DEVELOPING CENTRAL KALIMANTAN-THEMED CHILDREN BOOKS: MULTILINGUAL PICTURE STORY BOOKS

The decline in the use of regional languages, such as Dayak Ngaju, among younger generation in Central Kalimantan, raise concerns regarding language preservation and cultural identity. Simultaneously, the increase in the importance of English language proficiency underlines the need for educational media that can support multilingual language learning whilst also maintain local cultural values and identities. This project aimed to develop a multilingual picture story books by incorporating Indonesian language, English, and Dayak Ngaju to promote multilingual literacy, vocabulary understanding, and cultural awareness among children.
This project employed a Research and Development (R&D) method using the ADDIE model. The product was developed in both print and digital format consisted of three picture story books featuring iconic Central Kalimantan fauna. The implementation involved 28 fourth-grade students at SDN Percobaan Palangka Raya. Data were collected through surveys, classroom try-outs, and follow-up interviews.
The findings indicated that 71.4% of students had never read a multilingual story book combining Indonesian language, English and Dayak Ngaju. After implementation, 89.3% reported learning new vocabulary, 92.9% stated that the three-language format improved their understanding of the stories, and 96.4% expressed interest in reading similar books despite the initial difficulties faced with English and Dayak Ngaju. The project has shown that multilingual picture story books can serve as engaging learning media that support vocabulary acquisition, foster enthusiasm for linguistic diversity, and contributes to preservation of local language and identity among children.