Worldwide Survey of Primary Elt

Worldwide survey of primary ELT - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Worldwide survey of primary ELT

Review the findings of the survey

List of countries | Public sector | Private sector

About the survey

This is a survey of what is happening in teaching English as a foreign language to Young Learners (children under the age of 11 years) at the levels of public policy, beliefs and practical implementation. The survey was designed by Shelagh Rixon, from the Centre for English Language Teacher Education, University of Warwick.

A common experience for those interested in this area has been that there are sources available for theoretical perspectives, but that it is more difficult to discover what exactly is happening on a day-to-day basis in schools and teacher training institutions in different countries. Most information has come through journalism, personal experience and anecdotes. We decided to collect information from more authoritative sources and to display it in a way that allows it to be updated rapidly as situations change.

We feel that reliable information on Young Learners teaching is of considerable practical importance in the following ways:

● Course providers such as universities, colleges and language schools need accurate information when they tailor teacher education courses to the needs of Young Learners teachers from different countries.

● There is a very widespread public faith in the 'Younger = Better' equation. Faith, rather than experience, seems to be a strong factor in the decision in many countries to lower the age at which English or another foreign language is taught. It could be beneficial for those in countries thinking of embarking on a new project to teach English to young children to have information on the decisions taken in other places, and on some of the practical consequences they have had, both positive and negative.

These issues are starting to become of more concern at a public level in a number of countries. A measure of this concern is the number of enquiries seeking expert advice on YL made to British Council offices worldwide. These have often come from senior

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Worldwide survey of primary ELT - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

government officials, from a Minister of Education's private office for example, sometimes after an introduction of Young Learner teaching has not brought the publicly desired swift results, or for reasons such as a change of government and a desire to re-evaluate the activity in terms of its cost-effectiveness. Some have come from countries wishing to make a start and to teach EYL in the most effective way possible.

The audience for the results of these investigations is, therefore, a professional as well as an academic one, and the questions include facts and figures and practical issues that may be of use to decision makers.

The information summarised on the web pages was collected by means of a questionnaire. The informants were contacted via British Council offices or relevant

professional associations and were selected for their local knowledge and professional standing in the field of teaching English to Young Learners. Every attempt has been made to supply accurate and up-to-date information, but the British Council cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of the data gathered. To facilitate interpretation of the information on each country page, the date at which the information was collected or last reviewed can be found at the end of the page.

We want to share our findings with language teaching professionals, and all those involved in decision making in this area. We would like to acknowledge here all those who have contributed to this survey.

Expanding the survey

If you would like to contribute data for us to add to the survey, or have more information or enquiries, please contact ELT Group.

We would be particularly grateful for assistance with information on countries for which so far it has not been possible to collect data; the questionnaire may be downloaded for this purpose. (Please select Word or Rich Text format.)

Futher informaion

Key questions about EYL

Articles about EYL

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Key questions about EYL - English - The British Council United Kingdom

Key questions about EYL

Here are some key questions regarding the teaching of Young Learners to bear in mind when reading the articles and studying the results of the survey. The first two sets of questions relate to policy, while the questions in the third set are pedagogical.

How do other countries manage English at primary school?

● Which countries have introduced English at primary level? ● How do those countries train their primary English teachers? ● What level of English do successful primary teachers need? ● How do countries manage the transition from primary to secondary English?

What are the advantages of starting English at primary school?

● What evidence is there that "younger is better" in language learning at school? ● Conversely, what evidence is there that starting English later is a disadvantage? ● What are the features of successful primary English teaching and learning? ● Is success measured by English proficiency or wider developmental goals?

Can natural language acquisition be replicated through school learning?

● Children break all the rules while they are acquiring a language: should teachers be trained to encourage them to do so?

● Children speak before they read: how would parents react if they saw no written work?

● Children acquire language from people, not teachers: should teachers be trained to be "people"?

● Children acquire language through constant conversation about their immediate needs: can this situation be replicated in a classroom and to a timetable?

● Children acquire language by different strategies: can teachers cope with these differences in the classroom setting?

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Articles - English - The British Council United Kingdom

Articles

These brief articles cover key issues in the field of Young Learner teaching and more will be added in due course. They express the views of the authors, not those of the British Council.

● Optimum age or optimum conditions? Issues relevant to the teaching of languages to

primary age children

Shelagh Rixon, Centre for English Language Teacher Education, University of Warwick, UK

● Teaching English to Young Learners: Reflections on a decade

Gail Ellis, The British Council, France, and Centre for Research into Second and Foreign Language Pedagogy, University of Nottingham, UK

● Teaching English to Young Learners in Poland

Daf Pawelec, SPRITE YL Project Coordinator, British Council, Poland

● Teacher training for Young Learners: A Mexican example

Anamaria Aramayo, British Council, Mexico

Produced in United Kingdom by The British Council © 2000. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational and cultural relations. Registered in England as a Charity.

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Countries - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Countries surveyed in primary ELT

Here are the results of the survey reported by country, looking at both the public and private sectors of primary English Language Teaching.

Argentina Austria Bahrain

Bangladesh Brazil Colombia

Croatia Cyprus Czech Repubilc

Ecuador Ethiopia France

Greece Hong Kong Hungary

Iceland India - Goa India - Gujarat

India - Maharashtra India - West Benegal Indonesia

Israel Korea Latvia

Malaysia Mexico Netherlands

Pakistan Poland Romania

Russia Slovenia South Africa

Spain Sri Lanka Sudan

Taiwan Tunisia Turkey

United Arab Emirates Ukraine Venezuela

Back to world-wide survey home | English home

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Argentina - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Argentina ● Public sector primary schools

● Private sector primary schools

● Private sector language schools

● Private tuition for young learners

Public sector primary schools

Is EYL taught as an official part of the curriculum in public sector primary schools?

It is in the process of introduction, province by province

When was it introduced? 1998 (regionally)

At what age do students begin EYL? 8/9

Have any significant changes in teaching EYL taken place since 1980?

See above

Is there any widespread teaching of English before the official starting age for compulsory EYL?

No

How many hours a week/school year are officially allocated for EYL?

Not fewer than 72 x 60minute lessons per year

How many EYL teachers and students are there in the public education system?

Not stated

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Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (5% approximately)• A specialist teacher working in a single school (5% approximately) • A specialist teacher working in several schools (10% approximately) • Someone who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in a single school (40% approximately)• As above but working in several schools (40% approximately)

Who is eligible to teach EYL in the public education system?

Anyone with a teaching degree

Nationwide are schools able to recruit enough EYL teachers?

No. Teacher supply is a problem. In some areas qualification requirements are being relaxed so that classes can be covered.

What official guidelines exist for EYL teaching?

There is no national curriculum as such but there are curriculum matrices/guidelines for each subject, and for English there is a detailed specification of content

Do EYL teaching materials have to be approved?

There is no school budget for books, so teachers make their own materials

What materials are typically used? Lesson materials adapted from published sources

What other foreign languages are taught at primary level?

Spanish as a second language for indigenous learners. Provinces can opt for Portuguese or French.

Are any changes in the provision of EYL planned or anticipated?

A general education reform is underway

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Private sector primary schools



Is there a significant number of these schools?

Yes, mostly in Buenos Aires

What percentage of primary age children attends them?

Not stated

What differences in EYL provision exist from public sector primary schools?

A great variety. Some schools use a content-based inderdisciplinary approach. Bilingual schools may offer up to 20 hours per week of English.

What materials do they use for EYL? Not stated

Private language schools


Only in Buenos Aires

How many Young Learners take private language school classes?

Not stated

How many hours of English do they typically offer?

3-10 a week

Is there any perceived conflict between public school and private language school provision in EYL?

Private language schools offer more advanced classes and have a different methodology

What materials do they use for EYL? Mainly imported and mainly from the UK

Private tuition for Young Learners

Is there private tuition for primary age children?

Yes, especially in areas where other options are limited

How many Young Learners are involved?

Not stated



What is the typical starting age for private tuition?

Before mainstream education

Why do parents use private tutors? Parents think of English as a necessary skill and do not consider that public schools are meeting their objectives in teaching it. Something that you pay for is seen as better than something for free.

Date information collected: 1999


© British Council. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational and cultural relations. Registered in England as a Charity. Our privacy statement.

Our Freedom of Information Publications Scheme


Austria - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Austria ● Public sector primary schools






Yes, as an alternative to French or Italian

When was it introduced? 1983

At what age do students begin EYL? 8 (Year 3)


Since 1988 there has been pilot teaching of EYL from age 6 (Year 1). It will be made compulsory from 2003.


Not stated


1 hour per week (35hours per year), but always taught in 15-20 minute blocks. English can also be the medium of instruction for music, PT, craft.

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Not stated

Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (99%)• A specialist teacher (1%)


Anyone qualified to teach primary education may teach EYL


Yes. All EYL teachers have had 9 years of a foreign language at school followed by 3 more years at college. In addition there is a plentiful supply of in-service training.


There is a national curriculum


There is a list of officially approved locally published materials that teachers may choose from

What materials are typically used? • Materials adapted from published sources • Original materials devised by teachers themselves.

A school would not officially use an international book.


French and Italian are taught from age 8. This will be lowered to age 6, in line with English.


From 2003 a foreign language will be taught from age 6 (Year 1). There is wide political and practical support for this change. Some schools were authorised to make the change as early as 1998 and it is expected that most will have done so by 2001.






No, and those that exist are controlled by the state and follow national programmes



No



No






Bahrain - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Bahrain ● Public sector primary schools






Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? 9 (Grade 4)


No


Yes. Schools are permitted to offer English from Grade 1, if resources are available.


5 hours per week x 32 teaching weeks = 160 hours per year


150 teachers30,000 students

Who does the EYL teaching? A specialist teacher of English who teaches in only one school (100%)

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• An established primary school teacher with the local equivalent of FCE

• A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and who is qualified to become a primary teacher of English • A teacher accredited from outside Bahrain


Yes. (The availability of teachers from outside Bahrain may help.)


There is a detailed specification of content with, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included in the teaching


Yes. There is only one approved book, published specially for use in Bahrain.

What materials are typically used? In addition to the above -

• Original materials devised by the teachers themselves • Materials adapted from published sources • International published coursebooks• Local published supplementary materials


None


Lowering the starting age is under discussion




Yes




6%


Earlier starting age; English medium education




Yes


15 - 20%


3-4 per week


The higher levels of private students' English cause compatability problems with students in public schools. Public schools are often compared unfavourably with private schools.

