HPI Mentorship in ESP Tourism Field Practice at Prambanan Temple: Students' Experiences

Abstract

This qualitative research explores the students' experiences during the Himpunan Pramuwisata Indonesia  (HPI) program on students’ field practice within the framework of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at Prambanan Temple. The study addresses a major pedagogical gap where traditional classroom-based ESP instruction often fails to prepare students for real-world, dynamic, and unpredictable foreign language interactions. It aims to examine how a three-stage professional mentorship scheme (theoretical orientation, shadowing/observation, and independent field practice) shapes students' perceived communicative competence, foreign language anxiety management, and practical tour guiding skills in an authentic outdoor environment. Data were collected from 22 seventh-semester English Education students at Universitas Merangin using field observations and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed in three phases: data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. The findings contribute to ESP pedagogy by establishing a strategic partnership model between academic institutions and professional associations (HPI), participants reported perceived improvements in interactional fluency, field protocol compliance, and career readiness in the ESP tourism sector.