Elementary School Foreign Language Research Articles

Forming correct speaking skills in primary class english language lessons with the help of poems and rhymes

This article considers to the introduction of a foreign language in elementary school. It also points out one of the most important problems in the teaching methodology using rhyme and poems in class. Rhymed material influences on a better development of pronunciation skills. The main objective of foreign language teaching in primary schools is to develop pupils' ability to communicate in the target language. Experience shows that the motivation of learning foreign language of elementary school pupils at the beginning of the school course is quite high, and pupils, in spite of the rapidfatigue, ready to pronounce a lot of time every sound. Comfortable n-aj' of remembering articulation and auditory sound contributes to review the use of game material (rhymes, patters and others).

Research Related to Teaching Chinese Language and Culture in U.S. Classrooms: A Guide to Teaching Foreign Languages in U.S. Elementary and Secondary Schools

Language and Children: A Guide to Teaching Foreign Languages in American Elementary and Secondary Classrooms is a classic second language teaching series co-authored by two language educators, Helena Cotton and Carol Ann Dahlberg. The book reflects the latest advances in language classroom research and is the only comprehensive guide to foreign language classroom methods for K-12 and college students, using language learning objectives as the guiding principles for classroom rules and instruction. [Cheng Liang: "The Golden Key to Second Language Acquisition: A Review of the American Guide to Teaching Foreign Language in Elementary and Secondary Schools," Journal of Jiamusi Vocational College, 2019 (05)] Through careful reading, I have gained deeper thoughts and knowledge about various aspects of immersion teaching, teaching integration of language and culture, and teaching communication. Because I am very interested in "how to realize the organic integration of language and culture teaching in second language teaching classrooms," I focused on Chapter 9, "Experiencing Culture in the Classroom: Interaction of Language, Culture and Curriculum," and came up with a series of reflections, including insights into children's cultural teaching, academic associations, thoughts on overseas Chinese cultural I have a series of reflections, including insights on teaching children's culture, academic associations, thoughts on teaching Chinese culture overseas, and reflections on some of the contents of the book.

Phonemic Awareness as a Fundamental Listening Skill: A Cross-sectional Cohort Study of Elementary School Foreign Language Learners

Phonemic Awareness as a Fundamental Listening Skill: A Cross-sectional Cohort Study of Elementary School Foreign Language Learners

Children’s Social Representations of English Teaching and Learning: A Study in Medellín, Colombia

This article reports the findings of a qualitative interpretive research study that explored the social representations children have about the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language in elementary schools in Medellín, Colombia. Sixty children in first, third, and fifth grades of public and private schools participated in the study. Techniques such as drawings, pretend play, conversations, and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Three analogies summarize children’s perceptions in this study: learning as “echo,” teaching as a power instrument, and English as a tool to “survive” or to “live and interact with others.” Finally, a reflection and some implications for the teaching of English to children are presented.

Значимость начального иноязычного образования для языковой подготовки обучающихся общеобразовательной школы: теоретический аспект проблемы исследования

The importance of primary foreign language education of younger school students for further study of a foreign language in secondary and high schools is emphasized. The concept of “primary foreign language education” is studied in detail, the aspects and specifics of primary foreign language education presented in methodological science since 1940 are identified, the terms “language learning” and “language acquisition” are analyzed. Within the framework of the article, we addressed the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard in the field of implementation of primary foreign language education and determined the role of the younger student in teaching a foreign language. It is substantiated that the skills and abilities of foreign language proficiency formed in elementary school are the basis for further mastering of a foreign language by students in order to implement full-fledged foreign language communication. The specific trait of primary education is a game activity that lays the foundations for the natural mastery of a foreign language by younger students. The main advantage of playing activities in comparison with other types of activities is the provision of natural motives for the implementation of basic speech actions by young students. Reliance on the native language and consideration of the patterns of mastering native speech when teaching a foreign language are the most important characteristics of primary foreign language education. The conclusion is made that learning a foreign language in elementary school occurs naturally and through the same channels as mastering the native language.