What materials do they use for EYL? British and US materials



No



Bangladesh - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Bangladesh

● Public sector primary schools






Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? 6 (Primary 1)


Yes. After independence in 1971 English was not compulsory in public schools.


No


Year 1 and 2: 44 hours per year Year 3 and 4: 82 hours per year (varies slightly from district to district) (This is delivered for 4 hours per week in 6x40minute lessons. Officially there are 30 teaching weeks per year but 20 weeks is closer to reality.)

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228,000 teachers18,030,805 students

Who does the EYL teaching? The class teacher (100%)

What qualifications are required to teach EYL in the public education system?

Men: Higher School Certificate. Women: School Certificate. There is no pre-service training. All primary school teachers are required to teach English, though in practice few are qualified to do so.


No. The situation is being addressed by a government-sponsored Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP).


There is a fairly detailed outline of suitable content


Yes. There is only one approved book, published specially for use in Bangladeshi schools.

What materials are typically used? Locally published coursebooks


None


There has been some discussion about raising the starting age to Year 3, age 8.




Yes


10% (estimated)




The main differences are a mostly English medium and the use of non-Government materials, some of them imported

What materials do they use for EYL? Non-government materials. Some are imported.



Yes


5% (estimated)


4 hours per week


Private students' English is generally more advanced.

What materials do they use for EYL? Imported textbooks



Yes


Not stated


Usually not before mainstream education



Why do parents use private tutors? English has a high market value and public primary schools are perceived to be poor at teaching it






Brazil - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Brazil ● Public sector primary schools






No



Yes


Not stated


There is no public sector EYL provision



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Brazil - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK


Yes - Culturas inglesas, LAURELS franchises, US binational centres


Not stated


2.5 per week


N/A

What materials do they use for EYL? Imported UK and US textbooks



Not on a significant scale





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Colombia - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Colombia







It is not widespread

When was it introduced? Not stated

At what age do students begin EYL? 11 (at secondary school)


Yes. There is now some progress for students in primary schools.


There is some, in upper primary


3 x 45 minutes per week



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Not stated


Not stated


There is a general description of aims for EYL but no specific advice about content


Teachers may choose any published materials, provided that they are within the school budget.

What materials are typically used? • Original materials devised by the teachers themselves• Materials adapted from published sources• International coursebooks• Locally produced coursebooks


None


There is a project to make English a compulsory subject



Yes


80%


Not stated






Yes


10%


Not stated


Not stated




No






Croatia - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Croatia ● Public sector primary schools






Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? Age 6/7 (Year 1)


In 1980 EYL was introduced in Year 4, age 9/10. In 1997 it was trialled from Year 1, age 6/7, in some schools.


Not applicable


Years 1-4: 70 or 170 hours per year, depending on resources available. Years 5-8: 105 hours per year.


Statistics are not available

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Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (10%) • A specialist teacher (80%) • A person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in a single school (10%)


• A teacher with pre-service training or a college or university qualification • A secondary school teacher willing to teach in a primary school


Teacher supply is a problem. Intensive English is being offered at Primary Teacher Training Colleges to remedy it.


There is a detailed specification of content


Yes, and they must be within the budget of the school

What materials are typically used? Both international and local coursebooks


French, German and Italian - with the same starting age and other conditions as English


Not stated



No



Yes




Not stated


2 per week


Children attending private language schools enjoy better conditions

What materials do they use for EYL? Local and international materials



Yes


Not stated


Usually before mainstream education

Why do parents use private tutors? They believe that their children can get better quality lessons






Cyprus - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Cyprus ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? Over 50 years ago

At what age do students begin EYL? 9/10 (Primary Year 4)


EYL was introduced for Year 4 in 1993


No


3 x 40 minute lessons x 30-35 weeks per year (approx 60-70 hours per year)


636 teachers31,353 students

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Who does the EYL teaching? • The normal class teacher (98%) • A specialist teacher of English who works only in one school (1%) • A specialist teacher of English who gives lessons in more than one school (1%)


• A teacher who has had pre-service training at school or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary school• A teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school but who is willing to work in a primary school• A teacher who has had (after pre-service training) a course in the UK


Yes




Yes. There is only one approved book

What materials are typically used? There is a specially written book which is the only approved book, but teachers also make their own materials and choose and adapt from international and locally published books


None


There are extensive reviews (as of 1999) related to UNESCO and to accession to the European Union






Yes


Not stated


Different number of teaching hours, different curriculum, different materials




Yes


1,480 out of 31,353 (approximately 5%)


2-3 hours per week


There are no significant differences

What materials do they use for EYL? Various materials, mostly imported from the UK



Yes


Not stated





Why do parents use private tutors? To provide their children with more opportunities for language learning; English is essential for local jobs and for study abroad; public provision is not considered adequate in volume and quality






Czech Republic - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Czech Republic







Yes

When was it introduced? September 1997

At what age do students begin EYL? 9/10 (Grade 4)


Yes. After the political changes in 1989 it became part of basic school education, starting in Grade 6. In 1997 this was dropped to Grade 4.


Yes. There is a special category of schools - Basic Schools with Extended Teaching of Languages - where children can start their first foreign language in Grade 3. This covers 10% of children. Also, a minority of schools may start English in Grade 1.

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3 x 40 minutes per week = 99 lessons per year. Where English is taught in Grade 1 (as an option) there are 20minute lessons, the number varying from 2-4 per week.


This is very difficult to estimate. The number of teachers in Basic schools (Grades 1-9) is 65,000, so a reasonable guess/estimate for EYL teachers is between 5,000 and 8,000. The guess/estimate for students is 150,000.

Who does the EYL teaching? • The children's normal class teacher• A specialist teacher who visits different schools to give lessons• An unqualified teacher who knows English

Who is qualified to teach EYL in the public education system?

• A teacher of another subject who has been requalified to teach English (See note 1) • A primary school teacher with pre-service training • A secondary school teacher who is willing to work in a primary school (the pay is lower) • Occasionally a native speaker (with no formal qualifications)


No. Teacher supply is a problem. In some areas qualification requirements are being relaxed so that classes can be covered.

Local authorities are running courses to upgrade teachers' language skills. Some of these courses are officially recognised with university support, but they are not standardised.


There is a fairly detailed outline of suitable content listing, e.g., topic areas, functions, skills to concentrate on. The syllabus is often the text book.




There is a list of officially approved books for which the school budget can be used, but if parents agree to pay, other books may be used

What materials are typically used? • Internationally published coursebooks (well over 50%)• Locally published coursebooks (30-40%)


About half of the children learn German


Possibly lowering the start age to Grade 3 to come in line with EU recommendations - but this will probably not happen for at least 5 years


Note 1*Between 1990 and 1995 requalifying courses were popular, but mostly for Grade 5+. The majority of teachers in primary Grade 4 and below have no formal qualifications to teach English but as qualified primary teachers are permitted to do so.



No, there are only 1 or 2 in the whole country



Yes


Under 20%




2 per week

Is there any perceived conflict between public and private provision in EYL?

Children in private schools are more advanced than their public school counterparts and have a head start in preparing for the entrance exams to special 'extended language' schools.

What materials do they use for EYL? The same materials as are used in public schools



Basically no (less than 0.5%)



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are registered in England as a Charity. Our privacy statement



Ecuador - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Ecuador ● Public sector primary schools






It is not compulsory. Schools have the option of teaching up to 70 hours per year.

When was it introduced? December 1993

At what age do students begin EYL? 5/6 (Year 1 Basic)


No


No


Optional up to 70 hours per year. 1-2 x 45 minutes per week.


Not stated

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Who does the EYL teaching? • A specialist teacher of English who works only in one school• A specialist teacher of English who gives lessons in more than one school • A person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in only one school • A person who is not a qualified teacher who knows English and who gives lessons in more than one school • In some cases a person who is totally unqualified


• An established primary teacher who has passed a local test or exam (various unofficial proficiency tests) • An established primary teacher who has passed an internationally recognised test or exam (UCLES First Certificate, TOEFL) • A primary teacher who has successfully completed an in-service training course in English language and/or EYL methodology (but there are no official courses) • A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary school • A teacher who is qualified to teach English at secondary school but who is willing to work in a primary school • A university graduate of English who has not taken courses in Education or Teaching methodology • A native speaker of English who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher • A non-native speaker who has lived some time in the USA, for example


No. No steps are being taken.






There is no school budget for books, so teachers must make all their own materials or ask students to buy from a range of published materials (local or international)

What materials are typically used? • Lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources • International published coursebooks• Locally published coursebooks


Some 20% of public primary schools are bilingual, with indigenous languages being L1 and Spanish L2


No




Yes


Approximately 30%


Hours per week of English: this varies from 4-10. A very small number of schools teaches other subjects in English.




Yes




Approximately 10%


5 per week


The methodology is different: there is more emphasis on conversation skills; English levels are more advanced; these schools generally don't focus on school exams.

What materials do they use for EYL? Internationally published books



No






Ethiopia - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Ethiopia ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? Over 50 years ago, in Grade 3

At what age do students begin EYL? 8 (approximately) (Grade 1)


Yes, the starting age was lowered to Grade 1 in 1992


No


1 lesson of 45-55 minutes per day (The number of teaching weeks in a year is not stated.)


Not stated

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Primary teachers are qualified to teach all subjects, including English, after 1 year of pre-service training


Yes, because primary teachers are trained to teach all subjects


There is a general syllabus produced by the Institute of Curriculum Research


There is only one approved book published specially for schools in each administrative district. Each district has a mandate to produce its own textbooks based on the general syllabus mentioned above.

What materials are typically used? Locally published textbooks for each administrative district


Regional languages are now the medium of instruction for primary schools, so if students are not L1 speakers of the regional language they have to learn it. This applies to Amharic too - so students who do not speak Amharic have to learn it.


There are plans that teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget




No





No



Yes


2% (approximately)


Usually the same as for compulsory education

Why do parents use private tutors? They feel that English is important as it becomes the medium of instruction in secondary and tertiary education






France - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

France ● Public sector primary schools






It is not compulsory (other languages are taught) but is widespread


At what age do students begin EYL? Year 4


In 1989 EYL was introduced in an experimental programme as one choice among other foreign languages for Years 4 and 5 with the aim of raising language awareness (sensibilisation). In September 1992 the experiment continued, but the emphasis shifted to more achievement in the FL (initiation) and greater use of the normal class teacher. Since 1995 a FL has been taught from Primary Year 2, age 7-8 years.

