Attending to a pedagogical moment of wonder in the early years; towards translanguaging in a UAE kindergarten

There is an increasingly pressing demand for improving the quality of teaching and learning English in Vietnam to meet the needs and interests of learners in the global integration.Research into vocabulary instruction through songs has indicated its positive effects on young learners' vocabulary gains and language learning, including English as a foreign or second language.However, little research focuses on the use of songs perceived by teachers in vocabulary instruction to young learners within the teaching and context in Vietnam where English is taught as a foreign language.This paper therefore considers teachers' perceptions about this instructional delivery at a foreign language center in the Mekong Delta.A descriptive study was conducted with seventy-five teachers from an English language center in the Mekong Delta.Data on teachers' perceptions about using songs to teach young learners' vocabulary were collected through the questionnaire and follow-up semi-structured interviews as part of a wider study over fifteen-week semester time.The findings indicate that teachers had positive perceptions about songs used in vocabulary instruction for young learners.Also, the findings provide teachers with insightful views of the effectiveness of implementing songs in promoting young learners' vocabulary and serve as a useful resource for teachers and practitioners by suggesting how to use songs to facilitate young learners' vocabulary.The paper concludes by giving pedagogical implications for further research into seeking alternative ways to maximize young learners' vocabulary learning.

Cobb, M. The Dying Soul: Spiritual Care at the End of Life. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001 £16.99 (pbk) vii + 145pp Currer, C. Responding to Grief: Dying, Bereavement and Social Care. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave, 2001 £14.50 (pbk) v + 181pp Field, D., Clark, D., Corner, J. and Davis, C. (eds) Researching Palliative Care. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001 £22.50 (pbk) vii + 198pp Hockey, J., Katz, J. and Small, N. (eds) Grief, Mourning and Death Ritual. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001 £19.99 (pbk) vii + 286pp McNamara, B. Fragile Lives: Death, Dying and Care. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001 £17.99 (pbk) v + 165pp Seymour, J. Critical Moments – Death and Dying in Intensive Care. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001 £17.99 (pbk) xiii + 185pp. The sociological study of dying, death and bereavement is a relatively recent field of research interest. In 1958, Faunce and Fulton wrote a paper entitled 'the sociology of death: a neglected area of research', their argument being that the lack of sociological research in this area was probably attributable to a wider reluctance within society to contemplate dying and death. However, despite Walter's (1993) claim that (with the exception of medical sociology) British sociologists had been notably quiet in this topic, it would seem from the research literature that the number of sociologists researching in the area of dying, death and bereavement has increased significantly, particularly in the last 10 to 15 years. The aim of this review is to outline the work that sociologists have conducted with regard to dying, death and bereavement. Within this discussion, I locate and review the six books listed above, ending by reflecting on what sociological research related to dying, death and bereavement might explore in the future. Reviewing the work of sociologists in this field is no small task given the diversity of research that has been, and continues to be, conducted. Indeed, it is testament to the wealth of material published by social scientists that I have such a broad range of books to review. The six books cover topics that include the experiences of dying and death in the high-tech world of Intensive Therapy Units (ITUs), a reflection on the difficulties of providing 'spiritual' care, and an edited collection introducing the research methods used within palliative care research. Given the burgeoning amount of research related to dying, death and bereavement which has developed in recent years, in this review I focus primarily on the work which has been conducted within Britain, referring only briefly to some work undertaken in the US. Before, however, considering specific examples of the work of sociologists in this field, I think it is important to look, albeit briefly, at how we as a society and as individuals manage dying and death, an area to which sociologists have made active contributions. There has been much academic debate (see Kellehear 1984, Walter 1991, Seale 1998) about the extent to which dying and death remain 'taboo' in Anglophone societies. This is not a debate I can possibly do justice to in the space of this review, but it is important to note that experiences and understandings of dying, death and bereavement in modern society are contradictory. In a world full of instant mass media which can be 'beamed' to our homes 'live': dying, death and the experiences of grief are all too common images on our television screens, in newspapers and on websites; to this extent death is ever-present in our lives. This, however, is the death and suffering of 'others' to be watched and observed, but something we often find difficult to relate to on a personal and individual level. As a society we value youth, health and fitness (Featherstone 1982). Dying and death is something associated with older age – those who may be regarded as having little economic or social value to society and its continuing function (Glaser 1966, Turner 1995). At a societal level, dying and death are managed very well, generally having little or no impact on its smooth and productive running. However, it remains the case that many of us as individuals 'remain characteristically uncomfortable with the facts of mortality' (Mellor and Shilling 1993: 423). At an