Okul Öncesi Eğitiminde Yabancı Dil Öğretimi: Öğretmen Adaylarının Tutumları ve İnançları

Abstract

Bu araştırma, okul öncesi öğretmeni adaylarının yabancı dil öğretimine yönelik tutumlarındaki ve yabancı dil eğitimi hakkındaki inançlarındaki değişiklikleri çeşitli açılardan incelemektedir. Araştırma kapsamında, yabancı dil becerilerini geliştirmeyi amaçlayan bir eğitim programı araştırma ortamı olarak kullanılmıştır. Katılımcılar, TÜBİTAK 2237-A Bilimsel Eğitim Etkinlikleri Desteği Programı kapsamında yürütülen, teorik ve uygulamalı derslerden oluşan 40 saatlik bir eğitim programına katılmıştır. Çalışma grubu, Türkiye'deki farklı üniversitelere kayıtlı 18 okul öncesi öğretmeni adayından oluşmuştur. Araştırma hem nitel hem de nicel veri kaynaklarını kullanan karma bir araştırma yöntemi olan sıralı dönüşümsel araştırma tasarımına uygun olarak yürütülmüştür. Toplanan veriler, karşılaştırma testleri ve içerik analizi tekniği kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmanın bulguları, anaokullarındaki yabancı dil öğretimine yönelik tutumların değişimini, üniversitelerdeki yabancı dil eğitiminin yeterliliğini, anaokullarındaki yabancı dil öğretim sorumluluklarını, anaokulu döneminde yabancı dil öğretiminin gerekliliğini, erken yaşta yabancı dil öğrenmenin olumsuz etkilerini ve anaokulu öğretmeni adaylarının okul türleri tercihlerini ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, politika yapıcılara, öğretmenlere ve gelecekteki çalışmalara önerilerle sona ermektedir.

Keywords

• okul öncesi
• dil eğitimi
• okul öncesi öğretmeni adayları
• erken çocukluk eğitimi

Foreign Language Teaching in Early Childhood Education: Attitudes and Beliefs of Pre-service Teachers

Abstract

This study examines changes in attitudes towards foreign language teaching and beliefs about foreign language education among pre-service preschool teachers from multiple perspectives. The research was conducted within the framework of a training program organized under the TÜBİTAK 2237-A Scientific Education Activities Support initiative, which aimed to enhance the foreign language skills of pre-service preschool teachers. The participants underwent a 40-hour training program comprising both theoretical and practical components. The research sample consisted of 18 pre-service preschool teachers enrolled in various universities across Turkey. A sequential transformational research design, a mixed-method approach, was employed, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data sources. The collected data were analyzed using comparative tests and inductive thematic analysis. The findings reveal shifts in attitudes towards foreign language teaching in preschool education, along with insights into the adequacy of foreign language training at universities, the teaching responsibilities associated with foreign language instruction in preschools, the necessity of introducing foreign languages at the preschool level, concerns regarding potential negative effects of early foreign language learning, and the school preferences of pre-service preschool teachers. The study concludes with recommendations for policymakers, educators, and future research.

Keywords

• Preschool
• Language Education
• Early Childhood Education
• Language Learning in Preschools
• pre-service preschool teachers

References

1. Al-Darwish, S. (2012). Kindergarten children and language learning: Missing pillars for language acquisition. International Journal of Higher Education, 2(1), 44–52. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v2n1p44
2. Almeida, F. (2018). Strategies to perform a mixed methods study. European Journal of Education Studies, 5(1). 137-151. https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.1406214.svg
3. Anşin, S. (2006). Çocuklarda yabancı dil öğretimi. D.Ü. Ziya Gökalp Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 6, 9-20. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/zgefd/issue/47964/606853
4. Auleear Owodally, A. M. (2015). Supporting early oral language skills for preschool ELL in an EFL context, Mauritius: Possibilities and challenges. Early Child Development and Care, 185(2), 226–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2014.919494
5. Baki, A., & Gökçek, T. (2012). Karma yöntem araştırmalarına genel bir bakış. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 11(42), 1-21. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/esosder/issue/6156/82721
6. Bayyurt, Y. (2012, Kasım). 4+ 4+ 4 Eğitim sisteminde erken yaşta yabancı dil eğitimi. Yabancı Dil Eğitimi Çalıştayı, Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Ankara.
7. Baqiyudin, G., Nurhasan, N., & Suroto, S. (2023). Improving The Gross Motor Skills Of Mentally Retarded Children Through Rhythmic Brain Gym Activities. International Journal of Educational Research & Social Sciences, 4(5), 845-849. https://doi.org/10.51601/ijersc.v4i5.726
8. Bernstein, K. A., Kilinc, S., Troxel Deeg, M., Marley, S. C., Farrand, K. M., & Kelley, M. F. (2021). Language ideologies of Arizona preschool teachers implementing dual language teaching for the first time: pro-multilingual beliefs, practical concerns. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 24(4), 457–480. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1476456

