THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN FACILITATING HAJJ AND UMRAH PILGRIMAGE: AN ESP PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Hajj and Umrah represent one of the largest recurring forms of global religious mobility, involving complex multilingual interactions across airports, healthcare services, accommodation systems, and ritual sites. Despite this scale, limited English proficiency remains a recurrent barrier affecting pilgrims’ access, safety, and service navigation. Grounded in the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) framework, particularly John Munby’s Communicative Needs Processor and the needs-based approach of Hutchinson and Waters, this study examines the role of English Proficiency for Pilgrimage Contexts (EPC) in facilitating pilgrimage experiences. Employing a qualitative case study with embedded quantitative validation, data were collected from 30 pilgrims affiliated with KBIHU Birrulwalidain Cileunyi Bandung, complemented by interviews with religious guides and Saudi-based mutawwif. Thematic analysis and regression-based mediation testing were conducted to examine the relationships among EPC, Communicative Self-Efficacy (CSE), and Facilitation of Pilgrimage Experience (FPE). Findings indicate that EPC significantly influences FPE both directly and indirectly through CSE as a partial mediator. English competence functions as situationally bound functional capital, particularly in medical, transportation, and emergency contexts. The study conceptualizes English for Pilgrimage Purposes (EPP) as a distinct ESP sub-domain and recommends systematic needs-based curriculum integration in pilgrimage preparation programs.