ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD IN

MUNCAR SUB-DISTRICT BANYUWANGI

Shovi Yatul Istifadah
([email protected])

Universitas Bakti Indonesia Banyuwangi

Jalan Kampus Bumi Cempokosari No.40, Dusun Cempokasari, Sarimulyo, Kec. Cluring

Abstract: Children's English Lesson Learning English has been used as a communication
language in Muncar Banyuwangi since early childhood. As a result of these demands, parents
compete to enroll their children in schools that use English as a medium of instruction. In
Indonesia, learning English as a foreign language has progressed to the level of early
childhood education. Children aged 0-6 years, which is a golden age (golden age) and a
critical period in human life that determines the development of the next child. Before this
golden age ends, all aspects of language use should be introduced to the child. English has
begun to be taught in kindergarten on the AUD. English learning necessitates appropriate
learning. There are 28 kindergartens in Muncar out of a total of 57 kindergartens that have
become research sites. According to the data gathered, as many as 28 kindergartens that
became the subject of the study provided English instruction during the learning process.
Keyword: Learning, English, Early Childhood.

INTRODUCTION
It is now common for people to be able to communicate in English. English is a global language that is
essential in the daily lives of people all over the world. Because English is widely used in education, work,
entertainment, electronic communication, and travel, it is critical to master it. This means that people from
various ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds can communicate with one another using the same
language, English.
As a result, we must be fluent in English, both orally and in writing. Language is an essential tool
for communication. English has also been used as a communication language since childhood. Because of
this demand, parents compete to send their children to schools that use English as a medium of instruction.
Learning English as a foreign language has recently begun to penetrate the early childhood education level
in Indonesia (Sulistyo, 2009).
Early Childhood Education (PAUD) is a coaching effort aimed at children from birth to 6 years of
age through providing educational stimuli to help physical and spiritual growth and development so that
children are ready to enter further education, according to Law No. 20 of 2003 concerning the National
Education System, Chapter 1, Article 1, Item 14.
According to Article 28 on Early Childhood Education, (1) PAUD is organized prior to the level
of Basic Education, (2) PAUD can be organized through formal, non-formal, and/or informal education
channels, (3) PAUD formal education channels: Kindergarten, RA, or other equivalent forms, (4) PAUD
non-formal education pathways: KB, TPA, or other equivalent forms, and (5) PAUD informal education
path: family education or education organized by the environment. According to data from the Ministry of
National Education, only 28% of the 26.1 million children aged 0-6 years received early childhood
education in 2002.
Early childhood is defined as a child aged 0 to 6 years. Experts believe that the age before entering
elementary school is the golden age and that it is a critical critical period in the stages of human life that
determine the child's development development. Before this golden period ends, all aspects of language use
should be introduced to the child. At this age, it is critical to teach children how to speak well and correctly
because language is extremely useful for communicating with their surroundings.
The development of children's language began with the simplest language or pre-speech, namely
"crying," followed by development in the form of "babbling," simple words / sentences accompanied by
body movements / conditions as a complement to speech. There are learning theories in educational
psychology that can be used as a foundation for teaching.
Kindergarten is one of the institutions in charge of assisting with early childhood development. To
that end, kindergarten serves as a catalyst for the development of children's various talents. Cognitive,
language, physical (gross and fine motor), and social emotional abilities are all part of this potential. Early
Childhood Education (ECED) is a preschool program that introduces students to the structure and culture
of the school.
The provision of English to children in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten is very encouraging, but
concerns have begun to arise because there are allegedly still many shortcomings in terms of appropriate
methods and materials that be given to early childhood. Furthermore, the role of the teacher and the policies
of each school determine how the learning of English as a foreign language for pre-kindergarten or
kindergarten children is organized technically.
Kindergarten (TK) is a formal pathway early childhood education unit that organizes educational
programs for children aged four to six years. Kindergarten is one of the institutions in charge of assisting
with early childhood development. Kindergarten has a function to develop the various potentials possessed
by early childhood in order to realize this. Cognitive, physical language (gross and fine motor), and social
emotional domains are all included in this potential.
Between the ages of two and seven, a person's language development is most sensitive. Before this
sensitive period ends, all aspects of language should be introduced to the child. It is critical to introduce
good and correct language skills during this period, as these skills are very useful for communicating with
their surroundings.
Language is a set of symbols that people use to communicate with one another. Language in
humans is defined by an individual's ability to create an infinite number of meaningful sentences using a
limited set of words and rules, making language a highly creative endeavor.
Language, according to Santrock (2004), is made up of basic sounds or phonemes. There are 36
phonemes in the English language. Phonology is the study of language's sound system. Certain sound
sequences (for example, sp, ba, or ar) are guaranteed to occur while others are not (e.g. zx or qp). In English,
an example of a phoneme is /k/, which is the sound defined by the letters k in ski and c in paint. Although
the sound /k/ in these two words differs slightly, the variations are not distinguished, and the sound /k/ is
described as a single phoneme. Variation types represent separate phonemes in some languages, such as
Arabic.
Morphology refers to the rules for combining morphemes. Morphemes are the smallest series of
sounds that give meaning to what we say and hear. Every word in English is made up of one or more
morphemes. Some words are made up of a single morpheme (e.g. help), while others are made up of more
than one morpheme (e.g. helper has two morphemes, help + er, where the morpheme er means – “the person
who helps").
Syntax is the process of combining words to form acceptable expressions and sentences. Grammar,
which is a formal description of syntax terms, is a concept closely related to syntax.
The meaning of words and sentences is referred to as semantics. Every word is associated with a
set of semantic images. For example, the words girl and woman have the same semantic images as the
words female and human, but they differ in their relationship to age.
Pragmatics is the ability to converse with purpose. Certain pragmatic provisions ensure that a
specific sentence be uttered in a specific context and not in another. We learn to convey intended meaning
with words, expressions, and sentences through pragmatics. Pragmatics enables us to communicate more
effectively with others.
Piaget and Vygotsky are two theories that are frequently used in developmental psychology. These
two theories can provide important information about how children learn languages, particularly foreign
languages, as students. Children, according to Piaget, are active learners and thinkers. Children always
interact continuously with their social environment and solve problems that children face in the
environment, resulting in an active learning process. This is generated by the child himself, rather than as
a result of imitating others. According to Piaget, children always seek understanding of their surroundings
by asking questions because they want to know what is going on around them. Children, too, have goals
and objectives in everything they ask or do from a young age.
Piaget (in Mukhlisah, 2015) classified the schema that children use to understand their environment
into four major periods that correlate with and become more sophisticated with age, namely sensorimotor,
preoperative, concrete operations, and formal operations. He believes that all children progress through the
stages in this order and that no child can skip a stage, despite the fact that different children progress through
the stages at slightly different rates.
The following table summarizes Piaget's stages of cognitive development:
Table 1
Piaget's developmental stages of cognition
Stage Age Key Achievements
Sensorimotor 0 - 2 year Concept formation is the gradual
transition from reflex to goal-
directed behavior.
Preoperational 2 - 7 year The acquisition of the ability to
use symbols to represent objects
in the world. Thought remains
egocentric and centered.
Concrete Operational 7 - 11 year Improved logical reasoning
abilities. Reversible operations
are one of the new abilities.
Thinking is decentered, and
problem solving is free of
egocentrism. It is not possible to
think abstractly.
Operational Format 11 years old - adult It is possible to think abstractly
and solely symbolically.
Systematic experimentation can
be used to solve problems.