9. Černà, M. (2015). Pre-primary English language learning and teacher education in the Czech Republic. In S. Mourão & M. Lourenço (Eds.), Early years second language education: International perspectives on theory and practice (pp. 165–176). Routledge.
10. Conboy, B. (2013). Neuroscience research: How experience with one or multiple languages affects the developing brain. In Child Development Division, California Department of Education (CDE) (Ed.), California’s Best Practices for Young Dual Language Learners: Research Overview Papers.
11. Chu, Y.-W. (2014). Teachers’ beliefs in teaching english for kids at a kindergarten: A case study of students from the Department of Applied English. English Language Teaching, 7(10), 100–112. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v7n10p100
12. Çelik, Ö. (2017). Ortaokul fen bilimleri dersi 6.sınıf öğretim programı vücudumuzdaki sistemler teması bakımından değerlendirilmesi: Konya il merkezi örneği [Yüksek lisans tezi, Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi]. Ulusal Tez Merkezi.
13. Çelik, S., & Işık, A. (2019). İlkokullarda yabancı dil öğretimi ile ilgili öğretmen görüşleri. Manisa Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 7(1), 1-11. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/mcbuefd/issue/54488/742554
14. Çetintaş, B. G., & Yazıcı, Z. (2016). Erken çocukluk döneminde anaokulu ve anasınıflarında iki dilli eğitim uygulamaları ve deneyimleri üzerine öğretmen görüşleri. Akdeniz İnsani Bilimler Dergisi, 6(2), 173-187. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/mjh/issue/82957/1427793
15. Domino, G., & Domino, M. L. (2006). Psychological testing: An introduction. Cambridge University Press.
16. Ellis, G. (2016). A short, in-service training course for pre-school teachers in France. In V. A. Murphy & M. Evangelou (Eds.), Early Childhood Education in English for Speakers of Other Languages (pp. 265–278). British Council.
17. Espinosa, L. (2015). Getting it right for young children from diverse backgrounds: Applying Research to improve practice (2nd Ed.). Pearson.
18. Fauzi, W. J., Radzuan, N. R. M., Ngah, E., Rani, A. A., & Ali, F. (2021). Digitising English language learning for early childhood educators in Malaysian context: The rationale. Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 15(3), 113–134. https://doi.org/10.17206/apjrece.2021.15.3.113
19. Fojkar, M. D., & Skubic, D. (2017). Pre-Service Preschool Teachers' Beliefs about Foreign Language Learning and Early Foreign Language Teaching in Slovenia. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 7(4), 85-104. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1165346
20. Gimatdinova Çağaç, F. (2018). Benefits of learning a foreign language at an early age. The Journal of International Social Research, 11(59), 132-137. http://dx.doi.org/10.17719/jisr.2018.2622
21. Goh, P. S.-C. (2019). Preschool teachers’ perspectives on using english language to teach. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 19(4), 346–362. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2019-1904-18
22. Gönül, S. (2020). Sınıf öğretmenlerinin ilkokullarda yabancı dil öğretimine ilişkin görüşleri [Yüksek lisans tezi, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi]. Ulusal Tez Merkezi.
23. Hartshorne, J. K., Tenenbaum, J. B., & Pinker, S. (2018). A critical period for second language acquisition: Evidence from 2/3 million English speakers. Cognition, 177, 263-277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.04.007
24. Hegde, A. V., Hewett, B., & Terrell, E. (2018). Examination of teachers’ preparedness and strategies used to teach English language learners in kindergarten. Early Child Development and Care, 188(6), 774–784. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1237513
25. Huang, H.-T., Chang, D.-F., & Weng, H.-J. (2019). Fuzzy method for determining the gaps between parents and teachers perceived on implementing of preschools English curriculum policy. ICIC Express Letters, Part B: Applications, 10(12), 1077–1084. https://doi.org/10.24507/icicelb.10.12.1077
26. Ioannou-Georgiou, S. (2015). Early language learning in Cyprus: voices from the classroom. In S. Mourão & M. Lourenço (Eds), Early years second language education: International perspectives on theory and practice (pp. 95–108). Routledge.
27. İlter, B., & Er, S. (2007). Erken yaşta yabancı dil öğretimi üzerine veli ve öğretmen görüşleri. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 15(1), 21-30. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/kefdergi/issue/49108/626693
28. İrem, O. (2019). Yabancı dil öğretimi/öğreniminde yaş etkeni üzerine bir değerlendirme. Dil Dergisi, 170(1), 40-53. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/dilder/issue/43587/528966
29. Jacoby, J. W., & Lesaux, N. K. (2019). Supporting dual language learners in Head Start: Teacher beliefs about teaching priorities and strategies to facilitate English language acquisition. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 40(2), 120–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2018.1529006
