<![CDATA[Internship programs serve as a bridge between academic learning and workplace practice, where communication competence plays a critical role in professional readiness. In the context of Society 5.0, students are expected not only to communicate effectively but also to sustain language as part of cultural identity. This study explores students’ perceived communication practices through Toastmasters-based speaking activities in MBKM internship programs and examines how these are reflected in internship performance. A descriptive mixed-method design was employed, involving 50 English Literature students at Universitas Negeri Medan. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation based on the DPNA evaluation model, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically from students’ reflective responses. The findings indicate that students reported improvements in communication clarity, confidence, listening awareness, nonverbal communication, and teamwork. Toastmasters roles such as Table Topics and Ah-Counter were associated with spontaneous thinking, attentive listening, and interactive communication. The quantitative results show relatively high mean scores (M > 3.80) with low standard deviation (SD < 0.25), indicating consistent performance among participants. Overall, the study suggests that Toastmasters-based activities are associated with students’ perceived communication practices while supporting linguistic and cultural expression in workplace contexts. These findings are interpreted as descriptive patterns rather than evidence of causal relationships.]]>