Kindergarteners are in the pre-operational stage of thinking. This stage is between the ages of 2 and
7 years. At this age, children begin to describe their surroundings using words, pictures, or symbols.
Although pre-school children can symbolically describe the world, they are still unable to carry out -
Operation (operations), which are internalized mental actions that allow children to do mentally what was
previously done physically, according to Piaget.
In contrast to Piaget's theory about language and early childhood, according to Vygotsky (in
Fakhruddin, 2015). Language, according to Vygotsky, is a critical factor in early childhood development.
Vygotsky believes that a child absorbs new understanding, or even new values, through language that he
considers useful, at least for himself.
 Children are social beings. Children's development and learning take place in a social context.
When a child is in a social context, he or she is in a world full of other people with whom the child has had
contact since birth. People in the child's environment can assist the child in the learning process by engaging
in play and games, storytelling, talking, showing objects and ideas, and so on. The adults in the surrounding
environment act as world mediators for the children. The adults in the neighborhood serve as the world's
intermediaries for the children. With the assistance of adults in their social environment or teachers at
school, Children can accomplish and comprehend more than they can on their own.
This means that children learn to do things and think through interaction with adults in their social
environment. Many of Vygotsky's theories have been used to create a framework for teaching young
children foreign languages.
Table 2
Early Childhood Language Use
Average age Pronunciation length Characteristics Commonly
(month) (average number per spoken sentence
sentence)
12-26 1,00-2,00 The vocabulary consists Baby bathing
primarily of nouns and verbs,
with a few adjectives and
adverbs; word order is followed.
27-30 2,00-2,50 Use of plural words, past tense, Car forward fast
be, prepositions, and some
prepositions
31-34 2,50-3,00 Use yes/no questions, wh- Put the baby
questions (who, what, where),
and refutation and news
sentences.
35-40 3,00-3,75 Embedding one sentence within This is doll that
another sentence mom bought for
me
41-46 3,75-4,50 Simple sentence coordination Andi and Sinta are
and proportional relationships siblings.