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It is not widespread, but there is some. If schools have a willing qualified teacher, they will introduce it in Year 1 (age 6, approximately) or even in Nursery School.


There have been changes over time (see above). 1989: 2-3hours per week for Years 4 and 5. 1995: 15 minutes per day x 4 days per week = 1hour for Primary 2 and 3, and 1.5 hours weekly for Years 4 and 5.


Teachers 24,615 Students 602,845 Note: Figures represent numbers of teachers and students involved in foreign languages in general at primary level in 1994/5. 71.9% of these were involved with English.

Who does the EYL teaching? • The children’s normal class teacher (44.9%) • A person, not a qualified teacher, who knows English and who visits different schools to give lessons (14%)• A secondary school teacher (35.3%) • A foreign language assistant (4.1%) • A French foreign language student (1.7%) Note: Figures represent teachers of all foreign languages at primary level for 1994/1995


• An established primary teacher who has passed a local test or exam in English. (Official approval - agrément - is needed for a primary teacher to teach English. This involves a short oral interview with the Regional English School Inspector.) • A primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English language and/or EYL methodology. (Some local education authorities organise in-service courses for primary teachers, but the agrément is also



needed, as described above). • A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level. (The teaching of a foreign language was reintroduced into the teacher training colleges in 1990). • A teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school, but who is willing to work in primary schools. • A university graduate of English who has not taken courses in Education or Teaching methodology. • A native speaker of English who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher. (Such teachers are required to obtain authorisation and this normally involves an interview with an Inspector). • Other: English Language Assistants from the Central Bureau for International Education and Training scheme. The class teacher should be present during the class.


No. The following steps are being taken to remedy the situation: Foreign languages have been reintroduced into the teacher training colleges. In-service training is being organised by local education authorities. Two courses for French primary school teachers of English are organised in Edinburgh and Colchester each summer.


A structured specification of content. (Content is listed by functions with examples of phrases and highlighted phonological features.)




Teachers may choose any published materials (local or international) provided they are within the school budget. In addition all schools are provided free with specially created video materials in the chosen language, with a Teacher’s Guide. These were published in 1995 by the CNDP (Centre National de Documentation Pédagogique). Two higher levels were published in 1996 and 1997. Teachers are not obliged to use these.

What materials are typically used? See above. There is a great tradition in France for teachers to use supplementary materials rather than coursebooks. Teachers like to use authentic materials such as videos, games, stories, puzzles and so on. The cultural aspect of teaching a foreign language (civilisation) is an important component in France.


German, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and some others


The discussion here is based around the systematisation and diversification of the teaching of foreign languages in France beginning in 1999, so that all students beginning with Year 5 of primary school will be taught a foreign language, and from 2000 all students in Year 4. However, the reality is that this still remains at the discussion level in many parts of France. The emphasis is on the development of spoken language for communication.






Yes. Most private primary schools in France are under contract to the state. This means that the curriculum is the same as in public schools, teachers are paid by the Ministry of Education and the fees are very low.


Not stated


The only difference may be earlier introduction of a foreign language

What materials do they use for EYL? The same as in public primary schools



Yes. The British Council Young Learners’ Centre in Paris is prominent amongst them.


Not stated

How many hours of English is typically offered?

Up to 6 per week


Children attending these schools will probably have more advanced English lessons, more hours of English (may be up to 6 per week) and the methodology will almost certainly be based much more on British practice

What materials do they use for EYL? A wide variety of published, in-house and authentic materials





It exists, but not to a great extent. Classes are often organised in schools during the lunch hour or after school, which is a great convenience for working parents. Parents pay a small fee for these classes. The teacher could come from an outside organisation or from the school itself and be remunerated by, for example, a Parents’ Association.


Not stated


May be before mainstream education

Why do parents use private tutors? Many French parents have a desire for their children to become bilingue but they generally have very unrealistic expectations and little understanding as to how long it takes to become truly bilingual.






Greece - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Greece ● Public sector primary schools






Yes




No


No


80 hours (approximately). There are 35 teaching weeks/year and EYL lessons amount to 2.25 hours in 3 x 45minute sessions per week


1,000 teachers (approximately)353,000 students (1997 figures)

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/greece.htm (1 of 5)07/12/2004 09:41:52


Who does the EYL teaching? • A specialist teacher working in a single school (60%) • A specialist teacher working in several schools (40%)


• A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English• A teacher qualified to teach English at secondary level but who is willing to work in primary schools

Nationwide are schools able to recruit enough eligible EYL teachers?

Yes


There is a fairly detailed outline of suitable content listing, e.g., topic areas, functions, skills to concentrate on


There is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in Greece. No other choice is allowed.

What materials are typically used? • Original teaching materials devised by teachers themselves• Lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources• Locally published coursebooks


Not stated


Yes, lowering the starting age by 1 year




Yes




Approximately 5%


Private schools must follow the same curriculum as public schools. They may have better trained teachers, smaller classes and more resources.




Yes


Approximately 80%


3-6 per week


There is conflict. Children attending language schools usually start earlier and become more advanced than other children - and than the coursebook. In addition, more attractive books are used, as are computers, videos, etc., which are not available in public schools. The prevailing culture is that 'real' language learning takes place in the language schools, not in the public schools. Teachers in the public sector suffer from low morale and feel resentful. However, there are signs that parents are now delaying sending their children to language schools as they are learning English at public schools.



What materials do they use for EYL? A variety of international and locally published materials is used. Since there is fierce competition between language schools, the latest courses tend to be chosen. Course 'companions' are also in wide use, as are supplementary grammar and skills books. There are also videos, computers, etc.



Yes


Approximately 10%



Why do parents use private tutors? To get a head start. English is regarded as essential to future education and employment. The goal is Cambridge FCE by age 14, CPE by age 16. In general parents do not think highly of public sector provision. Other reasons include more opportunity to practice and develop fluency; the individual attention that private tutors can give; convenience (fewer hours, less travelling and disruption); and access to first language speakers.




Hong Kong - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Hong Kong ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? A long time ago, from the early years of Hong Kong's existence as a British colony

At what age do students begin EYL? 5/6 (Primary 1)


No


Yes. English is taught at kindergarten, which most children attend from age 3.


Primary 1-3: 8 lessons per week of 35 minutes eachPrimary 4-6: 9 lessons per week of 35 minutes each. The teaching year is 40 weeks, so approximately 180-210 hours per year

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/hongkong.htm (1 of 5)07/12/2004 09:42:00



In Government and Aided schools there are 3,657 subject trained teachers of English and 3,998 non-subject trained teachers of English. Students: 461,911

Who does the EYL teaching? • The children’s normal class teacher (52% approximately) • A specialist teacher of English who works in only one school (48% approximately)


• An established primary teacher who has passed a local test or exam in English. (Most primary teachers in Hong Kong have studied at Hong Kong Institute of Education and hold a certificate marking completion of a 2-year full-time course. These teachers may or may not have studied English as their main elective.) • A primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English Language and/or EYL methodology. (This would also apply: Many teachers at Hong Kong Institute of Education spend 6 weeks in the UK on an immersion course to upgrade their English.)


Yes, thanks to training offered by Hong Kong Institute of Education, which is currently in the process of upgrading its course to BEd level. Although there are enough teachers, there are concerns about maintaining sufficient standards of English.


There is a detailed specification of content with, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be used in the teaching. (The Education Department has produced a syllabus, which all schools follow).




Teachers may choose any published materials (local or international), provided that they are within budget and that the materials have had official clearance or approval. (Parents have to purchase the books for their children as stipulated by the school. Hong Kong publishers produce a wide selection to Education Department guidelines, and then schools tell the parents.)



None


There is a move away from the final exams in Primary 6, which decide which secondary school the students will attend, towards continuous assessment. The Target Oriented Curriculum should keep a record of students' attainments in English, Chinese and Maths so that the final decision in Primary 6 is based on their work throughout primary school. However, at the moment (1999) the final exams still hold sway.




Yes


Approximately 10% (46,399 out of 461,911)




In most of these schools all lessons are taught in English. They are very prestigious. Another 4,949 students attend English Schools Foundation (ESF) schools, which are meant to cater to the children of native speakers, but since there are fewer and fewer of them, more local students are being accepted, even though their standard of English is lower. Also, many non-Chinese students end up at ESF schools as there is nowhere else for them to go.




No; the British Council is the main one


The British Council school has 2,060 EYL students a term


At the British Council students study for 2 hours 40 minutes a week for 9 weeks


The methodology (at the British Council) is different from the schools, but the parents approve of that, and prefer native speaker teachers. The students enjoy the classes and occasionally parents worry that that means that they are not learning enough.

What materials do they use for EYL? The British Council produce their own thematic, activity-based materials





Yes


Probably about 10%, the children of better-off parents


The same as in the public school system

Why do parents use private tutors? There is a large amount of homework given, and if parents are both working they employ someone to help the child get the work done. This may be a secondary school student, or someone more qualified. Many primary schools are open only mornings or afternoons, so students have a lot of work to do at home.






Hungary - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Hungary







Yes, but it is one of a choice of foreign languages




In 1998 the starting age was raised from 10 to 11 as part of the National Core Curriculum


Yes. The figures for the academic year 1996/7 were: Year 1, age 6-7: 16% of all children (19,859) Year 2: 23% (26,815) Year 3: 41% (49,034) Year 4: 94% (112,655) Year 5: 95% (approximately 114,000)


1, 2 or 3 hours per week. Numbers vary but tend to increase over the years. There are 35 teaching weeks per year, so 35-105 hours per year

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/hungary.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:42:10



See above for student numbers. For teachers, no statistics are available, but 60% are retrained teachers (ex-teachers of Russian and other subjects)

Who does the EYL teaching? • The children's normal class teacher (not very frequent) • A specialist teacher of English who works in only one school (over 60%, estimated) • A specialist teacher of English who visits different schools to give lessons (not typical)


• An established primary teacher who has passed a local test or exam in English. (The school decides. The Hungarian State Language Proficiency Exam, intermediate level, is expected).• A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level. • A teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school, but who is willing to work in a primary school.

Nationwide, are schools able to recruit enough EYL teachers?

Yes and no. There is retraining of teachers. Most retrained teachers have tenure


Up to Grade 5, age 11 (official start age), schools can use what they want. The National Curriculum from Grade 5 gives a fairly detailed outline of suitable content, listing, e.g., topic areas, functions, skills.


