Bridging Faith and Language: Socio-Religious Values and Arabic Language Acquisition in Pesantren Walisongo Lampung Tengah

Abstract

This study investigates the lived experiences of students (santri) and educators in acquiring Arabic within the socio-religious ecosystem of Pesantren Walisongo, Indonesia. While mainstream Second Language Acquisition (SLA) literature conceptualizes language learning through secular-functionalist lenses of instrumental utility or integrative motivation, it often neglects the transcendental imperatives that drive language socialization in faith-based environments. Adopting a Husserlian transcendental phenomenological research design, this study explores how socio-religious values shape the lived experience of Arabic acquisition. Data were collected through in-depth phenomenological interviews with 20 participants, extensive observations, and bracketing (epoché) to uncover the core essences of the phenomenon. Moustakas’ systematic steps of phenomenological reduction revealed three core themes: (1) the lived experience of linguistic labor as a transcendental act of devotion (ibadah), which minimizes affective barriers; (2) navigating the lived space of the mandatory linguistic environment (bi’ah arabiyah) as a site of moral-existential peer accountability; and (3) the embodiment of Arabic as symbolic and spiritual capital linked to religious authority (akhlak). The study synthesizes these findings into a novel theoretical framework of Transcendental Language Socialization, arguing that Arabic acquisition in this context serves as an existential site for the co-constitution of linguistic fluency and spiritual identity.