Implementation of the Five Language Continuum in the Development of Early Childhood Speech Skills

Khoirotul Ula¹, Heru Subatra²

^1,2 Postgraduate Major Education Base, Concentration Early Childhood Education, University, Surabaya, Indonesia

ABSTRACT: Early childhood is a golden age where children will grow and develop rapidly, so aspects of their development must be maximized. One of the components of language development is speaking. This study aims to describe the application of the Five Language Continuum in realizing Early Childhood Speaking Ability at Kindergarten Khadijah Wonorejo Surabaya.

The research method was carried out qualitatively using a descriptive approach. The respondents were the children of Kindergarten Khadijah Wonorejo Surabaya and their teachers. Data collection techniques in this study are observations, interviews, and documentation. The data analysis techniques in this study were used by Miles and Huberman, namely data reduction, data visualization, and conclusion. The main result of this study is that children’s speaking skills are significantly developed by applying the five continuum languages. The main conclusion of this study is the application of the five language continuity, which is very helpful in development. This study’s main conclusion is that applying the five language continuums helps develop children’s speaking skills.

KEYWORDS: Early Childhood, Language, Speech, Five Language Continuum.

I. INTRODUCTION

Early childhood is age is a golden period for children’s development to receive the educational process. Childhood is the best time to develop a child’s potential as a whole because, during this period, children’s growth and development develop very quickly. Children readily absorb anything through what they see and hear (Karakauki, 2021)).

Early childhood education aims to stimulate and introduce children to the world around them so that children develop in all aspects according to their age and stages (Paul & Singh, 2020). In addition, early childhood education is organized to facilitate children’s overall growth and development and provide optimal stimulation, focusing on all aspects of child development.

Preschool education is an educational institution that focuses on laying the foundations for the growth and development of physical and motor, cognitive, language, social-emotional, moral, and religious values, as well as art.

In teaching children, conditions and stimulation are needed to meet the Needs of children to achieve optimal growth and development (Lillard, 2021).

The development of language skills is significant for children as a means of communication

or a liaison between community members consisting of individuals to express thoughts, feelings, and desires. Language is a symbol system organized in pictures and words to convey various ideas and information (Noble et al., 2019).

Children’s speaking skills enable communication with others (Foorman et al., 2002). Language development in children cannot be separated from language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills (Sajedi et al., 2015). With speaking skills, children can express, express, and communicate an idea, thought, concept, and inner satisfaction to others based on speaking skills that others can understand (Dhieni et al., n.d.). Children’s speaking skills need to be trained from an early age so that children can gain experience, gather knowledge and develop language (Brodin & Renblad, 2020).

Parents must care about their children’s education by choosing an educational institution or educating them at home. The learning process in early childhood education must pay attention to the methods and facilities used. Because usually, the facilities and methods used usually play an important role in increasing children’s interest (Yulsyofriend et al., 2019).

Language is a tool for thinking, expressing, and communicating (Resti Aulia & Budiningsih, 2021). Through language, humans will easily communicate and harmonize with their surroundings, so language plays a significant role in human life, especially in humans’ life when they were small. People in life cannot separate languages (Ginns et al., 2016).

During the learning process, several methods can be used by educators to support the success of the learning process. The use of learning methods should pay attention to the stages of child development, and appropriate and varied methods can stimulate children’s interest and enthusiasm to participate in ongoing learning (Lillard, 2021).

Early childhood education plays an essential role in developing children’s speaking skills because it is the basis for taking classes at the next level of school (Brodin & Renblad, 2020). In speaking skills, children can already convey what is being felt, what is needed, and what is wanted, as is the case with what the researchers found at one of the Kindergarten institutions in the city of Surabaya, namely at Khadijah Wonorejo Surabaya Kindergarten, in improving aspects of children’s language development, especially speaking skills. In this case, the institution applies the five-language continuum method in the teaching and learning process every day, from morning until school time. This method is not only applied to children but also applied to fellow teachers in institutions.

Language is the five stages used in a learning-centered approach that governs teacher-student interaction. However, the five language continuums can also be used as a series of parent-child approaches (de Waal, 2019). In developing language in learning, there will be many phenomena where some children use language effectively, and some children use language ineffectively—many obstacles, hurdles, and obstacles have been found. Good language comes from educators, students, or the environment where communication occurs.

The teacher’s persuasive, expressive and polite language during the learning process will greatly inspire students. Teachers who use positive language choose high-quality words, are more receptive, inspire, and even build students’ logic and understanding better than teachers who use language and use lots of harsh and sloppy words (Lincoln et al., 2017). In addition, speaking with good and quality words is also polite, reflecting the quality of one’s culture so that the application of appropriate communication will provide opportunities to shape aspects of developing children’s speaking skills (Alkhede & Holmqvist, 2021). Therefore, in this journal, the author discusses developing early childhood speaking skills at Kindergarten Khadijah Wonorejo Surabaya using five language continuums.