individual level we are able to discuss dying and death in the abstract, that is, as an event we know we will encounter at some unknown point in the future. But, when confronted with the realities of these phenomena many of us are less able to talk openly. Anyone who has experienced bereavement, or has been close to someone who was dying, will be able to recount stories of when people were 'uncomfortable' or 'did not know what to say'. At an individual level death has become increasingly institutionalised: the majority of us will die in a hospital or long-term care institution attended to by professional strangers. Increased life expectancy means that the 'private' face of death is something many of us will not encounter at a personal level until mid-adulthood, and when we do, we may face an uncertain time in terms of grieving and mourning procedures, as more traditional rites and practices have been eroded in our increasingly secularised society. So, as Walter (1991) argues, dying and death do not threaten society, which deals with it very well by prizing their antitheses: youth, health, vitality. Those, however, who are dying and who are bereaved consequently become 'uniquely isolated, lepers even, because they highlight the Achilles heel of the modern individual' (Walter 1991: 306). It is difficult to quantify the impact sociologists working in any given field have on those practising within it. However, if one accepts the presence (or absence) of such work in the literature directed towards healthcare professionals as being indicative of such success (or failure), a review of any back copies of specialist palliative care journals will identify a number of sociologists writing for practitioner audiences. More recently within the British Medical Journal, both Clark (2002) and Walter (2003) have written sociologically informed articles about the management of dying and death in our society. Indeed, it is true to say that much of the research conducted by sociologists in this area is conducted as part of multi-disciplinary teams, and serves as a good example of how it is possible to produce theoretically robust work based on empirical research which is relevant for healthcare planning and delivery. Sociologically informed work is regularly presented at palliative care conferences and the bi-annual international conference on Death, Dying and Disposal. Within Britain there is an active group of academic researchers who meet annually at the Social Aspects of Death, Dying and Bereavement Symposium. This group first met in 1990 at the University of Leicester, attracting sociologists and those from other academic disciplines and healthcare practitioners alike, and has generated three edited collections (Clark 1993, Field et al. 1997, Hockey et al. 2001). In addition, to these publications, there is now a well-established and highly-regarded series of texts published as part of the Facing Death series edited by David Clark (four books from this series are included in this review). In addition, in 1996 the journal Mortality was first published addressing issues related to dying, death, bereavement and memorial. Both Facing Death and Mortality are multidisciplinary in scope, but their establishment and continuing success was led by sociologists – David Clark, David Field, Glennys Howarth, and Peter Jupp – researching within this area. The work of sociologists in the study of dying, death and bereavement dates back to the 1960s in the United States, when the first (and still influential) empirical observational studies looking at the care of people who were dying were conducted within hospitals (Glaser and Strauss 1965, 1968, Sudnow 1967, Strauss 1970). Such research fundamentally changed the way people thought about the management of dying and death, and brought into sharp relief the experiences of those who were dying within a hospital environment. Work in Britain has also explored the management of dying and death within both the acute hospital setting and hospice settings (e.g.Field 1989, Seale 1989, May 1992). Such work has sought to challenge some of the taken-for-granted assumptions of palliative care, which at times has been uncomfortable for services and healthcare practitioners alike, but has, at least, opened up the debate about what palliative care can and does achieve. James and Field (1992), for example, suggested that the provision of palliative care within hospices, far from being individualistic and holistic, and notably different from the care delivered in hospitals, was, in fact, becoming increasingly 'routinised'. This was a challenging paper that caused much reflection (and disquiet) amongst palliative care healthcare professionals. Another example is Lawton's (2000) seminal ethnographic study of the care provided within an NHS hospice. This work has been particularly influential, and challenging, in terms of palliative care provision. In particular, her graphic and moving account (Lawton 1998) of the management of leaking, failing bodies –'dirty dying'– hidden away within the hospice, had a significant impact both for those of us researching in this area but also for palliative care practitioners themselves. The public image of hospices facilitating dignified or 'good' deaths was challenged as she sought to examine what happens when people's bodies fail them in the most socially unacceptable of ways, leaving them devoid of personal identity and unable to engage any longer on any meaningful level with significant others because their physical bodies have failed them so badly. In her book Fragile Lives: Death, dying and care McNamara also focuses on the care delivered to people at the end of life in Australia. Her discussion is based on ethnographic research she conducted with healthcare professionals (predominantly) and dying people and their families. In this well-written text she skilfully weaves the accounts and experiences of her respondents with other research literature, and engages with topical debates within palliative care including euthanasia and the value of the notion of the 'good