The Effect on Students in Elementary School Foreign Language Teacher Training Classes by Introducing CLIL and Lapbook

The Effect on Students in Elementary School Foreign Language Teacher Training Classes by Introducing CLIL and Lapbook

From Preschool to Elementary 4th Grade: The Follow-up Study of the Effect of Life-focused Foreign Language Acquisition Program

The present study examines the longitudinal effects of the Life-Focused Foreign Language Acquisition Program (LFFLAP) on children who were attending public preschool education. The sample of the study consists of two groups of students studying in a public school in the Selçuklu district of Konya. During the follow-up period, the experimental group children did not receive any other English language education until the 2nd grade. The control group children, who never had any foreign language education, started to learn English in 2nd grade for the first time via the Ministry of National Education Program. The Life-Focused Foreign Language Acquisition Scale was used to assess the level of English language acquisition of students. Non-parametric statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. According to the results of the study, the meaningful differences between the control and experimental group students in the beginning disappeared gradually by the time they reached 4th grade. Based on the findings and results of this research elementary school foreign language classes can be increased from two hours a week to five hours a week (as in one hour a day) and the foreign language teachers can use the target language in their classes instead of the native one.

How teachers promote young language learners’ engagement

Abstract Teachers of young learners often seek guidance on how best to engage and motivate their students. In this study, we aimed to document engaging teacher practices in the context of foreign language classes in Japanese elementary schools. We surveyed 16 public elementary school foreign language classes in western Japan using quantitative (questionnaire; external rating) and qualitative (naturalistic observation) tools grounded in self-determination theory. Classes were sorted into three groups of high, middle, and low teacher support based on student surveys, and observed for practices that influenced student engagement in each tercile. Results indicate that students are most responsive in classrooms involving teacher warmth and strictness, homeroom teacher involvement, appropriate pacing, instructional clarity, and a balance of activities. We offer descriptions of how these practices were employed, with implications for classroom practice and teacher training.

The formation of metalanguage skills among bilingual elementary schoolers as a linguodidactic strategy of teaching three languages

The subject of this research is the method of formation of metalanguage skills among the bilingual elementary schoolers by means of the native (ethnic), Russian and English languages. The object of this research is the process of teaching native (ethnic), Russian and foreign languages in elementary school. Particular attention is given to the examination of prerequisites of formation of metalanguage skills, creation of conceptual grounds and methodology of their formation as a linguodidactic strategy of interconnected teaching of three languages in the conditions of contact bilingualism in the Russian regions. The preliminary survey conducted among the elementary school teachers  and teachers of English language demonstrated that they experience certain difficulties in organization of methodical work on implementation of interconnected teaching of languages. For the purpose of development of scientifically substantiated methodology of formation of metalanguage skills and experimental determination of its effectiveness, a comprehensive research was conducted in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and Chuvash Republic, which included surveying teachers and parents, recitation of first graders, written tasks for multilingual and bilingual students of elementary school. The scientific novelty consists in identification of peculiarities of the formation of metalanguage skills among bilingual children, as well as main difficulties associated with learning several languages in elementary school. In accordance with ontolinguistic, psycholinguistic and cognitive approaches, the author develops and substantiates a linguodidactic complex on the interconnected formation of metalanguage skills among bilingual students of elementary schools.

Pedagogical conditions for the students’ creative independence formation as future teachers of a foreign language in elementary school

Pedagogical conditions for the students’ creative independence formation as future teachers of a foreign language in elementary school

MODEL OF EMOTIONALLY-VALUABLE COMPONENT OF THE CONTENT OF ELEMENTARY FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Introduction. The component structure of the content of modern foreign language education involves the inclusion of the emotionally-valuable component (EVC), the main purpose of which is the formation of students’ axiological attitude to educational material and the world around them; the acquisition of individual system of national and universal values. The process of implementing the EVC of the content of foreign language education involves the construction of its models at all levels of school foreign language education. The aim of this article is to present the invariant of the model which enables to make a selection of foreign texts of emotionally-valuable contents at the junior stage of foreign language education. Methodology and research methods. The methods of theoretical analysis (systemic-structural, organizational, functional, comparative, typological) were used in order to define basic theoretical and methodological concepts of the research. When projecting the model of the EVC of the content of foreign language education, adapted to the conditions of teaching foreign languages in elementary school, methods of designing and modelling were used. Scientific novelty and results. In the article the subcomponent structure of the EVC of the content of foreign language education is presented. It was proved that all the system subcomponents of the EVC are functional, and each of them has its own special role in elementary foreign language education. The concept of a foreign language text of emotionally-valuable contents is proposed. The choice of the form of such texts, and also the selection of an emotionally-valuable technique of work with, including conditions, means and methods, allowed us to design the invariant of the model of the EVC of the content of elementary foreign language education. Practical significance. The research materials can be useful in implementing scientifically-based selection of speech material within the discipline “Foreign Language” and the development of adequate techniques of working with texts of emotionally-valuable contents in primary school.

