Teaching English to Young Learners around the World: An Introduction

Since parents' child believe that English gives their kids better opportunities in life, the demand for English has increased and students are learning English at younger and younger ages

Two major reasons for an early start in English

The Benefits of Early Language Learning

Some studies found out that there was a "critical period" when learning second language. This perior starts prior to puberty in wich children could acquire native-like proficiency in a foreign language

The European Commission

■ Better language skills
■ Favorable attitudes to other languages, people and cultures

Rixon (1999)

What matters more than the optimal age are the conditions under which young learner programs are offered (inside and outside the classroom)

■ Natural
■ Contextualized and part of a real event
■ Interesting and enjoyable
■ Relevant
■ Social
■ Belongs to the child
■ Has a purpose for the child
■ Builds on things the child knows but also challenges the child
■ Supported appropriately
■ Part of a coherent whole
■ Multisensory
■ Active and experiential
■ Memorable
■ Designed to provide for personal, divergent responses and multiple intelligences
■ Offered in a relaxed and warm learning atmosphere

Reasons for starting language learning early

The value of increased time

Younger learners simply have more time to learn the language and they need more than two 30-minute periods
a week.

The possibility of better pronunciation and fluency

Young learners are more likely to attain native-like
pronunciation, greater confidence in speaking the language, and better oral proficiency

The possibility of greater global awareness and intercultural competence

Children have the opportunity to become global
citizens (gain an appreciation for their own and other languages and cultures)

The value of bilingualism

Being bilingual provides many cognitive advantages such as mental flexibility, the ability to see a problem from different perspectives and increase a child’s selfawareness

The Value of English for Education and Employment

English has become the world's lingua franca because of big increase of people who speaks English all over the world.

According to Crystal (2012)

Expanding Circle

■ About 300–500 million people
■ English has a long history and serves a variety of functions in education, government, literature, and popular culture

■ India
■ Pakistan
■ the Philippines
■ Kenya
■ Jamaica
■ Trinidad and Tobago
■ Fiji, etc.

Outer Circle

■ About 500 million to a billion
■ English has no official function and opportunities to use
English

■ China
■ Korea
■ Turkey
■ the United Arab Emirates
■ Germany
■ Sweden
■ Chile
■ Brazil
■ Mexico

Inner Circle

■ About 400 million people
■ English is the dominant language of education, government, and other institutions

■ United States
■ United Kingdom
■ Ireland
■ Canada
■ Australia
■ New Zealand

Effective EYL Program Models

Programs to teach English to young learners encourage
interaction, provide engaging activities, and build positive attitudes toward English language learning. They need to be “carefully planned, adequately supported and resourced, and closely monitored and evaluated.

The quantity of time that a young learner spends studying English will affect their proficiency in English

FLEX programs

They introduce children to different languages and cultures using music, songs, and stories, they may learn the numbers, colors, and greetings in a foreign language and focusing on exploring or experiencing languages, rather than developing proficiency in these languages and the major goal is to increase children’s awareness of other languages
and cultures and thus of their own

FLES programs

Children study one language as a regular school subject. The goal of a FLES program is to help children develop listening and speaking skills in another language, as well as some
proficiency in reading and writing the language in a meaningful context

Immersion programs

These programs immerse children in another language by using that language as the medium of instruction, these programs can vary since there are ones where students can take half of their classes with a foreign language and the other half in their own language, or all their subjects in a foreign language. They allow students to develop functional proficiency in another language without loss of the native language

Dual-language or two-way immersion programs

In thsese programs, students are inmersed and learn two languages, starting with 90% of one of them, then dividing 50%-50% in certain parts of the school day. The goal of these programs is children become bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate and retain their home or heritage language while they are learning another

Transitional and maintenance bilingual programs

Students receive instruction in major subjects through both languages over time, helping to establish basic concepts in the first language, but also preparing for the switch to the language of instruction in upper grades. The goal is to help children transition from their first language into the language of schooling

Appropriately Trained EYL Teachers

Teachers are the most important factor in any child's education. They have to be well-trained to engage and motivate activities, and have adequate proficiency in English to help their children learn English.

Culturally Appropriate Materials

The material used by the teacher have to foster students' culture and focus on English as a way of communicating (be understood), exploring its culture but just being considered as an international language

Continuity of Curriculum Between Primary and Secondary English

■ In secondary schools, students have different level of language skills and knowledge
■ Curricula need to be aligned to promote a smooth transition for students and to help teachers meet the needs of former young learners.

Common Features of Effective EYL Programs

■ Focused on meaning
■ Integrated language instruction with
mainstream curriculum
■ Used task-based and content-based
approaches
■ Set up children for success
■ Fostered learner autonomy
■ Set realistic expectations and assessment
■ Provided continuity between primary and
secondary school language programs
■ Provided fun in the classroom

Pitfalls to Avoid in EYL Programs

■ Classes shouldn't be too short.
■ English should be treated as other subjects.
■ Plan a good program from primary to secondary.
■ Give Ts sufficient training.
■ Supply adequate resources.

In the first chapter, it gives a global seen of what English is as a global language, its importance of learner it as soon as possible in our lives, different types of English programs and their differences

Myanmar

■ Students start: kindergarten to grade 11 (from 5 years old to 16 years old)
■ Classes time: 4 times a week and 45 minutes in each session
■ Quantity of students: more than 50 students in a class

Romania

■ Compulsory foreign languages: First one (3rd grade - at the age of 9), Second one (5th grade)
■ Classes time: 3 hours a week - can have 4 up to 5 English lessons per week
■

Madagascar

■ Students grade: 4th grade (9 - 10 year old)
■ No exposure to the language outside the classroom
■ Quantity of students: 40 students

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