Research Article
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Teaching English to Young Learners: Combining Theory and Practice through Practicum in Pre-service Teacher Education

Year 2023, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 400 - 412, 30.06.2023
https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1310265

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed an exponential growth in interest in teaching English to young learners (TEYL) across the world. Pivotally, there is some research focusing on in-class practices and teacher pedagogy on this issue, yet young learner teacher education has not been given much attention. Many teacher education programs in different countries prepare their pre-service teachers for young learners by offering TEYL courses without providing them with real classroom experiences. To this end, the researchers initiated a practicum project in which pre-service EFL teachers taught English to young learners besides taking the TEYL module at the university. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 21 participants, it was aimed to examine the effectiveness of a practicum-integrated TEYL teacher education program. The findings revealed that practicum provided teacher candidates with a range of benefits in terms of putting young learner knowledge into practice, developing teaching skills, designing age-appropriate lessons and materials, and gaining confidence with TEYL. Different from previous practicum-related studies, the current study showed that practicum helped pre-service teachers have clearer minds on their future careers and teaching contexts in that some participants would choose to work with older learners considering the distinctive characteristics of children. This study offers implications for pre-service teachers and teacher education programs for training young learner English teachers more effectively.

References

  • Bayyurt, Y. (2012). 4+4+4 Eğitim sisteminde erken yasta yabanci dil eğitimi. In A. Sarıçoban, & H. Öz (Eds.), Türkiye’de yabanci dil eğitiminde eğilim ne olmalı? (pp. 117-128). Hacettepe University Press.
  • Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching across age levels. In H. D. Brown, & H. Lee (Eds.), Teaching by principles: an interactive approach to language pedagogy (pp. 100-109). Pearson Education.
  • Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods. Oxford University Press.
  • Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching languages to young learners. Cambridge University Press.
  • Cesur, K. (2022). Content analysis of research articles on teaching English to young learners in Turkiye. RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, (29), 889-903. https://doi.org/10.29000/rumelide.1164904
  • Choi, J., Kushner, K.E., Mill, J., & Lai, D.W. (2012). Understanding the language, the culture, and the experience: translation in cross-cultural research, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 11(5), 652-665.
  • Collinson, V., Kozina, E., Kate Lin, Y. H., Ling, L., Matheson, I., Newcombe, L., &Zogla, I. (2009). Professional development for teachers: A world of change. European Journal of Teacher Education, 32(1), 3-19.
  • Copland, F., Garton, S., & Burns, A. (2014). Challenges in teaching English to young learners: Global perspectives and local realities. TESOL Quarterly, 48(4), 738–762.
  • Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. National Association for the Education of Young Children.
  • Council of Higher Education [CHE] (2021). ELT undergraduate syllabus https://www.yok.gov.tr/Documents/Kurumsal/egitim_ogretim_dairesi/Yeni-Ogretmen-Yetistirme-Lisans-Programlari/Ingilizce_Ogretmenligi_Lisans_Programi.pdf
  • Cowie, N. &Sakui, K. (2020). Teacher and student-created videos in English language teaching. ELT Journal. 75(1), 1–6.
  • Çamlıbel-Acar (2016). Teaching English to young learners: Some challenges faced by pre-service teachers. The Eurasia Proceedings of Educational & Social Sciences (EPESS), Vol. 5, 323-327.
  • Çelik, S., & Arıkan, A. (2012). Öğretmen yetiştirme programlarının İngilizce öğretmen adaylarını ilköğretimde İngilizce öğretimine ne kadar hazırladığına yönelik nitel bir araştırma. Journal of Pamukkale University, 32(32), 77-87.
  • Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Oxford University Press.
