©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 13 Volume 8, No. 1, February 2023 ISSN 2442-8965 (P) ISSN 2442-8973 (E) Investigating Factors Underlying Boredom in Learning English: The Case of Secondary School Achmad Kholili achmadkholili93@gmail.com Universitas Islam Zainul Hasan Genggong, Indonesia Abstract: Former studies have demonstrated that the success of language learning is influenced by several factors such as cognitive, affective, and social factors. Learners with high motivation in learning will surely influence their success in language learning. On the other hand, those who have a poor motivation to learn will result in poor academic achievement. One of the affective factors that have also affected learners’ progress in language learning is boredom in language learning. Drawing on the qualitative lens, the current study has attempted to investigate factors underlying this notion at the secondary school level. Six learners voluntarily participated in this study as the research participants. In the meantime, a written reflection (WR) and Focus-Group Discussion (FGD) were distributed to them so as to know such factors underlying their boredom in learning English. The findings indicated that factors underlying learners’ boredom in language learning include classroom factors, linguistic factors, teaching and learning factors, and environmental factors. These findings have given an empirical contribution to the school. Suggestions are also put forward at the end of this paper. Keywords: Boredom; language learning; EFL students. A. INTRODUCTION It is true that learning the English language in the current era is of critical importance. Since this language becomes an international and common language (Matsuda and Friedrich 2011; Yulia 2011; Matsuda 2018; McKay 2018), learners in both global and local settings need to learn this for the sake of a better future. As has been claimed by Gui, Chen, and Verspoor (2021) and Rautenbach, Man, and Ryneveld (2018) that the purpose of learning English is not only for academic purposes but also for occupational purposes. The policy for learning this language has also been Article Info: Received: 24 December 2022 Accepted: 26 February 2023 Published: 28 February 2023 How to cite: Kholili, A. (2023). Investigating Factors Underlying Boredom in Learning English: The Case of Secondary School. Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), 8(1), 13-32. https://doi.org/10.30603/al.v8i1.3185 https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al http://u.lipi.go.id/1421293761 mailto:achmadkholili93@gmail.com https://doi.org/10.30603/al.v8i1.3185 ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 14 introduced by the government, including in Indonesia in terms of the significance of learning English from the lower level to the upper level (Yulia, 2013). Therefore, learning English is of paramount importance because this is placed in a strong position as an international language in communication. Following that, the learning of English, in this case, is also influenced by some factors, such as cognitive factors, affective factors, and social factors (Renandya, 2013). The learners with high motivation in learning (affective factors), for example, might influence the success of their language learning (Oroujlou & Vahedi 2011; Renandya 2013; Kormos & Préfontaine 2016). On the contrary, those who have low motivation in learning English will result in poor academic achievement (Karande & Kulkarni, 2005). Hence, motivation, in this case, is one of the essential factors influencing the learners’ language achievement (Rana et al., 2015). Other factors that might also influence the learners’ language performance include educational factors such as English teachers, and learning situations as well as social factors, like native speakers, learners’ parents, classmates, etc. (Getie, 2020). To date, studies with respect to the factors affecting learners' success in language learning have been carried out by some researchers whether it is affective factors (Seikkula Leino 2008; Lee & Lee, 2020; Getie 2020), social factors (Khasinah 2014; Sirin & Sahin, 2020), and emotional factors (Dewaele 2005; Shao, Pekrun, and Nicholson 2019) in language learning. The results of this have a dramatic impact on language learning in which affective, social, and emotional factors are interchangeable with one another. Based on the initial observation at MA Plus Al-Mashduqiyah, the researcher found that the learners at MA Plus Al-Mashduqiah have encountered unmotivated and bored with learning English. The teacher confirmed that the learners often run into trouble when learning English, some claimed that English is a boring, hard subject to learn, leading them to boredom in learning English. These conditions were caused by many factors for sure. Since this was the case, the researcher perceived that it is of value to investigate. Previous studies focusing on boredom have also been undertaken to date. First of all, a study on the relationship between teacher boredom, learners perceived teacher boredom, and learning motivation was conducted by Tam et al (2020). They, in this regard, took 437 learners as the sample of this study. They conducted the 3 study using https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 15 an experience sampling study in which the participants filled in a two-week diary. In this case, the researchers employed an online questionnaire. This was distributed to the teachers before the study period. However, during the study, the participating teachers had to complete a short questionnaire on teacher boredom in Qualtrics, containing a 6- point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). In the meantime, throughout the 10 teaching days, the students were instructed to fill out a short questionnaire revealing their