Early Childhood English Education Research Articles

Insights into early childhood English education: a comparative analysis of perspectives between English teachers and preschool teachers

ABSTRACT The study aims to illuminate and compare of the perceptions of Turkish preschool and EFL teachers regarding English language education in the preschool years. The study is a basic qualitative research method involving 16 Turkish EFL and Turkish preschool teachers. As a result, the teachers showed similar views about early English education benefits a child’s language, cognitive, and socio-emotional development. However, both groups expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of early English education, highlighting the challenges. Teachers emphasized that English language should be taught by native Turkish speakers rather than native English speakers.

Failing interventions to harness English fever infiltrating early childhood education in South Korea: politics of distraction

ABSTRACT As English is recognised as an influential language in the globalised world and social and economic capital for individuals, Koreans put tremendous effort and financial resources into learning English, instigating a social malady called ‘English fever.’ The fever has recently infiltrated early childhood education, leading to the expansion of exorbitant, half-day English immersion programmes for preschoolers, called English-medium kindergartens (EKs). Despite the recent policies to minimise the influence of English in Early Childhood English education and enhance students’ well-being and whole-person development, English fever is still prevalent, causing detrimental effects on children. Using the notion of politics of distraction and the ethics in language planning and policy as theoretical and analytical frameworks, this paper examines how and why the education policy fails to address English fever. Drawing on a qualitative case study at three EKs, this study reveals the perceptions, dynamics and processes in early childhood English education that are disregarded and remain invisible in relevant policies. The study sheds light on the harm of distractive policy, asking policy researchers and designers to refocus their effort on what truly matters, through integrating language ethics into policymaking, thus, refocusing on children's holistic development and emotional well-being.

25년간의 조기 영어교육 관점 변화

Objectives This study analyzed the changes and direction of early childhood English education (ECEE) according to changes in English education policy by analyzing newspaper articles from the conservative newspaper Chosun Ilbo and the progressive newspaper Hankyoreh from the introduction of English curriculum in 1997 to 2022.
 Methods For this purpose, the study utilized historical research methods based on historical data. By searching for the term ‘early childhood English education,’ 285 articles from Chosun Ilbo and 205 articles from Hankyoreh were collected. These were then classified using Bӧhm's (2004) three-step coding method: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding.
 Results The findings reveal a direct impact of changes in English education policies on ECEE. The periods of Noh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak’s governments saw the highest number of newspaper articles on ECEE in both Chosun Ilbo and Hankyoreh, indicating active discussions on the subject. Despite political transitions, this era witnessed the expansion of English education, introducing diverse methods and media for ECEE. However, the English education normalization policies implemented by Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in’s administrations proved ineffective due to the prohibition of after-school English classes for kindergartens, daycare centers, and first and second-grade elementary students. This highlights the influence of government policies on the ECEE landscape.
 Conclusions Chosun Ilbo and Hankyoreh exhibited contrasting viewpoints on ECEE, with the conservative Chosun Ilbo and progressive Hankyoreh presenting divergent perspectives. These distinct viewpoints offer valuable insights for future research in the field.

유아기 영어교육에 대한 어머니의 어려움과 바람

Objectives The purposes of this study is to explore the difficulties and hopes for English education of mothers who have children aged 3-5 years.
 Methods To this end, from October 2022 to December 2022, in-depth interviews were conducted twice each with eight mothers who had experience in English education for their children. The collected data analyzed using qualitative research methods such as the data analysis spiral(Creswell, 2013) and open coding(Kim, 2012).
 Results As a result of this study, mothers’ difficulties in English education for their children were limitations of English education at home, absence of qualified English education institutions, and the burden of education expenses. For the hopes in English education for their children were high-quality in English education at early childhood institutions, expanding opportunities for interaction with English native speakers, and the implementation of English education considering the interests of young children.
 Conclusions This study is meaningful as it investigates the difficulties and hopes of mothers with young children regarding English education. It aims to provide foundational data for developing effective approaches to early childhood English education, considering the characteristics of young children.