  • Durmuşoğlu Saltalı, N. (2021). Preschool teachers’ ability to manage problem behaviours in their classroom: Can it be predicted by teacher self-efficacy and emotional literacy?. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 4(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1084009
  • Enever, J. (2016). Primary ELT. In G. Hall, G. (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of English language teaching (pp. 353–-366). Routledge.
  • Feeney, E. J. (2007). Quality feedback: The essential ingredient for teacher success. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 80(4), 191-198. https://doi.org/10.3200/TCHS.80.4.191-198
  • Garton, S. & Copland, F. (2019). Introduction. In S. Garton, & F. Copland (Eds.) Routledge handbook of teaching English to young learners (pp. 1-10). Routledge.
  • Garton, S. & Tekin, S. (2022). Teaching English to young learners. In E. Hinkel (Ed.) Handbook of practical second language teaching and learning (pp. 83-96). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003106609-7
  • Ghazali, F. (2014). A critical overview of designing and conducting focus group interviews in Applied Linguistics research. American Journal of Educational Research, 2(1), 6-12.
  • Güneş, Ç. (2020). EFL Teachers’ beliefs about primary school teachers’ influences on EFL lessons. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 2(2), 49-65.
  • Güngör, M. N. (2016). Turkish pre-service teachers’ reflective practices in teaching English to young learners. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(2), 137-151. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n2.9
  • Halliwell, S. (1992). Teaching English in the primary classroom. Longman.
  • Kayhan, O. (2022). Understanding Teachers’ Classroom Management Anxiety: The Role of Educational Technology Usage in Classrooms. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 4(2), 51-64. https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1148725
  • Keskin, P. (2019). Challenges faced by English language teachers in teaching English to young learners in public primary schools. (Unpublished master thesis). Yeditepe University.
  • Lawson, T., M. Cakmak, M. Gündüz, & H. Busher (2015). Research in teaching practicum – a systematic review. European Journal of Teacher Education 38(3), 392–407.
  • Ministry of National Education [MONE] (2012). Foreign language teaching regulation. http://mevzuat.meb.gov.tr/html/26184_1.html.
  • Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1-13.
  • Nunan, D. (2010). Teaching English to young learners. Anaheim University Press.
  • Ovando, M. N. (2005). Building instructional leaders’ capacity to deliver constructive feedback to teachers. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 18, 171-183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-006-9018-z
  • Pinter, A. (2017). Teaching young language learners. Oxford University Press
  • Rathus, S. A. (2006). Childhood and adolescence: Voyages in development. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Read, C. (1998). The challenge of teaching children. English Teaching Professional, 7(1), 8-10.
  • Reynolds, B. L., Ha, X. V., Ding, C., Zhang, X., Liu, S., & Ma, X. (2022). Pre-service teachers learning to teach English to very young learners in Macau: do beliefs trump practice?. Behavioral Sciences, 12(2), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12020019
  • Ritchie, J. & Spencer, L. (2002) Qualitative data analysis for applied policy research. In Bryman, A., & Burgess, R. G. (Eds.) Analyzing qualitative data (pp. 173–194). Routledge.
  • Scott, W. A., &Ytreberg, L. H. (1990). Teaching English to children. Longman
  • Shin, J. K. (2006). Ten helpful ideas for teaching English to young learners. English Teaching Forum, (2), 2-13.
  • Shin, J. K., & Crandall, J. (2014). Teaching young learners English: from theory to practice. National Geographic Learning & Heinle Cengage Learning.
  • Tekin, S. & Garton, S. (2020). L1 in the primary English classroom: How much, when, how and why?. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 8(3), 77-97. https://doi.org/10.30466/IJLTR.2020.120935
  • Yildirim, R., &Orsdemir, E. (2019). Through the eyes of young EFL learners: Learning with student teachers. ELT Journal, 73(3), 316-327.
  • Zein, S. (2016). Pre-service education for primary school English teachers in Indonesia: Policy implications. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 36(1), 119-134.
Year 2023, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 400 - 412, 30.06.2023
https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1310265