МЕДІАОСВІТА НА УРОКАХ ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ В ПОЧАТКОВІЙ ШКОЛІ

The article deals with possible ways of the use of media education in the process of teaching foreign languages in elementary school, which corresponds to innovative educational trends. The task of the teacher is to build a learning process so that the children were interested. The author analyzes the concept of media education and suggests possible ways of formation of skills of using media education for primary school pupils. This will allow teachers to use self-made educational material based on the personal characteristics of the students, their level of preparation, the individual way of perception of information and work with it in order to develop their autonomy, the ability to analyze, synthesize and generalize information, to form a culture of communication with the media, creative, communicative abilities, critical thinking.

PreK–5 Foreign Language Programs: No Longer an Endangered Species?

PreK–5 Foreign Language Programs:No Longer an Endangered Species? Mary Jo Adams Keywords early language learning/aprendizaje de idiomas en escuela primaria, FLES, FLEX, immersion/imersión, teaching and learning/enseñaza y aprendizaje Challenges facing foreign language instruction in the United States are particularly acute in preK–5 programs. However, the rise of dual language immersion programs in this country represents a bright light in regard to elementary foreign language instruction. Dual language programs are being added and expanded across the country at a quick pace. Two years ago, the New York Times reported, "40 dual-language programs for elementary, middle, and high school levels would be created or expanded for the 2015–16 school year" (Harris 2015). In North Carolina, over the past ten years the number of dual-language and immersion programs has grown from programs at seven schools to over 100 programs, many of which start in Kindergarten (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction). Maryland's Howard County Public School System is leading the way in their state by significantly increasing their K–12 language offerings. The state of Utah boasts 138 schools offering dual language immersion programs, 106 of which are in elementary schools (Utah State Board of Education). Despite the growth of these programs, there are very few teacher-training programs that exist to prepare such teachers. With the rapid expansion of dual immersion programs, our profession may be faced with a teacher shortage. Dual immersion and elementary foreign language education require unique skills. Teacher training programs are critical to ensure sound, developmentally appropriate pedagogy. According to the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) report from 2009, "More than one quarter of all elementary school foreign language teachers are not certified at all. The percentage of elementary schools that reported having uncertified language teachers increased from 17% in 1997 to 31% in 2008" (Rhodes and Pufahl 2009: 4). More than ever, teacher training and certification programs will need to be accessible and affordable for new teachers entering the profession and for those that need additional training in order to be qualified to teach in dual immersion programs. A 2011 report on the effect of quality teachers on student achievement concluded, "The year-long and cumulative effects on student achievement of having a qualified teacher can be measured and have been found to be substantial" (Hightower et al. 2011). A Call for Research The need for strong elementary school foreign language programs must be made evident. However, these programs are expensive. To convince parents, school districts, and taxpayers of their value, strong evidence must be provided of their value. In a recent article by Kissau, Adams, and Algozzine (2015), [End Page 163] the researchers call for further research to support early language programs. Research on the motivational and proficiency related benefits of beginning language at an early age must be a priority. There is very little research conducted in the United States on the benefits of learning a language starting at a young age, yet there are plenty of excellent FLEX, FLES, and immersion programs that could offer valuable data and insight to proficiency outcomes in relation to early start programs. A Call for Excellence Public and private schools that offer early language programs (e.g., FLEX, FLES, immersion) need to be models and advocates for early language education. Many elementary school language teachers are responsible for developing curriculum and may not have the resources, training, or funding to guide their efforts in order to ensure program excellence. Therefore, teachers in early language programs must become professionally active in national and state foreign language associations such as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL), their respective language association, such as the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP), and state organizations such as the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina (FLANC). If we desire a globally competent United States population, we must raise our students starting at a very young age to be so. We know that advocacy efforts have been in full force for decades, and are shown to be effective and therefore, must continue. Important advocacy events, such as Language...

