Jian A’yuni Kartiko Weni. Exploring The Role of International Class Program in Shaping Students’ Communicative Competence in Indonesian State High Schools. Thesis. Department of English Education. Muhammadiyah University of Ponorogo. Advisor 1: Dr. Elok Putri Nimasari S. Pd., M. Pd., Advisor 2: Dr. Ana Maghfiroh S. Pd., M. Pd. B.I.
This study aimed to explore how students experience the use of English after participating in an International Class Program and how they respond, adapt, and negotiate meaning in communication. The research employed a qualitative phenomenological approach involving five graduates of an International Class Program in an Indonesian state high school. Data were collected through semi-structured online text-based interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic coding analysis. The findings were interpreted through Bakhtin’s theory of dialogism and Canale and Swain’s concept of communicative competence.
The research revealed that students experience English as a socially situated and meaning-oriented communicative practice rather than merely an academic subject. English was used flexibly according to communicative needs, often alongside Indonesian to sustain interaction and negotiate meaning. Supportive classroom environments, repeated communicative exposure, and peer interaction contributed to the development of students’ confidence and willingness to communicate. This study concludes that communicative competence is shaped not only by institutional exposure to English but also by students’ interactional experiences, social participation, and personal engagement with language. It highlights the importance of viewing English communication as a dynamic, dialogic, and socially constructed process, providing implications for the implementation of International Class Programs and communicative language teaching in multilingual educational contexts.
Keywords: International Class Program, Communicative Competence, Dialogism, lived experience, phenomenology, English communication.