Teachers may choose any published materials (local or international), provided that they are within the school budget and that the materials have had official clearance or approval. (Parents have to pay for textbooks in all subjects.)



What materials are typically used? Most typical are international published coursebooks. But also:

• Original teaching materials devised by teachers themselves • Lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources • Locally published coursebooks


French and German. German is popular.


No. There has been a recent change (the raising of the official starting age from 10 to 11).




No data are available, but there are some


Under 1% (estimate)


Not stated




No





Yes


40% of school children (estimate)



Why do parents use private tutors? The belief that an early start is an advantage






Iceland - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Iceland ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? Autumn 1999



Until 1999 EYL started in Grade 7


No


Grades 5-7: 2 x 40minute lessons/week


Not stated

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/iceland.htm (1 of 3)07/12/2004 09:42:23


Who does the EYL teaching? • The children's normal teacher• A specialist teacher who works in only one school• A person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in only one school


• A teacher with pre-service training from a college or university and a qualification to teach English at primary level• A teacher qualified to teach English at secondary level but who is willing to work in a primary school• Any teacher who has a certificate from the University's College of Education


No. Pre- and in-service education is in place to improve the situation.


There is a general description of EYL aims but no specific content advice


There is an officially approved list of published materials, and teachers may choose any of these within their budget.

What materials are typically used? • A locally published book• International published coursebooks


Danish, from Grade 7, age 12


No



No





No



No






India - Goa - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

India - Goa ● Public sector primary schools






Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? 7/8 (Standard 3)


No


No


5 x 35minute periods per week


2,811 teachers98,416 students

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/india-goa.htm (1 of 3)07/12/2004 09:42:31




A qualified primary teacher with the in-service training programme in English


Yes




There is only one approved book that is published specially for schools in this region. No other choice is allowed.

What materials are typically used? Locally produced coursebooks


Konkani and Marathi


None



No, very few



No





No






India - Gujarat - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

India - Gujarat ● Public sector primary schools






Yes




No


Not stated


60 hours per year (approximately) = 4-6 x 30minute sessions per week x 20 working weeks


Over 40,000 teachersOver 20,000,000 students

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Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (40%)• A specialist teacher working in a single school (10%) • Someone who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in several schools (40%) (Remainder not stated)


An established primary teacher who has passed a local test in English


No


There is a fairly detailed outline of suitable content and a teacher's manual


There is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in the region

What materials are typically used? • Original materials devised by teachers themselves• Locally published coursebooks


None


No




Yes


10%




English is the medium of instruction in private schools




No



Yes

how many Young Learners are involved?

10%



Why do parents use private tutors? Because they do not consider public school English education to be satisfactory






India - Maharashtra - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

India - Maharashtra ● Public sector primary schools






Yes




No


No


80 hours per year (160 x 30minute periods = 5 periods per week for 32 teaching weeks)


100,000 teachers (approximately)over 2,000,000 students

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A teacher with pre-service training in EYL


Yes


There is a detailed specification of content (teacher's manual)


There is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in this region, but teachers are also free to use other supplementary and supporting material

What materials are typically used? • Original material devised by teachers themselves• Lesson materials adapted from several published sources• Locally published coursebooks


None


There is a curriculum committee working on changes in the curriculum



Yes


35%


None. The curriculum pattern is uniform for public and private schools.






No



Yes


70%


Not before that of compulsory education

Why do parents use private tutors? To strengthen their children's study habits






India - West Bengal - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

India - West Bengal ● Public sector primary schools

● Private sector primary schools ● Private sector language schools ● Private tuition for young learners



Yes




EYL was first introduced for Grade 6 (age 11/12) in 1984


In the private sector schools in urban areas teach English from kindergarten stage (age 3)


3.3 hours a week (delivered as 5 x 40minute lessons) over a year of 25 teaching weeks


Not stated

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Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (70% approximately) • A person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English


• An established primary teacher who has passed a local test in English - School Leaving (secondary) exam with English as a compulsory subject • A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or unversity and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level • A university graduate, with or without training


No


There is a detailed specification of content with, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be used in teaching


There is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in this country. No other choice is allowed.

What materials are typically used? Locally produced materials


None


No


No information available at this time



Indonesia - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Indonesia







Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? 9/10 (Primary Year 4)


No


No


90 minutes/week in 1 x 90-minute session. There are 40 teaching weeks/year, approximately.


It is difficult to say. In Jakarta, the capital city, there are around 200 teachers with a varied command of English.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/indonesia.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:43:15


Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (85%) • A specialist teacher working in a single school (2.5%) • A specialist teacher working in several schools (10%)• A person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and works in a single school (2.5%)


• An established primary teacher with pre-service training in EYL • An established secondary teacher who is willing to teach in a primary school


No




There is no school budget for books, so teachers must make all their own materials

What materials are typically used? • Original teaching materials devised by teachers• Lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources• Locally published coursebooks


Not stated


The (early) age at which English is introduced is being reconsidered




Yes




5%


Different starting age, quality of teachers, teaching hours and materials




Yes


10%


3 per week in 2 x 1.5hour lessons


Not stated

What materials do they use for EYL? Many kinds



Yes


10%





Why do parents use private tutors? Teaching is more intensive, more advanced and students can achieve a higher level






Israel - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Israel ● Public sector primary schools






Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? Normally age 9/10 (Grade 4), but English can be taught in Grades 1, 2 and 3 with the permission of the English Inspectorate


Not other than noted above


Since 1992 there has been a growing trend to teach English in Grade 3, age 8/9. At present about 50% of Grade 3 students study English. This move is favoured by politicians and parents but not by the English Inspectorate. Some kindergartens are also introducing English.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/israel.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:43:29



Grade 3: 2 hours per week Grade 4: 2-3 hours per week Grades 5 and 6: 3-4 hours per week (Each lesson is 45 minutes long and the school year runs September-June)


No statistics available

Who does the EYL teaching? • A specialist teacher who works in only one school• A specialist teacher who works in two schools


• A primary teacher with special in-service training in English language and/or EYL methodology note¹ • A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level* • A secondary teacher who is willing to work in a primary school* • A university graduate of English who has not taken courses in education or teaching methodology* • A native speaker of English who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher*

* These persons must pass the same proficiency exam as the specialist teacher working in only one school.


No. Initiatives to tackle the problem are being discussed.


There is a general description of aims for EYL but no specific advice about content. There is also a national counsellor who gives in-service talks to teachers about EYL.




There is an official list of approved locally produced materials. A teacher may choose any approved materials that are within the school's budget (though in practice it is the students who buy the books).

What materials are typically used? • Original materials devised by teachers • Lesson materials adapted from published sources • Locally published coursebooks


Arabic (in junior high school) for the Jewish sector; Hebrew for the Arabic sector


There is public pressure, which the English Inspectorate is resisting, to start teaching English earlier.

Note ¹ These teachers have to demonstrate proficiency in a written and oral exam. The oral

exam consists of an interview. The written exam includes reading comprehension, two writing tasks - one that is classroom-based and another that is expository - and a task that requires the teacher to recognise errors and explain the difficulties.

The methodology course covers teaching different skills, assessment, coursebook evaluation, teaching heterogeneous classes, CALL, use of literature, etc.




No



Yes




Not stated


1-2 per week


These extra lessons sometimes help students who are having difficulties.




Yes


Not known



Why do parents use private tutors? They believe that a knowledge of English is important and worry that their children will not know the language as well as they do






Republic of Korea - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Republic of Korea ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? March 1997

At what age do students begin EYL? 8/9 (Grade 3).Since March 1997, English has been introduced as follows: 1997 - Grade 3 only 1998 - Grades 3 and 41999 - Grades 3, 4 and 52000 - Grades 3, 4, 5 and 6


Apart from the 1997 change, no, but the teaching hours have been changed


No

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/korea.htm (1 of 5)07/12/2004 09:43:42



2 lessons per week of 40 minutes each for all grades. There are 34 teaching weeks per year, so 68 lessons in total. However reductions for Grades 3 and 4 are planned from 2001, to 34 lessons per year.


The number of EYL teachers is one of the most uncertain subjects in EYL, as it has been consistently changed since English was first implemented. The total number of primary teachers of all types is 137,912. Number of students: 3,800,540. (Figures based on the Ministry of Education statistics of 1996)

Who does the EYL teaching? • Normal class teachers with and without in-service training • English specialised teachers who have taken a general/advanced in-service teacher training programme or a general/advanced pre-service teacher training programme • Secondary teachers of English who have graduated in an English-related subject or are qualified to teach English to secondary students and have taken a special teacher training programme that has been designed to train those graduates for primary English teaching • Native speakers who are educated/qualified to teach English to children (The Ministry of Education planned to allocate specialised teachers of English to all primary schools by 2000, but a wide variety of teachers in the categories above are working in primary schools)


Those listed above




Theoretically there are enough teachers since normal class teachers are eligible to teach EYL. However there are not enough trained and qualified teachers. There is a shortage of primary teachers in Korea in general, and this is one reason why secondary teachers of English have been allocated to teach English to primary students, after they complete a teacher training programme


A detailed specification of content with word lists, structure lists and sentences to be included in the teaching


In 1999 there were 16 different textbooks locally produced for Korean primary students and approved by the Ministry of Education. All of them are published with teacher's guidebook and video tapes of teachers and cassette tapes for students, and the teachers must choose and use one of them in their teaching.

What materials are typically used? An approved textbook as above, but teachers may use any other supplementary materials


None


A new curriculum is to be implemented, with several key points of change:

• The 7th National Curriculum for English announced in 1997 will be introduced from 2000 by year – 2000 for the 1st and 2nd grade, 2001 for the 3rd and 4th grade, and from 2002 in the 5th and 6th grade. • All English teachers in primary schools will be replaced by qualified and trained teachers who will only teach English as a subject in primary school. • There will be only one national textbook to be used from 2001 in



primary schools. • The teaching hours for 3rd and 4th grade students will be reduced to 40 minutes x 34 lessons/year, while 5th and 6th grade students will continue to have 68 lessons/year. • The content of teaching is to be reduced by up to 30%, and more flexible numbers of vocabulary items and 2 levels of teaching (depending on students' development, general and advanced level) have been suggested.



Not stated


Not stated


Not stated




Yes


Research reported that by 1995 more than 90% of primary pupils were learning English in some ways – not only in private language schools but through TV programmes and self-help materials




Not stated


Not stated




Yes


A large percentage (see above)


Not stated

Why do parents use private tutors? There is a strong tendency for them to believe that the younger they start, the better development and attainment.






