THE USE OF NURSERY RHYMES TO EXPOSE ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO YOUNG LEARNERS

Abstract

Teaching elementary school students in rural areas with low English proficiency is challenging due to a lack of resources. The quality of English teachers is crucial, and using interesting learning materials like nursery rhymes can make learning English fun and engaging. This paper aims to find out how teachers teach nursery rhymes to EFL young learners and to explore teachers' exposure and encountering the obstacles in teaching EFL young learners. To collect data, the researcher used classroom observation and interviews, a study conducted in Central Java involving 25 students and 1 teacher. Researcher found that using nursery rhymes positively impacts young learners' English skills. However, teachers face obstacles such as limited exposure to English outside the classroom, lack of equipment, short attention spans, and limited student concentration. Despite these challenges, students show enthusiasm and enjoyment in learning English through nursery rhymes. The study concludes that nursery rhymes are an effective tool for teaching English and provides recommendations for educators, learners, and future researchers. English teachers can use nursery rhymes as an innovative strategy to improve students' English skills and should be motivating and creative. Students should practice speaking English regularly to enhance fluency and communication skills. Future researchers are encouraged to address the weaknesses in the study and compare different strategies for teaching English through nursery rhymes to determine effectiveness. Overall nursery rhymes can be very effective alternative media to expose English as a foreign language to young learners. For young learners to enjoy studying English, they must do so in an enjoyable setting. It was like learning while having fun. Among the options was to use nursery rhymes.