Envisioning a Future of Re-examination of Foreign Language Teacher Education

Envisioning a Future of Re-examination of Foreign Language Teacher Education Comfort Pratt Keywords foreign languages/lenguas extranjeras, language proficiency/proficiencia de lengua, Portuguese/portugués, Spanish/español, teacher education/formación docente Response to "The Future of K–12 Teacher Education: Spanish and Portuguese" The precarious situation facing the foreign language community in the United States presages a future of re-examination of foreign language teacher education. However pervasive the shortage of foreign language teachers may be as evidenced by Swanson (2012, 2013), of equal concern are the target language proficiency levels and pedagogical skills of the teachers, as well as their knowledge about their students' motivations for studying the languages (Brooks and Darhower 2014; Pratt, Agnello, and Santos 2009; Rhodes and Pufahl 2008; Richards, Conway, Rosvist, and Harvey 2013), but I will limit my response to language proficiency. The Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers proposed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (ACTFL/CAEP) require preservice teachers of Portuguese and Spanish to have a minimum proficiency level of Advanced Low (ACTFL/CAEP 2013). This is also the widely accepted minimum requirement for certification. However, the literature indicates that students coming out of US foreign language undergraduate programs hardly ever achieve that level (Darhower 2014; Glisan 2013; Tedick 2013), and only 54% of teacher candidates attain Advanced Low oral proficiency (Glisan, Swender, and Surface 2013). Rhodes and Pufahl (2008) also report that more than one quarter of elementary school foreign language teachers are not certified, and the percentage of elementary schools that had uncertified language teachers increased from 17% in 1997 to 31% in 2008. VanPatten (2015) cautions about the dearth of experts in language acquisition and notes that the combined expertise (linguistics, language acquisition, language teaching) of tenure-line faculty members at PhD granting institutions in Spanish is about 20% and only 6% of them has expertise in second-language acquisition. That, to him, indicates a major lacuna in "language departments," and he questions: "Who is driving the bus of language development?" (2). He expresses the concern that since very few language experts are exiting doctoral programs, most of the people who will be at the helm of language departments and programs will not be language experts. He explains that "language acquisition is the place where the rubber meets the road" as language acquisitionists are the ones who have the best chance of informing language teaching(5). He adds that without a strong presence of language experts, there is a predominance of old myths such as the belief that language is a list of rules, which in my view explains the continued pervasive use of grammar-based curricula despite the abundant literature on the indispensability of communicative approaches for communicative competence. Therefore, school districts will increase the hiring of Spanish and Portuguese native speakers from other countries until there is a consistent flow of homegrown teachers who meet the [End Page 268] required language proficiency standards. The "Visiting Teachers from Spain in the USA and Canada" program of the Ministry of Education of Spain for example continues to gain popularity in school districts. Comfort Pratt Texas Tech University WORKS CITED ACTFL/CAEP. (2013). "ACTFL Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers." Web. 2 June 2016. PDF. Google Scholar Brooks, Frank B., and Mark Anthony Darhower. (2014). "It Takes a Department! A Study of the Culture of Proficiency in Three Successful Foreign Language Teacher Education Programs." Hispania 47.4: 592–613. Print. Google Scholar Darhower, Mark Anthony. (2014). "Literary Discussions and Advanced-Superior Speaking Functions in the Undergraduate Language Program." Hispania 97.3: 396–412. Print. Google Scholar Glisan, Eileen. (2013). "On Keeping the Target Language in Language Teaching: A Bottom-Up Effort to Protect the Public and Students." Modern Language Journal 97: 541–44. Print. Google Scholar Glisan, Eileen, Elvira Swender, and Eric Surface. (2013). "Oral Proficiency Standards and Foreign Language Teacher Candidates: Current Findings and Future Research Directions." Foreign Language Annals 46: 264–89. Print. Google Scholar Pratt, Comfort, Mary Frances Agnello, and Sheryl Santos. (2009). "Factors That Motivate High-School Students' Decisions to Study Spanish." Hispania 92.4: 800–13...