death'. In her methodological appendix, she also provides the reader with a personal and candid insight into how she conducted her ethnographic fieldwork; written in such a way as to be accessible to those less familiar with this kind of research. McNamara provides a particularly useful account of the way in which cancer is viewed and responded to in modern society, and the impact this has on those who are themselves diagnosed with a terminal condition. The chapter on 'the uncertain worlds of terminally ill people' provides a poignant and well-illustrated discussion of the world of 'stranger' which those who are aware of their own dying find themselves inhabiting in our society. Terminally ill people live until they die, but their living is irretrievably changed as they begin to live their dying (p. 66). Her final chapter ends with some thought-provoking debate for those delivering palliative care: Where postmodern dying finds us bereft of ways to approach death as a collective, medicalised dying pushes the phenomenon of death away through technology and pretence (p. 121). Are people being 'enabled' to 'live' to the end of their lives to the extent that they are no longer confronting the reality of their own death? This book is beautifully crafted and written in such a way as to be interesting to sociologists, as well as to a much broader audience; it is a book which should be read by anyone with an interest in health and illness. Seymour's Critical Moments – Death and Dying in Intensive Care, in David Clark's Facing Death series, is one of the few pieces of research conducted by sociologists about dying and death which is not related to cancer and palliative care. Like McNamara, Seymour links first-hand accounts from her own ethnographic research with a sociologically robust discussion of her data and their implications for practice. Her own background as an ITU nurse raised particular ethical and personal dilemmas for her during her research and it is to Seymour's credit that she shares these with the reader. In some ways I felt that I was rather an outsider: a nurse but also a sociologist, looking in on myself acting a role within a very strange environment (p. 23). It is most common for methodological discussions to be 'hidden' away from view in appendices, but Seymour ensures the ethics of conducting research in this arena are assigned 'centre stage'. The reader is made to reflect on the process (and costs) of conducting this research. As I read subsequent chapters I was very much aware of the emotional and physical realities of conducting this research, and of the sometimes problematic nature of the notion of 'informed consent'. In a particularly moving account, Seymour recounts one incident of gaining 'informed consent' from a family whose relative was in ITU. After being introduced as a 'researcher from the university' who wanted to talk to them about their experiences in ITU, she tells how the wife and son of the man, Jack, receiving care clearly welcomed the opportunity to talk to someone. However: It is sometime later that Michael [son] turns to me – almost as an aside – and asks if I want to explain about the research I am doing, and it is only at this point that I am able to begin to explain my research intentions to them. Michael reads the information sheet about the study very carefully and asks several questions, Mary [wife] on the other hand, seems already to have decided that I can 'do what you like dear' . . . The problems of gaining 'informed consent' in such a situation are thrown into sharp focus (p. 27). Seymour is to be commended for ensuring that all the 'voices' of the actors in these encounters at the end of life are heard throughout the book: doctors, nurses, relatives and even those of the usually muted dying person are apparent throughout. As one who teaches future medical practitioners, I would say that this is a book that should be read by anyone who will work within a hospital environment and who will encounter dying and death. Not only does this book illuminate the management of dying and death in ITU in a sensitive and challenging way, it also tells us much about the process of care and doctor/nurse interactions and professional/patient interaction. A significant amount of work has been conducted on lay-carers' retrospective accounts of the care received by the deceased person to gain some insight into the experiences of care at the end of life (e.g.Field et al. 1992, Seale and Cartwright 1994). It remains the case, however, that only a relatively small amount of research has been conducted with people who are dying themselves (e.g.Young and Cullen 1996, Exley 1999, Lawton 2000). This lack of research may be attributable to the fact that there is sometimes a reluctance to subject those who are dying, with all its likely associated physical symptoms and discomfort, to research (Field et al. 1995). There are many ethical considerations to take into account when asking those who are close to the end of life to engage with researchers and research, and it is imperative that people who are dying are given as much time and space as possible when considering whether to participate in any study. Of course, obtaining 'informed consent' and interviewing sentient individuals are relatively easy to negotiate. However, when approaching the end of life, in the last few days, weeks and even months, many people are likely to become increasingly unaware of their physical surroundings. As both Lawton (2000) and Seymour (2001) have vividly portrayed, ethnographic observational work with very ill and/or confused or unconscious people has its own ethical issues with regard to when, how, how often and from whom one should obtain 'informed consent' to participate in a study. Outside formalised healthcare settings ethnographic studies have also been conducted within community settings to explore the management of dying and death at an individual and local level, in particular to consider how practices at the end of life have changed over time (e.g.Clark 1982, Adams 1993). Clark's work in particular