boredom level, perceived teacher boredom, and in- class learning motivation. Using multilevel modeling in analysis, the study showcased that teacher boredom was negatively correlated to learners’ motivation. Nevertheless, the relationship between teacher boredom and learners’ perceived teacher boredom was not significant, indicating that learners did not accurately feel whether their teacher was bored. The results further indicated that learners’ perspectives on teacher boredom predicted learners’ learning motivation. In other words, perceiving teachers as being bored promoted learners’ own feelings of boredom, which in turn reduced their learning motivation. Next, a study on boredom in language learning has also been conducted by Derakhshan et al (2021). In this case, they attempted to investigate the boredom experienced by Iranian EFL students in learning English online. This existing study explored the causes and solutions to boredom. The learning has been done online and has been urged by the Covid-19 health crisis. As many as 208 English teachers were recruited as the sample of the study. Through written and open-ended questionnaires, the study indicated that teachers’ long, monotonous monologues, lack of learner participation, logistical problems, and giddily selected, reiterative tasks were the main sources of boredom, while the solutions centered on making the class livelier through more teacher-learner interaction, enhancing personal relationships, and solving technology issues. Alongside that, a study on boredom in English language learning was also carried out by Shehzad et al (2020). They explored the relationship between boredom with reading comprehension achievement in the EFL context using reading boredom coping strategies. A cross-sectional and correlational research design was executed in the existing study. 360 Saudi EFL learners were taken out in this study to fill in the questionnaire and complete a reading comprehension test as the data collection. The https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 16 findings revealed a significant but negative correlation with reading comprehension performance. In the meantime, reading boredom was positively and significantly correlated to reading boredom coping strategies. Furthermore, reading boredom and coping strategies indicated a positive and significant relationship with reading comprehension performance. Lastly, the results demonstrated that reading boredom coping strategies mediated the relationship between reading boredom and reading comprehension performance. Furthermore, another quite recent study was also conducted by Coşkun & Yüksel (2022). They, in this case, inspected the level of boredom experienced by high school EFL learners in Turkey. 680 high school EFL learners were invited to complete 23 Likert-scale items, in which the items concentrate on learners’ perception of time, lack of stimulation, the monotonous nature of the lessons, reluctance to involve in the activities, and behaviors that are not concerned with the activities. The data were then analyzed using SPSS. Then, the results showcased that the general causes of boredom are the dead-alive nature of the English lessons and the dissatisfaction of the participants with this lesson. While no significant difference was observed in the level of boredom depending on the gender variable, learners' grade level and the chosen academic track led to significant differences. The highest level of boredom was revealed for final-year learners and for those who chose the science track. Last but not least, a study on boredom in L2 class was also conducted by Nakamura et al (2021). This study focused on the antecedents of boredom in L2 classes among Thai university students. A whole-class survey was distributed to the students to obtain learners’ boredom experiences in a particular class over a 7-week course. In the meantime, a focus group interview was carried out five times to gain in- depth views of boredom and its antecedents in the L2 learning contexts in general. The survey yielded nine – thematic factors as the antecedents of boredom, supported by the interview findings, including activity mismatch, lack of comprehension, insufficient L2 skills, task difficulty, input overload, and lack of ideas were shown to create conditions under which internal and external factors were ill-balanced, leading to the emergence of boredom. Furthermore, learners’ physical fatigue, unfavorable appraisals of classroom tasks, and negative behavior of classmates were also identified as the antecedents of boredom. https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 17 After reviewing these former studies, the researcher concluded that the earlier studies on boredom in language learning so far have mostly been done in the international context. They, for the most part, employed questionnaires as their study instruments. However, a study centering on factors underlying boredom in learning English, particularly in the local context or in the Indonesian context has not been undertaken thus far. It means that this notion received little attention in this local context. As has been noted by Pawlak, Zawodniak, et al (2020) that boredom is a concept that has so far received little attention in the area of second and foreign (L2) language teaching and learning, as opposed to such individual difference (ID) factors, for instance, motivation, anxiety or language learning strategies. Therefore, the researcher attempts to fill this void. The goal of this study is to provide a holistic view of the factors underlying learners’ boredom in learning English. Hopefully, it makes a substantial contribution to the school. What makes this study distinct from the former ones is the context and the data triangulation used by the researcher, in which this study is done in MA- Plus