Elementary School English Teachers Research Articles

The Cultivation of Intercultural Communication Competence in the Unit Integrity Teaching of the Primary English

As China's international status rises, the country needs more and more talents with intercultural communication skills. This paper finds that primary school English teaching materials neglect the cultivation of students' intercultural communication competence, teachers lack the awareness of intercultural communication, teachers' own intercultural literacy is insufficient, and students lack the interest of intercultural communication. The author puts forward suggestions on these aspects, hoping to provide help for elementary school English teachers regarding the cultivation of students' intercultural communicative competence.

Exploring Elementary School English Teachers' Voices in Gaining Students' Attention in Learning

Student attention plays a pivotal role in learning. It becomes the gateway to learning engagement, behavioral management, and academic achievement. This research investigates several methods elementary school teachers use in Indonesia to capture and maintain students' attention during English language instruction. This study examines the methods and challenges faced in the interaction process, which is crucial for successful learning. The research utilizes a qualitative descriptive study design, including in-depth interviews with three experienced English teachers. The findings indicate that teachers use many interactive and sensory-stimulating methods, including games, total physical response activities, songs, gestures, and visual aids, to attract and hold students' attention. These methods are essential for sustaining involvement and accommodating learning preferences and cultural contexts. However, teachers need more resources, training needs, and a diverse array of students' interests and learning styles, all of which might hinder the execution of these methods. This research emphasizes the need to provide teachers with customized training and resources to use attention-grabbing methods successfully. This study adds to the broader conversation on educational methods in linguistically and culturally diverse settings, indicating that improving teacher support and resources is crucial for promoting successful English language instruction at the elementary school level.

A Practical Study on Improving the Professionalism of Elementary School English Teachers Based on Compulsory Education Testing

In the face of the ever-opening contemporary China, English has become an indispensable communication tool. Based on the results of basic education quality monitoring and existing research results on teacher professional quality, this paper investigates the professional quality of English teachers in representative primary school in Xi'an, examining the teachers’ professional quality in five dimensions, namely, the basic situation, professionalism, professional knowledge and professional abilities, and training status and conducting interviews with relevant teachers. Through the survey, it was found that elementary school English teachers in Xi'an have high professional ideals and good professionalism, have a high sense of teaching effectiveness, and have a good grasp of English education professional knowledge. The teachers' professional abilities basically meet the requirements of English teaching, and they hope to receive further regular training in teaching methods, skills training, and the ability to write papers. At the same time, some problems were also discovered: the gender ratio of teachers is disproportionate, and teaching philosophy is not fully implemented; teachers lack mastery of theoretical knowledge and scientific research knowledge, and their oral English expression still needs to be improved; parent resources cannot be better utilized; the adoption of teaching methods requires to be further improved, teaching methods need to be further improved; teachers’ scientific research capabilities are weak, etc. In view of the existing problems, the article puts forward suggestions for improving the professional quality of elementar school English teachers in Xi'an: strengthening teachers' professional emotional quality; deepening teachers' understanding of teaching concepts; strengthening the cultivation of teachers' professional knowledge and professional abilities; strengthening the cultivation of teacher's educational research ability.

Teachers' Perspectives on the Use of Differentiated Instruction for English Language Teaching

This study aimed to investigate teachers' perceptions on the use of differentiated instruction for English language teaching. A concurrent triangulation design that involved 160 elementary school teachers from Catanauan I and II Districts, Schools Division of Quezon Province, who were chosen through a complete enumeration, was used. Data were gathered using a validated survey questionnaire and an FGD protocol. Meanwhile, weighted mean, multiple regression analysis, and interpretive phenomenological analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that the respondents practiced differentiated instruction along the dimensions of content, process, product, and environment to a great extent. Accordingly, they perceived differentiated instruction as a potent approach designed to employ strategies suited to the needs of English language learners (ELLs). Meanwhile, results affirmed that the content, process, product, and environment as dimensions of differentiated instruction practices are significantly related to the public elementary school English language teachers' perception.

Three Taiwanese elementary school English teachers’ pedagogical and collaborative practice of glocalization in CLIL lessons

ABSTRACT This case study explored three Taiwanese elementary school English teachers’ pedagogical and collaborative practice of glocalization in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) lessons. Based on the framework on English teachers’ designs and implementing glocalized CLIL lessons, the thematic analysis of the documents, observations of classroom practices and post-observation conferences, and interviews reached the following conclusion. Firstly, food was the major glocalized CLIL topic. Secondly, these three English teachers had positive attitudes towards their multimodal presentations of glocalized CLIL lessons. Thirdly, these three teachers possessed different levels of English language skills in their collaborative lesson planning. Fourthly, these teachers faced challenges in providing their learners with authentic tasks for pushed output (learners’ production of the language of learning and content knowledge for contextualized and meaningful use) and using English as the medium of instruction.