provides an excellent ethnographic account of how, over the management of dying and death in a small in to be community and It provides a particularly poignant of how both dying and death have become increasingly from the to the public of hospitals and of A significant amount of sociological work has been conducted on the experiences of bereavement 1992). Both Walter and and (2000) have books based on empirical research and personal experiences that have made a significant to how grief is experienced and managed at both an individual and societal level. Both challenge the given a of those who have been bereaved to and/or in to over their and have how the of a has for of and other personal any of us who have been bereaved and Walter that meaningful (and with those who have should not be as but rather as part of the of and with on a of the books in this review are with bereavement and Hockey, and edited book Grief, Mourning and Death and Responding to Grief: Dying, Bereavement and Social Care. Hockey et text is book which is part of the Facing Death series, and it provides anyone in the area of bereavement with an excellent to as well as a wealth of data from a range of social scientists working in the area. The of this text are to be commended not only for their of this book and their of terms and but also the way in which they and understandings of bereavement and the nature of postmodern society. The chapters to of the book the for the chapters which Indeed, if one were this the chapters written by the are to be I particularly death which provides a review of a broad range of research the uncertain world those who are bereaved face their the management and of the and of the professional to The world of the bereaved is one of and few in which in the person is to on traditional practices of grieving and with more to to do the This is the kind of text one will back to time and time for the range of issues it from and discussion of death in care, to and chapters on bereavement to discussion of and on and as such will be a useful for those working in the area of bereavement and memorial. book Responding to Grief: Dying, Bereavement and Social Care provides the social care practitioner with an to the notion of grief and Currer, who has a background in social provides a useful of some of the research literature in this on relevant sociological As in her however, this book does not to be a sociological account of but rather one to practitioners in for people at this difficult and to highlight in and and identify and from The book is easy to read and it will be useful to those social care practitioners whose work may them into with people who have been my own I the of personal examples of people's experiences of grief having read the I am still rather uncertain about the of these There is no to data collection or and as such it is difficult to how one should view the are these accounts during her work or are they part of a more of area of care at the end of life which sociologists have been notably in considering is that of care. this not book The Dying Soul: Spiritual Care at the End of of the Facing Death provides some thought-provoking Cobb, an with of working within hospitals and hospices, on a range of literature to explore the problematic nature of providing care at the end of is to be for to this which accepts is a in . . a from which can be a range of some of which I to in this book and some of which the reader will to the (p. Spiritual care is as a part of the provision of palliative care, but how this is so difficult to in practice. care seems to be one of the few of care clearly the of and it is one of the most difficult to or This is by the fact we live in a society, including many different as well as the and the within which the notion of both death and is difficult to and can be individual in and for a more of is as is to ways of and care. my own I was particularly to read about how care can be provided to those dying of terminal Where palliative care is towards a more it is that care will in ways by those living and dying with terminal other . . . what extent suffering with are the in terms of care has to be but there is a case to be made for some of to be (p. This is a read and would be of interest to anyone with palliative care and the provision of care In terms of researching dying, death and bereavement, sociologists have had a significant impact on the of and methods of the sociological work conducted on the end of life has been Seale and Cartwright but more it has been in and/or I would that it has been a particular of sociologists in a medical field which has a research research has become increasingly used and by It is, however, important to that conducting any research, but particularly research with those who are dying or is for a and it is to be aware of the impact it may have both and in terms of the research conducted. It is as Clark et al. (2000) have that researchers are well for working in this and well both during the and the any social research can be a but in of research, be to how to the individual conducting the research. There may be an argument that one should only a amount of time in research, it has too a personal or that one to the experiences of those confronting their own and Field, Clark, and edited collection Researching Palliative Care serves as an excellent example of how sociologists have the research methods used within palliative care research, and is indicative of the multi-disciplinary nature of the research many sociologists are with in this area. into three methods for researching palliative care, research in palliative care and and this book many published pieces to a broad of palliative care. It is a for those to research in this field for the first a personal point of view I particularly the debates in and for and at the end of a particularly important and debate given the number of conducted at the end of As well as the book also and Clark's chapter considering the such methods can to palliative care research is much and presented in a and accessible given the