Latvia - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Latvia ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? 1990 (approximately)

At what age do students begin EYL? 8/9 (Year 3)


There was no provision for EYL before 1990. Since September 1998 schools have been permitted to teach up to 5 lessons a week of the subject.


No


3 x 40-minute classes/week are compulsory, but, as noted above, schools may teach up to 5 lessons if they wish. The general pattern is for 4 lessons/week in Year 3, and 3 lessons/week thereafter. There are 35 teaching weeks a year.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/latvia.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:43:51



No statistics available for teachers. There were 5,122 students in 1997/98.

Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (10% approximately) • A specialist teacher working in a single school (20%) • A person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in a single school (70%)


• A primary teacher with in-service training in English language and/or EYL methodology ¹• A teacher with pre-service training from a college or university • A secondary teacher who is willing to work in a primary school • A native speaker of English (e.g., a Peace Corps volunteer)


No, but problems of teacher supply are being addressed by re-qualification courses and more students at Pedagogical Institutes are taking English as a second option




Teachers may use any published materials that are within the school budget

What materials are typically used? • Original materials devised by teachers themselves • Lesson materials adapted from published sources • International published course books• Local published course books (to a lesser extent).


German instead of English from Year 3, but numbers are dwindling




No. In 1998 the Minister of Education announced that he would like to lower the starting age for compulsory English but critics claimed that this would aggravate the shortage of qualified English teachers.

¹ There are many re-qualification courses run by pedagogical universities/colleges of education or equivalent, including the Faculty of Pedagogy at the University of Latvia, and one run by the British Council and the Ministry of Education. They vary a great deal, but the majority focus on language improvement through traditional course components (lots of History of English along with theoretical grammar etc.) with very little methodology, and such methodology that there is tends to be out-of-date. Also, there is no focus on teaching Young Learners.

The British Council and Ministry of Education course focuses on methodology and has a YL component. Course length varies from 2-3 years, part-time, around 400 hours in total. All participants are fee-paying, though in some cases participants may get some financial assistance from their local school board.



There are some, but not a significant number


0.9%


Children usually start earlier, have specialist teachers and sometimes receive more hours of English teaching per week




No





Yes


Not stated


Probably not before mainstream education

Why do parents use private tutors? Teachers in state schools are not always qualified to teach English. Parents want to give their children an edge.






Malaysia - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Malaysia ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? English has always been in the curriculum

At what age do students begin EYL? Year 1 in the National schoolsYear 3 in the National-type schools (where the medium of instruction is the vernacular)


No


Yes; English is introduced at pre-school level


8 x 30minute periods per week are given over to English in Lower Primary, 9 in Upper Primary.

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Statistics not available

Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (35%)• An English optionist (not a specialist) (55%) • Another qualified teacher (not an optionist) (20%)

Who is qualified to teach EYL in the public education system?

• An established primary teacher who has passed a local test of English • An established primary teacher who has passed an internationally recognised test of English • A primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English and/or EYL methodology • A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and who is qualified to become a teacher at primary level • A secondary teacher who is willing to teach in a primary school • A university graduate of English


No. The teacher shortage is being addressed through in-service training


Teachers are given the syllabus, the curriculum specification for the year, the text book and a teacher's guide.


Yes, and they must be within the school budget

What materials are typically used? • Original teaching materials devised by teachers themselves • Materials adapted by teachers from several published sources • International coursebooks • Locally published coursebooks• Newspapers and magazines.




Tamil and Mandarin


No




Yes


10%


Some private schools follow the British curriculum




Yes


Not stated


Not stated


Not stated

What materials do they use for EYL? Both local and international materials are used





Yes


60%



Why do parents use private tutors? They want their children to have a good foundation in English






Mexico - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Mexico ● Public sector primary schools




In addition to this information, please aslo read the article on teaching training for EYL in Mexico



No; however there is a number of pilot projects in progress. The information given below relates to the project underway in the state of Coahuila.




None other than outlined above


No


3 x 50minute classes per week (approximately 12 classes per month and 120 classes per year)

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In Coahilla there are 400 teachers; 62,000 students

Who does the EYL teaching? • A specialist teacher working in one school (12%) • A specialist teacher working in several schools (8%) • A person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in a single school (45%) • As above but working in several schools (35%)


An established primary teacher who has passed a local test of English. (Ideally the teacher would have primary teaching experience, a high level of English and TESOL training.)


No. To assist the supply of teachers COTE is offered in some states and a Self-Access Centre project has been developed.


There are guidelines to control progress and lesson planning (Cuaderno de Avance Programático y Dosificación de Unidades)


Not stated

What materials are typically used? • Original teaching materials devised by teachers themselves • Materials adapted from several published sources • International coursebooks.

There is also supplementary material available to teachers in the form of story books, audio cassettes, teacher support and training materials.




Spanish from age 6 (for speakers of indigenous languages); French is occasionally taught from age 12.


No



Yes


7.32%


Primary ELT is not part of the public system (with the exception of some states), whereas English is widespread in the private sector - in fact, it is probably the norm. Private school teachers tend to be better prepared.




Some, but not a significant number


30,000 (estimated)


3 per week


Not stated



What materials do they use for EYL? Materials from international publishers



No






Netherlands - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

The Netherlands ● Public sector primary schools






Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? 10/11 approximately (Primary Year 7)


Yes. Before 1986 foreign language teaching started in secondary school (age 12/13).


No

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A total of 100 hours during primary school education. Schools are free to decide when to start with English and how they distribute these hours over the student's school career. Many schools, however, only teach English during an hour or three-quarters of an hour a week during the last 2 years of primary education. When working like this they remain well under the compulsory 100 hours.


All primary teachers are officially qualified to teach English in primary schools. All students study English (no figures beyond this given).

Who does the EYL teaching? • The children's normal class teacher (95-100%) • A specialist teacher of English who teaches in only one school (up to 5%)


• A primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English language and/or EYL methodology. (This in-service training is offered but schools tend to send their teachers only to short - and inexpensive - courses and most of the time the first choice is a computer course or Dutch as a second language.) • A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level. (During the training students in most primary teacher training colleges do 1 or 2 modules of English; in some they do 3-4 and there are still a few colleges where English isn't part of the curriculum.) The emphasis in these modules is on methodology, as all students will have had English in secondary school and about 99% of them will have had it as an exam subject. • A teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school but who is willing to



work in primary schools. (In most cases this is a teacher who is a qualified primary school teacher as well.)


No. Officially primary school teachers are qualified to teach English, but teachers who graduated before 1986 may have had less foundation in EYL methodology.


A general description of aims for EYL, but no specific advice about content


Teachers may choose any published materials (local or international) provided that they are within the school budget

What materials are typically used? • Original teaching materials devised by teachers themselves • Lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources, but mainly - • Locally published coursebooks. (Most teachers only use coursebooks published by Dutch publishers.)


None at primary level. French starts at 12; German starts at 13.


Changes in the quantity of English to be covered in the teacher training curriculum are under discussion amongst teacher trainers. A single module of 40 hours is under discussion for some colleges, but (as of May 2000) there is no official agreement.



No





No



No






Pakistan - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Pakistan ● Public sector primary schools






Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? 4/5 approximately (Primary Year 1)


Before 1989 it was introduced in most state-owned schools from Year 6 (11-12 years) but the start age was lowered to cover all primary Year 1 students in 1989


Yes. Those who send their children to government schools have no choice, but those who can afford it send their children to private schools.

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The time varies from school to school, depending on the number of teachers available, but there is a minimum of 35 minutes per day for 6 days per week.There are 33 weeks in a school teaching year = 2hours 10 minutes per week.


No statistics available. There are no special teachers of English at primary level.

Who does the EYL teaching? The children's normal class teacher (almost 100%)


Any teacher who has qualified to become a primary teacher in the public sector. Such a teacher will have at least a secondary school certificate (nowadays they prefer a higher secondary school certificate). In Pakistan English is a compulsory subject until the BA and it is also compulsory for the 9 month in-service teacher training course in which teachers have to qualify.


No. A number of measures were taken, e.g., university graduates were recruited for this purpose but since their selection was not in line with the general recruitment policy they could not be absorbed into the system. The government also arranged intensive in-service workshops for the teachers and this is the strategy that the government continues to follow when it has sufficient funds.


At the federal level there is a detailed syllabus but then all the schools have prescribed textbooks from which the teachers have to teach – hence the teachers teach English as a subject




The schools have to follow the prescribed textbook and the teachers find it easy to do that. Though the teachers are free to supplement the textbooks with any materials they like, they cannot do so because they cannot find the time. They have to finish the coursebooks.



Urdu for most children is L2 and is introduced at the same time as English, but in some parts of the country (Sindh and the North-West Frontier Province) it is introduced at Primary Year 5 (if they are learning one of the regional languages). Most of the children also learn the basics of Arabic at the same time, mostly from private tutors and learn to read the Quran by the age of 12.


No



Yes


A small urban minority. At present no statistics are available.


EYL provision in private schools for general education differs significantly. These schools have better qualified teachers, different books – in most cases they use books and materials published internationally – and a better atmosphere.



What materials do they use for EYL? Books and materials published internationally



No



Private tuition exists, but not just for English. It is included among other subjects.


No statistics exist but quite a significant number of children get private tuition


Not stated

Why do parents use private tutors? In private schools the teachers' expectations of the children are usually high and some of the students find it difficult to cope with all subjects being taught in English. The parents either have little time for their children or their own language skills do not match with the course. After all, English is only an official language and still more or less a foreign language, though a very familiar one.




Poland - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Poland ● Public sector primary schools




In addition, please refer to the article on Teaching English to Young Learners in Poland.



Yes (as an alternative to French, German or Russian)

When was it introduced? 1994 (along with the other YL languages above)

At what age do students begin EYL? 10 approximately (Grade 4)


In 1994 YL languages were introduced in Grade 5.In 1999 the official starting grade was lowered to Grade 4.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/poland.htm (1 of 7)07/12/2004 09:44:43



Yes. Many schools, especially in cities offer classes in English, sometimes as regular classes, sometimes as an after-school activity (students usually, although not always, pay a nominal amount.) Sometimes college students are given EYL classes for their teaching practice.

Poland is undergoing educational reform and from 2000 school directors have been given control over their budgets. Some have chosen to start EYL with children in Grades 1–3.