유아 영어 강사들의 교수 동기 및 탈동기

Objectives This study investigates the factors that enhance and decrease the teaching motivation of native English instructors who teach English to young children, Korean bilingual instructors, and dispatched instructors who teach English at daycare centers or kindergartens. This study aims to find out the cause of the difference in teaching motivation and demotivation among the six participants.
 Methods One pre-interview and three semi-structured main interviews were conducted with two native English instructors working at an English academy for young children, two Korean bilingual instructors, and two dispatched English instructors who teach English at daycare centers or kindergartens. The data collected through the pre-interview and semi-structured interviews were analyzed by open coding, axial coding, and selective coding according to the three-step procedure from Grounded Theory.
 Results The interview data revealed that the teaching motivation of the early childhood English instructors differed among the six participating instructors, while the demotivation differed according to the teacher group. In addition, the cause of the difference in teaching motivation was a personal factor, and it appeared different based on each instructor’s purpose of teaching motivation. On the other hand, as the cause of the difference in demotivation, idiosyncratic results were derived for each teacher group as the environment of the three groups’ working conditions showed remarkable differences.
 Conclusions The results of this study indicate that it is necessary to improve the work environment of English instructors who teach English to young children and to establish a systematic teacher management system at the national level. In addition, the government needs to take an active role in introducing early childhood English education to English academies and dispatching companies.

A Case Study of Second Language Acquisition: A Case Study of English Home Education Model for Children in China

This study reconfirms the second language acquisition theory that there is a "critical period" in children's language development and cultivation in terms of age and cognition and the advantages of bilingual education. In the Chinese language environment, early childhood English education should adhere to the purpose of communication, take life scenes as the main content, under the guidance of the relevant theories of second language acquisition, complete coverage of basic sentence patterns and phonetic symbols, and select excellent audio-visual materials and textbooks suitable for children's physical and mental development. Only in this way can the process of language acquisition be simulated to the maximum extent and at the minimum cost. Therefore, it is essential that parents and teachers strive to create a highly simulated good English application environment. This case study of English family education model for children has a good enlightenment on English education in Kindergarten and primary school in China.

Perezhivaniya in L2 learning and motivation from a sociocultural perspective: A qualitative analysis of retrospective L2 learning essays

This article focuses on the role of perezhivaniya , or “emotional experiences,” in understanding L2 learning motivation. In creating, maintaining, and possibly terminating L2 learners' ideal or ought-to L2 selves (Dörnyei, 2009), not all L2-related experiences but only emotional ones having personal, subjective meaning are primarily involved. By using a grounded theory approach, 103 pre-service teachers' previous L2 learning experience and their motivational fluctuations from preschool to high school were analyzed. The motigraph of students showed that early childhood English education made a noticeable difference. The qualitative data proved the importance of early English input, the role of significant relationships, and the synergistic effect of emotional experiences and their positive appraisal. This article argues that L2 learners' accumulation of emotional experiences and their appraisal of those experiences are crucial to recognizing their L2 selves and enhancing the level of L2 learning motivation. The issue of self- and other-regulation and the expansion of the zone of proximal development through perezhivaniya are also discussed. • This article focuses on L2 learners’ previous learning experience and their motivational fluctuations. • Perezhivaniya are conceptualized as specific emotional experiences. • L2 motivation arises once perezhivaniya are appraised by a learner. • Self- and other-regulation and the expansion of the ZPD through perezhivaniya are discussed.

유아교육기관의 유아영어교육에 대한 유아교사의 인식

본 연구 목적은 유아교육기관의 유아교사들을 대상으로 유아영어교육에 대한 인식, 만족도, 문제점, 요구 등을 알아보는데 있다. 연구방법은 설문조사를 통해 전국의 유아교사를 대상으로 유아영어에 대한 인식, 만족도, 문제점, 요구에 대해 알아보았고 자료 분석은 빈도와 백분율로 산출하였다. 수집된 자료는 SPSS와 엑셀로 분석하였다. 연구 결과 유아교육기관에서의 유아영어교육은 현재 유아영어교육의 실태와 유아교사의 인식에 있어 유의한 차이가 있는 것으로 밝혀졌다. 따라서 향후 유아영어교육은 유아의 수준에 맞게 흥미와 놀이 중심으로 다양한 방법으로 제공되어야 하며, 이를 위해서는 교원 양성 기관의 예비교사들에게 유아영어교육에 대한 관심과 이해를 높이기 위한 교과목 개설이 우선적으로 이루어져야 한다.