increasingly ethical provides a useful to the to on research for the first Researching Palliative Care in its aim to be accessible to the number of palliative care practitioners who are in research as part of their this extent I think it will be useful to and any healthcare professional conducting research in this area. It is that the number of people working in the area of the sociology of dying, death and bereavement has increased in recent years. research on bereavement has a broad of people bereaved for many different to much of the particularly the experiences and management of dying and death, has on the experiences of people who have cancer and on palliative are Field Seale and Cartwright Seymour (2001) . It remains the case that the majority of people in of specialist palliative care services in hospices are those who are dying of In terms of research it seems that or of the often means care of the person with terminal is a particular kind of dying in that it often has a relatively In addition, those diagnosed with cancer are likely to be aware of their and and have to a of palliative care. In terms of research those dying with cancer are relatively easy to But, what of the experiences and care received by those dying with other – or – the as these people are less likely to palliative care, or even to be of their terminal in any way, so too are they from sociological research. The majority of deaths take within a hospital and as a of a final terminal of a particular people will to die in the hospital it is given in the increased social and family that many will face their own dying and death in a or Such deaths may as a of a acute but are more likely to be as a of by of relative good health and of much health, sometimes medical and/or It is only in relatively recent that work has to be conducted within such settings and More research in this area is sociologists to explore the experiences of those in and homes who may be dying in the community with far from to the of our research and explore the experiences of the those who are older and dying with other long-term and those who are to be given the of or to be aware of their people are to have to the range of services to those with a of cancer in addition, are likely to be living with which have a on health and of to focus on such people's experiences and whether the in about palliative care to all is or have challenged some of the of palliative care for people dying with the time has now to consider those who may not only be as in terms of their dying, but in too many ways, are also I would like to David Field and May for their on an of this

Automaticity is integral to expert performance, but experts must be able to transition from an automatic mode into a more effortful state when required. In this study, the authors identified and characterized the manifestations of the phenomenon of "slowing down when you should" to stay out of trouble in operative practice. The authors interviewed 28 surgeons (60-minute, semistructured format) from various specialties at four academic medical centers and observed 5 hepatopancreatobiliary surgeons in the operating room (29 cases, 147 hours) during 2007-2009. Using a grounded theory qualitative methodology, they conducted a thematic analysis of transcripts and field notes in an iterative manner. Data collection continued until saturation. They adopted a reflexive approach throughout. Surgeons described and the authors observed four phenomenological manifestations of the transition to a more effortful state. In the most extreme manifestation, "stopping," surgeons actually stopped the procedure, whereas in the most subtle manifestation, "fine-tuning," surgeons were able to continue the procedure and focus on minor events simultaneously. A separate phenomenon of "drifting" represented surgeons' failure to transition out of the automatic mode when appropriate, resulting in surgical errors or near misses. The manifestations of the slowing down phenomenon represent acts of cognitive refocusing during the potentially more-critical moments of operative practice. Further, the authors challenge the conception of automaticity as effortless, arguing that automatic behavior can be attentive (fine-tuning) as well as inattentive (drifting).

With the exponential growth of young learner (YL) English education in diverse contexts across the world, it is timely to review the field. There are many aspects of teaching YLs that merit attention, but this chapter focuses specifically on the YL classroom. We explore three key areas that have been identified as important in the literature, which are the use of technology with YLs, pedagogy for YLs, and language use in the YL EFL and ESL classes. The discussion of each topic is followed by practical implications which it is believed will be useful for YL teachers.

Speaking skill is one of the crucial language skill needed in communication. However English teachers feel difficult in teaching speaking skill through online learning during this pandemic situation. English teachers need to use innovative teaching media to attract students’ attention and develop students’ speaking skill. The study purposed to investigate the impact of videos-based discovery learning towards young learners’ speaking skill in pandemic Covid-19. The study included a single intact class which divided into 30 students of fourth graders. The instrument was speaking test and the treatments instrument. The study employed quantitative study with one group pretest-posttest design. The data collection was analyzed descriptively and inferentially which aided by IBM SPSS Statistics 24. The effect size was measured by Effect Size Calculator. The findings show that the group posttest mean was higher than the pretest mean while the significant value of Sig. (2-tailed) was .000 which was lower than Sig. value of .05. The effect size was (1.94) which can be stated as large effect. Conclusively, there is a positive significant impact of videos-based discovery learning towards young learners’ speaking skill in pandemic Covid-19.

