Auditorium of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA SPs UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS: The Graduate School of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta held the 2790th Thesis Exam in the Auditorium Room of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA, on Thursday, January 8, 2025 with candidate Ririn Rizkiya Utami.

Ririn is a student of the Master of Islamic Studies study program with a concentration in Arabic Language Education. Ririn wrote a thesis entitled "Code Switching and Code Mixing in Mahārah Kalām Learning in Bilingual Madrasahs: A Case Study of MAN Insan Cendekia East Lombok".

This research raises sensitive issues in foreign language learning discourse, namely the use of code switching and code mixing. In the midst of the ambition of madrassas to create a pure language immersion environment, the presence of these two language strategies often sparks debate. Ririn sees this phenomenon as not just a language mistake, but a strategic communication bridge for second language learners (Arabic).

Using a qualitative approach with a case study design, Ririn explored in-depth data at MAN Insan Cendekia (IC) East Lombok. He involved 16 key informants, ranging from madrasah heads, teachers, dormitory coaches, to grade XI students. Not only that, this research is strengthened by descriptive quantitative analysis.

One of the interesting findings in this study is how the immersion environment at MAN IC East Lombok is constructed. Arabic language learning does not just stop in the classroom, but penetrates into the pulse of the dormitory and daily religious activities. This environment forces students to continue to interact, but on the other hand creates linguistic challenges that demand a compensation strategy to keep communication flowing.

Ririn argued sharply that code switching and code mixing are not just "escapes" when students forget vocabulary. On the contrary, this phenomenon is scaffolding or a buffer in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). This means that the use of the mother tongue inserted in Arabic serves as a tool for students to achieve a higher understanding and is a natural stage of the interlanguage  process towards proficiency.

The quantitative data presented showed impressive results. The level of cognitive understanding of students was in the high category (mean 14.93), as was their affective response (mean 14.43). However, there is an interesting note in the conative tendency or real action that is in the medium category (mean 13.40). This indicates that there is a gap between the understanding of language theory and advanced communication practices in the field.

Furthermore, this thesis reveals that code switching plays a  very effective coping strategy. This strategy has been proven to be able to reduce language anxiety and increase student self-efficacy. By feeling "safe" to mix languages, students' willingness to communicate actually increases significantly compared to if they are forced to use pure language rigidly.

However, Ririn also gave a stern warning in her findings. While useful as a transition tool, over-reliance on code switching can trigger the "fossilization" of language skills. If students continue to settle into their comfort zone without exposure to more challenging material, their Arabic language skills risk stagnating and never reaching the level of a native speaker.

These findings reinforce previous research by Musthofa (2023) and Sholikhah and Isnaini (2024) that support the effectiveness of immersion and code switching as pedagogical strategies. At the same time, Ririn's research provides a new perspective that challenges the classical theories from Ellis (1997) to Wong-Fillmore (1985) who tend to view language switching as a purely obstacle to the acquisition of foreign languages.

This thesis is expected to be an important reference for bilingual madrasah managers in Indonesia in developing a language curriculum that is more adaptive, humane, and effective without eliminating the essence of the immersion environment itself.

Ririn Rizkiya Utami successfully defended her thesis under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd, and was tested in front of a board of examiners consisting of Prof. Dr. Yusuf Rahman, MA, Prof. Dr. Raswan, M.Pd, M.Pd.I and Dr. Maswani, MA.

After paying attention to the thesis writing, the comments of the examiner team and the candidate's answers, the examiner team determined that Ririn Rizkiya Utami graduated with the predicate of Very Satisfactory. Ririn Rizkiya Utami is the 2790th master in the field of Islamic Studies, in the master's program of the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.(JA)