EL 441 / 641 Teaching Young Learners

1. EL 441 / 641Teaching Young Learners Spring Term 2004 Tutors: Liz Austin & Nilufer Demirkan

2. Teaching young learners • Children aged 7 -11 • Teaching EFL • Background theory • Issues of programme design • Classroom practices

3. EL 641 / 441: Teaching young learnersMain reading list 1. Brumfit et al 1995 Teaching English to children, Longman 2. Cameron L. 2001 Teaching Languages to Young Learners CUP 3. Ellis G. et al. 2002 The Primary English Teacher's Guide (New Edition), Penguin 4. Moon J. 2000 Children Learning English Macmillan Heinemann 5. Vale D. & A. Feunteun Teaching Children English CUP

4. EL 641 / 441: Teaching young learnersFurther reading (available in Waterstones bookshop and the main library) 7. House S. 1997 An Introduction To Teaching English To Children, Richmond Publishing 8. Wood D. 1988 How Children think and Learn Blackwell 9. Ellis G. & Brewster J. 2002 Tell it Again! The new story-telling handbookfor teachers, Penguin 10. Wright A. 1995 Storytelling with Children (Resource Books for Teachers) OUP

5. Course outline • Curriculum issues worldwide • Characteristics and needs of YLs • Building a lesson: principles of task design and sequencing • Approaches to syllabus design • Evaluating young learner course books • Teaching oral skills • Introducing literacy skills • Testing YLs • Researching the YL classroom

6. EL 441 (MA students) Assignment deadline: Friday, 26th March EL 641 (BA students) Assignment deadline: Friday, 26th March Exam paper (term 3) Assessment

7. Discussion points • Do you have experience of teaching young learners? In what context? • How is the Primary Curriculum organised in your country? Is it different to the organisation of middle or High school? • How are young learners different from older students? What are the implications for YL FL classroom practice? • Did you learn English at primary? If yes, was it a positive experience? • Would you like to see your own children start English at primary school? Why? Why not?

8. Discussion points (2) 6. Is this desire strong enough to make you send your child to a private course if necessary? 7. Would you rather have your children taught by: a) an experienced primary school teacher with lower level English? b) a proficient secondary school teacher? 8. Do you think that YL exposure to English will be a boon or a curse to the secondary school English teacher? 9. What do you understand by bilingualism? 10. Is it reasonable for local parents to seek bilingual education for their child in a country where English is: a) a foreign language? b) a second language?

9. Teaching English to young learners: key web sites • Eurydice site: http://www.eurydice.org/Eurybase/frameset_eurybase.html • British Council: http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/index.htm) • CILT: http://www.cilt.org.uk/trafic/ & • http://www.cilt.org.uk/trafic/principles.htm • CALL for YL: http://www.cilt.org.uk/infos/rtf/51to75/InformationSheet54.rtf

10. Issues relating to the development of YL programmes • Role of parents • Teacher selection and training • Rationale for TEYL • Aims of national curricula • Managing transition to secondary.

11. Research questions • How do other countries manage English at primary school? • What are the advantages of starting English at primary school? • Can natural language acquisition be replicated through school learning? “Faith, rather than experience, seems to be a strong factor in the decision in many countries to lower the age at which English or another foreign language is taught”. Rixon 2003