Lack of Self-confidence in Speaking English language Fluently of English Language Teachers at Public Basic Schools in Erbil

This research investigates the pivotal role of self-confidence in fostering success in acquiring a second language, with a specific emphasis on the proficiency in the English language exhibited by elementary school English teachers in Erbil, Kurdistan. The study seeks to identify the impediments that hinder language educators from attaining fluency in spoken English and delves into the ways in which self-confidence exerts influence over their journey in language acquisition. Employing a quantitative research approach, a questionnaire was administered to a cohort of 41 elementary school English teachers hailing from diverse backgrounds and representing 41 distinct public schools during the academic year of 2021. The analysis of the data hinged on Likert scales applied to assess various variables, ultimately revealing several noteworthy barriers. These barriers encompassed a dearth of motivation, the practice of code-switching between Kurdish and English in classroom communication, inadequate opportunities for English language practice, both within and outside the classroom setting, alongside challenges linked to grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

Novice elementary school English teachers’ practice of critical friends as their professional learning

ABSTRACT This case study explored 18 Taiwanese novice elementary school English teachers’ practice of critical friendship models as an avenue for professional development. Based on the thematic analysis of the interviews, documents, and observation, the following major conclusions were drawn. Participants spent most of their time with critical friends in lesson planning and professional dialogue on classroom management. However, a lack of time was regarded as the major factor that influenced participants’ implementations of critical friendships. Suggestions on effective critical friendship as novice teachers’ professional learning and development were provided.

EFL Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Cultural Awareness in ICT-Based Learning in Indonesian Elementary School Context

The present study aims to explore Indonesian EFL teachers’ perception regarding the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) usage for developing cultural awareness of students as well as improving their English literacy and communication. Even though English subject is not considered as compulsory to be taught in elementary school, there is evidence that English is still being taught either as the local content subject or as the language-medium of instruction. This study employs survey research by administering a questionnaire for elementary school English teachers in Indonesia who have been ever implementing online learning. The result shows that most teachers respond positively on the implementation of ICT in English instructional practice in elementary school. Regarding the cultural content, the participants agree that ICT can be helpful for them to provide interactive digital teaching material, including cultural material for the students. The existence of ICT is helpful for both students and teachers to provide real and authentic teaching materials. Therefore, the use of ICT needs to be promoted to provide cultural awareness in ELT practice to equip young learners to do intercultural communication in the global world

“I am not a native speaker …”: Exploring the perceived pronunciation teaching difficulties faced by Korean public elementary school English teachers

Through the conceptual lens of the Nativeness Principle—the perception that it is both desirable and possible to achieve nativelike pronunciation—this study set out to examine the perceived difficulties Korean public elementary school English teachers face when teaching English pronunciation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 Korean in-service elementary school English teachers to investigate their experiences with pronunciation teaching and the difficulties that they have encountered. From the collected data, teachers' shared difficulties emerged under three main themes, self-related, students-related, and curriculum & materials-related difficulties. Under these main themes, various difficulty-related sub-themes were identified including lack of confidence in one's pronunciation, lack of pronunciation ability, lack of pronunciation teaching knowledge and skill, dealing with students' pronunciation prejudice, dealing with students with different levels of pronunciation, lack of pronunciation teaching time, and lack of teaching materials. Upon further analysis, many of the difficulties teachers reported were found to have direct connections to Nativeness Principle related factors. We discuss possible pathways to mitigate the shared difficulties teachers reported in this study and conclude by providing directions for further research in this area.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OBSTACLES

The goal of this study was to investigate the needs for and barriers to the ongoing professional development of elementary school English language teachers. Data collection techniques included surveys, interviews, and classroom observations. Surveys of 64 randomly chosen English language teachers in primary schools were used to get the quantitative data. In order to verify the information gathered from the surveys, interviews were done with principals, trainers, and volunteer English language teachers who took part in the surveys, which included surveys, interviews, and classroom observations. Surveys of 64 randomly chosen English language teachers in primary schools were used to get the quantitative data. In order to verify the information gathered from the surveys, interviews were done with principals, trainers, and volunteer English language teachers who took part in the surveys. The data were analyzed using a Quan-qual approach. The statistical analysis of the data was primarily concerned with calculating descriptive statistics, specifically the means and percentages of the survey items. The results revealed that primary school EFL teachers need in-service professional development trainings to improve their English language proficiency skills and pedagogic knowledge. The interviews with principals and trainers supported the results found in the surveys. Moreover, the teachers encountered obstacles in engaging in a continuous professional advancement schemes.

