Beyond ABC : investigating current rationales and systems for the teaching of early reading to young learners of English

The premise of this thesis is that the role of the first steps in reading in courses for Young Learners of English (YL) at the beginner stage is a neglected area, with anomalies centred around the fact that ‘words on the page ’are often treated as if they were facilitative from the outset for language work in areas such as speaking while very little support is offered to children as to how to decode these words. Chapter 1 (Introduction) traces the rapid spread of YL teaching worldwide and considers the preparation of teachers for their roles. Materials are discussed as an important source of support and structure for teachers and a case is made for a focus in the main study on systems and rationales for early reading found among teachers themselves or evidenced in published materials. Chapter 2 (Literature Review) discusses relevant issues for systematic support for YL in their first steps in reading English. Areas discussed are: Teacher Cognition, Sociocultural inductions to reading, Orthographic Depth, Phonology, research on reading development across languages and influences in the YL world of established early reading methods for English native-speaking children. Chapter 3 (Research Methodology) justifies the decision to investigate the area via two main studies: (1) questionnaires and in-depth interviews with EYL professionals and (2) close analysis of course materials. It is argued that the qualitative stance of the former is not in conflict with the more objective and quantitative handling of course material data since both are appropriate ways of focusing on the same issue. A third, small-scale, study of the publishing experiences of curriculum experts and materials writers is justified and described. Chapter 4 (Findings) reports and integrates the findings of both main studies and summarizes the findings from the study with curriculum experts and materials writers. Main findings are that EYL professionals tend not to put linguistic considerations high in their priorities for decision-making and that materials analyzed had an underlay in the Alphabetic Principle but were dominated by ‘ABC’ ordering of Reading-Focal items and included activities which tended not to promote pattern-seeking or other behaviour likely to lead to ‘self-teaching’. Chapter 5 (Discussion) discusses the significance of the findings of the two main studies and uses the results of the third study to add balance to the materials analysis study. Limitations of, and reflections on, the research are discussed. Chapter 6 (Conclusions) draws implications for professional education, pedagogy and materials illustrated by examples in the Appendices. Claims are made for the contributions of the study that (1) it opens up discussion on an area of YL teaching which has been neglected both in the research literature and in practical materials creation (2) through the use of in-depth interviews it allows a voice for EYL professionals which has not been heard before (3) the concepts of Reading-Focal versus Vehicular language in YL course materials are claimed as new and useful, leading directly (4) to procedures and analysis tools which can be used with any set of YL materials. Directions for further research building on this thesis are indicated

Comparative assessment of young learners' foreign language competence in three Eastern European countries

This paper concerns teacher practices in, and beliefs about, the assessment of young learners' progress in English in three Eastern European countries (Slovenia, Croatia, and the Czech Republic). The central part of the paper focuses on an international project involving empirical research into assessment of young learners' foreign language competence in Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic. With the help of an adapted questionnaire, we collected data from a non-random sample of primary and foreign language teachers who teach foreign languages at the primary level in these countries. The research shows that English as a foreign language is taught mostly by young teachers either primary specialists or foreign language teachers. These teachers most frequently use oral assessment/interviews or self-developed tests. Other more authentic types of assessment, such as language portfolios, are rarely used. The teachers most frequently assess speaking and listening skills, and they use assessment involving vocabulary the most frequently of all. However, there are significant differences in practice among the three countries

Developing expertise through experience: Ideas for continuing professional development

Edited by Alan Maley, the book is focusing on the role of experience in teacher training and life-long development, it is an exploration and extension of Prabhu’s concept of ‘the teacher’s sense of plausibility’. Prabhu suggests that whatever forms of training and professional development teachers are exposed to, they will make sense of them in their own way, drawing on their own values, beliefs and experiences and their evolving sense of what will be appropriate for them in their specific context. Twenty practitioners world-wide were invited to reflect on their own career trajectories in the light of Prabhu’s idea. Their responses offer fascinating insights into the way places, publications, ideas and key people have influenced the professional and personal development of the contributors

Listening : Upper - intermediate

xi, 93 p. : ill. ; 25 cm

Review of The continuum companion to second language acquisition, by Macaro, E., ed.