The aim of the study is to investigate what strategies are appropriate and meaningful for young learners of English. The method used is qualitative descriptive. The data collection used for qualitative description are a semi-structured interview, observation, and analysis on lesson plans. The participants were an English teacher and 68 first graders. The findings showed that applying instructionbased strategy in the target language in which the learners responded by whole-body actions (physical actions) made young learners fun, dance with delight, act with joy, and finish off with big smiles. This strategy also encouraged young learners to learn English, especially that for vocabulary. The right-brain tool strategy made 41 young learners out of 68 or 60.29% participants were deeply engaged to class activity. It means the learners take full ownership of learning activity, show high levels of energy, and express a willingness to take part in activity. The strategy was effective and impressive that made young learners involved in meaningful activities which required repetition. In addition, the strategy could be applied to any class size. Furthermore, on the part of the teacher did not need to prepare a great deal or exceedingly.Keywords: young learners, vocabulary, instruction-based strategy, practical

The research targets articulating George’s gestural expressions that contribute to young learners’ affection. Teaching values become the turning point in children’s behavioral learning processes where they can comprehend the values as adaptable as possible towards supportive environments. Data collection was primarily undertaken from George’s The Slithery Day episode linked to the YouTube web. Data analysis was adjustably analyzed through George’s visually gestural expressions that initiated its positive and constructive speech acts accordingly. However, Oliveira’s (2009) directives options use of imperatives, declarative, and interrogatives were attributed to accomplishing the content analysis. The results record that George’s gestural expressions might teach young learners about showing hospitality and helping to each other, setting off innovativeness with the variously tiring endeavors, eagerly willing to know something new as addressing life skills, and respecting someone else creations, as well as performing the capability of conveying, promising, asking, demanding, commanding, requesting, complaining, and announcing that supported the empirical speech acts. These gestural expressions afford the functional, observable, workable, concrete, and empirical positions as if showing the recognizable relationships and the goodness in George’s interactions with others. However, George’s experientially gestural expressions symbolized non-verbal communication agreements to the significance of young learners’ sensitive adaptability in their daily learning and interaction processes.

This study aims to determine the role of music and games in elementary school children's learning. The method used in this research is a type of qualitative research. The data collection process was carried out using the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) model in natural settings (natural conditions), primary data sources, and more data collection techniques on observation, in-depth interviews (in-depth interviews), and documentation. The chosen research location is an elementary school in Tulungagung Regency. Teaching English to young learners for teachers is fun. Teachers are required to learn in an interesting and not monotonous manner. Young learners also have a good memory in responding to something. Young learners are active students, so playing is one of the things they enjoy doing. So, the teacher must have innovations to create a learning atmosphere that is not monotonous. One of the things that can be done is to do learning by applying games in class. Young learners in learning English need various interesting methods to be applied in class. One technique that can be used for young learners in learning English is song and games. The benefit for young learners learning English is that they can speak English in the future. The aim of young learners learning English is to master as many vocabulary words as possible. Therefore, they will not experience any difficulties using English in the future. That way, English can be used for their skills in the future.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how young learners interact with digital technologies, yet many upper elementary students engage with AI systems passively and develop intuitive and sometimes inaccurate conceptions of how these systems work. This study examines the Foundational AI construct within a refined learning progression (LP), exploring how scaffolded instruction and dynamic assessment support conceptual shifts in students' understanding of how AI collects, learns from and uses data to make decisions. Drawing on Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and synergistic scaffolding theory, we refined the foundational AI construct of a five‐level LP and designed a two‐phase activity grounded in this LP to elicit and support student reasoning through structured tasks, informational scaffolds and facilitator prompts. Through mixed methods analysis of clinical interviews with 13 fourth and fifth graders (9–11 years), we identified recurring misconceptions and tracked shifts in student reasoning and movement along the Foundational AI construct of the LP. Furthermore, we examined one student's trajectory in depth to illustrate how dynamic assessment can function as a responsive instructional tool. Findings provide initial empirical insight into how scaffolded LP‐aligned instruction, paired with dynamic assessment, can support young learners' movement from surface‐level ideas to more structured understandings of how AI systems function. These insights contribute to the design of developmentally appropriate and contextually responsive AI learning experiences for primary education. Practitioner notes What was already known about this topic? Many young learners interact with AI technologies (eg, voice assistants, recommendation systems) but often hold surface‐level or inaccurate conceptions of how AI works. AI literacy frameworks exist, but none currently provide scaffolded pathways that align with young students' developmental readiness or explicitly address their initial misconceptions What this paper adds? Provides an initial empirical examination of a refined five‐level Foundational AI construct within a broader Learning Progression (LP) for upper elementary students. Demonstrates how LP‐aligned scaffolded instruction, using tasks, just‐in‐time informational supports and decision trees, can guide students from intuitive ideas to more data‐centered reasoning. Uses dynamic assessment to track and support conceptual growth, providing insight into students' readiness to reason about AI systems. Implications for practice and/or policy Scaffolded LPs that integrate structured tasks, informational prompts and dialogic facilitation can help support developmentally grounded AI instruction that is responsive to learner needs. Dynamic assessment frameworks can help researchers and educators capture students' shifts in reasoning, differentiating between ideas students can articulate independently and those requiring additional support. Designing layered, responsive scaffolds that actively elicit student reasoning and provide opportunities for reflection can support educators in guiding students' conceptual growth in AI literacy.