Grades 4, 5 and 6 are viewed as a unit, and 240 teaching hours spread over these 3 school years are allocated for EYL. Distribution of hours is discretionary, but there are 3 main options, involving 3 teaching hours/week for 2 of the grades and 2 teaching hours/week for the other grade. (A teaching hour = 45 minutes)


Not stated

Who does the EYL teaching? Note: There is great variation according to whether schools are in a rural or an urban setting.

• A specialist teacher of English who works in only one school (the largest group) • A specialist teacher of English who visits different schools to give lessons (10% approximately) • A person not a qualified teacher who knows English and who works in only one school. (They may have only rudimentary English themselves.) • Other: a graduate in another subject – not trained as a teacher – who is working as an 'unqualified' teacher of English. This is not an uncommon situation in rural areas.




• A primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English language and/or EYL methodology. •A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level. •A teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school, but who is willing to work in primary schools. • A native speaker of English, who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher.• Other

Poland has 2 sorts of primary teacher, which complicates the situation with regard to EYL. Some teachers are qualified to teach only in Grades 1–3 and they do not usually teach EYL to their classes. Teachers for Grades 4 and above are university language graduates, teacher training college graduates or teachers who have graduated in another subject (Engineering etc.) and who have requalified as language teachers. These teachers are also able to teach in secondary schools.

Requalification courses run for practising teachers (primary or secondary) who have graduated in another field. Entry requirements have been UCLES First Certificate in English (grade A or B) but now UCLES CAE (Certificate in Advanced English). The required course comprises methodology, including: classroom observation and teaching practice, British and American Studies, Pedagogical Grammar, Psychopedagogy. This course has a Ministry-approved syllabus and each course run has to gain Ministry approval first.




No. The plan is to upgrade existing teachers' YL teaching knowledge and skills and also to add a YL course to teacher training colleges. The Polish Ministry of Education signed a trilateral Letter of Intent with the British Council and the Goethe Institut in April 1999 stating the intention to promote the teaching of languages to YL by supporting the training of YL teachers at INSETT and PRESETT levels. This is to be achieved through regular information-sharing meetings, financial support, day release for teachers, recognition of inservice curricula and recognition of the position of teacher trainers within the framework of accreditation under preparation at that time.

To date (April 2000) there has been a teacher training course in TEFL to YL of 240 hours. The participants were trainers from TT colleges, practising primary teachers who either co-operated with TT colleges as mentors or who co-operated with INSETT leaders. These participants have now graduated with an officially-recognised certificate as teacher trainers (edukators) specialising in YL. These edukators are now feeding back into the system through PRESETT and INSETT.


There is a general description of aims for EYL which includes a list of specific skills and one ability (use of bilingual dictionary)


Teachers may choose any published materials (local or international) provided that they are within budget and that the materials have had official clearance or approval



What materials are typically used? • International published coursebooks (the most common) • Original teaching materials devised by teachers themselves (but not very commonly) • Lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources • Locally published coursebooks


German (in second place to English) particularly in western Poland in areas which have German communities/close German ties. Russian is taught particularly in rural areas, where there is a shortage of other language teachers, and along parts of the Eastern border. French is not often chosen in primary schools.


There is a Ministry-stated intention to lower the starting age to Grade 1 in the near future, but the precise date has not been given. At present, early years teachers would not be able to deliver such a course. Practising classroom teachers in Grades 1-3 will have to take an officially recognised requalification course and attain FCE level of English. As a preparation for this, a syllabus for the requalification course is in the process of being written (April 2000). The working team, all Polish, consist of representatives of INSETT, a British Council-trained edukator and a Goethe Institut-trained edukator. As teacher training colleges for Grades 1–3 do not at present prepare trainees to teach foreign languages, another college syllabus is being written to address this issue.





No



Yes

How many Young Learners take private language classes?

35-50% in cities; much fewer in smaller towns


2 per week


Children attending private language schools have more advanced lessons than in mainstream education and classes are smaller. The methodology used is often, though not always, more modern and classes more interactive. Additionally, the focus is much less on grammar exercises. There is more access to videos and CD materials.

What materials do they use for EYL? International coursebooks, cassettes, videos, etc.



Yes


Not stated





Why do parents use private tutors? It can be cheaper than fees for lessons in a private language school. Parents think also that their children will progress faster than in a state school or in private classes because the teacher will focus more on their child.






Romania - English - British Council UK

Romania







Yes, as one option among other languages




EYL was introduced for Grade 2 students in 1990, but in 1998 it was decided that the official starting grade would be Grade 3. However, English can be chosen as an optional subject starting from Grade 1.


Yes; most Grade 1 students choose English as an optional subject. English is also taught in kindergartens, if a qualified teacher is available.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/romania.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:44:52



Standard: 1.4 hours/week in 2 x 50-minute sessions Intensive: 2.3 hours/week in 3 x 50-minute sessions. There are 28 teaching weeks a year and 5 weeks for revision and evaluation.



Who does the EYL teaching? The children's normal class teacher


• An established primary teacher with a pass in a local test of English - see note¹ • A secondary teacher who is willing to work in a primary school - see note ² • A native speaker (e.g., GAP and Peace Corps volunteers)• Out of necessity, anyone with a baccalaureate diploma, who speaks English and is willing to teach


There are some teacher supply issues, though no significant steps have been taken to address them. Salaries are very low in teaching and most graduates choose other, better paid jobs.


Not stated


Not stated

What materials are typically used? Not stated


French, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Japanese. The starting age is the same as for English.


No



¹ Primary teachers are graduates of pedagogical high schools who may choose to take a basic course in methodology. They are also expected to do classroom observation and teaching practice. At the end of schooling they take a language exam based on the school curriculum (other than the baccalaureate) and are expected to teach one lesson for evaluation. If they are successful, they are accredited to teach at primary level for 2 years only. There are no regulations as far as they are concerned at the end of the 2 years. There is an initiative to train primary teachers in special colleges, but it hasn't been implemented yet.

² There are no special qualifications for one level or another. So any English Faculty graduate who has taken courses in Psychology, Education and Teaching Methodology is entitled to teach English at any level. Most teachers who teach in lower secondary school (Grades 5 to 8) also teach in primary school.



No



No



Yes


Not stated


Not significantly before mainstream education



Why do parents use private tutors? To help their children do well at school; to help them develop faster than in the school programme; to teach their children English (if it is not offered at school); sometimes to maintain face in the community






Russia - English - British Council UK

Russia ● Public sector primary schools






No, but schools may introduce English if they meet certain conditions

When was it introduced? English has been officially allowed in all schools since 1992, but specialised English language schools have existed since 1957

At what age do students begin EYL? 6/7 (Grade 1) or 7/8 (Grade 2) in both specialised schools and ordinary schools that are approved to teach English


In specialised schools English was originally introduced at Grade 3; this was then lowered to Grade 2


No official data are available

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/russia.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:45:00



There are 30 teaching weeks per year in Grade 1 and 32 weeks per year in Grades 2-4.Grade 1: 60 lessons per year;Grades 2-4: 96 lessons per year In specialised schools Grade 4 teaches English for 128 lessons per year. Grade 1 lessons last 35 minutes; Grade 2-4 lessons 40 minutes.


There are no official statistics for EYL teachers. The total number of EL teachers is 67,290. Secondary teachers work at the same time in primary schools. In 1997 EYL students totaled 1,290,705 in Grades 1-4.

Who does the EYL teaching? Not stated


• A teacher with pre-service training at a college or university and who is qualified to teach English at secondary school. (Some pedagogical colleges have opened faculties for training young learners teachers specifically.) • A secondary teacher with in-service training who is willing to work in a primary school (in-service training is required)• A university graduate of English who has not taken courses in teaching methodology and education can teach English at both primary and secondary level (in-service training is required) • A native speaker (e.g., Peace Corps volunteer)


No. Schools sometimes have to hire people who are qualified to work in other professions. Special in-service courses are organised for this category of teacher.




There is a detailed outline of content, goals, topic areas, word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to concentrate on. A number of textbooks with guidelines for teachers have been recently published.


Teachers can use any materials they choose, but the authorities will pay only for local materials that have official approval by the Ministry of Education.

What materials are typically used? International courses for primary level are available if the parents pay for the textbooks. Teachers may also devise their own materials.


German (255,251 students), French (89,876), Spanish and other languages (12,989). The starting age is 6/7 years.


There is a discussion about introducing EYL as a compulsory subject in a 12-year school. (At the moment primary and secondary cycles run to 11 years. The new 12-year school will be introduced in 2000.)




Yes


1%


They have their own curricula, which may exceed those of publicly maintained schools, and they may increase the number of hours per school year allocated for EYL






They exist but no official statistics are available



Yes


Not stated



Why do parents use private tutors? There is a growing need to learn English in Russia. Parents want their children to begin learning it at an earlier age than the public school system permits.






Slovenia - English - British Council UK

Slovenia ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? New syllabuses for all subjects in new 9-year primary schools were approved in autumn 1998 and are being introduced in 45 schools from 1999/2000.

At what age do students begin EYL? Since 1999 it has been 10/11 (Year 5). In 2002/03 schools will start teaching English to students from age 8/9.


In 1983 the official syllabus introduced optional FL in the early years. This led to optional classes growing rapidly within the public school system, although EYL is taught as a compulsory subject only from age 10/11.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/slovenia.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:45:12



Yes. English is taught as part of the ongoing Teaching Foreign Languages at Lower Primary Level (TFLLPL) project, involving students aged 8/9 from 30 schools and approximately 50 teachers. EYL in-service workshops are also open to teachers outside the project.

English is also taught in Grade 1 as part of the ongoing Teaching EYL within the Wanbach Pilot (TEWP) scheme, involving 3 primary schools.


In the TFLLPL project: 1-2 hours per week (35-70 hours/year) in 45minute lessons. In the TEWP scheme: 5 hours per week (175 hours/year).


In the TFLLPL project: 2,100 (approximately). In the TEWP scheme: 35. The number of students learning English at ages 8-10 may be 6,000.

Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (10%) • A specialist teacher working in one school (70%) • Somewho who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in several schools (20%)


A university graduate in English language and literature


No, see note¹


Not stated


Not stated

What materials are typically used? Not stated




Hungarian and Italian in regions bordering with Hungary and Italy in Year 1 as part of bilingual education


The new syllabus for English at primary school (ages 8/9 to 14 of the new 9-year elementary school) was officially approved in Autumn 1998. How the new curricula will be implemented is currently under discussion.

