A SHARED READING STRATEGY TO INFUSE INTERCULTURALITY IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS

This study explores the implementation of a Shared Reading (SR) strategy to infuse interculturality in the teaching of English to young learners. Recognizing the significance of intercultural awareness in early language education, the research investigates how teachers at Kelas Main Harmoni, an English club for young learners in Indonesia, select culturally rich reading materials and integrate them into their classroom practices. The study adopts an ethnographic qualitative approach, utilizing video document analysis and semi-structured interviews with three early childhood English teachers. The findings reveal that teachers are motivated by a desire to develop students’ global awareness, promote cultural empathy, and make English language learning more meaningful through exposure to diverse cultural contexts. The SR sessions involve interactive discussions, teacher modeling, and the use of developmentally appropriate texts containing intercultural elements. Students’ responses, observed through verbal and non-verbal behaviors, indicate active engagement, growing curiosity, and emerging cultural sensitivity. The study highlights the role of teacher agency and institutional support in shaping intercultural pedagogical practices. It concludes that Shared Reading is an effective and adaptable strategy for integrating interculturality into English instruction for young learners. This approach not only supports language acquisition but also prepares children to become open-minded and globally aware individuals from an early age.