The title ‘Companion’ is suggestive of some kind of neutral reference book, an extended glossary, perhaps a mini-encyclopaedia, with some sections expounding key concepts, intended to be used by apprentices in a particular field rather than by seasoned practitioners. There is no sub-title or statement at the very beginning of this book concerning audience but one major intended readership, one soon understands, is postgraduate students and their mentors, working at masters or doctoral level and wishing to engage in, or with, research in the area of language learning

Izvajanje preverjanja in ocenjevanja znanja mlajših učencev pri pouku tujega jezika v slovenski osnovni šoli

Assessment should regularly and systematically be integrated into the process of learning and teaching. That is, it should reflect the kinds of activity that regularly occur in class and with which pupils are famillar. It should have a strong diagnostic function that will provide useful information to teachers and learners in enabling them to take stock of where they are and if necessary to adapt their particular strategies. The research reported in this article focuses on an investigation of Slovenian foreign language teachers\u27 experiences and attitudes toward the assessment of primary learners of a foreign language. By means of a survey questionnaire we present the characteristics of teachers\u27 assessment in practice, and teachers\u27 attitudes toward assessment at the primary level. The survey shows that all teachers assess their young learners of foreign languages, more often numerically than with comments. They also believe that they are responsible for assessment, just as they believe that teachers and young learners alike have the right to these the results.Preverjanje in ocenjevanje naj bi bila redno in sistematično vključena v proces učenja in poučevanja. Izražala naj bi dejavnosti v razredu, učenci bi morali biti z njimi seznanjeni. Preverjanje in ocenjevanje naj imata diagnostično funkcijo, ki zagotavlja uporabne informacije tako učitelju kot učencu, prav tako pa ju opozarja na uspešnost izbranega načina dela in če je potrebno tudi prilagajanje na določene učne strategije. Članek predstavlja empirično raziskavo o značilnostih in stališčih do preverjanja in ocenjevanja in sicer slovenskih učiteljev razrednega pouka in tujega jezika, ki poučujejo tuji jezik na razredni stopnji osnovne šole. S pomočjo prevzetega anketnega vprašalnika smo pridobili podatke o značilnostih preverjanja in ocenjevanja učencev tujega jezika na razredni stopnji osnovne šole, ki jih učitelji izvajajo v praksi ter stališča učiteljev do preverjanja in ocenjevanja. Raziskava kaže, da vsi učitelji preverjajo in ocenjujejo učence tujega jezika na razredni stopnji, številčno bolj pogosto kot opisno. Učitelji menijo, da sosami odgovorni za preverjanje in ocenjevanje, prav tako so mnenja, da imajo tako učenci kot njihovi starši pravico videti rezultate

The work of Brian Abbs and Ingrid Freebairn

The idea for this ‘Survey Review with a difference’ stems from a growing recognition that our profession has a history and particular stories worth telling (Howatt with Widdowson 2004; Smith 2004; Hunter and Smith 2012). It chimes also with the coming of age of ELT textbook research, which has been taken in interesting new directions (beyond simply textbook evaluation) by analysts including Littlejohn (1998), Kullman (2003), Waters (2009), Gray (2010), Harwood (2010), and Tomlinson and Masuhara (2010). This Survey Review was also stimulated by a desire to see how materials collected together over the last ten years in the Warwick ELT Archive (http://www.warwick.ac.uk/go/elt_archive) could be mined in the service of useful history. The article celebrates the achievements of Brian Abbs and Ingrid Freebairn, two of the most significant ELT coursebook authors of the last 50 years. It focuses, in particular, on their (1975+) Strategies series. The article takes account of some of the criticisms that have been made of UK ELT coursebooks in general, while exploring a research approach which places value on the contributions of coursebook writers to ELT history

Green light : songs for English

Angol-Amerikai Intézet Könyvtárában hozzáférhet

Comparative assessment of young learners\u27 foreign language competence in three Eastern European countries

This paper concerns teacher practices in, and beliefs about, the assessment of young learners\u27 progress in English in three Eastern European countries (Slovenia, Croatia, and the Czech Republic). The central part of the paper focuses on an international project involving empirical research into assessment of young learners\u27 foreign language competence in Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic. With the help of an adapted questionnaire, we collected data from a non-random sample of primary and foreign language teachers who teach foreign languages at the primary level in these countries. The research shows that English as a foreign language is taught mostly by young teachers either primary specialists or foreign language teachers. These teachers most frequently use oral assessment/interviews or self-developed tests. Other more authentic types of assessment, such as language portfolios, are rarely used. The teachers most frequently assess speaking and listening skills, and they use assessment involving vocabulary the most frequently of all. However, there are significant differences in practice among the three countries