Acehnese teachers teaching English to Rohingya refugees: Process and cultural barriers

Abstract

Rohingya people being sheltered in East Aceh, Indonesia, are taught English to prepare them for their future resettlement in Western countries; these countries are as determined by the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Rohingya are taught English by local Acehnese mentors at UNHCR refugee camps. This research was designed to study the classroom environment, teaching processes, and cultural barriers between mentors and refugees. Data were collected at one UNHCR camp in East Aceh using three instruments: classroom observation, video recordings, and interviews with six mentors and 30 refugees taking part in the course. The data were analyzed qualitatively based on Prosser and Loxley, and Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. This article provides a detailed discussion of the research findings. It is hoped that this research will be a starting point for further investigation into effective teaching process to overcome cultural barriers, not just in Aceh, but in other places that provide temporary shelter for Rohingya refugees.