Application of Game Teaching Method in Primary English Teaching

Combining games into elementary school English education can change the conventional learning mode, increase the fun of classroom education, promote students' interest in English learning, and improve the effectiveness of elementary school English learning. In this article, we look at the significance of combining games in primary English teaching. It is necessary for elementary school English teachers to give full attention to and understand the game teaching method when teaching, and try to apply this teaching method to assist students to learn English knowledge, so that students can feel English knowledge better and do better in learning knowledge. For this reason, this paper will study and discuss the application of English game teaching method in elementary school from the following three aspects for reference.

초등교사의 목소리를 통한 TEE 수업 실천에 대한 기반연구

This study is to explore and analyze three current English teachers’ thoughts and attitudes on their TEE practices in elementary English classroom settings. Adopting a qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews, teachers’ journals, and informal communications from the three elementary school English teachers. The analysis of data revealed three main themes: 1) thoughts on effective TEE classes, 2) factors affecting TEE classes, 3) the difficulties of conducting TEE classes. The participants presented their views on effective TEE classes. They also expressed their opinion on the timing and usage of TEE. The teachers said TEE classes are influenced by teachers’ English communication ability and willingness to use English as the instructional language, students’ English proficiency and the class atmosphere. Finally, the participants said that TEE classes were difficult due to the same factors influencing TEE class effectiveness. This study has implications for the direction of TEE implementation in elementary education.

An Analysis of the Themes and Levels of Reflection on Microteaching by Preservice Elementary School English Teachers

본 연구는 초등영어 수업실연을 한 29명의 예비교사들을 대상으로 수업 후 성찰에서 나타난 성찰 주제와 수준을 알아보기 위해 실시되었다. 예비교사들이 작성한 성찰 내용에 대해 기존의 연구에서 발견된 변수들을 초기 코딩의 범주로 사용하는 지시적 내용분석을 적용하였으며 이를 범주화하고 분석한 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 성찰 비중이 가장 높았던 ‘영어지도’와 관련된 성찰은 8개의 하위 주제에 대한 성찰 내용이 발견되었다. 영어지도에 대한 전체적인 성찰 수준은 기술적 성찰이 가장 큰 비중을 차지하였다. 둘째, 학습자에 대한 성찰이 그 다음으로 많았으며, 기술적 성찰, 비교 성찰, 비판적 성찰의 세 수준이 고르게 관찰 되었다. 학습자에 대한 성찰은 초등학생들의 수준을 고려하지 못해 나타난 문제점의 인식과 이에 대한 개선 및 대안 방안 탐색에 초점을 맞췄다. 셋째, 수업실연에 대한 성찰은 비판적 성찰이 대부분이었으며, 그동안 배워온 이론적 지식을 수업실연에 접목하는 과정에서 느낀 이론과 실제의 괴리감에 대해 비판적으로 사고하는 성찰이 확인되었다. 넷째, 교사로서 자신에 대한 성찰 내용은 기술적 성찰과 비판적 성찰 위주로 이루어졌는데, 자신의 교수 능력 부족으로 인한 당혹감 및 실망감을 언급하거나 또는 교수능력의 한계를 극복하기 위한 교사로서의 태도나 각오를 나타내는 대목이 확인되었다.

Scrutiny of Global Citizenship in Chinese Elementary School English Textbooks and Teachers’ Practices during COVID-19 Pandemic

Problems associated with globalisation have been exacerbated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which made us more aware of the interconnected nature of the world. Global pandemic requires global solutions, and the educational system should look beyond the confines of national borders to advocate for Global Citizenship Education (GCE) to provide such solutions. However, it is still underexplored that to what extent Chinese elementary school English textbooks reflect the notion of GCE and how they guide teachers’ practices particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the gap, a mixed-method study was conducted to scrutinize two versions of Chinese elementary school English textbooks and explore teachers’ practices, so as to contribute to China’s context-specific GCE endeavours through English language teaching (ELT). The findings demonstrate that the themes of GCE are embedded in two versions of textbooks to varying degrees and with unbalanced distribution. Some elements that do not comply with the proposition of GCE and the excluded themes may impede the full realisation of global citizenship values. Interview results show that teacher training is urgently needed to integrate GCE into interdisciplinary subjects and raise teachers’ critical awareness to challenge the prevailing routines in ELT. The findings could also provide some pedagogical enlightenment for teachers’ practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investigation on the Intercultural Sensitivity of English Teachers in Chinese Elementary Schools

The development of technology has driven human beings into a globalized world, which requires intercultural communication competence (ICC). As its affective aspect, the subject of intercultural sensitivity (IS) is being heatedly discussed nowadays. This study focuses on the importance of intercultural sensitivity (IS) among Chinese EFL teachers and attempts to explore their current level and the possible reasons for it. For this purpose, questionnaires were distributed to 29 Chinese elementary school English teachers, and the results from the questionnaire showed that the IS level of these teachers is satisfactory, scoring high in five dimensions: interaction engagement, respect for cultural differences, interaction confidence, interaction attentiveness, and interaction enjoyment. The follow-up interview suggested that the high IS level may be a result from intercultural communication training. Moreover, this research found that Chinese teachers were more engaged and enjoyed less in view of scarce opportunities for communication in authentic cross-cultural contexts. Several suggestions and implications for further research have also been included in this article.