The problem addressed by this research is the need for engaging and effective methods to enhance grammar learning among primary students. The research aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility of using Kahoot! as a tool to improve grammar classrooms, especially for young learners, in the only English course that uses books published by the Cambridge University Press. Six elementary students at the A2 level of English participated in one of English course choosen as subject. The data collection methods included pre-tests, post-tests, and semi-structured interviews. Researchers implemented Kahoot! four times during the study. The CAR was carried out in one cycle, as the results from this cycle were deemed sufficient. The instruments used for data collection were pre-tests, post-tests, and semi-structured interviews with the teacher. Data analysis involved comparing pre-test and post-test results to measure improvement and transcribing interview responses to gather qualitative insights. The main results revealed a significant improvement in students' grammar performance. The average score increased from a "poor" category in the pre-test to an average of 93 in the post-test, which falls under the "very good" category.The conclusion drawn from the study is that the use of Kahoot! has a positive impact on young learners' grammar learning and behavior. The implications of this research suggest that future studies should explore modifications of this approach to other different language skills to further enhance student learning outcomes.

This study is attempted to investigate the specific application of techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners at LIA English Course. More specifically, the research aims to 1) investigate the reality current techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners 2) study difficulties that teachers at LIA encounter when teaching young learners vocabulary. The researchers have conducted a survey with the participation of 3 teachers from LIA English Course. Oral interviews, questionnaire and observation schemes were used as useful instruments for data collection. The questionnaire-based survey aims to reveal teachers’ common techniques in teaching vocabulary to young learners, general difficulties that they meet in teaching. Oral interviews and observations serve to elaborate the information gathered from questionnaires and discover teachers’ opinions on how to solve arisen problem in language classroom, especially during vocabulary section. The result of this study indicates that using flashcards in presenting, sorting tasks in practicing and sentence completion in revising vocabulary are three most preferably common techniques in teaching young learners vocabulary. Teachers also confirmed that they have adapted specific techniques with specific class; a combination of various ones is to be in consideration. In another aspect, most of the teachers reported that they encountered certain difficulties such as the use of too much L1, uncooperative students, students’ small attention. Nonetheless, most of the difficulties can be solved. The exploitation of combining different techniques remains rather limited; thus, this study provides some suggestions for teachers to realize the benefits of having available activities and games in young learners’ classroom.

The study aimed to show the impact of using songs and rhymes in teaching English to young female learners in Saudi Arabia. It involved 20 Saudi teachers who were randomly selected from public and private schools in Riyadh city. The age of the female students ranged from 6 to 10 years. Forty parents volunteered to participate, Parents were asked to answer an online survey comprising ten different questions. Interview questionnaire and online survey were the tools used for data collection. About 9 of all teachers don’t use songs and rhymes activities in teaching English. 15 of teachers out of 20 said that it is not a mandatory part of the curriculum. 13 of the teachers believe that it is very important and 2 teachers believed in using songs and rhymes to facilitate remembering. 16 of teachers out of 20 noticed that their students are actually using the songs or their vocabularies outside the classroom and 17 of all teachers stated that songs and rhymes helped their young learners’ English language development. 82.50% of parents in Saudi Arabia support teaching English to their children, 47.50% of parents stated that their child is using English only in the classroom. Only 7.50% of the parents were not aware of this classroom activity while 92.50% of them are aware. 2.50% of parents expressed their disagreement. The study found out that songs and rhymes are rarely used in teaching English to young learners in the Saudi Arabia and curriculum was not rich enough with activities like songs and rhymes.