Al-Mashduqiah and employs multiple data sources: Written Reflection (WR) and Focus-Group Discussion (FGD). B. RESEARCH ME THOD A case study was employed in the current study. The reason why using this case study is due to the fact that it is appropriate since it deals with the case happening in the school, that is, learners’ boredom with learning English. As stated by Mills and Gay (2016) that a case study is precise when the researcher would like to address descriptive questions like (what happens) and explanatory questions like (how and why something happens). The steps in conducting this case study involve stating the purpose of the research, developing initial research questions, reviewing related literature, developing a rationale for the selection of the case, including sample selection, determining data collection strategies, and conducting data analysis and interpretation (Mills & Gay, 2016). First of all, in stating the aim of this study, the researcher formulates research objectives related to the phenomena under study. Then the researcher develops initial research questions. The questions raised in this study are associated with factors underlying learners’ boredom in learning English and how to overcome these matters. Afterward, the researcher reviewed literature related to boredom in learning English, https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 18 and then he selected the research participants of this study. The participants were those who experience boredom in learning English at MA Plus Al-Mashduqiyah. Next, the researcher gathers the data by using written reflection (WR) and focus-group discussion (FGD). After collecting the data, the researcher analyzes the data and does the interpretation. The following is clearer information regarding the methodological approach. Research Participants Research participants are important to use qualitative case sampling so to assist the researcher comprehends the phenomenon under study. In picking out the research participants, purposive sampling was drawn on in this case. According to Lodico et al (2010) purposive sampling is a procedure where the researcher attempts to recognize key informants: persons who have a particular knowledge of the topic being explored. There are six learners who become the research participants in the current study. The learners belong to the first grade 10) at the level of senior high school. The learners are purposively recruited since they experience boredom in learning English and it is also based on their English scores and the attendance list. The research participants, in this case, are recruited based on their willingness, and only those who sign the research consent that voluntarily becomes the research participants. In this case, the names are anonymized to keep their confidentiality. Table 1. Research Participants Pseudonyms Gender Senior High School Age Class Roni Male MA 16 10th Grader Andi Male MA 17 10th Grader Ratna Female MA 16 10th Grader Rani Female MA 17 10th Grader Bambang Male MA 17 10th Grader Ferdi Male MA 16 10th Grader Data collection In gathering the data, the researchers employ Written Reflection (WR) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Written reflection (WR) is specifically designed by the researcher by providing five research questions to maintain the focus of reflection. The https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 19 learners, in this case, were asked to respond to the questions provided in that the questions focus on their boredom in learning English. Meanwhile, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was administered by the researchers to ask new questions, re-ask unanswered questions, give unique responses to unique answers, and clarify or confirm the answers. The Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was done by starting with an opening phase, in which the researcher (moderator) greets the research participants, elaborates the purpose of the discussion and sets the parameters of the interview with regard to length and confidentiality during the interview (Dornyei, 2007). Data Analysis In analyzing the data, the researcher used thematic analysis. The process of thematic analysis involves familiarizing with the data, generating initial codes, seeking themes, reviewing themes, and defining and naming themes (Braun & Clarke, 2006). First of all, the researcher read the data again and again critically. When it was done, the researcher continued with establishing initial codes and looking for themes. In this seeking themes phase, it incorporates sorting and collating all the potentially applicable coded data extracts into themes (Braun & Clarke, 2006). After finding the themes, the researcher subsequently reviewed themes. During this stage, the researcher went over the coded data extracts for each theme to consider whether they emerge to establish a reasonable tone (Nowell et al., 2017). The validity of individual themes will be regarded to determine whether the themes accurately reflect the meanings evident in the data set as a whole (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Last, the researcher conducted defining and naming themes and continued with making the final report. C. