Job Discussion Forums

Dray · Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 31 Location: England

When I was teaching English in Japan, I had a lot of young learner classes. Sometimes I would have children as young as a 2-year-old in the classroom. I wouldn't call what I did lessons. I just played games and spoke English a lot. To be honest, I couldn't see much point in it all. I think the kids only came for two 40 minute sessions a week and I never thought that was enough for them to be able to really acquire much English.

So, what do you think? Is there any evidence that that level of exposure to a second language is of any benefit to very young learners. Are you aware of any research on the subject?

Did those few hours of exposure to a foreigner make any difference to the kids or were those Japanese mothers just being swindled out of their money by dishonest language schools?

Pitarou · Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan

I think you're being hard on your former employer. Your school offered lessons for 2-year-olds because the customers (parents) wanted it and were willing to pay for it. If your school was popular, they probably turned away even younger children -- some schools wouldn't have.

Pitarou · Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan

As for what they have learnt ... did they pick up much English phonetics? Can they hear the difference between boring & bowling, or between conVICT (verb) & CONvict (noun). If they can, you've laid a good foundation.

Whether others recognise this and build upon it is out of your hands.

Kiels · Joined: 12 Feb 2010 Posts: 59 Location: UK

There's a huge wealth of academic literature regarding the acquisition of languages and most argue that early exposure to a foreign language is hugely beneficial and that it is easiest to learn a language at a very young age. In the UK, Modern Foreign Languages has been made compulsary in primary schools to take advantage of this. This was in response to falling numbers of students taking MFLs at GCSES. Even 'just playing games' as you described it, is beneficial in having exposure and familiarity with that language. It also encourages positive dispositions and attitudes towards learning a language, a subject which is found difficult by many. Plus at the age you describe, what else would you expect to do> It's completely age appropriate.