2015 개정 초‧중학교 영어과 교육과정 교육내용의 적정성 연구: 내용 조직 측면을 중심으로

The study aims to analyze whether the contents of elementary and middle school English of the 2015 revised English curriculum are properly organized. To this end, a survey of elementary and middle school English teachers and qualitative analysis on the educational content section of the curriculum, "3. Content System and Achievement Standards" were conducted. The results suggested that the educational contents of the 2015 revised English curriculum are structured in consideration of the sequence and hierarchy between grade levels and among content areas. In addition, it can be said that the proportion of educational content between areas is appropriately organized. However, educational contents of certain areas or grade levels need to be adjusted in terms of function of the content scheme, the range of new vocabulary available by school levels, or achievement standards. In addition, it can be seen that some areas need improvement in terms of the proportion of educational content between areas. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the revision of the next English curriculum.

THE USE OF E-RESOURCES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS ENGLISH TEACHING MATERIALS

As internet technology has become more influential and cultured, online or e-resources are nowadays present as alternatives for teaching materials. The resources themselves play an important role in lesson planning, instruction delivery, and take a part in determining the learning achievement. This study was conducted to investigate the forces that drive elementary school English teachers (N = 178) in utilizing online teaching materials together with the benefits and challenges they faced in using them. From the questionnaire, it was revealed that almost all respondents used and benefited from online resources taken from Google, YouTube, and other search engines. Further investigation through interviews revealed prevalent responses on e-learning materials utilization that are categorized as follows: accessibility, practicality, authenticity, and variety. Other benefits, such as the features of online resources that positively attract young learners in foreign language learning are meaningfully advantageous as they improve students’ learning engagement (SLE). These findings support evidence for e-learning resources as teaching materials for overcoming the shortage of teaching guidelines and materials in English for Young Learners (EYL) classes. Teachers’ responses towards the challenges in using this type of material lead to the implication that schools and other related stakeholders should take serious concerns to equip EYL teachers with professional development or in-service training, particularly in teaching material development and online resources integration.

An analysis of reflection on the process of lesson preparation for microteaching by pre-service elementary school English teachers

The purpose of this study was to analyze what pre-service elementary school English teachers pay attention to and what kind of difficulties they have in the lesson planning and preparation process of their microteaching. The results from the analysis of the pre-class reflection of 27 pre-service teachers are as follows. First, the most attention was paid to the selection of teaching content, and it mainly focused on the ease of learning, motivation and interest of the students. Second, participants focused on identifying whether the objectives of their chosen activities were appropriate to the lesson objectives and tried to supplement the problems inherent in the activities. Furthermore, they reconstructed the activities shown to be ineffective in achieving the learning goals. Third, they prepared classes focusing on the utilization of materials to efficiently implement their teaching. Fourth, although they were required to teach only one lesson, they not only considered the link with previous learning, but also anticipated and found ways to reduce students difficulties during the learning process. Finally, they revealed some difficulties in preparing for teacher talk according to the students’level, allocating time and determining whether they could execute it on time, and planning lessons due to lack of experiences.

Taiwanese elementary school english teachers’ practice of teacher leadership in professional dialogue

ABSTRACT This study uses document, observation, and interview to analyze ten Taiwanese elementary school English teachers’ practice and exercise of leadership among other colleagues during professional dialogue and to examine what influenced the practice of leadership. This study has the following major findings. First, participants’ leadership was mainly centered on improving colleagues’ teaching and learning practices, rather than traditional leadership in terms of power and authority. Secondly, lack of time, negotiating with administrators, consensus among teachers, and expertise in English instruction affected participants’ effectiveness in leading the meetings and discussions. Suggestions on effectively exercise leadership in professional dialogue are provided.

Blending asynchronous and synchronous digital technologies and instructional approaches to facilitate remote learning

This two-stage qualitative-dominant sequential mixed-method study, using an online survey of elementary and secondary school English language teachers (N = 73) and follow-up interviews (N = 10), collectively explores how teachers in Hong Kong adapted their instruction to online teaching in responses to COVID-19. The findings indicate that teachers used a variety of asynchronous and synchronous digital technologies and instructional approaches to facilitate students’ learning, assess learning, and communicate with students and parents remotely. The findings suggest that a blend of asynchronous and synchronous modes are seen as optimum to support student learning online. A model is proposed on how teachers can blend asynchronous and synchronous digital technologies and instructional approaches within a sequence of learning.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40692-021-00195-8.