Tímarit um menntarannsóknir - 01.01.2009, Blaðsíða 118

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Tímarit um menntarannsóknir, 6. árgangur 2009
Teachers in this study placed most emphasis
on the teaching of vocabulary and listening.
However, they put more importance on reading
and less on speaking English than grade 5
teachers did in the 2006 evaluation and in
Auður Torfadóttir’s 2002 study. This difference
could be a result of the broader range of
teachers in the survey (grade 6 and 7 teachers
in addition to grade 5). Traditional teaching
methods were most commonly used, such as
reading and listening to English materials and
doing workbook activities. Teaching methods
that focus on activating students in creative
or authentic-like language use such as theme
work, role play, student presentations, video
and computer activities received very little
emphasis, according to the teachers’ responses.
Likewise, fewer than half the teachers (45%)
said they put “some” emphasis on games
and a similar percentage said they put “little”
emphasis on using songs in their English
teaching.
An additional study at the primary level
was carried out in 2007 in order to investigate
the extent and nature of English teaching
being offered in grades earlier than prescribed
in the National Curriculum Guide (grades
1-4). All the primary schools in the country
(N=173) were contacted and asked to indicate
in what grade they began English instruction.
Next, a questionnaire was sent to the teachers
in the primary schools that were offering
English in grades 1-4. In the questionnaire the
teachers were asked to describe their English
teaching. Forty-nine teachers from 33 schools
answered the questionnaire. The response rate
for the survey was 70% and the participating
schools were distributed around the country
(18 schools in the capital area, 15 schools
from around the country).The outcomes of
the survey showed that during the school year
2006-2007 English was taught in the youngest
grades in approximately 30% of the country’s
primary schools (Lefever, 2007). This is an
increase from the year 2002 when only 10% of
primary schools offered English before grade 5,
the required grade level for beginning English
instruction at the time (Auður Torfadóttir,
2003). Many of the schools that participated in
the study started English instruction in grade 1
while others introduced it in grades 3 or 4. In
most cases the amount of teaching offered was
½ - 1 lesson per week in grades 1 and 2 and
two lessons per week in grades 3 and 4. In a
few schools the instruction was broken down
into shorter lessons, e.g. 15 minute lessons two
or three times a week.
Over half (60%) of the teachers in the
survey said they used conventional whole
group instruction for teaching English. Some
teachers (17%) used other approaches such
as rotating centers or stations, and a similar
percentage of teachers said they integrated
English with other subjects or used theme
teaching. Most teachers in grades 1-4 (63%)
said they focused primarily on spoken English
and the use of songs and games. Others
placed emphasis on vocabulary and listening to
English. A few teachers said they mainly used
workbooks and worksheets in their teaching.
English use in the classroom
One of the main objectives of language
learning is to increase learners’ communicative
competence in the language being learned.
Communicative language teaching methods
focus on the use of the language for interaction
in the classroom, both between the teacher and
students and students with each other (Larsen-
Freeman, 2000; Savignon, 2002). Thus a major
role of the communicative language teacher
is to provide learners with ample learning
opportunities for creative and authentic-like
language use. This applies to both receptive
use (listening and reading) and productive
use (speaking and writing). Teachers also
have the role of being a model for their pupils
by using the language for both teaching and
communicative purposes in the classroom.
The more pupils are dependent upon the
teacher and classroom teaching for hearing
the language, the greater the teacher’s role
as a model speaker of the language. Children
learn new words, phrases and appropriate
Samúel Lefever