Interlanguage communication strategies in teaching English to Thai students in International Internship Program

In the 21st century in today's globalized world, the international internship has considered to be one of the most influential aspects in the part of education. However, the student teachers face problems because of the language barrier they face during teaching in a school in a foreign country. Language difference is one of the conditions that would be dealt with by the student teachers. Consequently, in dealing with the problem they encounter, the student teachers use certain communication strategies, so that their message can be conveyed clearly. Therefore, this research is purposed: (1) to uncover Indonesian EFL student teachers’ strategies of interlanguage communication in teaching English to Thai students, (2) to uncover the factors influencing the choice of interlanguage communication strategies. A qualitative approach with a case study method is conducted in this research. It was conducted in the seventh semester of the English Education Department in UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung of the academic year of 2018 who joined an international internship program in Thailand. Seven student teachers were involved in this research. The data are obtained from an open-ended interview. The result of this research shows that the student teachers most often employed switching into native language of the students, appeal for help to the teacher or students, nonverbal strategies, and time fillers when facing problems in interlanguage communication. Furthermore, the problem source correlates with the choice of communication strategies. However, English proficiency level, personality and classroom situation did not have any effect on the choice of communication strategies employed. In conclusion, international internship challenges emerge mostly because of the differences in language. By using the communication strategies, it provides evidence that the use of it could facilitate them to achieve the communication goals in the teaching and learning process