SANTRIS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS ENGLISH IN AN INDONESIAN ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL A THESIS Submitted to Fulfill the Requirements for Sarjana Pendidikan Degree at English Education Department of Faculty of Educational Sciences and Teachers’ Training Siliwangi University

MUHAMMAD YUSRIL MUHARAM. 2024. SANTRIS’ ATTITUDES
TOWARDS ENGLISH IN AN INDONESIAN ISLAMIC BOARDING
SCHOOL. English Education Department, Faculty of Educational Sciences and
Teacher’ Training, Siliwangi University, Tasikmalaya.
This research aims to identify the factors that negatively affect santri's attitudes
toward learning English in an Indonesian Islamic boarding school. Pre-observation
revealed that approximately 29% of students exhibited behaviors such as lack of
focus, motivation, and interest, often engaging in disruptive actions like joking
around, sleeping in class, and neglecting their studies. To explore these factors, a
descriptive case study was conducted, involving semi-structured interviews with
three 11th-grade students. The findings reveal three primary themes: lack of
exposure to English, language anxiety, and lack of motivation. Insufficient
exposure to English hindered students’ proficiency, particularly in listening,
reading, and pronunciation. Anxiety about making mistakes created emotional
barriers, preventing students from engaging in English-speaking activities.
Additionally, low motivation, often exacerbated by an uninspiring classroom
environment and absence of peers, contributed to disengagement and negative
attitudes. These insights emphasize the importance of addressing cognitive,
affective, and behavioral factors to promote positive language attitudes and enhance
language acquisition.

Keywords: Language Attitude, Exposure, Language Anxiety, Motivation