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Findings Within this section, the researcher re-unfold the factors underlying learners’ boredom in learning English. In this case, there are four main factors affecting learners’ boredom in learning English: classroom factors, linguistic factors, teaching and learning factors, and environmental factors. Their differences were showcased in Table 2 in the following. https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 20 Table 2. A Sample of Coding Results Theme Sub-theme Codes Sample excerpts Factors affecting students’ boredom with learning English Classroom factor Classroom climate issues “Yes, because the classroom condition is not comfortable” Lack of air in the classroom, resulting in an English boring class The classroom atmosphere is not fun. The situation is quiet. Linguistic factors Having difficulties reading English “I feel bored when learning English because I do not know how to read it correctly.” Language issues “Studying English is boring and uninteresting because the language is hard to memorize and hard to understand.” Teaching and learning factors Teaching demotivation “The teacher also seems unmotivated to teach English in the classroom.” Learning demotivation “I also do not have a good motivation to learn English.” “The students always get sleep in the class when the English teaching and learning begins.” No technology integration in teaching The teachers do not make use of technology into teaching English in the classroom. In fact, providing PPT, and YouTube as the support platform for learning English is very helpful. I like learning English from YouTube. The teachers only do dictation and use the whiteboard only Ineffective teaching styles “…and the way the teacher teaches also makes me bored.” Monotonous English lesson “Second, when the teacher teaches English lessons, he always teaches Basic English grammar like present tense, past tense, continuous tense, narrative text or descriptive text…” Ineffective online language learning “Third, when the pandemic developed in 2021, the learning of English, which was previously offline, was changed into online learning. All students were required to study English at home through WhatsApp. This approach seems not effective.” Unclear Teaching explanation The teachers do not clearly explain the materials. Therefore, I get bored then https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 21 Environmental factor Unsupportive environment They rarely come to class. What’s more, the situation in my Islamic boarding school, especially the use of English for English communication, is not utilized. Based on the analysis of Written Reflection (WR) and Focus-Group Discussion (FGD), four significant factors were found: classroom factors, linguistic factors, teaching and learning factors, and environmental factors. 1. Classroom factors Some students, like Roni, Ratna, and Ferdi have claimed that issues related to the classroom climate have been the main factors underlying their boredom in learning English. In this regard, the situation in the class is discomfort since the class is dirty and hot. This has been experienced by Roni when learning English takes place. Yes, because the classroom condition is not comfortable (Roni #1, Written reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). He subsequently claims further in the Focus-group interview that the class is dirty and hot. The classroom atmosphere is hot. In addition, the students are so many that the class is subsequently crowded and not fun. The class is also dirty. (Roni #1, Focus-Group Interview, Dec 5th, 2022). In the meantime, Rina demonstrated that the classroom atmosphere is also discomfort because students are idle and the class, therefore, becomes quiet and passive. It indeed makes Ratna and her friends bored with learning English. See the following: The classroom atmosphere is not fun. The situation is quiet. (Ratna #3, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). Similar to Ratna, Ferdi also experienced boredom in language learning because of classroom climate issues. He claims that the situation in the class is passive. The teachers are careless about this condition. Furthermore, he wrote that there is no classroom decoration in the classroom that can make students highly motivated to learn and warmly invited. The class is often passive. Some students are silent when there is English learning in the class (Ferdi #6, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). The class also does not incorporate classroom decoration which is helpful for some students. It makes me bored learning English in the classroom (Ferdi #6, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). 2. Linguistic factors Other factors that have also influenced learners’ boredom in learning English are https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 22 linguistic factors. The learners, like Roni, Andi, Ratna, Bambang, and Ferdi reveal that they have difficulties in reading, speaking, and writing English. They regard English as a hard language to study even though they have tried to English again and again. In the meantime, Ratna has gotten bored learning English since she has no adequate vocabulary to speak. These factors have driven them boredom with learning English. I have difficulties reading English. I have difficulties understanding English texts. I often get bored when I still have to search for the meaning of English in a dictionary (Andi #2, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). I also have a limited vocabulary in English. Therefore, I cannot speak English well. I feel bored then. (Ratna #3, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022) The English language is hard. The language is different from my first language. I have difficulties in reading, speaking, and writing English. (Bambang #5, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). I feel bored learning English since English is a difficult language. (Ferdi #6, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). We do not like English because English is extremely hard. (Roni #1, Bambang#5, Ferdi#6, Focus-Group Discussion, Des 5th, 2022). 