Cultivating Oral Proficiency: Multiculturalism and Pre-Service Teachers’ Views on Speaking Skills

Abstrak

This qualitative case study examines how multiculturalism shapes oral proficiency development among pre-service English teachers in an Indonesian university context. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with four final-year teacher candidates, the research explores participants’ beliefs about speaking skills, the emotional factors influencing their oral performance, and the perceived value of culturally diverse pedagogical activities. Findings reveal that pre-service teachers’ confidence in speaking English is closely tied to their familiarity with multicultural content: those exposed to varied cultural scenarios reported reduced anxiety and greater willingness to communicate. Conversely, limited intercultural experience heightened apprehension, underscoring the importance of culturally responsive teaching. Participants valued role-plays situated in authentic cultural contexts and peer-teaching exercises that encouraged the sharing of home-culture perspectives, which collectively fostered engagement and linguistic adaptability. Thematic analysis further highlighted that integrating multimedia materials, such as interviews and videos showcasing global English use enhanced learners’ critical awareness of cultural nuance and pragmatic competence. Based on these insights, the study recommends embedding structured intercultural simulations and scaffolded cross-cultural speaking tasks into English teacher training curricula. It also advocates for professional development workshops focused on reflective practice to help pre-service teachers recognize and address their cultural biases. By positioning multiculturalism at the core of oral proficiency pedagogy, teacher education programs can better prepare future educators to facilitate inclusive, dynamic, and effective speaking environments.