台湾における『海外教育実習』 : 院生の小学校外国語活動に対する視点への影響

台湾における『海外教育実習』 : 院生の小学校外国語活動に対する視点への影響

教員養成における外国語活動指導者養成プログラム : チェックシートを用いた対話型の講義・演習を通して

教員養成における外国語活動指導者養成プログラム : チェックシートを用いた対話型の講義・演習を通して

Motivating young language learners: A longitudinal model of self-determined motivation in elementary school foreign language classes

Promoting intrinsic motivation is often a central concern in teaching foreign languages to elementary school children. Self-determination theory posits that intrinsic motivation develops through the interaction of the person and the environment. The present study investigated how elementary school students’ motivation develops over the course of a school year in Japanese public schools. Five-hundred and fifteen Japanese elementary school children were surveyed over the course of one school year. Self-reported motivation, perceptions of teacher support, need satisfaction, and engagement were measured at different times. External raters observed students’ engagement, while classroom teachers assessed the quality of students’ motivation and learning. Structural equation modeling results indicated a positive, dynamic relationship between motivation, perceptions of the learning environment, and engagement. External raters’ assessments showed significant positive correlations with students’ self-reported engagement. Findings indicate how the instruction offered in these Japanese elementary schools supported students’ foreign language learning motivation.

Classroom Dynamic Assessment: A Critical Examination of Constructs and Practices

This article explores the implementation of dynamic assessment (DA) in an elementary school foreign language classroom by considering its theoretical basis and its applicability to second language (L2) teaching, learning, and development. In existing applications of L2 classroom DA, errors serve as a window into learners’ instructional needs and provide opportunities for the teacher to mediate, prompting learners to reformulate their utterance. The investigation presented here draws on data from a combination of classroom DA and small‐group work in a unit focused on Spanish interrogatives. Extending earlier studies (Davin, ; Davin & Donato, ), it critically evaluates the extent to which the teacher's DA records, the heart of DA assessment, provide sufficiently robust evidence for central claims in DA for the dynamic link between assessment and teaching in order to advance learner development. It does so by contextualizing the teacher's record with transcripts from small‐group work that alternated with DA, and with a microgenetic analysis of two learners across both DA and small‐group work. It concludes that whole classroom applications of DA will require considerable expertise on the part of teachers that would have to become part of teacher education programs. Equally importantly, it will benefit from being anchored in an explicitly meaning‐oriented theory of language.

Elementary English education in Indonesia: Policy developments, current practices, and future prospects

With a current figure reaching more than 26 million (Kementrian, 2015), Indonesia is second after China in terms of the number of children learning English as a foreign language in elementary schools. This paper examines the development of elementary English education in Indonesia, and shows that it has been undergoing a great transformation in recent years. The paper begins by providing an overview of policy developments relating to elementary English education in the country. It then discusses current practices in elementary English education in relevant areas, focusing in particular on classroom size and length of instruction, the role and status of teachers, and pedagogical concerns. Finally, the paper analyzes the prospects for elementary English education in the foreseeable future.

Structure also supports autonomy: Measuring and defining autonomy‐supportive teaching in Japanese elementary foreign language classes

AbstractRecent discussions of autonomy have included the perspective that, as a basic human need across cultural environments, it includes not only choice but also personal endorsement of action. The present study focused on the cultural experience of autonomy‐support in Japanese elementary school foreign language classes. Three studies were conducted to investigate how students understand autonomy‐supportive teaching. In Study 1, exploratory focus groups defined cultural perspectives on autonomy‐support and structure. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicated that clarity, pacing, and teachers' positive affect correspond to students' perception of supportive teaching. Study 2 investigated teacher support in relation to in‐class engagement using longitudinal structural equation modeling. The results indicated a strong relationship between perceptions of support and classroom behavioral engagement, with stable effects over time. Study 3 longitudinally investigated teacher support in relation to students' perceptions of personal autonomy, relatedness, and competence need satisfaction. Findings show a strong positive relationship between teacher support and need satisfaction with high test‐retest reliability. Discussion focuses on how autonomy need satisfaction is experienced in different cultures with differing social norms.