| CODE | EPE1016 | ||||||||
| TITLE | English in the Primary Classroom | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Early Childhood and Primary Education | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Through this study-unit students will learn about the role of the English language as Malta's official second language and a core curricular subject in Primary Schools. This study-unit will introduce and familiarise learners with subject and language knowledge and understanding related to English in Primary Educational Settings. In this study-unit students will learn about approaches that promote positive attitudes towards English language and literacy development in Primary Educational Settings. Some principles related to the teaching and learning of English as a second/foreign/additional language will be introduced. Students will become familiar with the curricular area of English and the language skills taught in the Primary Cycle of compulsory education. Students will explore how vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing and oracy are introduced from Year 1 to Year 6. Issues related to the students' own language use and language awareness will be discussed and reflected upon to better understand the use of the English language in families, educational settings and in the wider community. Activities and learning opportunities that promote positive attitudes in learners towards English language learning in an increasingly multilingual context in Malta will be discussed. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit intends to introduce students to main approaches related to the teaching of English as a second/foreign/additional language in the primary years in view of Malta’s increasingly multilingual context. Student teachers will learn how to identify learning opportunities for English language development and learning for children in compulsory primary education (from Year 1 to Year 6). The teaching and learning of the main language strands such as reading, writing, listening and speaking will also be explored through this study unit. Moreover, student teachers will be provided with the opportunity to become more aware of their own language use and attitudes towards English. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to - Analyse and critique their own biases and attitudes towards using/learning/teaching English; - Be aware of social, personal and contextual factors which impinge on language and literacy learning; - Learn about some principles of second/additional language learning at primary level; - Identify opportunities to develop the children's English language and literacy development and learning in various settings; - Recognise how language learning may change and be impacted by the social and cultural contexts, especially in an increasingly local multilingual context; and - Discuss various language learning approaches and theories relevant to teaching English as a second, foreign or additional language. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to - Identify the content knowledge of English and the progression in development of the language strands; - Design and plan for their own enhanced familiarisation and knowledge of the content and subject knowledge; - Set desired learning outcomes to reflect the steps and content of the lessons being planned; - Plan an English language lesson by following the stages of introduction, development and closure; - Modify and/or create resources to supplement the texts available in class; and - Select texts and other resources as effective aids to promote effective learning of English. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Brien, J. (2012) Teaching Primary English. London: Sage. - Clements, J. (2021) Understanding and Teaching Primary English: Theory into Practice. Sage. - Schauer, G. A. (2019) Teaching and Learning English in the Primary School. Interlanguage Pragmatics in the EFL Context. Springer. Supplementary Reading: - Copping, A. (2016) Being Creative in Primary English. London: Sage Publications. - Cremin, T. (2022) Teaching English Creatively. Learning to Teachin in the Primary School Series). Routledge. - East, M., Tolosa, C., Howard, J., Biebricher, C., and Scott, A. (2022) Journeys Towards Intercultural Capability in Language Classrooms. Singapore: Springer Nature, 2022. - Harmer, J. (2015) The Practice of English Language Teaching (5th Edition). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education Ltd. - Medwell, J., Wray, D., Minns, H., Coates, E. & Giffiths, V. (2021) Primary English: Teaching Theory and Practice. London: Learning Matters. - Milton, J. (2021) Identity and Language as Experienced by Student Teachers in Maltese Primary Schools. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Culture and Identity from Early Childhood to Early Adulthood. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. - Schauer, G. A. (2019). Teaching and Learning English in the Primary School. Interlanguage Pragmatics in the EFL Context. Springer. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Independent Study | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Josephine Milton |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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