Description
Book SynopsisThe book explores young Arabic-speaking children's English language learning. Through classroom-based research and learner work samples, the book analyses the interplay between cultural norms and the critical role that teachers play in orchestrating classroom discourse through skillful use of available instructional materials, questioning strategies and feedback to learners. The author shows the potential of instructional materials to influence young learners' vocabulary, reading comprehension, and written production, as well as the way they acquire the academic literacies needed in school subjects taught in English. She reviews the spread of the practice of teaching English to young and very young children and the increasing demand for English-medium instruction in the Arabic-speaking region, with a particular focus on the negative transfer from Arabic to English spelling and grammar. The book also discusses the importance of story narratives, arguing they are an ideal medium for lang
Trade ReviewThis book fills long-standing gaps in Teaching English to Young Learners: it is research-based in a field that is often seen as undertheorised; it focuses on young Arabic speakers, an often neglected group; it takes a holistic view, exploring a variety of factors at work in the YL classroom. It is therefore a very welcome addition to the field. * Sue Garton, Professor of Applied Linguistics (TESOL), Aston University Birmingham, UK *
This is an excellent and unique book for teachers, teacher educators and materials writers. Overviewing four decades of research on how children learn English and how stories can be integrated into curricula, Irma-Kaarina Ghosn offers authentic classroom data on how teachers can scaffold Arabic speaking children’s development. A brilliant resource on theory and practice. * Marianne Nikolov, Professor Emerita, Department of English Applied Linguistics, University of Pécs, Hungary *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Part I: Theoretical Considerations 1. Cultural Norms and Expectations versus Teaching Materials 2. Narrative and Children’s Language Learning 3. The Challenge of English-medium Instruction
Part II: Insights from Classroom Research 4. Teacher Questions versus Learner Engagement 5. Classroom Discourse and the Critical Role of Teaching Materials 6. Instructional Materials and Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension 7. Writing Outcomes after a Reading-Based Experiment 8. An Action Research Study on Reading Strategies 9. Literate Language from Storybooks 10. Young Arabic-speaking Learners’ Spelling Skills 11. Transfer from Arabic Grammar to Children’s English
Part III: Teachers and Students in Action 12. Whole Language Experience in Kindergarten 13. Flexibility of Story-Based Approaches 14. Children’s Diverse Reactions to Stories 15. Teacher Effectiveness and Learner Engagement 16. Conclusions References Index