3. Teaching and Learning Factors In terms of teaching and learning factors, almost all learners experience boredom because of such matters. In this case, factors underlying learners’ boredom in learning English involve teachers’ factors and learners’ factors themselves. The teachers undergo demotivation in teaching English. All learners reveal that the teachers rarely come to the class and seem unmotivated to teach English. Therefore, it affects learners’ motivation to learn English more. Furthermore, learners also become unmotivated to study English since English is regarded as a hard language. This situation belongs to learning demotivation. The teacher also seems unmotivated to teach English in the classroom (Roni #1, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). I do not have a good motivation to learn English anymore (Roni #1, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). Yes, I get bored learning because the teachers scarcely come into the class. (Ratna #3, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022) Yes, I feel bored learning English since my teachers do not teach English https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 23 effectively. They sometimes do not come to class. They also do not teach English interestingly. That case makes me bored with learning English. (Rani #4, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). In the meantime, ineffective teaching styles, monotonous English lessons, as well as unavailability of using technology in the classroom have brought the learners boredom in learning English. The learners claim that the teachers sometimes get angry when learning English occurs. They just come, teach and deliver a task almost in every meeting. The teachers also teach English like present tense, past tense, and narrative text monotonously. Indeed, it has made them bored learning English. Apart from it, they do not employ technology in teaching English in class such as the use of PPT or providing a supporting platform like YouTube in the process of teaching and learning English in the classroom. The way the teacher teaches is not fun. Also, the teachers always get angry in class. (Andi #2, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). The teachers come and sit in the classroom. The students are strictly prohibited to talk. The teachers also give tasks on. (Roni#1, Andi#2, Ratna #3, Focus- Group Discussion, Des 5th, 2022). The teachers also teach English monotonously. They teach present tense, past tense, past continuous tense, and descriptive text, which have previously learned by me. (Ratna #3, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). There is no technology used in the class. The teachers do not make use of technology into teaching English in the classroom. In fact, providing PPT, and YouTube as the support platform for learning English is very helpful. I like learning English from YouTube. The teachers only do dictation and use the whiteboard only. (Ferdi #6, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). Alongside that, factors underlying learners’ boredom in learning English are due to unclear teaching explanations from the teachers and ineffective online language learning during the pandemic 2021. The teachers sometimes do not explain the materials clearly in class. (Bambang #5, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022) I also got bored especially when online learning came in 2021 during the pandemic. The teachers, most of them, used WhatsApps as a learning platform for teaching and learning English. I needed to look at the platform most of the time and saw some redundant posts within the groups. It, indeed, made me bored with learning English. (Ferdi #6, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). 4. Environmental factor Last but not least, a factor that has influenced learners’ boredom in learning English is the environmental factor. In this case, learners do not employ English as a means of communication in their daily life, most of whom used Bahasa Indonesia for https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 24 communication. It indeed decreases learners’ motivation to learn since there is no support from the environment in the school. What’s more, the situation in my Islamic boarding school, especially the use of English for English communication, is not utilized (Andi #2, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). My friends do not even use English for communication after their learning is finished. I feel a bit bored learning English because of this. (Bambang #5, Written Reflection, Nov 23rd, 2022). Discussion The current study has attempted to investigate the learners’ boredom with learning English at the secondary school level. Drawing on the poststructuralist view, especially the qualitative lens, the current study has embarked on the questions of what factors underlie boredom in learning English as well as how to overcome such factors. The results have indicated that there are a number of factors which has predisposed learners to be bored in learning English, including classroom factors, linguistic factors, teaching and learning factors, and environmental factors in common. These findings have appeared surprising in which these should be tackled by the teachers in the school. These dramatic findings can be the main significant factors influencing the learners’ boredom in learning English. As a result, it also affects their progress in learning English as a foreign language. First of all, the learners experience boredom in learning English because of classroom factors. The learners have claimed that the classroom atmosphere is discomfort. This situation is experienced by students, including Roni and Ratna. They perceived that the classroom was not fun and discomfort whether it was related to mental or physical aspects of the classroom such as lack of air in the class and the situation is also quiet, which means that some students were not active when the learning process started. As such, the mental condition of the classroom is poor and not appealing. Hence, the students get bored