ERIC Number: EJ1034339
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0951-0893
EISSN: N/A
Taking Play Seriously in the Pre-Primary English Classroom
Mourão, Sandie
ELT Journal, v68 n3 p254-264 Jul 2014
Drawing on experience and the emerging results of a research project, this article examines the role of play, in particular child-initiated play, when learning languages in pre-primary settings. It begins by characterizing play and highlights the importance of a balanced relationship between adult-led and child-initiated play activities. It proposes that English learning areas might facilitate child-initiated play in the target language, and analyses the relationship between adult-led and child-initiated play, consequently outlining a possible format and its components: structure, role, and script. Analysis of a teacher-led activity with a group of children demonstrates how this format supports children in later child-initiated play. Excerpts from observations of children in English learning areas exemplify how teacher-led instruction can enable child-initiated play. The article concludes with a discussion around the implications for practice in pre-primary EFL settings.
Descriptors: Play, Classroom Techniques, Class Activities, Preschool Children, Preschool Education, English Instruction, English Language Learners, Active Learning, Observation, Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Teaching Methods, Instructional Design
Oxford University Press. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP, UK. Tel: +44-1865-353907; Fax: +44-1865-353485; e-mail: jnls.cust.serv@oxfordjournals.org; Web site: http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Preschool Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A