2. The theories and practices of teaching languages in early childhood in the British culture

Thinking questions

• How do you think the requirements of the globalized world have affected TEFL to young learners?
• Could you list few methods which have been introduced into practice in your country recently?
• To what extent do you feel that in your career as a novice/in-service teacher must evidently change?
• What differences do you know/have experienced between the attitudes towards teaching EFL for kids in Great Britain and in Hungary?
• What techniques and methods would you apply in your context which has not been in practice yet in your kindergarten/school?
• What new perspectives can you think of in your teaching career?
• What methods support EFL teachers to educate articulate kindergarteners?

The purposes of learning English, as Jack Richards writes, have changed in the past 3 decades. In his view “exploring our current understanding and practice make us realize that the assumption was that teaching English was a politically neutral activity …It would lead to economic empowerment. ..Native speakers of the language had special insights and superior knowledge about teaching it… its literary artefacts had universal value.”[1]

The British National Curriculum[2] emphasizes that:

“A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.”