’ (Hymes, 1989:
444). It indicates that people deliver their
speech should be based on the certain
context, on other words, each
speech/expression has their own function
and in certain context. The sentence “What
time is it?” can be functioned as the way to
someone asking the time when the event
happens. However, it also can be
interpreted as the irony statement to who
came late in that event. Those
interpretations can be identified by
considering the social context of the
expression use.
Furthermore, Hymes proposed these
tools (S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G.) to analyze one
unit, such as particular speech community,
people can come to learn more about how
people communicate and how that
communication is often patterned.
the a. S. The first letter ("S") designates
of Situation, which includes both the
scene and the setting. This is where
the activities are talking place and the
overall scene in which they are a part.
b. P. The second refers to the
Participants involved. This area
includes the people present and the
roles they play, or the relationships
they have with other participants.
c. E. Next, the Ends or goals of
communication can be studied.
d. A. Acts, or speech acts include both
form and content. That is, any action
can be considered a communicative
action if it conveys meaning to the
participants.
e. K. One can also choose to focus upon
the Key or tone of speech. How the
speech sounds or was delivered.
f. I. Instrumentality or the channel
through which communication flows
can be examined.
g. N. The Norms of communication or
the rules guiding talk and its
interpretation can reveal meaning.
h. G. Finally, one can look at cultural or
traditional speech Genres, such as
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 Meitikasari: Collaborating Ethnography of Communication, Experiential Learning and Islamic
Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested Teaching Practices
proverbs, apologies, prayers, small
talk, problem talk, etc.
Those terms are used to analyze the
sociolinguistics context of the certain
utterances so that by understanding and
identifying those terms, the listeners can
capture the message delivered by the
speaker and the speaker also can produce
the appropriate and acceptable language
for delivering their ideas. Moreover, this
point of view can be applied in the
language teaching by conducting certain
teaching method that will be discussed
later.
B. Experiential Learning
Experiential Learning (EL) is one of
the teaching methods that not only
purposefully engages with students in
direct experience and focuses on the
reflection in order to increase knowledge,
develop skills, and clarify values but also
provides the suitable environment for
language learning ” (Association for
Experiential Education, 2011. para. 2). A
major point of experiential learning, thus,
is the student, and learning takes place
(the knowledge gained) as a result of
being personally involved in this
pedagogical approach including six steps:
experiencing, reflecting, analyzing,
generalizing, and application (Baker,
Jensen, and Kolb, 2002). On other words,
the students are engaged in teaching
learning process vigorously (a student-
centered approach) in which they have a
personal interest, need, or want by
analyzing and activating their critical
thinking, reflecting, evaluating and
reconstructing it (sometimes individually,
sometimes collectively, sometimes both) in
order to draw meaning from it in the light
of prior experience.
Dealing with the learning cycle of
Experiential Learning, Baker, Jensen, and
Kolb (2002) cited in Mollaei, F. and
Rahnama, H. (2012: 4) renew the
construct of learning cycle, as follows:
Figure 2. 1. The Experiential Learning
Cycle
Do
Prepare Recall
Conclude Reflect
In 2000, Boud, Cohen and Walker (p.
8-14) developed five “principles” about
experiential leaning, as follows:
1. Experience is the foundation of,
and the stimulus for all learning.
2. Learners actively construct their
own experience.
3. Learning is a holistic process.
4. Learning is socially and culturally
constructed.
5. Learning is influenced by socio-
emotional context in which it
occurs.
Dealing with those principles,
experiential learning tries to integrate the
social context and language itself by
involving students to take part dynamically
in teaching learning process. The students
are guided to construct their own
understanding based on their experience
and ‘act’ or ‘perform’ language by
engaging their psychological aspects such
as self-efficacy or self-confidence and
considering the social-emotional context of
language use. This method brings up the
real context of language use as the
simulation into classroom activities so that
the students can experience directly how
the language is used and how to produce
language reasonably and properly.
C. Islamic Values
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 Meitikasari: Collaborating Ethnography of Communication, Experiential Learning and Islamic
Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested Teaching Practices
Considering the aspect of social-
cultural context, the character/identity that
reflects the values attributed in moral point
of view should become an important
consideration in educational activity.
Moreover, the teacher should understand
