ENHANCING EFL TUTORS’ ELICITATION SKILLS THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AT ZAIN ACADEMY

Abstract

Zain Academy is a remote training institution characterized by a large and heterogeneous student body. Contrary to initial assumptions of rigid teaching patterns, field observations revealed that the tutors delivered interactive and engaging lessons. However, the partner faced a critical challenge regarding elicitation skills; the tutors were unable to stimulate students to speak English freely, naturally, and in-depth, leading to short and shallow responses. Given the strict one-hour face-to-face geographical constraint, this community service program offered a tactical solution through a collaborative "Curhat & Solusi" (Sharing & Problem Solving) session based on David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle. The program integrated digital technology via Google Forms-based self-assessments and a four-week remote WhatsApp mentoring scheme. A pre- and post-session self-assessment survey completed by the four participating tutors indicated a marked increase in perceived elicitation confidence, with the cumulative mean score rising from 2.32 to 4.42 on a 5-point scale across the four targeted strategies, with the largest self-reported gains for information gap activities (+2.40) and Wait Time (+2.30). These findings suggest that even a highly compressed, one-hour intervention can meaningfully shift tutors’ self-perceived pedagogical confidence, offering a replicable, low-cost model for capacity building in similarly resource-constrained non-formal EFL settings.