Note¹ Regional INSETT seminars are organised for teachers already teaching English in public primary schools at ages 11-14. This training, however, is unsystematic and does not lead to any specialisation or specialism. A new department opened in 1998/99 in the Faculty of Education in Ljubljana offering a specialisation in EYL to future and current primary teachers. The modular programme covers three academic years and consists of 750 hours of training, of which 615 hours are of FL development and 135 didactics in teaching EYL.

The implementation phase of the new curricula is currently under discussion. INSETT trainers consisting of 'study group leaders' and some teachers involved in the TFLLPL pilot project, when and if properly trained, might become EYL trainers.



No



Yes


Not stated

How much English do they typically offer?

2 per week




With very few exceptions neither parents, headteachers nor teachers perceive any conflict at the moment. Since unofficial EYL has increased drastically in the last 3-4 years, its effect on mainstream primary school teaching has not yet been investigated. That said, there appears to be not much difference between EYL in the private sector and the unofficial EYL taking place in the public schools. Some providers work in both sectors, being private concerns contracted to teach English by public school headteachers at the expense of the school or of the parents. In the private sector children tend to be younger, some as young as 5 or 6.

What materials do they use for EYL? International coursebooks



No






South Africa - English - British Council UK

South Africa ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? Over 50 years ago

At what age do students begin EYL? 6 (Year 1) as a subject; 10 (Year 5) as a medium


Not stated


Yes. Most pre-school nurseries focus on English to prepare children for English medium schools.


Not stated


Not stated

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/southafrica.htm (1 of 3)07/12/2004 09:45:22


Who does the EYL teaching? • The class teacher (50%) • A specialist teacher working in a single school (50%)


An established primary teacher with pre-service training at college or university


Yes, thanks to pre-service training


There is a fairly detailed description of suitable content


Yes, and within the school's budget

What materials are typically used? • Lesson materials devised by teachers themselves • Materials adapted by teachers from several published sources • International coursebooks • Locally published coursebooks


Afrikaans from age 6


No



Yes


Approximately 10%


There are no significant differences



What imported materials do they use for English?

Not stated



No



No






Spain - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Spain ● Public sector primary schools






Yes




None other than those stated here


Yes ¹


Ages 8-12: 3 x 1hour sessions a week (90 hours per school year)



http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/spain.htm (1 of 6)07/12/2004 09:45:33


Who does the EYL teaching? • A specialist teacher who works in only one school• A specialist teacher who works in several schools (rare except in some country areas)


• A graduate of a primary school teacher training college ² • A secondary teacher who is willing to work in a primary school³Note: There are at present 94 British trained infant and primary teachers working in public infant schools on a bilingual education project.


For the present yes, but supply would not be enough to keep up with demand if English were to be introduced at age 6 and made more widely available at age 3. (There is a programme of language improvement offered to teachers, but it is voluntary.)


There is a general description of aims for EYL but no specific advice about content. There is also a general guideline laid down for all primary schools and this contains a chapter on foreign language teaching (e.g., that the methodology should focus on teaching communicative skills, that the topics should be linked to those normally studied in primary schools, that the classroom should be activity-based).


There is an officially approved list of both locally and internationally produced material. The head of department chooses the books to be used, within budget limitations. Generally a series of coursebooks will then be in use for 4-5 years.



What materials are typically used? International and local published coursebooks (though the latter are less common now than they were in the mid 1990s). Teachers seldom have the level of English and knowledege of method required to produce their own materials and to adapt lesson materials adapted from published sources


In theory schools can choose between English and French, but in practice most parents insist that English be taught.


There are plans to reduce the official starting age to 6, and to extend the Inglés precoz (Early English) programme. The main problem this will present will be finding teachers with a sufficient knowledge of English to teach this age. There is a generally held belief that the younger the child, the lower the level of English the teacher needs.

Note¹ Several years ago Spain introduced an Education Reform Act redefining the ages of primary school education. Children were to make the transfer to secondary schools at the age of 11+ instead of 14. This left schools with the problem of what to do with primary teachers and 'specialists' who were not qualified to teach in secondary schools. One of the measures adopted was the Inglés precoz programme whereby many of these teachers were retrained to teach English in infant classes. There are now many schools where infants are having between 1 and 3 hours of English a week.

In addition, the British Council signed an agreement with the Spanish Government 3 years ago whereby 47 (now 98) British teachers were contracted to teach in Spanish infant state schools, the idea being that they would follow the British Council school bilingual curriculum. The project is proving very successful.

Note ² Teachers are trained at primary school teacher training colleges, and those who choose the speciality of English are in theory trained to teach English in primary. There is no language exam as such. However, in order to become what is known as a functionario (civil servant) and have a job for life, teachers need to sit an official state exam (Oposiciones). This takes place every year or second year. It is a theoretical written exam. Those teachers who pass go to the practical exam where they are given the choice of 2 themes chosen at random from 25. They have to demonstrate the practical applications of the themes to the classroom. The third part of the exam is the accumulation of points that teachers get from attending recognised MEC methodology courses. The number of teachers who pass the Oposiciones each time is dependent on the number of places that



officially are considered to be available in each area. Teachers who get the highest points are able to choose the school they work in.

Note ³ A teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school, but who is willing to work in a primary school, must do the Oposiciones to get a place in a primary school.




Yes, private or semi-private (i.e., grant-aided) schools run by religious orders


Not stated


English is offered on and outside the curriculum. English used to be offered at an earlier age in private schools. Now that the starting age for EYL in public schools has been set at 8, the private sector is seeking to maintain its lead by introducing English even earlier.




Yes


Not stated

How many hours of English is typically offered?

3 per week




For children attending (for example) the British Council evening school the methodology is different with a greater focus on learning the language for communication purposes, less translation, no direct focus on teaching grammar, and very little importance placed on exams for 8-11 year olds

What materials do they use for EYL? In the better schools much of the material is produced in-house. In private academies, where many of the teachers may be non-qualified native speakers or Spanish-trained teachers with poor English or Spanish speakers with good English but little classroom competence, standard commercially available materials are used. The ease of use of the teacher's book often determines which coursebook is selected.



Yes


Not stated


Very often 6, and nearly always with a native English speaker chosen by the parents

Why do parents use private tutors? Partly because they want their children to learn English; partly because they want them to get ahead; and partly because it is the 'élite' thing to do.



Sri Lanka - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Sri Lanka ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? In the 1930s

At what age do students begin EYL? Grade 1 and 2: Activity-based oral English.Grade 3 (age 7/8): More formal study with a textbook begins.


English was introduced in Grade 3 in 1991. In 1999 the official starting age was lowered to Grade 1.


Yes. English is taught in nursery schools (especially in urban areas) and in international schools from age 3/4.


Grade 3: 5 x 30minute lessons per week (80 hours per year). Grade 4 onwards: 5 x 40minute lessons per week (140 hours per year).

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No statistics are available, though it is estimated that there may be 400,000+ students in each grade level

Who does the EYL teaching? • A specialist teacher working in one school (80%) • A specialist teacher working in several schools (5%) • A person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in one school (1%) • As above but working in several schools (10%)


• An established primary teacher with a pass in a local test of English • An established primary teacher status with a pass in an internationally recognised test of English • A primary teacher who has successfully completed an in-service training course in English and/or EYL methodology • A qualified teacher with pre-service training at a college or university • A secondary teacher who is willing to teacher in a primary school • A university graduate in English


No. The Government intends to open new teacher training colleges.


There is a fairly detailed specification of content, listing topic areas, functions and skills


There is only 1 approved book and this is published specially by the Ministry of Education

What materials are typically used? Locally produced materials


None




New Grade 3-5 textbook materials are in preparation in a project supported by DFID and the British Council. Grade 3 books were trialled in one province from January 2000 and will be used islandwide from January 2001. The single text book policy will change shortly since there is a World Bank project for the general upgrading of educational publishing that will result in open market competition in text books from about 2003.




Yes


5-30%


They are English medium schools




Yes, 2 British Council institutes


Less than 1%


Not stated




Not stated




Yes


60-90%


Often before mainstream education

Why do parents use private tutors? Parents understand that English is the universal language and that their children need to be able to use it






Sudan - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Sudan ● Public sector primary schools






Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? 10 (Form 5)


The starting age was raised from 11 to 12 (Year 1 General Secondary) in 1971, before it was reduced to 10 in 1990


No


Forms 5/6: 3hours per week (180 working days, each with 30 minutes of EYL, make for 90 hours of English a year)

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Who does the EYL teaching? • A specialist teacher working in one school (20%) • A person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in one school (80%)


• An established primary teacher with a pass in English at Sudanese School Certificate level • An established primary teacher with two years of in-service training after secondary school • An established teacher with pre-service training at a college or university and a qualification to become a teacher of English at primary level. (Within the new educational policy this is the kind of teacher now being prepared at college level to join the profession from 2000.)


No. New colleges with ELT departments are being established to cover the 26 states in Sudan.


There are teacher's guide books


Yes. There is only 1 approved book and this is published specially for schools in this country. No other choice is allowed.



None, but French is introduced at age 15 (first year of secondary education)


The recruitment of all teachers from faculties of education. A study of the backwash effects of the EYL final exam is well underway.






Yes


5%


The starting age (6 years). The materials.

What materials do they use for EYL? Materials are locally prepared by schools and Sudanese NGOs. International coursebooks are used in international schools and in some NGO schools



Yes, but they are all in Khartoum


Approximately 5%


6 per week


Students at private schools usually score higher in the national final exam. Teaching is almost always aimed at the exam, which emphasises structure and grammar, though this is under review.






Yes, mainly in Khartoum


Approximately 3%


Not before mainstream education

Why do parents use private tutors? There is nationwide discontent with standards in public schools, which are seen as having fallen over the years






Taiwan - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Taiwan ● Public sector primary schools






Yes, in selected areas from 1998 - Taipei City, Tainan, Kaoshung City. From 2001 it will be Taiwan-wide.

When was it introduced? See above - from 1998 in selected areas

At what age do students begin EYL? Various, pre-2001 (see below). Official start for the 2001 National Curriculum will be 5th Grade.


In 1993 the Ministry of Education allowed schools to teach English in extracurricular activities. Since then public primary schools have offered English classes if there are teachers available. (But there has been no control of teacher quality.)

In 1994 the National English Curriculum was announced. The official start for English was in Junior High School.

