Abstract
This paper shares the results of a study developed in 2021, funded by the British Council, which focused on mapping the offer of teaching English to young learners (TEYL) in public schools in four Brazilian states (Espírito Santo, Goiás, Paraná, and São Paulo). In the first phase, data from 378 cities were gathered, through an online survey, regarding the number of classes, teacher education proposals, the use of teaching materials, and if the city had a teaching syllabus. In the second phase, the researchers analyzed teaching syllabuses to understand the concepts that guided the offer of TEYL in each city. Afterwards, participants (teachers and coordinators) were invited to an online focus group in which they shared their experiences and reflections on the challenges and opportunities of TEYL in their contexts. Based on the data from these phases, the researchers developed a guide that aims at presenting principles that should be considered in syllabus design. This document contributes with guidelines and issues that must be considered by authorities and professionals that intend to offer TEYL in their cities, either as a project or as part of their curriculum. It can also assist the decision making process in those places where TEYL is already a reality, which represent 70% of the cities surveyed. In this paper, we share the results of each state and highlight the parts of the guide that focus on language education, emphasizing the relevance of language policies for this context.
Presenters
Claudia Kawachi FurlanProfessor, Languages and Literature Department (DLL), Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Espírito Santo, Brazil Juliana Tonelli
Professor , Language and Arts Department, Londrina State University, Brazil Gladys Quevedo Camargo
Vice Director, Institute of Letters, University of Brasília - UnB, Distrito Federal, Brazil
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
TEACHING ENGLISH TO YOUNG LEARNERS, LANGUAGE EDUCATION, LANGUAGE POLICIES