30. Khurramovna, S. S., & Bakhtiyarovna, A. S. (2021). Methodology of teaching English to preschool children. Eurasian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3, 148–150. https://bit.ly/3Q0qlyN
31. Kılıç, S. (2015). Kappa test. Journal of Mood Disorders, 5(3), 142-144.
32. Kirsch, C., Aleksić, G., Mortini, S., & Andersen, K. (2020). Developing multilingual practices in early childhood education through professional development in Luxembourg. International Multilingual Research Journal, 14(4), 319 – 337. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2020.1730023
33. Mahmoud Ghoneim, N. M., & Abdelsalam Elghotmy, H. E. (2015). The effect of a suggested multisensory phonics program on developing kindergarten pre-service teachers’ EFL reading accuracy and phonemic awareness. English Language Teaching, 8(12), 124–143. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v8n12p124
34. Milton, C., du Plessis, S., & van der Heever, H. (2020). English as an additional language: Professional development needs of early childhood practitioners in historically disadvantaged contexts. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 10(1), Article a804. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v10i1.804
35. Ng, M. L. (2015). Difficulties with team teaching in Hong Kong kindergartens. ELT Journal, 69(2), 188–197. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccu057
36. Landis, J., & Koch, G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33(1), 159-174.
37. Long, M. H. (2017). Problems in second language acquisition. Routledge.
38. Petitto, L. A., M. S. Berens, I. Kovelman, M. H. Dubins, L. J. Williams, & M. Shalinsky. (2011). The ‘Perceptual wedge hypothesis’ as the basis for bilingual babies’ phonetic processing advantage: New insights from fNIRS brain imaging. Brain Language, 121 (2), 130– 43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2011.05.003
39. Ping, Z., Vicente Nicolás, G., & Coyle, Y. (2013). Preschool English education in the Spanish curriculum. Analysis of the Region of Murcia. Porta Linguarum : International Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, 20, 117–133. https://doi.org/10.30827/digibug.27178
40. Pollard-Durodola, S. D., González, J. E., Simmons, D. C., Taylor, A. B., Davis, M. J., Simmons, L., & Nava-Walichowski, M. (2012). An examination of preschool teachers’ shared book reading practices in Spanish: Before and after instructional guidance. Bilingual Research Journal, 35(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2012.667374
41. Portiková, Z. (2015). Pre-primary second language education in Slovakia and the role of teacher training programmes. In S. Mourão & M. Lourenço (Eds.), Early years second language education: International perspectives on theory and practice (pp. 177–188). Routledge.
42. Posner, J. G. (1995). Analyzing the curriculum (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
43. Sandhofer, C., & Uchikoshi, Y. (2013). The relationship between dual language development and development of cognition, mathematics, socialemotional development, and related domains. In California’s Best Practices for Young Dual Language Learners: Research Overview Papers, Child Development Division, California Department of Education (CDE). http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ce/documents/dllresearchpapers.pdf
44. Sevi, L. (2010). Öğretmen adaylarının yabancı dil eğitiminin gerekliliğine ilişin görüşleri [Yüksek lisans tezi, Kütahya Dumlupınar Üniversitesi]. Ulusal Tez Merkezi.
45. Soto-Boykin, X. T., Larson, A. L., Olszewski, A., Velury, V., & Feldberg, A. (2021). Who is centered? A systematic review of early childhood researchers’ descriptions of children and caregivers from linguistically minoritized communities. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 41(1), 18-30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271121421991222
46. Şad, S.N., & Sarı, M. (2019). English teachers’ competencies in teachin English to young learners (The case of Kütahya province). Inonu University Journal of the Graduate School of Education, 6(12), 144-163. https://doi.org/10.29129/inujgse.567423
47. Thoma, N., & Platzgummer, V. (2023). ‘It’sa bit contradictory’: teachers’ stances to (practiced) language policies in German-language ECEC in Italy. International Journal of Multilingualism, 20(4), 1319-1335. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2023.2237061
48. Tyler, W. R. (1993). Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. The University of Chicago Press.
49. Vanpatten, B. & Benati G.A. (2015). Key Terms in Second Language Acquisition (2nd Ed.). Bloomsbury.
50. Wang, S., & Hou, Y. (2021). Learning stories as an assessment: A case study exploring its local application in China. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49, 693–710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01092-y
51. Yule, G. (2022). The study of language. Cambridge university press.
52. Zengin, E., & Ulaş, A. H. (2020). Sınıf öğretmenlerinin yabancı dil öğretiminde karşılaştıkları problemlerin belirlenmesi. Turkish Journal of Educational Studies, 7(1), 27-42. https://doi.org/10.33907/turkjes.581983