Resources for Teaching and Learning English in Infant and Primary Education
Teachers are bombarded with proposals to innovate in their lessons but teaching English is sometimes a rather solitary task. The course's main purpose is to offer people interested in the field of foreign language teaching “food for thought” and resources to make children’s learning experiences much more updated, fun, simple, dynamic and adapted to the 21st century competencies and skills they need to master.
The course is divided into 14 three-hour thematic sessions. Each session will evolve around one particularly relevant topic related to the teaching of English to young and very young learners (students aged 3-12), but connections will be made between one session/topic and the others. All sessions will combine brief theoretical explanations with a broad array of practical activities in which participants are expected to take an active role. Attendees will also be asked to participate and/or lead group discussion to share (and contrast) their opinions, ideas, knowledge, beliefs, doubts, and experiences upon the implementation of the practical activities done in class.
No prior experience in teaching English to children and very young children is required. Yet, the course is designed to suit the needs of in-service teachers, too. The lessons will be carried out entirely in English; consequently, participants are expected to have a good command of this language and a genuine interest in the field of foreign language teaching.
Courses generally have little or no prerequisite knowledge required for a given topic, however if students face any doubts, we recommend they contact course professors to clarify.
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This is a PRACTICAL COURSE, therefore listing here all the teaching/learning activities we will experiment in class is far from being a worthy task. Theory will be constructed while participants conduct the tasks proposed by trainers in a virtual environment. These tasks will engage participants in the process of discovering and exchanging educational materials. All tasks are interactive and combine theory and practice. Some of the tasks are to be done individually and are self-corrected. Other tasks will be done collaboratively, but asynchronously, among participants in the virtual environment. Students will always receive direct feedback from the course trainers.
From Monday to Friday. Online.
From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
In order to get a pass mark in this course (minimum total score 50/100), participants will be asked to complete four tasks, each of which is compulsory and contributes 25% to the total assessment mark. A minimum score of 40/100 is required in each task to be considered complete.
TASK ONE: Formative Tasks. Accessing the materials and taking active participation in class activities and discussions is compulsory. On doing so, participants are expected to display a positive attitude and to demonstrate critical thinking. As the course is very experiential, the completion of a minimum of 80% of the individual and collective tasks proposed in the virtual classroom (16 out of 20) is requested. Formative assessment tasks can only be delivered on the same week they are presented. Taks submitted on the following weeks will not be assessed and will count as not done. Deadline: July 12.
TASK TWO: Short reflective essay. Participants should deepen into the study of one of the issues linked to the course contents and produce a 5-paragrah reflective essay (750-900 words in length) on an issue dealt with in one of the articles in the course guide. It may take the form of an expository text to reflect upon a chosen topic or an argumentative text that explores the pros and cons of the selected topic. More detailed instructions will be given in due course. Deadline: July 2.
TASK THREE: Caring is sharing. A special effort will be given in having time to share. Attendees will be asked to share with all course participants and the three trainers 1 method and 3 resources for teaching English to young and very young children:
3A. Your own teaching method. Deadline: June 28
3B. Realia. Deadline: July 1
3C. Song. Deadline: July 5
3D. Digital tool. Deadline: July 9
All these tasks are related to specific course contents that must be accessed and completed beforehand.
TASK FOUR: Micro-teaching simulation. During the course, participants will be provided with a pool of resources, practical tools, and teaching strategies. In return, they are expected to contribute to this pool by designing a practical class activity in our course and commenting on one designed by a peer. More detailed instructions will be given in due course. Deadline: July 11.
- A+ Project (2020). StandAPP and Speak up: the game is about to start. APAC ELT Journal, 92, 20-32
- Copland, F. (2012). Crazy animals and other activities for teaching English to young learners. London: British Council.
- Dooly, M., & Masats, D. (2015). A critical appraisal of foreign language research in CLIL, YLL and TELL in Spain (2003-2012). Language teaching: surveys and studies, 48(3): 1-30.
- Dooly, M., Masats, D., & Mont, M. (2021). Launching a solidarity campaign: Technology-enhanced project-based language learning to promote entrepreneurial 5 education and social awareness. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 11 (2): 260-269.
- Dooly, M., Mont, M., & Masats, D. (2014). Becoming little scientists: A case study of technologically-enhanced project-based language learning. APAC Journal, 78: 34- 40.
- Masats, D., Mont, M., & Gonzalez-Acevedo, N. (Eds). (2019). Joint efforts for innovation: Working together to improve foreign language teaching in the 21st century. Rothersthorpe: Paragon Publishing.
- Murphy, V. A. (2014). Second language learning in the early school years: trends and contexts. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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Torras-Vila, Berta (2021). Music as a tool for foreign language learning in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education. Proposing innovative CLIL music teaching approaches. CLIL Journal of Innovation and Research in Plurilingual and Pluricultural Education, 4(1), 35-47. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/clil.60
- Wright, A. (2011). Storytelling with children. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dolors Masats, Maria Mont and Nathaly González-Acevedo are lecturers and teacher-trainers from the Department of Language and Literature Education and Social Science Education and members of the Research Centre for Plurilingual Interaction & Education (GREIP).
Dolors Masats has ample experience as a teacher of Catalan, Spanish & English as foreign languages in formal and non-formal settings. She is also a materials designer and a curriculum advisor.
- E-mail: dolors.masats@uab.cat
Maria Mont is an enthusiastic English teacher and a translator and interpreter. She has worked as an English teacher for 15 years in a state school and is a teacher trainer and an E-twinning moderator.
- E-mail: maria.mont.algamasilla@uab.cat
Nathaly González-Acevedo is full-time preschool teacher at an international school. She is interested in very young learners’ agency and in the use of technology in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language.
- E-mail: nathaly.gonzalez@uab.cat