English as a Foreign Language in Early Language Education

Abstract

The growing global trend of teaching and learning English as a foreign language at an ever younger age has resulted in a proliferation of a variety of programs, both formal and informal. However, this trend has not led to much needed extensive research, and there is still a significant lack of literature and experience sharing that would aid teacher support. The chapter will describe the types of programs implemented in different countries and discuss research results informing us about the main theoretical concepts, pedagogies, and achievable goals. The focus will be on the critical issues and topics in the area of EFL and very young learners, such as outcomes and assessment, pedagogical issues, individual and contextual factors affecting processes and outcomes, motivation and attitudes, teachers’ roles and teacher education, the roles of institutions and parents, and the issues of equity and accessibility of early childhood EFL programs. The issues arising from some international projects will be given attention, as well as context-specific areas of concern and examples of good practice. The complex issue of the appropriateness of approaches and modes of children’s exposure to English as a foreign language will also be addressed. Future research should offer a macrostrategic framework to support the practitioners’ reflective approach to creating context-specific programs and coherent learning experiences for children. This could be done by supporting their cognitive, social, and emotional growth, and by fostering their linguistic development through communication, creativity, critical thinking, cultural awareness, and other skills and abilities needed for their personal growth. This calls for evidence of effectiveness of current methodologiesand quality of teacher education and materials, so that the weaknesses could be overcome in a way that teaching EFL in early language education could fully reflect the needs and characteristics of children aged 3–6.KeywordsEnglish as a foreign language (EFL)Very young learnersChallenges of preprimary EFL educationInnovative teaching approaches