The class that day was different from usual. The children at a preschool in Cilincing, North Jakarta, were visited by students from Jakarta International University (JIU). As it turned out, these older students would be accompanying the children to learn something new: English and Japanese.
To ensure the preschool pupils could easily understand and stay interested in learning foreign languages, the JIU students used a fun teaching approach. The children were invited to colour and sing to help them grasp simple words in both English and Japanese.
The classroom session began by singing multi-language children's songs, such as “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” in English and Japanese versions. The children joined in enthusiastically, making the atmosphere much more interactive. Afterwards, they began colouring special sheets prepared by the JIU team. Some children received sheets featuring warriors (bushi), wooden dolls (kokeshi), or lucky cats (manekineko). Each sheet included the name of the object in Indonesian, English, and Japanese, allowing the children to build direct associations between the visual symbols and their written representations.
The activity, held on 2 March 2026, utilised a participatory-collaborative approach involving a synergy between four study programmes at JIU: Visual Communication Design (DKV), English Literature, Japanese Literature, and Information Systems, in collaboration with Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI). The preschool visited by the JIU students is located within WVI’s assisted area in Cilincing.
After completing their work, each child stepped to the front of the class to present their coloured sheets. They also repeated the names of the objects in English and Japanese. The children appeared eager and more confident in pronouncing the new foreign vocabulary they had just learned.
It is hoped that this successful collaboration between WVI and JIU will continue and bring positive impacts for the educators, the JIU students, and the children within WVI’s assisted areas. This effort stands as a form of collaboration that prioritises the well-being of Indonesian children.
Adapted from the article "Pengabdian Ceria WVI dan JIU: Siswa PAUD Cilincing Belajar kosakata Inggris dan Jepang Lewat Mewarnai" written by Dr Andreas James Darmawan, M. Sn.
Author: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)