Challenges in teaching English to young learners:global perspectives and local realities

Abstract

Drawing on data from a recent research international research project, this article focuses on the challenges faced by teachers of English to young learners against the backdrop of the global rise of English. A mixed-methods approach was used to obtain the data, including a survey, which was completed by 4,459 teachers worldwide, and case studies, including observations and interviews with teachers, in five different primary schools in five different countries. A number of challenges emerged as affecting large numbers of teachers in different educational contexts, namely, teaching speaking, motivation, differentiating learning, teaching large classes, discipline, teaching writing, and teaching grammar. Importantly, some of these challenges have not been highlighted in the literature on young learner teaching to date. Other challenges are more localised, such as developing teachers' English competence. The article argues that teacher education should focus less on introducing teachers to general approaches to English language teaching and more on supporting teachers to meet the challenges that they have identified.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.148
Divisions: ?? 53981500Jl ??
College of Business and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences & Humanities > Centre for Language Research at Aston (CLaRA)
College of Business and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences & Humanities
Additional Information: This is the accepted version of the following article: 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., which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tesq.148/abstract
Publication ISSN: 1545-7249
Last Modified: 28 Mar 2024 08:12
Date Deposited: 17 Dec 2014 16:15
Full Text Link: http://onlineli ... sq.148/abstract
Related URLs: http://www.scop ... tnerID=8YFLogxK (Scopus URL)
PURE Output Type: Article
Published Date: 2014-12
Published Online Date: 2013-12-27
Authors: Copland, Fiona
Garton, Sue (ORCID Profile 0000-0002-7421-0858)
Burns, Anne

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