Embodied Phonological Mapping: Multimodal Scaffolding and Arabic Phoneme Acquisition in Indonesian Early Childhood
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29240/jba.v10i2.17325Keywords:
Arabic phoneme acquisition, multimodal scaffolding, embodied cognition, Rumah Qur’an, early childhood educationAbstract
Arabic phoneme acquisition presents particular challenges for young Indonesian learners, especially when unfamiliar sounds require articulatory movements absent from their first-language repertoires. While previous studies have examined pronunciation errors and phonological interference, limited attention has been given to children’s embodied experiences of learning Arabic sounds in non-formal Qur'anic education. This study explores how multimodal scaffolding mediates young children's Arabic phoneme learning at Rumah Qur'an Al-‘Izzah, South Jakarta. Employing a qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach informed by Van Manen, the study involved three children aged 5–6 years and two Qur'anic instructors. The study gathered data through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and instructional documents, and interpreted them through iterative thematic reflection on lived experiences. The findings show that children associated unfamiliar phonemes with familiar bodily sensations, including describing /خ/ as resembling snoring and /ع/ as involving pressure in the throat. Teachers supported these experiences through sensory metaphors, articulatory demonstrations, tactile guidance, and repeated interaction. These findings informed Embodied Phonological Mapping (EPM), a conceptual framework comprising three interconnected dimensions: sensory grounding, motor imitation, and socially guided repetition. Rather than proposing a universal developmental sequence, EPM offers a phenomenological interpretation of how bodily engagement and social mediation contribute to early Arabic phonological learning. The study provides pedagogical insights for developmentally appropriate pronunciation instruction in non-formal Qur'anic learning environments.
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