ENGLISH TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS IN BILINGUAL ELEMENTARY CLASSES IN AN EFL CONTEXT

Abstract

This study investigates English teaching strategies employed by teachers in bilingual elementary classrooms within an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Bilingual programs at the primary level present distinct instructional challenges, as English functions simultaneously as a subject and as the medium of instruction for other content areas, while students have limited exposure to English outside the classroom. This descriptive qualitative study was conducted at a bilingual elementary school in Indonesia, involving two English teachers and one subject teacher selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through classroom observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. These findings reveal six interconnected English teaching strategies:  routinized English exposure, activity-based instruction, scaffolding, code-switching, differentiated instruction, and alignment between instructional practices and curriculum. These strategies function in an integrated manner, adapted to the cognitive and linguistic development stages of young learners across grade levels. The study concludes that effective bilingual English instruction at the elementary level requires context-sensitive, student-centered strategies that balance language development and content comprehension. These findings contribute empirical insights to the limited body of research on English as a Medium of Instruction at the primary level in EFL settings.