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2020/2021

Foreign Languages in Early Childhood Education

Code: 102010 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500797 Early Childhood Education OT 4 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Rosamaria Felip Falcó
Email:
Rosamaria.Felip@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

Language requirement: minimum CEFR B2 

Objectives and Contextualisation

This elective subject aims at providing an introduction to teaching and learning a foreign language in pre-primary education. It is a key subject for those student teachers who plan to teach a foreign language in the future.

 

Competences

  • Being able to encourage an initial approach to a foreign language.
  • Deal effectively with language learning situations in multicultural and multilingual contexts.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the aims, curricular contents and criteria of evaluation of Infant Education
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the evolution of nonverbal communication and language in early childhood, and be able to identify possible dysfunctions and ensure proper development.
  • Demonstrating knowledge of the evolution of non-verbal communication and language in early childhood, knowing how to identify possible dysfunctions and ensuring their proper development.
  • Develop critical thinking and reasoning and know how to communicate effectively both in your own tongues and in other languages.
  • Know and master oral and written expression techniques.
  • Know the language, reading and writing curriculum at this stage as well as theories on the acquisition and development of relevant learning.
  • Promote speaking and writing skills.
  • Properly express oneself orally and in writing and master the use of different expression techniques.
  • Recognize and evaluate the social reality and the interrelation between factors involved as necessary anticipation of action.
  • Understand oral tradition and folklore.
  • Understand the learning process of reading and writing and how to teach it. Address language learning situations in multilingual contexts. Recognize and value the appropriate use of verbal and non-verbal language.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Acquire the relevant knowledge related to the oral language curriculum at this stage as well as theories on the acquisition and development of learning related to it.
  2. Describe the evolution of language in early childhood and know how to identify possible dysfunctions.
  3. Knowing how to analyse aspects of the evolution of non-verbal communication and language in early childhood, identifying possible dysfunctions and suggesting proposals for its proper development.
  4. Knowing how to analyse different meta language learning situations in multilingual contexts.
  5. Knowing how to use language strategies that aid and stimulate the development of children’s speaking capacities.
  6. Knowing how to use tools and strategies to generate interest in order to understand and communicate in a third language.
  7. Knowing how to use verbal and non-verbal expression techniques that aid communication and linguistic interaction with children.
  8. Master the use of different expression techniques and express oneself adequately both orally and in writing in situations in the professional field.
  9. Orally and in writing explain the objectives, curriculum content and evaluation criteria of spoken language in infant education.
  10. Recognising and evaluating the social reality and the interrelationship of the factors involved, as a necessary prelude to action.
  11. Understand the linguistic effects of contact with language in learning situations.
  12. Use English in an effective manner in all situations in the infant classroom.
  13. Using stories, poems and tones of voice characteristic of the culture of the target language and appropriate for infant education.

Content

1. Foreign language and school linguistic project in a context of plurilingualism.

2. Teaching/learning a foreign language in early childhood education.

2.1 Approaching the teaching and learning of a foreign language (FL). Theoretical basis.

2.2 Characteristics and development of children. Their methodological implications in the FL class. 

3. Effective communication in the FL class.

4 Analysing what is in a FL class. Planning and assessing.

4.1 Project work.

4.2 Storytelling in the FL class

4.3.The role of music in the FL class

4.4 The role of games in the FL class

4.5. Activities and resources and how to use them in the FL class

4.6. Classroom management: space, time, materials and interaction.

4.7. The use of ICT and the IWB

4.8. Assessment in the FL class: tools.

5. The classroom, a learning space:

5.1 Classroom organization.

5.2 Classroom displays.

5.3 Classroom library and reading corner.

6. Strategies for professional development as a FL teacher in infant education. 

Methodology

 

The starting points for training activities in this subject are the observation, analysis and experimentation (individually, in pairs and/or in groups ) of real class situations; infants' needs and interesting teaching proposals.

Outstanding issues in this subject are: developing personal initiative and creativity; learning to communicate with voice and body and developing cooperative work as a means to build the best teaching approach in the very young learners class.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Direct instruction 45 1.8 11, 2, 9, 13, 1, 10, 4, 6, 7
Type: Supervised      
Teacher-student conferences 30 1.2 11, 8, 9, 1, 10, 6
Type: Autonomous      
Papers and activities directly related to the contents of the subject. 75 3 11, 2, 8, 9, 13, 12, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 5

Assessment

EVALUATION

Attendance is compulsory. Absenteeism higher than 20% for whatever causes will automatically result in failing the course.

Active participation in the sessions is a requirement.

Students must use English at the level described in prerequisites in all evaluation activities.

