The very Hungry Caterpillar: Story Reading as an Effective Strategy Toward Achieving Proficiency in Efl in very Young Learners

Edita Hornackova Klapicova; Megan Reister

doi:10.21852/sem.2020.4.12

Published: 2022-09-20

Vol. 41 No. 4 (2020)

The very Hungry Caterpillar: Story Reading as an Effective Strategy Toward Achieving Proficiency in Efl in very Young Learners

Edita Hornackova Klapicova

, Megan Reister

Seminare. Learned Investigations

Section: Socio-pedagogical sciences

https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.2020.4.12

Abstract

This article examines how the use of music, tangible objects, story-reading, hands-on activities, drama activities, and Readers Theater strategy can help very young learners to become proficient in English as a foreign language. The present study is based on an English lesson taking place in a kindergarten in Lower Austria. There were two target groups of three to six year old children, one consisting of 25 learners and one consisting of 24 learners. English as a second language was taught to them in a naturalistic way for the period of three years. The learners’ language skills and communicative competence in English were assessed through three different oral tests during the lesson. The results of the tests proved that the learners had already acquired a high level of proficiency in EFL as a result of the effective teaching strategies used in their English program and were capable of acquiring new vocabulary and meanings during the current English lesson

Keywords:

English as a foreign language, very young learners, effective teaching strategies, hands-on activities, story reading, Readers Theater

Download files

PDF

Citation rules

Hornackova Klapicova , E., & Reister , M. (2022). The very Hungry Caterpillar: Story Reading as an Effective Strategy Toward Achieving Proficiency in Efl in very Young Learners . Seminare. Learned Investigations, 41(4), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.2020.4.12

Cited by / Share

References

Armon, Joan and Linda J. Morris. 2008. „Integrated Assessments for ELL: Students, and Teachers, Benefit from Incorporating Writing and Drawing in Science.“ Science and Children 45(8): 49-53.
Google Scholar

Burton, Sarah J. and Linda Carol Edwards. 2006. „Creative Play: Building Connections with Children Who are Learning English.“ Dimensions of Early Childhood 34(2): 3-10.
Google Scholar

Coleman, Rhoda and Claude Goldenberg. 2010. „What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners? Part III: Promoting LiteracyDevelopment.“ Kappa Delta Pi Record 46(3): 106-111.
Google Scholar

Copple, Carol and Sue Bredekamp. 2009. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Google Scholar

Freeman, Scott et al. 2014. „Active Learning Increases Student Performance in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics.“ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111(23): 8410-8415.
Google Scholar

Hansen-Thomas, Holly. 2008. „Sheltered Instruction: Best Practices for ELLs in the Mainstream.“ Kappa Delta Pi Record 44(4): 165-169.
Google Scholar

Hayes Karabowska, Susan. 1984. Drama as a Second Language: A Practical Handbook for Language Teachers. Cambridge: National Extension College Trust Ltd.
Google Scholar

Hornáčková Klapicová, Edita. 2018. “Skits in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Very Young Learners.“ In Jazykovedné, literárnovedné a didaktické kolokvium XLIX. [elektronický zdroj] = Linguistic, Literary and Didactic Colloquium XLIX, edited by Daniel Lančarič, 63-71. Bratislava: Z-F LINGUA.
Google Scholar

Hornáčková Klapicová, Edita and Megan Reister. 2019. “Five Little Monkeys: Teaching EFL to Very Young Learners through a Story Pyramid and other Effective Teaching Techniques.” In Linguistic, Literacy, and Didactic Colloquium L-3, edited by Daniel Lančarič, 9-20. Bratislava: Z-F LINGUA.
Google Scholar

Hornáčková Klapicová, Edita and Megan Reister. 2019. “Five Little Chickadees: Effective Strategies for Achieving Proficiency in EFL in Very Young Learners.” In QUAERE 2019: recenzovaný sborník příspěvků interdisciplinární mezinárodní vědecké konference doktorandů a odborných asistentů, Hradwec Králové, 24.-28. června 2019, 701-707. Hradec Králové: Magnanimitas.
Google Scholar

Isenberg Packer, Joan and Mary Renck Jalongo. 2013. Creative Thinking and Arts-Based Learning. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
Google Scholar

Lee, Okhee and Cory A. Buxton. 2010. „Teaching Science to English Language Learners.“ NSTA Reports 21(8): 3-4.
Google Scholar

Nabors, Martha L. and Linda Carol Edwards. 2011. „Science: A Second Language for ELL Students.“ Kappa Delta Pi Record 47(3): 133-136.
Google Scholar

Pray, Lisa and Rebecca Monhardt. 2009. „Sheltered Instruction Techniques for ELLs.“ Science and Children 46(7): 34-38.
Google Scholar

Prescott, Jennifer. 2019. „The Power of Reader‘s Theatre.“ Scholastic, Inc. Accessed by: 5.04.2020. https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/power-readerx2019s-theater/.
Google Scholar

Short, Deborah J., MaryEllen Vogt and Jana Echevarria. 2011. The SIOP Model for Teaching Science to English Learners. Boston: Pearson.
Google Scholar

Turnbull, Ann et al. 2004. Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today’s Schools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Google Scholar

Vacca, Richard T., Jo Anne L. Vacca and Maryann E. Mraz. 2014. Content AreaReading: Literacy and Learning across the Curriculum. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
Google Scholar