Language Teaching for Young Learners - Volume 8, Issue 1, 2026

Primary English reading instruction in China tends to emphasise vocabulary, syntax and translation, and the focus is on finding the right answers to questions in textbooks. This article reports the outcome of introducing graphic organisers (GOs) as an aid to reading comprehension through explicit instruction to Chinese young learners. This study investigated the use of GOs in raising learners’ awareness of text structures and their perceptions of using GOs in reading lessons. The GOs (story maps and spider maps) were selected based on their suitability for expository and narrative texts. Data were collected using pre- and post-tests, teacher logs, and interviews. Participants were 34 fourth graders from a public school in Beijing. The results show that students’ text structure awareness improved after six weeks of intervention, and that students’ perceptions were positive overall towards using GOs.

This paper is a brief report on attending to a pedagogical moment of wonder as a researcher. It illuminates how a co-teaching pair in an Emirati kindergarten enacted a translanguaging pedagogy while facilitating emergent writing in both Arabic and English. This paper resulted from a 20-minute excerpt observed in one classroom, which showed the co-teachers skillfully co-teaching in an equitable manner which drew on the linguistic resources of children and teachers. It highlights the need for researchers to be prepared for moments that glow during data collection, in order to highlight unexpected effective practices. It offers recommendations to researchers and practitioners regarding implications for practice in relation to enacting a translanguaging pedagogy with young learners, as well being prepared to attend to creative and critical moments that stand out from the more common features of the data.

The importance of attention to form in second language (L2) acquisition is essential. One way to implement it implicitly in the language classroom is by using textual enhancement (TE). This study aimed to measure the impact TE has on L2 grammar development, and whether that potential impact lasts in time. Thirty one primary EFL children (ages 10-11) participated iin task-based reading lessons in their own classroom context. They were divided into two groups, a +TE group and a −TE group. The study followed a multiple-exposure design involving three task-based reading lessons with attention to form on the target structure, the third person singular –s morpheme, over the course of two weeks. Pretest-posttest development was assessed with a grammaticality judgment test. The results revealed that the children exposed to TE showed improved results, although those did not reach statistically significance. A questionnaire administered to the participants post-project revealed an overall positive attitude towards the tasks carried out, especially noted in tasks involving collaborative work.

This study examined the effects of guided and unguided pre-task planning on the complexity, accuracy, lexis, and fluency (CALF) in L2 oral production, as well as the quality of task outcomes in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) classrooms. Additionally, the study compared the impact of first language (L1) and second language (L2) planning when it was unguided. Seventeen pairs of lower-secondary CLIL geography learners completed two oral decision-making tasks under three planning conditions: guided L2 planning, unguided L2 planning, and unguided L1 planning. In the guided planning condition, learners were provided with a structured worksheet that addressed both task content and language, while the unguided planning worksheet had no such structure. Learners’ task performances were measured regarding CALF and their task outcomes were also evaluated. Results indicated that learners achieved higher accuracy under the unguided planning condition, while greater complexity was found in the guided planning condition, with no significant effects detected for other dimensions. Nor were there any statistically significant differences in the language of planning. Furthermore, it was found that task topics with personal relevance positively influenced task outcomes. Implications for research and teaching on the role of different pre-task planning conditions in CLIL classrooms are discussed.

While leveraging students’ first language (L1) has been gradually gaining ground in the field of intercultural education, it still has limited acceptance in English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction. The present study reports on young learners’ beliefs on the use of L1 in learning EFL through metaphor elicitation in the Greek context. The participants were 133 students aged 10–12 attending primary education in Greece, who described and explained their L1 (Greek) in learning EFL using a metaphor. The metaphorical representations were categorized and analyzed through thematic interpretation. As identified in the metaphor analysis and together with few responses that did not involve metaphorical expressions, more than half of the participants reported a positive view on L1 use in EFL learning, while less than one-fifth expressed a negative view. The findings suggest a reevaluation of monolingual teaching approaches in second language learning, common in English language education, and are discussed in relation to the pedagogy of translanguaging. Considering students’ views, by strategically incorporating practices that involve the L1 in foreign language teaching, educators can promote effective learning and contribute to language equity in a responsive manner.

In this experimental study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of differing praise typologies on the language learning motivation levels among 57 pre-adolescent learners aged between 10 and 11 years. Employing a pre-intervention, intervention, post-intervention design over a three-week period, the study sought to identify changes in the participants’ affinity for the English language and the development of their growth mindsets, depending on whether they were praised in a growth mindset manner or in a fixed mindset manner. While statistical analyses did not indicate significant differences in the pre-test and post-test results for either English language affinity, F(3, 45) = 0.407, p = .749, or growth mindset levels, F(3, 45) = 1.448, p = .241, a noticeable decline was observed in the students who were initially identified as having growth mindsets upon being subjected to fixed mindset praise. The findings are discussed in light of their potential implications for classroom feedback practices, with particular attention to the timing of praise and the possible role of metacognitive strategies in shaping learner mindsets.