 

ASSESSMENT TASKS

 

Tasks

Date

Assignment delivery

Planning and presentation in groups of a teaching unit.

 

12 May 2021

 

Moodle 

Oral presentation in class

Planning in pairs and presentation of activities to teach English in infant education

 

17 March 2021

Moodle 

Oral presentation in class

Self-assessment questionnaire

(individual)

 

9 June 2021

Moodle

Test: demonstrating critical knowledge (theoretical and applied) of the contents of the subject

(Individual)

 

2 June 2021

Formal on- campus examination sitting

 

Test (second chance)

 

 16 June 2021

Formal on- campus examination sitting

 

FINAL MARK: The final mark is the weighted average of all assessment tasks. A weighted average WILL NOT BE AWARDED under certain conditions: A) to obtain a 'pass' in the course the student must obtain a 'pass' in each one of the assessment tasks. B) If grades in individual tasks (e.g. tests) are considerably lower than marks in team tasks, the average will not be automatically awarded.

CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM: In accordance with UAB regulations, plagiarism or copying of any individual or group paper will be penalised with a mark of 0 for that paper, without any possibility of a re-sit. During the completion of a paper or the individual exam in class, if the teacher has reason to believe that a student is trying to copy or s/he discovers any kind of non-authorised document or device, the student involved will obtain a mark of 0, without any possibility to re-sit. A paper or test will be consideredas plagiarism when a chunk of text of four words or longer authored by another person (another student, scholar, webpage, etc.) without citingthe source according to academic norms. (Further information available at: http://wuster.uab.es/web_argumenta_obert/unit_20/sot_2_01.html).

CLAIMS REGARDING GRADES: Claims regarding grades awarded on different assessment tasks will be presented using the form that will be provided in a timely manner.

 

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Planning and presentation in groups of a teaching unit. 30% 0 0 8, 9, 13, 12, 1, 6, 7, 5
Planning in pairs and presentation of activities to teach English in infant education 15% 0 0 8, 9, 13, 12, 6, 7, 5
Self-assessment questionnaire: participation, work done and competencies achieved. 15% 0 0 11, 1, 3, 4, 7, 5
Test: demonstrating critical knowledge (theoretical and applied) of the contents of the subject 40% 0 0 11, 2, 12, 1, 10, 3, 4, 7, 5

Bibliography

Brewster, J. et al. (New ed. 2002). The Primary English Teacher’s Guide. Harlow: Penguin English Guides.

Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press.

Dooly, M. (2008). Exploring new horizons – young learners and multiple intelligences. Introduction. In M.Dooly & D. Eastment (Eds.) How we’re going about it. Teachers’ voices on innovative approaches to teaching and learning languages (pp. 243-250). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Dooly, M.; Ellermann, C. (2008). Engaging young learners in online, intercultural learning: The MICaLL project. In M. Dooly & D. Eastment (Eds.) “How we’re going about it.” Teachers’ voices on innovative approaches to teaching and learning languages (pp. 177-186). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 

Ellis, G. (ed). (2004). Year of the Young Learner. ELT Journal. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press

Fisher, J. (2002). Starting from the Child. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Giannikas,C; McLaughlin, LFanning, G, and Deutsch, N (eds) (2015). children Learning English: From Research to Practice. Reading: Garnet Education.

Lightbown, P.; Spada, N. (new ed. 2006). How Languages are Learned. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.

Mitchaell-Schuitevoerder, R.; Mourao, S. (eds). (2006). Teachers and Young Learners: Research in our Classrooms. Canterbury: IATEFL

Moon, J. (2000). Children Learning English. Oxford: Macmillan Heinemann

Paran, A.; Watts, E. (eds). (2003). Storytelling in ELT. Whitstable: IATEFL

Pinter, A. (2006). Teaching Young Language Learners. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.

Reilly, T.; Ward, M. (1997).  Very Young Learners. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.

Rose, C.; Dryden, G. (2005). Learning Fundamentals. London: Greenwich Editions.

Roth, G. (1998).Teaching Very Young Children. Pre-school and Early Primary. London: Richmond Santillana.

Slattery, M.; Willis, J. (2001). English for Primary Teachers. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press.

Schwartz, M. (2018). Preschool bilingual education : agency in interaction between children, teachers, and parents. Berlin: Springer.  
 
WEBS:

https://www.theguardian.com/education/earlyyearseducation

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/circle-games

https://global.cbeebies.com

https://supersimpleonline.com

https://edexcellence.net/commentary/education-gadfly-daily/flypaper/2012/the-kindergarten-canon.html