Postgraduate Module Descriptor

EFPM787: Teaching English to Young Learners

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

To provide a survey of theoretical perspectives concerning child learning and development, and second language acquisition.
To provide a critical overview of a variety of important issues in the teaching of English to young learners within the context of the growth of English as an international language.
To consider the implications of these theories and issues for the development of appropriate practice for teaching English as a foreign or additional language to young learners.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Demonstrate a thorough and critical understanding of children as foreign or additional language learners. 2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of different aspects of teaching English as a foreign or additional language and associated issues and the ability to address these in ways appropriate to their own teaching contexts
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Undertake a critical analysis of practice informed by theoretical insights regarding teaching and learning in TESOL classrooms. 4. Apply aspects of language learning theory to the evaluation and design of programmes and materials for a specific group of learners in a particular teaching setting.
Personal and Key Skills	5. Engage in independent and cooperative learning with peers from different cultural and pedagogic backgrounds, as evidenced in group discussions. 6. Undertake a critical analysis of the relevant academic literature. 7. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and thoughtful analysis of theory to particular professional and socio-cultural situations.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The syllabus plan is subject to change but is anticipated to include the following:

An introductory overview of the teaching of English to young learners within the context of the growth of English as an international language; towards a definition of a young learner.

A critical introduction to the significance of age to learning English as a foreign or additional language; why start young?

Children as language learners: insights from theory on child development, learning and second language acquisition; Piaget and constructivism; Vygotsky and social constructivism.

An examination oflanguage based approaches versus activity based approaches.

A critical introduction to classroom management and the role of the primary language teacher.

A critical introduction to promoting Oracy: Teaching speaking and listening.

A critical introduction to promoting Literacy: Teaching reading and writing.

Student presentations and discussion of assignments.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
30	120	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Learning and teaching activities	15	lectures, seminars and workshops
Learning and teaching activities	15	directed reading
guided independent study	40	assignment preparation
guided independent study	80	directed study

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/teaching-awards/celtyl.html (Sample young learner EFL language tests)
http://www.countryschool.com/ylsig2/index.php ( IATEFL Young Learner SIG webpage)

Other Learning Resources

Young learner EFL course books.

Indicative Reading List

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

Indicative basic reading list:

Cameron, L. 2001. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge: C.U.P.
ELTJ Special Issue: Teaching English to young learners, Vol 68:3, July, 2014.
Garton, S and F. Copland. (Eds) 2019. The Routledge Handbook of Teaching English to Young Learners London: Routledge.
Rich, S. (Ed) 2014. International Perspectives on Teaching English to Young Learners. Palgrave, Macmillan.