Language Teaching for Young Learners - Volume 7, Issue 1, 2025

Abstract

This article seeks to address a lack of research documenting how mentoring can help teachers to introduce TBLT in an Asian context. We report a whole semester project in an Indonesian secondary school where a mentor (an experienced teacher-educator) worked with a teacher, who was used to a structural approach, to introduce task-based language teaching (TBLT) into his classroom. We describe how the mentoring was set up and carried out to pre-empt problems that evaluation studies have shown can arise with TBLT. To evaluate to what extent the mentoring was successful, we conducted a case study employing qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, examining the extent to which the mentoring enabled the teacher to implement TBLT and whether the TBLT resulted in greater learning than in a traditional, structural-oriented classroom. The main findings were that the teacher was successful in transitioning to TBLT as evidenced in his ability to design his own tasks and by the kinds of questions he asked, the strategic use of the learners’ L1 and focus-on-form during the performance of the tasks (i.e., the kinds of interactional features fundamental to TBLT). Another finding was that the learners in the TBLT class also demonstrated greater language development than a comparable structural-oriented class. We utilize the evidence collected from the teacher’s implementation of TBLT to discuss the mentoring that took place and to identify ways of improving it.

Abstract

This study employs a content analysis approach to examine the presentation of pronunciation instruction (PI) activities in six elementary school English language teaching (ELT) textbook series used in China. Among the textbooks analyzed, two series are published in English-speaking countries for commercial use, while two are published in China for public schools. The remaining two series are jointly released by Chinese and UK publishers, and are utilized in schools at Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Categorizing the PI‑related activities based on the framework by Levis and Echelberger (2022), the author discovered that PI is predominantly integrated into listening and speaking activities. The study highlights the evolving design of PI activities in relation to learners’ ages, reflecting the individual preferences and beliefs of textbook developers. Notably, most of the surveyed textbook series acknowledge the effectiveness of phonics for teaching pronunciation, yet the use of phonetic alphabet remains minimal. Young learners are encouraged to grasp pronunciation rules through exposure and observation rather than through direct “top-down” instruction from teachers.

This research provides language educators with additional resources for classroom activities and offers textbook writers diverse insights for material development work in the future.

Abstract

Scholars in the field of primary English teaching advocate the use of authentic picturebooks, for reasons related to language development and more holistic goals of primary education. Picturebook read-alouds facilitate joint meaning-making and interactions around interesting content that motivate young learners to learn about themselves and others. Nevertheless, picturebooks are rarely used in early English instruction. To address this discrepancy, the current study illuminates the perspectives of primary teachers of English and their experiences of picturebook read-alouds. Three teachers, who were not used to working with authentic multimodal narratives in class, chose two titles each to use with their respective groups in school year 5 in Sweden, with learners aged 11/12. Interviews were conducted after each read-aloud. Findings reveal that the teachers were positive about the potential of picturebook read-alouds, and the analysis generated four categories illustrating these benefits: (1) learner engagement and motivation, (2) authenticity, (3) catering to various needs in mixed-ability groups, and (4) target language learning and use. Issues related to classroom management and control were also addressed. The findings offer valuable insight into the potential of picturebook read-alouds, and carry implications for the advancement of pedagogy in early language education.

Abstract

The recent decade has seen an increase in attention and an upsurge in studies about emotions in the field of L2/FL teaching and learning. To expand our understanding, this study set out to investigate how young learners’ boredom and enjoyment were related, concurrently and longitudinally, to grit and growth mindsets through the lens of broaden-and-build theory. Ninety-eight primary-school EFL learners in Hong Kong participated in this longitudinal study. The findings show that all variables under investigation were intercorrelated moderately to strongly. Remarkably, the two emotions predicted around 30% to 50% of the variance in grit and growth mindsets. However, closer scrutiny via multiple regressions revealed that enjoyment was the only significant predictor of perseverance of effort (a component of grit) and growth mindsets while boredom was the only significant predictor of consistency of interest (another component of grit). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Abstract

Parents and other primary caregivers play a critical role in shaping the environment in which their children develop language and literacy skills. Relatively little, however, is known about caregiver involvement in their children’s foreign language learning, especially when using a self-guided language learning app. This study focuses on whether and how Chinese parents and caregivers contribute to their young children’s English language learning as children use a digital game-based learning app to develop their English skills. Data collected from a larger efficacy study through interviews, focus groups, and surveys were examined to uncover information about how the app was effective and how parents and caregivers shaped their children’s language learning experiences. Results indicated that parents can be and often are involved in their children’s app-based language learning experiences, and that parental involvement can mediate learning. Results also suggest that time spent on digital media can be effectively leveraged by parents for educational purposes and parents who allow their children greater independence may more readily foster their children’s ability to achieve higher English language skills.

Abstract

This research was planned to explore a possible way for teachers to reflect on their personal experiences. It analyses a sample young-learner classroom anecdote as a form of narrative record and explores a way to take a first step in engaging in practitioner research. The teacher in the sample anecdote experienced a sense of pleasant puzzlement when he saw children engaging in a seemingly ideal case of natural/implicit learning in a classroom context. The scene triggered an inquiry into the meaning of a particular classroom event. In the actual analysis, the authors performed a context-specific examination of classroom interactions, focusing on phonological and discoursal aspects of the episode. The process revealed an inner structure of the sample anecdote, underpinned with certain elements of embedded affectivity (i.e., a sense of playfulness).

This article reviews Engaging children in applied linguistics research£ 90.009781316518069

This article reviews Early Language Learning in Context: A Critical Socioeducational Perspective£ 29.95