RESEARCH METHOD
The data collection techniques used in this study were interview techniques. This interview technique was
used to obtain verbal information from the research subject directly. Individuals' experiences and attitudes
are elicited through interviews. Interviews were conducted in-person with research subjects. Researchers
collected additional data in addition to interviews by documenting English learning media in several
schools.
The data analysis technique used in this study is a qualitative descriptive technique, which is a
technique that tries to provide a description or explanation of the subject and object of research as a result
of research conducted on data in the form of qualitative cases, which are then further analyzed until they
become a general conclusion.
The steps in conducting this research are:
1. The researcher devised a work strategy. A work plan is a list of activities that be carried out
during the research, from the creation of measuring instruments to the creation of research
results, conclusions, and reports. The investigation lasted six months.
 2. Researchers created measuring instruments that would be used to collect data in the study, in
the form of questions about early childhood English language learning given by subjects
(kindergarten teachers) during the teaching and learning process at school.
3. The researcher chose a kindergarten school in Muncar sub-district, Banyuwangi Regency, as a
research site. A kindergarten that uses English in the teaching and learning process is used as
a research site.
4. Data were gathered through interviews with research subjects, specifically kindergarten
teachers in Muncar Sub-district, Banyuwangi Regency. Interviews were conducted by asking
students during the teaching and learning process questions about English language learning
provided by the subjects (kindergarten teachers). Furthermore, researchers gathered supporting
data through documentation methods.
5. Data processing for research. The successful collection of research data was in the form of the
results of interviews with kindergarten teachers in Muncar District, Banyuwangi Regency,
which were related to English language learning used by research subjects (kindergarten
teachers) during the teaching and learning process at school.
6. Data analysis for research. The results of data processing carried out by researchers, namely
the results of interviews with kindergarten teachers in Muncar District, Banyuwangi Regency
related to English language learning used by research subjects (kindergarten teachers) during
the teaching and learning process at school, are used to analyze research data.

RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This research is a scientific activity that seeks to gain knowledge about Early Childhood Education,
particularly at the kindergarten level, as it relates to kindergarten teachers' English learning in Muncar
District, Banyuwangi Regency. 28 kindergartens in Muncar Sub-district, Banyuwangi Regency, out of a
total of 57, were used as research sites. According to the researcher's data, as many as 28 kindergartens that
became the subject of the study provided English language learning during the teaching and learning
process.
According to the findings of the interviews, almost all kindergartens use a variety of English
language learning methods. Many kindergarten teachers in Muncar sub-district, Banyuwangi regency, use
movement and songs as English learning methods. In kindergarten, 36% of the subjects interviewed used
the movement and song method to learn English. Furthermore, as methods of learning English in
kindergarten, these teachers employ games, storytelling, role-playing, and arts and crafts.