how to generate the students’ character
especially the way how to deliver the
language or give responds to others wisely
and suitablely.
Moreover, in the Islamic perspective,
those arguments are in line implicitly with
one of the Surah in Al-Quran (QS Ibrahim:
4):
“And We did not send any messenger
except [speaking] in the language of his
people to state clearly for them, and
Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He
wills and guides whom He wills. And He is
the Exalted in Might, the Wise”.
Even though, those do not specifically
refer to communication in general area; it
is more focused on “Da’wah” delivered by
Prophet Muhammad SAW, however, it can
be “a key point” for those in delivering the
ideas or messages to others. The word “to
state clearly for them” maintains that it is a
demand to choose and apply the
appropriate language for those listeners.
On other words, before delivering the
language or communicating with others,
the speaker must observe “who the
listener is” so that the message is easily
understood by the listeners.
In addition, the explanation above
also supports that value, especially about
how to regard other people in well-
mannered way according to their “whole-
being aspects”. On other words, language
as a tool for communication becomes one
of the indicators of “how well the speakers’
character is”; it indicates that the character
of the students can be seen from the way
of delivering their language to other
people. Therefore, using language by
considering Islamic Values also involves
their character building especially in
communication setting.
3. RESEARCH METHOD
This research is conducted by using a
qualitative point of view, in which, the
researcher observes the phenomenon,
determines and formulates the problems,
then, searches for the data and
information by collaborating the literature
review and teaching experience, analyzes
those data, and finally draws the
conclusion and suggestion in form of
suggested teaching practices that can be
applied by the teachers in EFL
Classroom.. Therefore, this research is a
kind of a literature study especially about
Ethnography of communication proposed
by Hymes, Experiential Learning and
Islamic Values as a main point in
character building of Islamic education.
4. DISCUSSION
The important points of language
teaching that should be considered and
emphasized are language is used to
communicate each other in social context
and it implies that language teaching
should provide the environment and
learning facilities in EFL classroom to
encounter the students’ ability by giving
much opportunity in experiencing of using
language. Many activities that can be
conducted in the class based on those
perspectives in language teaching such as
role-play, simulation, games, dairy,
journals, and etc. Those activities not only
provide the “similar” context of language
use but also engage students to ‘act’ in
using language. They can get the new
experience in using language and it guides
students to develop communication skill in
the real-context of language use, gain
knowledge, and strengthen decisions-
making skills by responding to and solving
real world problems and processes.
(Nation, 2009: 60). Additionally, it also
helps students to involve actively in the
learning process by creating, reflecting,
collaborating and applying their
experiences in language use. (Kolb in
Nunan 1993).
Furthermore, dealing with
ethnography of communication described
by the acronym of “SPEAKING” will guide
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 Meitikasari: Collaborating Ethnography of Communication, Experiential Learning and Islamic
Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested Teaching Practices
the students to identify and analyze the
context of language use, so that it will help
them to use language appropriately and
acceptably. Therefore, ethnography of
communication can be used as an initial
step in language teaching especially
speaking. The students who are able to
determine the six factors of
communication will obtain the
comprehensive cues of language use and
it will help them to maintain the
communication with other. In addition,
those perspectives can be integrated
mutually and implemented in the EFL
classroom by exploring the six steps of
experiential learning methods.
The following describes the steps that
comprise experiential learning as noted by
(Haynes, 2007 and UC Davis, 2011), as
follows:
a) Experiencing/ Exploring “Doing”
Students will perform or do a hands-
on minds-on experience with little or no
help from the teacher. A main aspect of
experiential learning is what the student
learns from the experience rather than the
quantity or quality of the experience.
Implementation:
Teacher gives the model texts that
can be in form of printed texts coming from
textbooks or authentic texts (magazines,
newspaper, invitation card, pamphlet, etc)
and digital texts including short videos,
plays, etc. Moreover, authentic materials
become the more crucial points in
language input because it will facilitate the
students to know and explore about the
culture and values of target language use.
Then, the students are asked to practice
the model based on their understanding
about the texts given. It will initiate their
thinking in constructing the experience
about language use and give them the