This study reviews current empirical studies on young learners’ (YLs) motivation to learn English published between 2020 and 2024 in nine countries. We focus on how authors defined motivation, what research design they used, what the main findings are, and what factors influence YLs’ motivation. We followed the procedures of systematic reviews recommended by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). First, we screened publications along these inclusion criteria: listed in Scopus-indexed journals Q1 and Q2, published in English between 2020 and 2024, and empirical studies on children’s motivation. This study revealed that effective teaching practices, self-regulated learning strategies, collaborative learning, self-accessed extramural activities in English and enjoyment in doing them, personality traits, meaningful, appropriate, and challenging tasks in classes, and good relationships between teachers and YLs were the key factors impacting children’s motivation most strongly. These have implications for practice. We argue that children’s self-access learning must be developmentally scaffolded and socially supported, and motivation should involve and lead to autonomy. Therefore, children should have access to enjoyable and age-appropriate activities not only in the classroom, but also at home and in digital settings to sustain their motivation.

This paper presents a study conducted in a Greek Elementary school and explores the impact of Digital Storytelling (DST) on developing children’s second language (L2) writing skills and their intercultural awareness. The development of digital technologies has enabled the use of different multimedia tools to reconfigure traditional storytelling. The researchers’ aim was to reinforce a learner-centered approach to the teaching of writing by provoking influence in innovation of pedagogical practices that personalize learning. L2 learners of diverse cultural backgrounds attending the fifth grade (n=21) of a Greek state elementary school, were involved in composing, sharing and reflecting upon stories from their own cultural backgrounds. The researchers built an interculturally-oriented language framework for better addressing young learners’ literacies, ensuring they work in a stimulating environment, spending time online and engaging with digital applications. Qualitative and quantitative mix methods were used to estimate the feasibility of the intervention, including a pre- and post-test, teachers’ journals and focus group discussions with the L2 learners. Variables of the study were fifth graders in the context of an elementary school in Greece (independent variable) and their writing skills in Greek as a second language (dependent variable). Data processing, by means of a pre- and post-test, revealed that the DST approach provided students with opportunities to acquire improved communicative competence through writing creatively. Journal data indicated that DST application in a game-based context enhanced task engagement, encouraging young learners to use interactive media in a digital environment. Young learners’ intercultural competence development was also shown to be supported through the DST approach. In the focus group discussions, participants stated their interest and satisfaction in the approach and the methods applied. All in all, the results imply that the approach implemented has the potential to be used as a meaningful technology integration approach as far as language teaching and learning is concerned. The findings additionally explore pedagogical implications for future teaching practices in order to enhance and extend the approach and methods employed.

Purpose We explore the quality of sustainability assurance from the perspective of sustainability reporting preparers and assurance providers. Design/methodology/approach The research design and data collection are guided by framing theory, which involves three framing tasks (i.e. sense-making, naming and storytelling) during the diagnostic framing process. A semi-structured interview method was employed with a sample of 40 sustainability reporting preparers and assurance providers. The data collected from the interviews is analysed following the three stages of the grounded theory method. Findings The assurance providers demonstrated their commitment to the quality of sustainability assurance in the sense-making task. In contrast, the reporting preparers paid little attention to it. Results from the naming task indicate that assurance providers highlight the level of assurance quality in accordance with predetermined targets and prescribed procedures, while reporting preparers prioritise meeting the stakeholders’ requirements. The storylines from both groups emphasise the quality of disclosure information. From their perspective, assurance providers emphasise that effective communication with client companies is associated with higher-quality and more sustainable reporting. Preparers of assurance statements are concerned about the representation of assurance statements. Research limitations/implications Our study is limited by the inherent limitations of qualitative research. A relatively small sample and other stakeholders were not included, which limited the generalisation of the findings of our study. Practical implications Our study has practical significance and implications for reporting companies, assurance providers and regulators by offering a comprehensive view of assurance providers and reporting preparers on sustainability assurance quality. Originality/value We integrate the applications of framing theory by Maroun (2019) and Durocher and Georgiou (2022) to develop a new framework that guides research design and data collection in qualitative research. Our study sheds light on the stagnant sustainability assurance market and contributes new insights to the existing literature on sustainability assurance. It contributes to our understanding of the quality of sustainability assurance from the perspective of assurance providers and sustainability reporting preparers. The theoretical framework we developed is useful for studying the perception of a concept or practice and the process of forming such perception in any discipline.