Joyful English Learning for Young Children: Teacher Training Strategies for PAUD and Kindergarten Educators in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35568/abdimas.v8i3.6932Keywords:
Early Childhood Education, English Language Teaching, Young Learners, Pedagogical Strategies, Community Service ProgramAbstract
Early exposure to English has become increasingly common among young children due to global trends and the widespread use of the internet, gadgets, and digital media. As a result, even though English is not a compulsory subject in Indonesian kindergartens, many children are already familiar with basic English through online content and everyday media. Therefore, the stigma surrounding early English instruction which is often based on concerns that it may interfere with children’s first language development should be reconsidered, as teaching English to young learners can provide valuable preparation for their future. However, many PAUD and kindergarten teachers face challenges in delivering effective English instruction, particularly related to content knowledge, pedagogical strategies, and accurate pronunciation. To address these issues, a community service program was conducted at the Kindergarten and PAUD Laboratory School, Faculty of Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta (FIP UMJ), in Cirendeu, South Tangerang. The program aimed to train PAUD and kindergarten teachers to deliver engaging and effective English lessons for young learners. A total of 11 teachers participated in training sessions that combined lectures, discussions, and teaching practice. The program revealed that many teachers struggle with content knowledge, appropriate teaching strategies, and especially pronunciation that is a critical issue, as young learners often imitate their teachers. Feedback from the participants indicated that more than 75% felt more prepared to teach young learners using the strategies introduced in the program. With these promising results, the program has the potential to serve as a model for English language training for kindergarten and PAUD teachers in Indonesia.
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