Teaching English to Young Learners: Through the Eyes of EFL Teacher Trainers

Abstract

 

Turkey has recently changed the English language teaching (ELT) program for primary schools. The new changes required an earlier start for language learning, which are promising in terms of the importance given to foreign language teaching. However, the implementation of these changes requires readiness on the part of the teachers and preparation for the universities to compensate for the pre- and in-service training needs. Involvement of teacher trainers and teachers in the language teaching process is important for a successful implementation of a language policy. Thus, this study aims to investigate the teacher trainers’ views about the starting age for L2 learning, and the appropriate methodology for teaching English to young learners. A survey-type data collection method was used. 72 EFL teacher trainers from seven different public and private universities contributed to the study. The results revealed that EFL teacher trainers prefer language education to start at the first stage of primary school and even earlier during pre-school, which are in line with the recent changes in the curriculum. The trainers emphasized the importance of appropriate methodology and assessment techniques that are in accordance with the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of children.

Keywords

• children, ELT, foreign language teaching, teacher education, teacher trainer, young learners

References

1. Bialystok, E. (2001). Bilingualism in development: Language, literacy, and cognition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
2. Birdsong, D. (2005). Interpreting age effects in second language acquisition. In: J. F. Kroll and A. M. B. De Groot (eds.), Handbook of Bilingualism: Psycholinguistic Approaches, 109–127. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
3. Caccavale, T. (2007). ‘The correlation between early second language learning and native language skill development’, Learning languages, 13. 1. pp. 31–32.
4. Calabrese, R. & Dawes, B. (2008). Early language learning and teacher training: A foreign language syllabus for primary school teachers. Studi di Glottodidattica, 1, pp. 32-53.
5. Cameron, D. (2002). Globalization and the teaching of ‘communication skills’. In Block, D. and Cameron, D. (eds.), Globalization and Language Teaching (pp. 67-82). London: Routledge.
6. Damar, E. A. (2004). A Study on Teaching English to Young Learners in EFL contexts. Unpublished M.A.Thesis, Bursa, Turkey.
7. DeKeyser, R. & Larson-Hall, J (2005). What does the critical period really mean? In: J. F. Kroll and A. M. B. De Groot (eds.), Handbook of Bilingualism: Psycholinguistic Approaches, 88 –108. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
8. Djigunovic, J. (2012). Early EFL learning in context –Evidence from a country case study. ELT Research Papers, 5, pp. 3-24.

9. Doğançay-Aktuna, S. & Kızıltepe, Z. (2005). English in Turkey. World Englishes, 24 (2), 253-265.
10. Doğançay-Aktuna, S. (1998). The spread of English in Turkey and its current sociolinguistic profile. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 19, 23-39.
11. Edelenbos, P., Johnstone, R. & Kubanek, A. (2006) The main pedagogical principles underlying the teaching of languages to very young learners, languages for the children of Europe, Published Research, Good practice & main principles. London: European Commission.
12. Enever, J. & Moon, J. (2009) New global contexts for teaching primary ELT: change and challenge. In Enever, J., Moon, J. and Raman, U. (eds.) Young learner English language policy and implementation: international perspectives. Reading: Garnet Education.
13. European Commission (2011a) Language learning at pre-primary school level: making it efficient and sustainable. Policy Handbook. Commission Staff Working Paper. European Strategic Framework for Education and Training (ET 2020).
14. Eurydice (2008) Key data on teaching languages at school in Europe. EACEA [online]. http:// eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/key_data_series/095EN.pdf
15. Hyltenstam, K. & Abrahamsson, N. (2001). Age and L2 learning: the hazards of matching practical ‘implications’ with theoretical ‘facts’. TESOL Quarterly 35, 151–170.
16. Gürsoy, E. (2010). Implementing environmental education to foreign language teaching to young learners. EducationalResearch,1, 232-238.
17. Gürsoy, E. & Çelik Korkmaz, Ş. & Atak Damar, E. (2013). Foreign Language Teaching Within 4+4+4 Education System in Turkey: Language Teachers’ Voices. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research (EJER) (in press).
18. Halliwell, S. (1992).Teaching in English in the primary classroom. Harlow: Longman.
19. Larsen-Freeman, M. and Long, M. (1991), An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Research, London: New York, Longman.
20. Lawshe, C.H. (1975). A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel Psychology, 28, 563–575.
21. Lee, W. K. (2009) Primary English Language Teaching (ELT) in Korea: Bold risks on the national foundation. pp.95-102. In Enever, J., Moon, J. and Raman, U. (eds.) Young learner English language policy and implementation: international perspectives. Reading: Garnet Education.
22. Long, M. (2005). Problems with supposed counter-evidence to the Critical Period Hypothesis. IRAL 43(4), 287–318.
23. Johnstone, R. (2009). An early start: What are the key conditions for generalized success? In J. Enever, J. Moon, and U. Raman (Eds.), Young learner English language policy and implementation: International perspectives (pp. 31-41). Reading, UK: Garnet Publishing.
24. Kırkgöz, Y. (2008). Curriculum innovation in Turkish primary education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 36, 309-322.
25. Komorowska H., 1997, “Organisation, integration and continuity” in Doyle P., Hurrell A., (eds.), Foreign Language Education in Primary Schools, Council of Europe Press.
26. Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (MEB) [Turkish Ministry of National Education (MNE)], (1997). İlköğretim okulu 4. ve 5. sınıf yabancı dil öğretim programı [Primary education grades 4 and 5 foreign language (English) curriculum], pp. 606-624. Milli Eğitim BAkanlığı Tebliğler Dergisi, No. 2481. [MNE official Journal].
27. Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (MEB) [Turkish Ministry of National Education (MNE)], (2013). İlköğretim kurumları (ilkokullar ve ortaokullar) İngilizce dersi (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ve 8. Sınıflar) öğretim programı. Ankara.
28. Moyer, A. (2004). Age, accent and experience in second language acquisition. Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual Matters.
29. Nikolov, M. (2002). Issues in English language education. Bern: Peter Lang.
30. Nikolov, M. & Mihaljević Djigunović, J. (2006) ‘Recent research on age, second language acquisition, and early foreign language learning’, Annual review of applied linguistics, 26, pp. 234–260.
31. Paradis, M. (2004). A neurolinguistic theory of bilingualism. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
32. Qiang, W.(2009). Primary EFL in China: From policy to classroom practice In Enever, J., pp.131-140. Moon, J. and Raman, U. (eds.) Young learner English language policy and implementation: international perspectives. Reading: Garnet Education.