CODE-MIXING BY KINDERGARTEN LEARNERS AT NANYANG ZHI HUI MEDAN

This research explores the use of code-mixing among young learners in a bilingual kindergarten setting at Nanyang Zhi Hui School in Medan, where English is promoted as the main language for communication. Despite this emphasis, students often alternate between English and their native languages, such as Bahasa Indonesia, Hokkien, and Mandarin during
everyday interactions. Using a qualitative descriptive-explanatory approach, this study aims to identify the types of code-mixing present, examine how they are manifested, and analyze the reasons behind their usage among children aged 4 to 5. Data were gathered through classroom observation and informal interviews, then analyzed using the interactive model by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana. The findings indicate that all three code-mixing types described by Muysken (2000) such as insertion, alternation, and congruent lexicalization were observed, with insertion of content words being the most prevalent. Furthermore, the learners’ codemixing behaviors were influenced by several sociolinguistic factors, including vocabulary limitations, context of conversation, familiarity with the topic, and peer interaction. The results offer valuable insights into language development and sociolinguistic behavior among early
childhood bilingual learners.