Málfríður - 15.10.2007, Blaðsíða 28

8 MÁLFRÍÐUR
curriculum by beginning to teach English in the
youngest grades. Even some preschools include
English learning in their curriculum.
What are the implications of this development?
Teaching English to young learners requires dif­
ferent methods and areas of emphasis than those
used for older learners. The teaching objectives and
choice of materials need to take into account the
children’s previous knowledge. It is the teacher’s
role to create a supportive learning environment for
the children and bolster their confidence in learning
a new language through praise and positive encour­
agement. Learning English should be fun!
The main focus of the teaching should be on the
communicative aspects of English; using the lan­
guage for daily interaction and expression. Young
children rely most on oral language for learning,
therefore, listening and speaking in English should
be the main medium of teaching in young learner
classrooms. Children encounter English through
talk and practice English through talk, and early
literary skills can be developed through talk by
using songs, rhymes and stories (Cameron, 2001).
Teachers need to provide opportunities for children
to hear and play with the language and actively use
it in interaction; in this way they can construct their
own meanings and make the language their own.
But if teaching or materials do not challenge chil­
dren and enable them to find meaning in the new
language, learning will be limited.
To successfully teach English to young learners,
teachers need to have knowledge about how chil­
dren learn languages. They also need good skills
and knowledge in spoken English to be able to use
it in the classroom for general interaction, for exam­
ple for giving instructions, explaining meanings,
asking questions, telling stories, etc. Teachers need
to feel confident and willing to use English in the
classroom in order to increase children’s exposure
to the natural use of English for communicative
purposes.
Are we ‘putting the cart before the horse’?
It is very important that teachers who teach English
to young beginners have the necessary language
skills and training if the early start to learning
English is to be successful. The first years of teach­
ing lay the groundwork for future learning and
play a decisive role in children’s attitudes towards
English. The findings of this study suggest that we
may be ‘putting the cart before the horse’ in regard
to teaching English in grades 1­ 4. Only a minority
of teachers has received training in teaching English
and most of them are hesitant about using English
in the classroom, although they recognize the impor­
tance of doing so. Typically for teachers, they have
accepted these curriculum changes and taken on
the added responsibility and challenge of teaching
English with a positive attitude. They have worked
hard at finding and creating learning materials and
have found ways to teach English, but largely on
their own and with very little support.
There seems to be a grave lack of understanding
on the part of school policy makers in regard to the
special needs of young learners and English teach­
ing. More emphasis needs to be placed on preparing
teachers and schools for these important changes.
Teachers need to be provided with opportunities
and support for in­service training and for improv­
ing their English skills. They also need time to pre­
pare the teaching and choose appropriate materials
and approaches. Schools need to be more flexible in
terms of time­tabling and integrating English learn­
ing with other subjects. We want children to reap the
gains of receiving an early start in English learning,
but schools need to foster and support curriculum
changes like these to ensure their success. It is time
to put the horse before the cart!
References
Auður Torfadóttir (2003). Enskukennsla í 5. bekk grunnskóla. Reykjavík:
Rannsóknarstofnun Kennaraháskóla Íslands.
Auður Torfadóttir, Brynhildur Ragnarsdóttir, and Samúel Lefever
(2006). Enskukunnátta barna í 4. og 5. bekk grunnskólans Hvað kunna
þau? Reykjavík: Rannsóknarstofnun Kennaraháskóla Íslands.
Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Marinova­Todd, S. H., Marshall, D. B. and Snow, C. (2000). Three
Misconceptions about Age and L2 Learning. TESOL Quarterly, 34,
11, 9­34.
Menntun dönsku-, ensku-, og íslenskukennara í grunnskólum 2005-2006.
(2006). Reykjavík: Menntamálaráðuneytið.
Pinter, A. (2006). Teaching Young Language Learners. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
calls for a reexamination of the objectives of language instruction and
teaching approaches that suit very young learners.
More thought given to the organization of the teaching with regard to
scheduling, etc.
However, a lack of in­service training and resources conflicts with the
demand for more and earlier English instruction in the schools.
...”class teachers with suitable methodology and a good command of the
language are the most essential components of success. The teacher
is also the main source of motivation for many young children.”
Pinter p42