First Published in 2001. The purpose of this curriculum guide is to help student teachers and newly qualified teachers to make a start on learning how to become competent teachers of English. Despite the emphasis given in training courses to the teaching of English, newly qualified teachers often feel underprepared for it and frequently mention their concerns about this. These concerns can be partly explained by a general lack of confidence in this key area and partly by widespread media and political criticism of the teaching of literacy. It is also because it is often difficult for a student to make the connection between observation of key teaching strategies and his or her own personal practice.

This book contains clear chapter objectives, suggestions for further reading on each topic and a glossary explaining key terms that the new or trainee teacher will need to understand. The authors have all taught English in the primary setting, are experienced teacher trainers and respected practitioners in their own specialist fields.

In Asia, English is no longer a foreign language but a key resource for education, government, business and the general public. Whereas thirty years ago, British and American experts believed that the best way to improve the quality of English teaching was to cancel any programs below the secondary level, Asian nations as well as European are now introducing English in primary school. But there are major obstacles to overcome: the training of enough local teachers or the hiring of English speakers, the preparation of suitable teaching materials, the development of useful tests, and the design of workable curriculums. The chapters in this book, written by leading English-teaching professionals in seven Asian countries and originally delivered at the 2010 annual conference of Asia TEFL which took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, describe and analyze national policies and how they are implemented. The coverage is wide: China with its huge number of students learning English, Japan working to make the transition from elementary to secondary school seamless, Singapore continuing to use English as medium of instruction for its multilingual population, Korea developing English education policies to recognize the increased role of English alongside the national language, India building on its colonial past to make English an economic resource, Vietnam fitting English into a program of national rebuilding, and Taiwan spreading its English teaching outside the national capital. This is not a report of the views of outside experts, but of local experiences understood by local scholars of international standing. Policy makers, educators, researchers and scholars will be able to gain valuable insights from Asian experts.

This book examines the role of English within education and society in the quickly changing city of Macau. Macau’s multilingual language ecology offers the unique opportunity to examine language planning and policy issues within a small speech community. The languages within the ecology include several Chinese varieties, such as Cantonese, Putonghua and Hokkien, European languages like Portuguese and English, and a number of Asian languages that include, among others, Burmese, Filipino languages, Japanese, Timorese, etc. As the smallest city in South China's Pearl River Delta, Macau has sought to maintain cultural and linguistic independence from its larger neighbours, and independence has been built upon an historic commitment to multilingualism and cultural plurality. As economic development and globalisation offer new opportunities to a growing middle class, the sociolinguistics of a small society constrain and influence the language policies that the territory seeks to implement. Macau's multilingual and pluralistic response to language needs within the territory echoes historical responses to similar challenges and suggests that small communities function sociolinguistically in ways that differ from larger communities.

The essential guide for primary student teachers on how to plan and teach primary English lessons that cover key curriculum content in intelligent and engaging ways for the children in your class.

A comprehensive, user-friendly and interesting reference book that explains key concepts, ideas and current requirements in primary English. Includes: over 600 entries short definitions of key concepts (e.g. parts of speech) succint explanations of current UK requirements extended entries on major topics such as speaking and listening, reading, writing, drama, bilingualism and children's literature up to date information and discussion of important issues key references and accounts of recent research findings a Who's Who of Primary English.

In order to have a strong understanding of primary English, teachers need to understand how children learn reading, writing and language, and how these develop throughout childhood. Covering the interconnected areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing, and aware of the new National Curriculum in England, this book gives beginning teachers clear pragmatic guidance on how to plan, deliver and assess high-quality teaching. Key features: Recurring case studies in each chapter provide realistic examples of children’s literacy development across the primary age phase Research focus boxes explore contemporary research findings and what they mean for the classroom Activities and classroom application sections give practical advice that can be used in teaching. This is essential reading for all students studying primary English on initial teacher education courses, including undergraduate (BEd, BA with QTS), postgraduate (PGCE, PGDE, School Direct, SCITT), and also NQTs.