The implementation of early English language teaching in primary school (on the example of the schools of Karaganda)

Abstract

The current research aims to investigate English teachers’ ideas towards the implementation of the curriculum for teaching English as a third language to grades 1–4 and the organization of English Language Teaching (ELT) in primary schools in the conditions of multilingualism in Kazakhstan. Implementation of ELT into Primary Schools is innovative process demanding an assessment, development and practice of pedagogical innovations. In the condition of a language situation in Kazakhstan, ELT in primary schools demands the system decisions connected with its standard, scientific and methodical research, staff teaching and resource providing. The authors made the analysis of international experience, which is correlated with the state of early English language education, typical of modern Kazakhstan. On the basis of the comparison problematic aspects of this process are indicated and presented in the form of the organizational and pedagogical conditions of English language teaching at early stage in Kazakhstan. The data for the study is gathered from 105 primary school English teachers from different school via a questionnaire. The questionnaire has closed and open-ended questions and aims at finding teachers views about the starting age/grade for language learning, the type of teachers’ professional development for English teaching in primary schools, modern teaching materials (programs, curriculum and instructional kits (CIK), methodological literature, etc.), activities which are used in primary schools by language teachers. Analysis of the problem enables to reveal that along with the positive experience some school have had in teaching English language to young learners (ELYL) from the 1st grade, most schools have not yet made a transition to the system organization of teaching foreign languages in the primary school.