Fostering Intercultural Competence in BIPA Classrooms: A Qualitative Exploration of Transcultural Multimedia Integration

Abstract

The globalization of the Indonesian language has precipitated a highly heterogeneous demographic of learners in Bahasa Indonesia for Speakers of Other Languages (BIPA) programs. In multinational international school settings, learners often face significant socio-cultural barriers that hinder their functional communication. This qualitative exploratory study investigates the impact of transcultural multimedia integration on the development of learners' intercultural competence. In contrast to conventional monocultural approaches, transcultural pedagogy facilitates a dialogic comparison between the target culture and the learners' native cultures. Researchers conducted this three-month study at a Cooperative Education Unit (SPK) in Jakarta, involving 40 multinational expatriate learners (with no dual citizenship) and 10 BIPA educators. The researchers collected data through eight participatory classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and reflective logs. To ensure trustworthiness, the study validated the data through methodological triangulation and member checking. The findings reveal three dominant themes: (1) the emergence of cultural relativism and pragmatic adaptability among learners; (2) a significant reduction in communicative hesitation due to the creation of a psychologically safe, transculturally reflective environment; and (3) a fundamental shift in the pedagogical role of teachers from static information transmitters to dynamic learning experience designers. This study concludes that the integration of authentic, transculturally reflective multimedia serves as a vital catalyst in transforming linguistic beginners into culturally empathetic global communicators, offering a new paradigm for BIPA curriculum development.