learning English because of this situation. A former study conducted by (Widiastuti et al., 2020) has revealed how classroom design impacts student learning comfort. The results indicated that cleanliness, circulation, adequate and supportive facilities, as well as quietness, affect students’ comfort in the classroom. They further note that learning comfort will be found when the learning atmosphere or environment is supportive. (Puteh et al., 2015) have stated that the classroom physical environment is one of the elements in creating a conducive and https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 25 stimulating atmosphere or environment. A conducive learning environment can create a comfortable teaching environment. It means that a comfortable learning experience would be gained by the learners if the teachers can provide a good learning style and attractive classroom design (Puteh et al., 2015). This situation would bring students more opportunities to learn, relieve boredom in learning, as well as reach the expected educational goals. Second, the factor affecting students’ boredom in learning English is that from the language they study. Almost students in the school argue that the English language is a hard language to learn. They, for the most part, reveal that reading, speaking, and writing English are the main issues faced by them in studying English in school. As a result, their boredom with learning grows gradually because of this. When this happened, some of the students went outside in order to avoid such learning. As Kruk & Zawodniak (2015) demonstrates that high level of boredom can lead to dissatisfaction and inattention. A number of former studies have also confirmed that aspects of language such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking have brought problems for Indonesian EFL students to learn (Sundari, 2018; Sultra & Baharuddin, 2020; Rahman et al., 2021). Besides, in terms of speaking skills, most Indonesian EFL learners encounter difficulties in speaking English, which include linguistic and non-linguistic problems (Soreh et al., 2022). In this regard, linguistic issues are related to poor grammar, lack of vocabulary as well as lack of pronunciation, while non-linguistic problems involve shyness and lack of confidence. This thing happens to the students at MA Plus Al-Mashduqiah. The teacher must be able to tackle these problems down. Next, the students experienced boredom in school because of the teaching and learning factors. These factors consist of teaching demotivation, learning demotivation, no technology integration in teaching, ineffective teaching style, monotonous English lessons, ineffective online language learning, as well as unclear teaching explanation from the teachers. At first, the students experienced boredom due to the teacher’s demotivation in teaching English. The students, like Roni, Andi, Ratna, and Rani have encountered boredom in learning English because of this matter. They perceived that the teachers seemed not motivated to teach English in the class or scarcely come into the class, driving some students bored and also demotivated to study English further. The teachers, in this case, should be aware of this since this issue comes from the https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 26 teachers themselves. A study conducted by (Mauliya et al., 2020) has revealed that a lack of motivation factors can lead to poor academic achievement. Furthermore, Aguistiani., (2016) notices that teachers’ motivation affects students’ academic achievement. It means that if the teacher has been demotivated to attend the class and teach their students, the students, for sure, will also be unmotivated to learn or they will get bored learning English as the students above have experienced. As the students above experienced that their motivation poor in learning English. It indeed will shape their attitudes toward learning English onwards. Dilshad et al., (2019) have informed us about the sources of unmotivated students in learning English. They confirmed that factors such as lack of confidence, problems in speaking English as well as poor grammar knowledge were the considerable factors underlying students’ demotivation in learning English. Further, the students also run into boredom in learning English because of having no technology in the class. A student, like Ferdi has revealed that integrating technology in teaching English in the class is of advantage since it can increase motivation to learn and provide visual images which can lead to easiness in the learning process. Ferdi has encountered that his teachers always do dictation in teaching and use only a whiteboard as the learning media. For sure, it has driven Ferdi to boredom with learning English for so long. The teachers, in this case, lack TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical Content Knowledge) in the classroom. In fact, teaching English with technology in this 21 century is a huge consideration. As a student, like Ferdi, needs to explore several platforms or technologies that can support their language learning processes such as PPT and several English learning videos from YouTube that can boost his learning motivation and enrich his technological knowledge. Former studies have indicated that teachers’ use of technology in teaching English can increase students’ motivation to learn (Solanki et al., 2012; Ahmadi, 2018; A-Mofareh, 2019). Furthermore, A-Mofareh (2019) has studied the students’ satisfaction with technology in ELT. His findings of the study indicate that students are more enthusiastic and interactive when modern technologies are utilized by teachers more than 90%. It can be concluded that teachers need to make use of technology in English language teaching so that the students are away from boredom and more motivated to