Teachers’ strategies in implementing bilingualism in early childhood education at aminhayati educares kindergarten

Abstract

This study aims to explore teachers’ strategies in implementing bilingualism in early childhood education at Aminhayati Educares Kindergarten. Bilingual learning has been widely recognized as an effective approach to supporting children’s language development when introduced appropriately at an early age. This research employed a qualitative descriptive approach. The participants consisted of kindergarten teachers who actively implemented bilingual instruction in daily learning activities. Data were collected through classroom observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation analysis, including lesson plans and learning media. The data were analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing techniques. The findings reveal that teachers applied various strategies to implement bilingualism, such as gradual use of two languages, code-switching during classroom interactions, the use of bilingual songs, stories, and games, and daily vocabulary habituation in routine activities. However, several challenges were identified, including differences in children’s language abilities, limited exposure to the second language outside school, and variations in teachers’ language proficiency. To address these challenges, teachers employed repetitive language exposure, visual and concrete learning media, and collaboration with parents