Fluency and Competency in EFL: A Multiple-Case Study of Neurotypical and Neurodivergent Language Learners

Kefasihan dan Kompetensi dalam EFL: Studi Kasus Majemuk terhadap Pembelajar Bahasa yang Neurotipikal dan Neurodivergen

Abstract

Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research has increasingly recognized that individual cognitive differences influence language learning; however, neurodiversity remains underexplored, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. This study investigates how neurotypical and neurodivergent learners differ in oral fluency, communicative competence, and English language learning experiences. Employing a qualitative multiple-case study design, the research involved six Indonesian EFL learners comprising three neurotypical participants and three neurodivergent participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically using Automaticity Theory, the Communicative Competence Framework, and Executive Function Theory. The findings indicate that neurotypical learners generally achieved fluent language production through repeated exposure and stable automatic language processing, although anxiety and formal situations occasionally disrupted speech production. In contrast, neurodivergent learners demonstrated more diverse pathways toward fluency, influenced by differences in attention regulation, working memory, sensory processing, and cognitive flexibility. They frequently employed individualized compensatory strategies to maintain communication. Differences were also identified in discourse, sociolinguistic, and strategic competence, illustrating how learners adapted communication according to their cognitive profiles. Rather than portraying neurodivergence as a deficit, the findings highlight alternative cognitive pathways that support successful EFL learning and contribute to a more inclusive understanding of second language acquisition.

Penelitian Second Language Acquisition (SLA) semakin mengakui bahwa perbedaan kognitif individu memengaruhi pembelajaran bahasa. Namun, neurodiversitas masih belum banyak diteliti, khususnya dalam konteks English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Penelitian ini bertujuan mengkaji perbedaan kefasihan lisan, kompetensi komunikatif, dan pengalaman belajar bahasa Inggris antara pembelajar neurotipikal dan neurodivergen. Penelitian menggunakan desain studi kasus ganda kualitatif yang melibatkan enam pembelajar EFL di Indonesia, terdiri atas tiga partisipan neurotipikal dan tiga partisipan neurodivergen dengan diagnosis autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dan disleksia. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara semi-terstruktur dan dianalisis secara tematik menggunakan Teori Otomatisasi, Kerangka Kompetensi Komunikatif, dan Teori Fungsi Eksekutif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pembelajar neurotipikal umumnya mencapai kefasihan melalui paparan berulang dan pemrosesan bahasa yang relatif otomatis, meskipun kecemasan dan situasi formal terkadang mengganggu produksi ujaran. Sebaliknya, pembelajar neurodivergen menunjukkan jalur perkembangan kefasihan yang lebih beragam karena dipengaruhi oleh regulasi perhatian, memori kerja, pemrosesan sensorik, dan fleksibilitas kognitif. Mereka juga mengembangkan berbagai strategi kompensasi untuk mempertahankan komunikasi. Perbedaan turut ditemukan pada kompetensi wacana, sosiolinguistik, dan strategis yang menunjukkan bagaimana setiap pembelajar menyesuaikan komunikasi sesuai karakteristik kognitifnya. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa neurodivergensi tidak merepresentasikan suatu defisit, melainkan jalur kognitif alternatif yang memungkinkan keberhasilan dalam pembelajaran EFL dan memperluas pemahaman yang lebih inklusif mengenai pemerolehan bahasa kedua.