opportunity to use language in real
context.
Islamic Values:
By having an experience about
language use, the students also can
observe and understand the way how to
deliver their speech acceptably that is
suitable for the listeners, so that their
speech do not make the listeners feel so
humiliated. For example, the speech is
about the functional expression in booking
a hotel; the students must observe the
language used by the receptionist how to
offer the clients and how the clients order
the room. They use a polite and well –
mannered, so that the clients can feel so
respected by the receptionist.
b) Sharing /Reflecting “What
Happened?”
Students will share the results,
reactions and observations with their
peers. Students will also get other peers to
talk and write about their own experience,
share their reactions and observations and
discuss feelings generated by the
experience. The sharing equates to reflect
on what they discovered and relate it to
past experiences which can be used for
future use.
Implementation:
Teacher provides the opportunity to
reflect their previous activities by
identifying and analyzing the texts based
on the ethnography of communication
perspectives. It will guide them to
understand about the social-cultural
context used in the text, and they can
indirectly construct their understanding
about the use of certain expression used
in the text based on the certain situation.
Moreover, in this step, the students also
learn how to communicate their ideas and
negotiate the meaning of communication
by having group discussion.
Islamic Values:
After observing the authentic
materials, the students will get the point
how to share their ideas in good manners
and respected by each other.
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 Meitikasari: Collaborating Ethnography of Communication, Experiential Learning and Islamic
Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested Teaching Practices
c) Processing /Analyzing “What’s
Important?”
Students will discuss, analyze and
reflect upon the experience. Describing
and analyzing their experiences allow
students to relate them to future learning
experiences. Students will also discuss
how the experience was carried out, how
themes, problems and issues emerged as
a result of the experience. Students will
discuss how specific problems or issues
were addressed and to identify recurring
themes.
Implementation:
In this step, the students are asked to
present their work and then the teacher
gives the confirmation and further
explanation about the expression used in
the texts based on the ethnography of
communication perspectives. The teacher
guides the students to examine about their
previous construct of language use so that
the students can obtain the newest and
the true knowledge about those
expressions.
Islamic Values:
By having a group discussion, they
will obtain the new experience how to
present and apply the language directly
and, if the teacher confirms their work,
they can learn how to appreciate the
advices gracefully and how to respond
them politely. On other words, this activity
teaches them to be “an open-minded
person” towards others’ suggestion.
d) Generalizing “So What?”
Students will connect the experience
with real world examples, find trends or
common truths in the experience, and
identify “real life” principles that emerged.
Implementation:
After having the exact understanding
about the expression used in the model
texts, the students should integrate their
experience with the real “problem”
happened in the daily life. Therefore, the
teacher gives some topics in different
situation dealing with those expressions
and asks them to identify the context of
the language use based on the
ethnography of communication point of
view.
Islamic Values:
In this case, the students are allowed
to construct their own understanding about
language use based on their prior
experience. It means that they will learn
how to treat others especially by using
respectful speech. For example, in the
previous step, they must present their
work and the teacher gives feedback in
order to enforce their knowledge; they
conceive the good manners in delivering
the advices and how others feel when they
criticize roughly. Consequently, in the real
life, they will generate their value based on
the prior experience.
e) Application “Now What?”
Students will apply what they learned
in the experience (and what they learned
from past experiences and practice to a
similar or different situation. Also,
students will discuss how the newly
learned process can be applied to other
situations. Students will discuss how
issues raised can be useful in future
situations and how more effective
behaviors can develop from what they
learned. The teacher should help each
student feel a sense of ownership for what
was learned.
Implementation:
The final step is action or application
of their understanding and experience in
using language. They should perform their
work such as in form of role play and get
the suggestion from other in order to
enhance their communicative
competence.
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 Meitikasari: Collaborating Ethnography of Communication, Experiential Learning and Islamic
Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested Teaching Practices

