Bilingual Education Challenges and Strategies in an Indonesian Natural School
Abstract
The aims of this research are to find out how the bilingual program is implemented in an Indonesian natural school, the challenges faced by the teachers, and how teachers overcome problems in their teaching.The paper provides the outcomes of observations and interviews using a qualitative research design on a selected case study at SMP Alam Al-Izzah, a natural school.The results demonstrate that this natural school has created its own bilingual program called LNP (Language Nurturing Program), which emphasizes habituation of the target language with audio vocabulary that is updated every day, where students must memorize it and perform language output by depositing vocabulary with teachers along with example sentences.This LNP program also has quite strict rules for the use of language every day, although the school only applies a reward system without implementing a punishment system.The LNP program, which is made in accordance with the needs and the natural and government curricula that have been used so far, is considered quite effective, as seen by how well students and teachers can adjust to the use of English at school.Although the teachers' different educational backgrounds, such as in mathematics, fine arts, or informatics, pose some difficulties, the school can overcome them through the LNP language program for teachers.This research further concluded that there is a need to enhance bilingual program development at SMP Alam Al-Izzah, including the development of student activities for the LNP program and adequate teacher training.