The Impact of Communication Barriers on the Learning Process Among Students in the English Education Department at Syiah Kuala University

This study aimed to identify the communication barriers that exist among students and their impact on the students' learning process in the English Education Department at Syiah Kuala University. The subjects of this study were seven undergraduate students in their sixth semester, aged 20 to 21, from the English Education Department at Syiah Kuala University. Effendy's (2009) theory of four factors of communication barriers was used as a framework for this study. The research was conducted using qualitative approach and two types of instruments: questionnaires and interviews to collect data from participants. The collected questionnaires were analyzed to identify communication barriers among students, while the interview results were analyzed to determine the impact of these barriers on the students' learning process. The results showed that four communication barriers exist among students in the English Education Department at Syiah Kuala University: semantic barriers, mechanical barriers, ecological barriers, and socio-psychological barriers. These barriers have various impacts on the learning process. Semantic barriers lead to misunderstandings and difficulty in understanding the material. Mechanical barriers cause distractions and difficulties in understanding the material. Ecological barriers distract student focus and motivation in the learning process. Lastly, socio-psychological barriers result in difficulty understanding the lecturer's explanations, fear of asking questions, distracted focus, overthinking, and lack of motivation.