Abstract

References

  • Bayyurt, Y. (2012). 4+4+4 Eğitim sisteminde erken yasta yabanci dil eğitimi. In A. Sarıçoban, & H. Öz (Eds.), Türkiye’de yabanci dil eğitiminde eğilim ne olmalı? (pp. 117-128). Hacettepe University Press.
  • Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching across age levels. In H. D. Brown, & H. Lee (Eds.), Teaching by principles: an interactive approach to language pedagogy (pp. 100-109). Pearson Education.
  • Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods. Oxford University Press.
  • Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching languages to young learners. Cambridge University Press.
  • Cesur, K. (2022). Content analysis of research articles on teaching English to young learners in Turkiye. RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, (29), 889-903. https://doi.org/10.29000/rumelide.1164904
  • Choi, J., Kushner, K.E., Mill, J., & Lai, D.W. (2012). Understanding the language, the culture, and the experience: translation in cross-cultural research, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 11(5), 652-665.
  • Collinson, V., Kozina, E., Kate Lin, Y. H., Ling, L., Matheson, I., Newcombe, L., &Zogla, I. (2009). Professional development for teachers: A world of change. European Journal of Teacher Education, 32(1), 3-19.
  • Copland, F., Garton, S., & Burns, A. (2014). Challenges in teaching English to young learners: Global perspectives and local realities. TESOL Quarterly, 48(4), 738–762.
  • Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. National Association for the Education of Young Children.
  • Council of Higher Education [CHE] (2021). ELT undergraduate syllabus https://www.yok.gov.tr/Documents/Kurumsal/egitim_ogretim_dairesi/Yeni-Ogretmen-Yetistirme-Lisans-Programlari/Ingilizce_Ogretmenligi_Lisans_Programi.pdf
  • Cowie, N. &Sakui, K. (2020). Teacher and student-created videos in English language teaching. ELT Journal. 75(1), 1–6.
  • Çamlıbel-Acar (2016). Teaching English to young learners: Some challenges faced by pre-service teachers. The Eurasia Proceedings of Educational & Social Sciences (EPESS), Vol. 5, 323-327.
  • Çelik, S., & Arıkan, A. (2012). Öğretmen yetiştirme programlarının İngilizce öğretmen adaylarını ilköğretimde İngilizce öğretimine ne kadar hazırladığına yönelik nitel bir araştırma. Journal of Pamukkale University, 32(32), 77-87.
  • Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Oxford University Press.
  • Durmuşoğlu Saltalı, N. (2021). Preschool teachers’ ability to manage problem behaviours in their classroom: Can it be predicted by teacher self-efficacy and emotional literacy?. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 4(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1084009
  • Enever, J. (2016). Primary ELT. In G. Hall, G. (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of English language teaching (pp. 353–-366). Routledge.
  • Feeney, E. J. (2007). Quality feedback: The essential ingredient for teacher success. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 80(4), 191-198. https://doi.org/10.3200/TCHS.80.4.191-198
  • Garton, S. & Copland, F. (2019). Introduction. In S. Garton, & F. Copland (Eds.) Routledge handbook of teaching English to young learners (pp. 1-10). Routledge.
  • Garton, S. & Tekin, S. (2022). Teaching English to young learners. In E. Hinkel (Ed.) Handbook of practical second language teaching and learning (pp. 83-96). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003106609-7
  • Ghazali, F. (2014). A critical overview of designing and conducting focus group interviews in Applied Linguistics research. American Journal of Educational Research, 2(1), 6-12.
  • Güneş, Ç. (2020). EFL Teachers’ beliefs about primary school teachers’ influences on EFL lessons. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 2(2), 49-65.
  • Güngör, M. N. (2016). Turkish pre-service teachers’ reflective practices in teaching English to young learners. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(2), 137-151. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n2.9
  • Halliwell, S. (1992). Teaching English in the primary classroom. Longman.
  • Kayhan, O. (2022). Understanding Teachers’ Classroom Management Anxiety: The Role of Educational Technology Usage in Classrooms. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 4(2), 51-64. https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1148725
  • Keskin, P. (2019). Challenges faced by English language teachers in teaching English to young learners in public primary schools. (Unpublished master thesis). Yeditepe University.
  • Lawson, T., M. Cakmak, M. Gündüz, & H. Busher (2015). Research in teaching practicum – a systematic review. European Journal of Teacher Education 38(3), 392–407.
  • Ministry of National Education [MONE] (2012). Foreign language teaching regulation. http://mevzuat.meb.gov.tr/html/26184_1.html.
  • Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1-13.
  • Nunan, D. (2010). Teaching English to young learners. Anaheim University Press.
  • Ovando, M. N. (2005). Building instructional leaders’ capacity to deliver constructive feedback to teachers. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 18, 171-183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-006-9018-z
  • Pinter, A. (2017). Teaching young language learners. Oxford University Press
  • Rathus, S. A. (2006). Childhood and adolescence: Voyages in development. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Read, C. (1998). The challenge of teaching children. English Teaching Professional, 7(1), 8-10.
  • Reynolds, B. L., Ha, X. V., Ding, C., Zhang, X., Liu, S., & Ma, X. (2022). Pre-service teachers learning to teach English to very young learners in Macau: do beliefs trump practice?. Behavioral Sciences, 12(2), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12020019
  • Ritchie, J. & Spencer, L. (2002) Qualitative data analysis for applied policy research. In Bryman, A., & Burgess, R. G. (Eds.) Analyzing qualitative data (pp. 173–194). Routledge.
  • Scott, W. A., &Ytreberg, L. H. (1990). Teaching English to children. Longman
  • Shin, J. K. (2006). Ten helpful ideas for teaching English to young learners. English Teaching Forum, (2), 2-13.
  • Shin, J. K., & Crandall, J. (2014). Teaching young learners English: from theory to practice. National Geographic Learning & Heinle Cengage Learning.
  • Tekin, S. & Garton, S. (2020). L1 in the primary English classroom: How much, when, how and why?. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research, 8(3), 77-97. https://doi.org/10.30466/IJLTR.2020.120935
  • Yildirim, R., &Orsdemir, E. (2019). Through the eyes of young EFL learners: Learning with student teachers. ELT Journal, 73(3), 316-327.
  • Zein, S. (2016). Pre-service education for primary school English teachers in Indonesia: Policy implications. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 36(1), 119-134.
There are 40 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Serdar Tekin 0000-0003-4625-4324

Tuba Baykara 0000-0002-0570-5283

Early Pub Date June 22, 2023
Publication Date June 30, 2023
Acceptance Date June 7, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023 Volume: 5 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Tekin, S., & Baykara, T. (2023). Teaching English to Young Learners: Combining Theory and Practice through Practicum in Pre-service Teacher Education. Journal of Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, 5(1), 400-412. https://doi.org/10.51535/tell.1310265

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