learn English in class. https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 27 Subsequently, the students experienced boredom in language learning because of the ways the teachers themselves teach. They perceive that the teachers only teach them the materials by writing them on a whiteboard and doing some dictations to the students. Some students get bored learning English because of this poor condition. It can be concluded that teachers’ teaching strategies or teaching styles are not effective. Effective teachers indeed should have the knowledge, prepare and manage instruction, promote learning and help students grow so they can learn independently (Saroyan et al., 2009). What’s more, (Fuhrman et al., 2010) also showcased that effective teachers show passion for their subject, knowledgeable about and care for students, use a variety of teaching strategies and help students appreciate the relevance of the information to their own context. Students also get bored learning English due to the materials the teachers talk over in the classroom. The teachers seem not upgraded in teaching English; they teach English like present tense, past tense, narrative text, and the like in which all of which have been previously learned by students in the school. This activity is called a monotonous English lesson. Therefore, it causes students bored with learning English. The teachers should be able to improve their teaching methods and also upgrade the materials they teach in the school which is best suited to students’ needs. A study conducted by (Pawlak, Kruk, et al., 2020) has revealed that factors responsible for boredom in class include disengagement, monotony, and repetitiveness, as well as a lack of satisfaction. The next boredom experienced by the students is when online learning took place during the pandemic 2021 a few years ago. The students claim that online learning has made them bored since the platform used by their teachers were only WhatsApp in this moment. The students have undergone boredom in learning since they had to look at the platform for too long and saw superfluous materials in the platform. The results of this study has been in line with a study conducted by Kholili (2021) which reveals that the use of WhatsApp for teaching and learning English during the pandemic has resulted in boredom for students because they need to look at the materials online and saw some redundant posts within the groups. Another teaching factor that has also led students to boredom in learning English is unclear teaching explanations from the teachers. The teachers, in this case, are not able https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 28 to clearly explain the materials, resulting in boredom for EFL learners in the school. As a matter of fact, the students require more explanation from the teachers. This finding has also been in congruence with the previous studies conducted by (Pawlak, Kruk, et al., 2020; Coşkun & Yüksel, 2022) that dissatisfaction and disengagement of students with the materials the teacher teaches will result in boredom for them. Last but not least, a factor that has affected students’ boredom with learning English is the environmental factor, in which some students reveal that the use of English for communication in the surroundings is not in effect. In other words, some students only used Bahasa Indonesia as a means of communication. This made some students unencouraged and unmotivated even they get bored learning English. It has been demonstrated by Andi and Bambang in the Written Reflection (WR) results. Former studies have showcased that social and academic factors affect students’ English language learning progress (Baroto, 2016; Bangash, 2021; Amiri & El-Karfa, 2021). This study has implied that teachers should be aware of the factors underlying students’ boredom in learning English, including classroom factors, linguistic factors, teaching and learning factors, and environmental factors in order to keep their students motivated to learn. By being aware of the factors above, the students can be more encouraged and can alleviate their boredom in learning English. The teachers, for example, can discuss and team up with other teachers or parties to upgrade themselves and make their class more attractive for the sake of students’ development in English language learning. The current study has only been conducted at the senior high school setting with the six research participants using a qualitative paradigm. Further studies on factors underlying boredom in language learning in other contexts could be carried out. This aims to shed light on the comprehensive pictures regarding the elements that contribute to learners’ demotivation and boredom in the language learning process, especially in the EFL context. D. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that classroom factors, linguistic factors, teaching and learning factors, and environmental factor have influenced learners’ boredom with language learning. These factors must be tackled by the teachers in the school since teachers’ aim is to develop learners’ language skills. With regard to classroom factors, the teachers https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al ©Achmad Kholili Available Online at https://journal.iaingorontalo.ac.id/index.php/al Al-Lisan: Jurnal Bahasa (e-Journal), Volume 8, No.1, February 2023 29 might provide some AC in each class and decorate their classroom so that their learners can be more motivated to learn and warmly welcomed. Meanwhile, the teachers can encourage their learners and exemplify to speak English in class so that learners’ motivation to learn English is gradually high. It is important to solve since linguistic factors become significant issues in the process of language learning. 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