Figure 1
English Language Learning Methods in Kindergartens in Muncar District, Banyuwangi Regency
DISCUSSION
Language is even thought to help children think about what their peers are doing and how they should be
doing it as well. Vygotsky himself views language as a means for children to absorb ideas about how to
pay attention to something, recall what is obtained, provide categorization, plan, solve problems, and think
about their own (self-personal) world (in Fakhruddin, 2015).
The development of children's language begins with the simplest language or pre-talk, namely
"crying", then "crying".
Babble development refers to simple words/sentences accompanied by body movements/conditions
as a supplement to speech. Children use language or sound to represent objects or events. Children can
communicate with others about events through language (Piaget, in Mukhlisah, 2015).
English plays an important role in both school and home education and learning. English learning
requires the right learning method to increase students' interest and desire to use English in fun and
interesting learning activities. The goal of English instruction for students is for them to be able to
communicate in English orally and in writing fluently and in accordance with the social context (Depdiknas,
2003). Listening, reading, speaking, and writing are all aspects of students' English proficiency. The aspects
developed in Early Childhood Education (ECE) are aspects of behavioral development carried out through
habituation, which include social, emotional, independence, moral, and religious values, as well as the
development of basic abilities such as physical motor, cognitive, language skills and language development
(Arikunto, 2007).
Children's language is a language that has developed as a result of processing. Furthermore, the
community environment in which children live has an impact on their language development. This means
that the process of personality formation brought about by social interaction result in unique characteristics
in the use of language. In addition to their daily lives in the community, children attend school (Susanto,
2011).
According to recent Second Language Acquisition theories, the earlier children learn a foreign
language, the faster they master it because they have better short and long term memory. It is also stated
that less psychological pressure and intense interaction factors are strongly recommended to assist children
in learning a foreign language. Learning English in pre-kindergarten or kindergarten children is very
encouraging, but there are also concerns because there are allegedly still many shortcomings in terms of
appropriate methods and materials. Furthermore, the role of the teacher and the policies of each school
determine how pre-kindergarten or kindergarten children learn English as a foreign language.
According to other studies, the benefits of early foreign language acquisition include increased
intellectual flexibility, academic, language, and social skills. Furthermore, the child has a more mature
readiness when entering a context of association with different languages and cultures. As a result, when
they reach adulthood, they would be qualified and accomplished human resources. If children learn a
foreign language at a young age, they would then gain a better understanding of their own language and
culture. This is due to increased exposure to foreign languages and cultures. However, learning English in
Indonesia is different from learning English as a second language. Countries where English is the primary
language are more environmentally friendly. as children can find English-speaking environments more
easily than in Indonesia.
In essence, children would also learn a foreign language well if the process takes place in a
communicative and meaningful context for them. For children, this context includes social and cultural
situations, games, songs, stories, and arts, crafts, and sports experiences. The method of movement and
song is one of the learning methods used by kindergarten teachers in English at kindergarten in Muncar
Kecamata Banyuwangi Regency. According to Hidayat (in Miranti et al, 2015), a good song for
kindergarten-age children is one that focuses on the following aspects: short sentences that are easy for
children to memorize, an educational mission that is tailored to the characteristics of the children, and tones
that are simple for children to master. Furthermore, English should be learned with the goal of introducing
language in general. The goal is for children to learn to speak. They can communicate with their
surroundings and express their ideas or opinions.
Ela (2012) asserts that movements and songs play an important role in the development of children.
Music can help children find a sense of balance in their lives by allowing them to express their thoughts
and feelings and control their emotional aspects. Music includes singing. Singing is an activity that many
children enjoy because it allows them to express their thoughts and feelings. It is hoped that the singing
method pique children's interest in doing English learning activities in a fun and stress-free manner. It is
hoped that by making children like the learning method used, the learning process run smoothly and the
children would not feel bored, bored, and difficult to master vocabulary. When children are interested in
learning through singing, it is easier for them to follow each stage of learning, and they're going to find it
easier to master and memorize English vocabulary (Miranti, et al., 2015).
The ability of the teacher to design various learning activities in which students interact with objects
and their surroundings in order to improve their thinking, language, vision, and behavior foundations and
to encourage students' willingness to learn is critical in the teaching and learning process (Widyasari, 2016).
Children should be taught English as early as possible. Because English is Indonesia's first foreign
language, learning should be done gradually. The primary concern in the success of a learning process
should be the selection of materials that are appropriate for the child's age as well as effective for the
cognitive development of children's language and a pleasant learning situation. Many factors influence the
success of the English language learning process in early childhood, including:
1. Qualified teachers who can enliven the teaching and learning process.
2. Appropriate educational resources and facilities.
3. A good, straightforward, and appealing curriculum.

CONCLUSION
Kindergarten teachers in the Muncar sub-district provide English language instruction. Learning English to
kindergarten children is an exciting and challenging subject. On the other hand, there are concerns that there
are still many shortcomings in terms of appropriate learning methods and teaching materials that teachers
in schools can use. Furthermore, the role of the teacher and the policies of each school determine how
English is used as a foreign language learned by kindergarten students in its implementation. The use of
early childhood learning methods is also important in the delivery of English language materials. Teachers
can use methods such as storytelling, singing, role playing and others to provide subject matter to Early
Childhood students.
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