Description
Book SynopsisThis book critically analyses early school foreign language teaching policy and practice, foregrounding the influence of the socioeducational and cultural context on how policies are implemented and assessing the factors which either promote or constrain their effectiveness. It focuses on four Asian contexts – Malaysia, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand – while providing a discussion of policy and practice in Canada and Finland as a comparison. Concentrating on the state school sector, it criticises the worldwide trend for a focus on English as the principal or only foreign language taught in primary schools, founded on a rationale that widespread proficiency in English is important for future national success in a globalised economy. It maintains that the economic rationale is not only largely unfounded and irrelevant to the language learning experiences of young children but also that the focus on English exacerbates system inequalities rather than contributing to their reduction. The book argues for a broader perspective on language learning in primary schools, one that values multilingualism and knowledge of regional and indigenous languages alongside a more diverse range of foreign languages. This book will appeal to educational policymakers, researchers and students interested in early foreign language learning in state educational systems worldwide.
Trade ReviewHayes’ detailed and critical analyses of early language learning policies in six different countries – Thailand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Finland, and Canada – beautifully and powerfully illustrate the complex realities and importance of situating policies in specific societal and linguistic contexts. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in language education policies. * Yuko Goto Butler, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, USA *
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because it educated me about little-known contexts of early language education, thereby critically analysing – and partly dissecting – the political, economic and educational rationales underlying policies and practice of early language learning. The spirit of equity and justice ingrained in many aspects of the analysis and argumentation in this book is admirable. * Eva Wilden, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany *
This book brings alive the vital role of the socio-educational context on the success, or otherwise, of foreign language learning in primary school. The book bristles with research insights from a range of contexts and provides a solid basis for re-imagining language education in state-sector primary education globally. It is a wonderful resource for language policy makers, researchers, teachers, and teacher educators. * Kuchah Kuchah, University of Leeds, UK *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements
Chapter 1. Rationales for Early Language Learning in State Sector Education Systems
Chapter 2. Thailand: An Educational Paradox
Chapter 3. South Korea: A Severe Case of ‘English Fever’
Chapter 4. Sri Lanka: Language Education and Peace-Building in Primary Schools
Chapter 5. Equity and Multilingual Diversity in Primary School Language Teaching and Learning in Malaysia
Chapter 6. Early Language Teaching and Learning in Ontario, Canada and Finland: Experiences of Bilingualism and Multilingualism
Chapter 7. Rethinking Early Language Learning in State Sector Education Systems
References
Index
