Teaching English for young language learners at Grade 5: Teachers' beliefs in two contrasting national approaches compared, and pedagogical implications

Abstract

The aim of the paper was to investigate EFL (English as a foreign language) primary school teachers’ beliefs regarding their teaching methods used in English at grade 5 in the classroom, which was a part of my PhD research (Son, 2018). Interviews (teachers at Grade 5 observed classes; Responses N=2, Sweden and N=3, Vietnam) and questionnaires to English teachers at grade 5 in Swedish and Vietnamese primary schools (additional teachers at Grade 5; Responses N=10, Sweden and N=52, Vietnam) were used. The content of the questionnaire was based on the COLT observation scheme (Spada & Fröhlich, 1995) and adapted to be suitable to the study (Son, 2018) of teaching methods at Grade 5. The teachers’ answers showed the major different degree of focusing on communication and grammar in teaching English classes at primary level between the groups, in spite of some similarities regarding classroom activities (group work), source of material and the languages used in the classroom. The results not only casted light on teachers’ beliefs in two contrasting national approaches in their English teaching methods for young language learners but also led the author to discuss further pedagogical implication