Islamic Values: Bibliography

Finally, they will be able to catch the

point of their prior experience in using
language and try to apply polite and
proper language by considering the others’
feeling and life background in their daily
life.
The main points of this activities are
‘learning by doing’ in using language,
activating their thinking to construct their
own understanding by identifying and
analyzing the “S.P.E.A.K. I. N. G” factors
of communication based on the social-
cultural context, and engaging their
psychological aspects in language
learning such as their critical thinking in
analyzing the context of language use,
self-confidence and self-efficacy
performing their language ability, and
having the language experience in real
situation.
5. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, language teaching is a
complex method in guiding and facilitating
the students to use language as a means
for communication. Therefore, there are
some considerations in designing learning
activities in the classroom i.e.
understanding about the principles of
language (ethnography of
communication), the principle of teaching
language (experiential Learning), the
learning theory including the
psycholinguistics theory (self-confidence,
self-efficacy, etc) and the most principal
aspects; Islamic Values.
The Holy Book Al Qur-an (QS Ibrahim: 4)
Association for Experiential Education
http://www.aee.org/
Baker, A., Jensen, P.J., & Kolb, D.A. 2002.
Conversational Learning: An
Experiential Approach to
Knowledge Creation. Westport,
Conn Ecticut: Quorum Books.
Boud, D., Cohen, R. and Walker, D.
(2000). Using Experience for
Learning: Understanding Learning
From Experience Milton Keynes:
SRHE/Open University Press
Burchfield, R. (1985). The English
language. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
in
Farah, I. (1998) 'The Ethnography of
Communication', in N. H. Hornberger
and P. Corson (eds) Encyclopedia of
Language and Education: Volume 8:
Research Methods in Language and
Education. Dordrecht: Kluwer. pp.
125-7
Finegan, E. (1994). Sociolinguistics
perspectives: papers on language in
Society.
Hymes, Dell. (1974) Foundations of
Sociolinguistics: An Ethnographic
Approach. Philadelphia: U of
Pennsylvania P,
Hymes, D. H. (1989) 'Ways of speaking', in
R. Bauman and J. Sherzer (eds)
Explorations in the ethnography of
speaking. 2nd eds. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. pp.
433-51.
Haynes, C. (2007). Experiential learning:
Learning by doing.
http://adulteducation.wikibook.us/ind
ex.php?title=Experiential_Learning_-
_Learning_by_Doing
Ray, Manas. (2011). A study of
Ethnograhy of Communication: A
Discourse Anlysis with Hymes’
Speaking Model. Journal of
Education and Practice, Vol 2, No.
6,www.iiste.org.
Roulet, Eddy. Linguistics Theory,
Linguistics Description and
Language Teaching. Longman
Tukan, S. and Celik, Servet. Integrating
Culture into EFL Texts and

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 Meitikasari: Collaborating Ethnography of Communication, Experiential Learning and Islamic
Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested Teaching Practices

Classrooms: Sugessted Lesson

Plans. Novitas Royal. Research on
Youth And Language. Vol 1, Pp 18-
33.
University of California Davis (UC Davis).
(2011). Experiential Learning.
Retrieved from
http://www.experientiallearning.ucda
vis.edu/faq.shtml

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Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested Teaching Practices

Appendixes 1 Let me give you your

Dialogue 1. Booking a hotel room confirmation number. It´s:
7576385. I´ll repeat that:
I´d like to book a room please. Receptionist: — 7576385. Thank you for
choosing San Felice Hotel
Good afternoon, San and have a nice day.
Receptionist: — Felice Hotel. May I help Goodbye.
you? Mrs
— Goodbye.
Mrs Yes. I´d like to book a Ryefield:
—
Ryefield: room, please. Adopted from www.google.com
Certainly. When for,
Receptionist: —
madam?
Mrs
— March the 23rd.
Ryefield:
How long will you be
Receptionist: —
staying?
Mrs
— Three nights.
Ryefield:
What kind of room would
Receptionist: —
you like, madam?
Er... double with bath. I´d
Mrs appreciate it if you could
—
Ryefield: give me a room with a
view over the lake.
Certainly, madam. I´ll just
check what we have
available. . . Yes, we have
Receptionist: —
a room on the 4th floor
with a really splendid
view.
Mrs Fine. How much is the
—
Ryefield: charge per night?
Receptionist: — Would you like breakfast?
Mrs
— No, thanks.
Ryefield:
It´s eighty four euro per
Receptionist: —
night excluding VAT.
Mrs
— That´s fine.
Ryefield:
Who´s the booking for,
Receptionist: —
please, madam?
Mrs Mr and Mrs Ryefield,
—
Ryefield: that´s R-Y-E-F-I-E-L-D.
Okay, let me make sure I
got that: Mr and Mrs
Receptionist: — Ryefield. Double with bath
for March the 23rd, 24th
and 25th. Is that correct?
Mrs
— Yes it is. Thank you.
Ryefield:

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 Meitikasari: Collaborating Ethnography of Communication, Experiential Learning and Islamic
Values in EFL Classroom: Suggested Teaching Practices

Appendix 2 Appendix 3
Ethnography of Communication’s Assignment for Application Step
Worksheet Directions:
1. Work in group consisting of 4-6
Direction:
Identify the main factors influencing students, choose one topic you like
language used in the previous dialogue
containing the expression of help.
and describe it clearly by fulfilling the
following questions! 2. Analyze and determine the
“SPEAKING” factors of your topic.
No Factors Statement Meaning
1 Setting 3. Make the conversation based on
your Topic and perform it in 15
2 Participants
minutes!
3 End

4 Act Sequence

5 Key

6 Instrumentality

7 Norms of
interaction and
interpretation
8 Genre

10