Effects of Education and Mothers’ Perceptions regarding English Education on Preschoolers’ Interests in Learning English: A Comparison between General Kindergartens and English Immersion Institutes

This study investigated children’s interests in learning English, affected by educational activities in and out of institutes, and mothers’ perceptions regarding early childhood English education. We recruited, 253 mothers of 3- to 5-year-old children in either general kindergartens or English immersion institutes. They answered questions on socioeconomic status, perceived interest in English by their children, their perceptions regarding early childhood English education, and English education outside institutes. In addition, 42 English teachers provided information within institutes such as class time per week, teacher-pupil rate, and language use policy during class. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS 22 for frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The major findings are as follows. First, the two groups were in distinct learning environment. Second, mothers’ perceptions and outside-institute activities were significantly different between the two groups. Third, the English interests of children at both institutes were influenced by mothers’ worries and at-home English interactions. Fourth, education within institutes did not affect both group’s English interests. Fifth, private education and socioeconomic status did not affect both group’s English interests. Lastly, only the children’s interests in English immersion institutes were affected by gender and mother’s perceived necessities. Focusing children’s interests, this study helps in understanding young children’s affective aspects regarding learning English. The findings are expected to be a guideline for each home and institute to increase children’s interest in learning English.

Language ideologies of Korean mothers with preschool-aged children: comparison, money, and early childhood English education

ABSTRACT This study examines parental ideologies regarding early childhood English education in South Korea. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with 31 Korean mothers of preschool-aged children and were studied using critical discourse analysis. The findings show that the mothers’ ideologies for their children's English education represented two themes: ‘comparison to others’ and ‘the role of money’. The mothers valued their children's English education, because they believed that college entrance exams were a competition and that their children's performance was highly important. ‘Comparison to others’ was also a psychological burden, namely the mothers’ needed to match or exceed others’ parental skills to feel a sense of self-confidence. The mothers also considered their children's English education their responsibility, which in context, reflected their social class status as represented by ‘money’. This concept of parental responsibility thus delimited the definition of good motherhood in the Korean context in a very restricted way. This study critically demonstrates how neoliberalism takes hold in a particular context and how it can become intertwined with ideologies about English education.

Exploring Public Perception of Early Childhood English Education through Online News Comments

Exploring Public Perception of Early Childhood English Education through Online News Comments

Exploring Pre-service Early Childhood Teachers' Changes through Attending an Early Childhood English Education Course: Focused on Teacher-efficacy, Perception, Knowlege·Skil , and Attitude

Exploring Pre-service Early Childhood Teachers' Changes through Attending an Early Childhood English Education Course: Focused on Teacher-efficacy, Perception, Knowlege·Skil , and Attitude

Perception of teachers and parents on early childhood english education

Perception of teachers and parents on early childhood english education

유아 영어교육계획안에 나타난 영어그림책 활용 예술융합 관련 활동 분석

유아 영어교육계획안에 나타난 영어그림책 활용 예술융합 관련 활동 분석

우리나라 유아 영어교육에 대한 사회적 인식 연구: 빅데이터와 사회연결망 분석을 중심으로

우리나라 유아 영어교육에 대한 사회적 인식 연구: 빅데이터와 사회연결망 분석을 중심으로

Mothers' Experiences on Early Childhood English Education for Their Children

Mothers' Experiences on Early Childhood English Education for Their Children

Parent’s Perception towards Preschool Children’s English Education and their Ways of English Practice

This study examined perceptions of early childhood English education among Korean mothers whose children are aged five to seven, and children’s English practice at those ages. The data collected was drawn from seventy-five parents from the survey as well as from in-depth individual interviews with eleven parents, analyzed using grounded theory. The findings displayed that mothers thought English is necessary in Korea. However, they thought mastering Korean should be anterior to English and thus the appropriate age for English was seven, after acquiring Korean. Ironically, however, mothers started their children’s English practice earlier than they would have thought and mothers were involved in their children’s English practice by helping their children to do their homework. In addition, most parents depended on English institutions, private lessons, and kindergarten English programs to support their child’s English learning. This study is expected to delineate the perceptions of Korean mothers with preschool children on English education and the actual ways their children practice English.

Effects of Mothers’ Perceptions about Early Childhood English Education on Preschoolers’Attitudes toward Learning English

Effects of Mothers’ Perceptions about Early Childhood English Education on Preschoolers’Attitudes toward Learning English

Narrative Analysis of a TV Documentary on Early Childhood English Education Fever: Focus on the Coverage of

Narrative Analysis of a TV Documentary on Early Childhood English Education Fever: Focus on the Coverage of

Parental Perceptions of Early Childhood English Education

Parental Perceptions of Early Childhood English Education