II. RESEARCH METHODS

The research method used by researchers is qualitative (Saraswati, 2022). The subjects in this study were teachers and kindergarten children of Khadijah Wonorejo. Subjects include key informants and informants whom researchers have selected. While the object of this research is the implementation of the five language continuums used in the Khadijah Wonorejo Kindergarten institution to develop early childhood speaking skills. Data collection techniques were used using interviews, observation, documentation, and literature studies.

Noble et al. (2019) said that in data analysis techniques in presenting research results, researchers used descriptive analysis methods, including: first, main direct observations of the research site to gain an initial understanding of conditions, children’s abilities, and learning activities at school. Second, research findings were collected using information from key informants and informants through interviews with teachers and principals. The researcher also recorded the implementation of the five language continuums used by teachers and children to teachers and friends with a camera. Third, the researchers analyzed descriptively the results of observations, documentation, and data from several categories. Fourth Each category is associated with information from one source to another to address the main research problem. Finally, after data collection and field research was deemed sufficient by the researchers, the researchers continued the research in the fourth stage, namely the analysis of research results and compilation

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Good language comes from educators, students, or the environment where communication occurs. In developing language in learning, there will be many phenomena where some children use language effectively; some children use language ineffectively—many obstacles, hurdles, and obstacles have been found. In this section, the author would like to discuss the implementation of the five language continuums to develop speaking skills in early childhood at Kindergarten Khadijah Wonorejo Surabaya. The five language continuums are the five stages of a learning-centered approach that govern teacher-student interaction. However, the five language continuums can also be used as a series of parent-child approaches (Wilson & Lonigan, 2010).

In implementing the five language continuums, the language used is effective, polite, and positive. The teacher’s persuasive, expressive, and polite language during the learning process will greatly inspire students. Teachers who use positive language, choose high-quality words, are more receptive, inspire, and even build students’ logic and understanding better than teachers who use language and use lots of harsh and sloppy words. In addition, speaking with good and quality words is also polite, reflecting the quality of one’s culture so that the application of appropriate communication will provide opportunities to shape aspects of developing children’s speaking skills. (Lestari & Istyanto, 2020b).

The following is a table the researcher found while observing the research location. Table A is the language skills used without adequate language quality, while table B is the language skills that use the five language continuums at Kindergarten Khadijah Wonorejo.

In example A, the teacher gives orders directly to the children so that the children do not have the opportunity to convey what is needed and wanted. So that children’s language skills are not appropriately stimulated. Whereas in example B. The teacher uses NDS (Non-Direct Statement) sentences and questions for children to provide opportunities for children to convey and answer questions; from here, the child’s speaking ability will be well stimulated.

According to Anggraini (2021), the following are five continuums of teacher-made language quality with students using the primary method approach:

In this study, the researcher found that the five language continuums can help develop the ability to speak child age early in kindergarten Khadijah Wonorejo Surabaya. Besides, it can encourage cognitive abilities and touch the emotional environment, strong attitudes, and creativity from the existing learning models in schools. From the results of the study, it can be analyzed that if the school provides learning activities with quality language use models based on early childhood growth and development that are fun, easy to understand, easy to imitate, and not dull, then it will be easy to develop children’s language skills, especially speaking skills.

The five-language continuum is a good practice that can be done anywhere and with anyone because this is a practical and easy-to-apply communication pattern, especially at school, because the language will develop if we are used to using it, as found in the journal that the school provides effective communication by the growth and development of children. Teachers and other education personnel at school Always use quality language wherever they are when interacting with students (Lestari & Istyanto, 2020a).

The teacher’s persuasive, expressive, and polite language during the learning process will greatly inspire students. Teachers who use positive language choose high-quality words, are more receptive, inspire, and even build students’ logic and understanding better than teachers who use language and use lots of harsh and sloppy words (Lincoln et al., 2017). In addition, speaking with good and quality words is also polite, reflecting the quality of one’s culture so that the application of language choose high-quality will provide opportunities to shape aspects of developing children’s speaking skills (Lestari & Istyanto, 2020a). However, in this study, it took quite a long time to find out the process and benefits of using the five language continuums for early childhood.

CONCLUSION

Study this aim to describe the application of five continuum language in developing early childhood speaking skills at Khadijah Kindergarten Wonorejo Surabaya. Based on the results of the research discussion, it can be concluded that this research can be implicated in the world of science, one of which is to develop language skills in early childhood because language is a direct communication tool that must always be trained and recited repeatedly so that the child understands what is meant in the language. Five With the five-language continuum, it turns out that children’s language skills can increase significantly; what is meant in this case is that children are easy to follow in conveying intentions and easy to understand what is meant.

The limitation of this research is that it takes a long time because researchers must know the process of using the five language continuums, from children who still need to improve in language skills to children who have developments in language skills in early childhood. In this study, researchers as non-active participants only observed communication patterns between teachers and children and children with children. Based on the results of this research, the researchers suggest using the five language continuums in developing children’s language skills because they are easy to apply to children.

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