In Autumn 1998 the 3 cities mentioned above were the first in Taiwan to introduce EYL as an official part of the

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/taiwan.htm (1 of 5)07/12/2004 09:46:17


curriculum in public education. Taipei City taught from the 3rd Grade, Tainan City from the 2nd Grade and Kaoshung City from the 5th Grade.


Yes


From 2001 it will be 80 minutes per week x 2 semesters of 18 weeks each = 48hours teaching per year


Not stated

Who does the EYL teaching? • The normal class teacher • A specialist teacher of English who works only in one school • A person, not a qualified teacher, who knows English and works in only one school• A person, not a qualified teacher, who knows English and visits different schools to give lessons. (Usually this person is working for private language institutes. S/he can be an English major, but without a teaching certificate.)


• An established primary teacher who has passed a local test or exam in English. (The Ministry of Education has authorised a local testing centre, LTTC, to develop an English proficiency test - including written and oral tests - to screen future English teachers.• A university graduate of English who has not taken courses in Education or Teaching methodology. (If a college graduate passes the abovementioned exams, s/he will be eligible to register on the English Teacher Training Programme.)




Yes. The Ministry of Education has estimated the number of EYL teachers and set up teacher training programmes for them. In fact, there will be enough EYL teachers available, but there is no guarantee that every school will be able to recruit enough EYL teachers (especially in rural areas).


There is a fairly detailed outline of suitable content, with suggested word lists


Teachers may choose any published materials (local or international), provided they are within budget and that the materials have official clearance or approval

What materials are typically used? • Lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources• International published coursebooks• Locally published coursebooks


None


In 2001 children Taiwan-wide will start learning English in the 5th Grade




Not stated


Not stated


Not stated






Yes


Not stated


Not stated


In private schools children start learning English at an earlier age. The schools offer more hours of English. Some private schools recruit native speakers.

What materials do they use for EYL? They use international published textbooks, locally produced textbooks and material developed by teachers



Yes


More than 80% of 5th Grade children in Taipei City





Why do parents use private tutors? In general parents want their children to be able to speak English fluently, or at least parents want their children to outperform other children in English when they enter secondary school. (This means that they have a better chance of getting in to one of the more prestigious high schools and colleges in the future.)






Tunisia - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Tunisia ● Public sector primary schools






No


The age at which public school students begin English was reduced by 2 years in 1995/5 (from 15 to 13 years of age). There is now discussion of reducing it by one more year, i.e. to age 12, which is the beginning of secondary school.



No, but there are some


http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/tunisia.htm (1 of 2)07/12/2004 09:46:36

Tunisia - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK


No



There are probably informal tutor-led groups run by teachers/ inspectors of English, but it is impossible to say whether this is a widespread practice


Not known


Not stated

Why do parents use private tutors? Not stated





http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/tunisia.htm (2 of 2)07/12/2004 09:46:36

Turkey - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Turkey ● Public sector primary schools






Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? 9 (Primary Year 4)


Until 1998 EYL was offered at age 11 for 1 school year exclusively for some special state schools as well as private schools


No


Grades 4/5: 2hours per week Grade 6 upwards: 3hours per week The teaching year is 36 weeks, so 72-108 hours per year.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/turkey.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:46:45



Not stated

Who does the EYL teaching? • A specialist teacher of English who works in only one school (mainly) • A person not a qualified teacher who knows English and who works in only one school


• A teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school, but who is willing to work in primary schools (mainly) • A university graduate of English who has not taken courses in Education or Teaching methodology


No. Steps are being taken to increase the number of incoming students to pre-service training universities by offering them financial incentives (state scholarships) and/or employment opportunities at graduation.


There is a fairly detailed outline of suitable content with, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included in the teaching.


There is an officially-approved list of locally published materials, and teachers may choose any of these, within their budget.

What materials are typically used? Locally published coursebooks.


German and French are taught from age 11


No






Yes, in big cities


3-4%


Children start earlier, in pre-school year (age 5). They have more hours of English per week Grade 1: 3-4 hours per week; Grade 2: 6-8 hours per week; Grade 3 upwards: 8-10 hours per week.

What materials do they use for EYL? Teachers may choose any published materials (local or international) provided that they are within budget and that the materials have had official clearance or approval.



Not for children



Yes


No data available


No data available

Why do parents use private tutors? To help children pass their courses


United Arab Emirates - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

United Arab Emirates







Yes


At what age do students begin EYL? 6 (Grade 1)


Not stated


No


4 x 40 minutes per week



http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/uae.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:46:58


Who does the EYL teaching? A specialist teacher working in one school (100%)


• A primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English and/or EYL methodology • A teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level • A teacher who is qualified to teach English at secondary level but who is willing to work in a primary school • A university graduate of English who has not taken courses in education or teaching methodology


Yes


Teachers are supplied with a coursebook that has an accompanying course guide


Yes. There is only one approved book for use in schools.

What materials are typically used? • Original teaching materials devised by teachers themselves • Locally published course materials • What teachers do in the classroom depends very much on their individual supervisors. Some are encouraged to improvise, others are told to go by the book.


None


Not stated






Yes


Not known


Different starting age, teaching hours, material




Yes


Not stated


Not stated

Is there any perceived conflict between state and private provision in EYL?

Not stated

What materials do they use for EYL? In general internationally published materials



Yes




Not stated


Probably not before mainstream education

Why do parents use private tutors? Some use them because the schools that their children attend are very exams/results-oriented. Others use them to make up for shortcomings in schools in terms of resources and inexperienced teachers.






Ukraine - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Ukraine ● Public sector primary schools






Yes

When was it introduced? 1961 - at Extensive English Learning schools

At what age do students begin EYL? 7 (Year 1) in Extensive English Learning schools; 10/11 (Year 5)


No


No


Years 1/ 2: 3hours per week (100hours per year) Years 3/4: 4hours per week (130hours per year)

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/ukraine.htm (1 of 4)07/12/2004 09:47:07




Who does the EYL teaching? • A specialist teacher working in one school (80%)• A specialist teacher working in several schools (20%)


• An established primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English language and/or EYL methodology, e.g. at Kharkiv Pedagogical University • A secondary teacher who is willing to teach English in a primary school


No


There is detailed specification of content, with e.g. word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included in the teaching.


Sources are recommended by the Ministry of Education, though schools may lack the funds to buy them.

What materials are typically used? • Original materials devised by the teachers themselves • Materials adapted by teachers from several published sources • International coursebooks • Locally published coursebooks


German, French, Spanish, Hebrew


Not stated






Yes


5%


Different starting age, teaching hours, materials




Yes


5%


4-6 per week


Private schools offer more advanced lessons and have a different methodology

What materials do they use for EYL? Internationally published books - OUP, Longman, CUP



Yes




10%



Why do parents use private tutors? So that their children can start learning English earlier and have access to more and better quality instruction






Venezuela - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK

Venezuela ● Public sector primary schools






No



Yes


Perhaps 20%


Private schools use imported materials, start at age 5 and offer 4 x 60minute periods of English a week

What materials do they use for EYL? US materials - OUP, Longman


http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/venezuela.htm (1 of 3)07/12/2004 09:47:21

Venezuela - Teaching English to young learners - British Council UK


Yes


2-3%


4 per week


Not stated

What materials do they use for EYL? Imported materials such as Parade, (Longman)



Yes


Perhaps 2%



Why do parents use private tutors? To make up for deficiencies in mainstream education



http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/venezuela.htm (2 of 3)07/12/2004 09:47:21

Summary: EYL in public sector primary schools - English - British Council UK

Summary: EYL in public sector primary schools

More detailed information about recent and anticipated developments in EYL can be found in the individual country pages.

The abbreviation N/A should be read as not applicable.

Table 1 Argentina Austria Bahrain Bangladesh Brazil Colombia Croatia

Table 2 Cyprus Czech Republic Ecuador Ethiopia France GreeceHong Kong

Table3 HungaryIceland India - Goa India - Gujarat India - Maharashtra India - West Bengal Indonesia

Table 4 IsraelKoreaLatvia Malaysia MexicoNetherlandsPakistan

Table 5 PolandRomaniaRussiaSloveniaSouth AfricaSpainSri Lanka

Table 6 Sudan TaiwanTunisia TurkeyUkraine UAE Venezuela

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/public.htm (1 of 2)07/12/2004 09:47:42

EYL in public education (1) - English - British Council UK

Summary of EYL in public primary schools

Argentina Austria Bahrain Bangladesh Brazil Colombia Croatia

Is EYL taught as an official part of the curriculum?

It is being introduced

Yes Yes Yes No It is being introduced but is not widespread

Yes

When was it introduced? 1998 (regionally) 1983 1920 1992 N/A Not stated 1997

At what age do students begin EYL?

8 8 9 6 N/A 11 6/7

Is there any widespread teaching of English before official EYL begins?

No Not stated Yes No N/A Some, in upper primary

N/A


At least 72 hours/year

1 hour/week x 35 weeks/year

5 hours/week x 32 weeks/year

44-82 hours/year

N/A 3 x 45 minutes/week

105-170 hours/year

How many EYL a) teachers and b) students are there in the public education system?

Not stated Not stated a. 150b. 30,000

a. 228,000 b. 18,030,805

N/A a. 154,543 b. 4,101,135

Not known

% breakdown of how EYL teaching is supplied ¹

a. 5% b. 5% c. 10% d. 40% e. 40%

(b, c, d, e are estimates)

a. 99% b. 1%

b. 100% a. 100% N/A a. 100% a. 10% b. 80% d. 10%

Who is eligible to teach EYL in the public education system? ²

h d a, d, h h N/A Not stated d, e

http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/public1.htm (1 of 3)07/12/2004 09:47:51


Nationwide are schools able to recuit enough eligible teachers?

No Yes Yes No N/A Not stated No

What official guidelines exist for EYL teaching? ³

d d d c N/A b d

Do EYL teaching materials have to be approved? 4

a d e e N/A b c

What materials are typically used? 5

b, c a, d a, b, c, d, e d N/A a, b, c, d c, d

What other foreign languages are taught?

Spanish (if not L1), Portuguese, French

French, Italian None None N/A None French, German, Italian

Are any changes in EYL provision planned or anticipated?

Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A Yes Not stated

Back to Public index page

¹ a) the students' regular class teacher; b) a specialist teacher of English who works in only one school; c) a specialist teacher of English who gives lessons in more than one school; d) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in only one school; e) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who gives lessons in more than one school; f) other.² a) an established primary teacher who has passed a local test of English; b) an established primary teacher who has passed an internationally recognised language test; c) a primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English and/or EYL methodology; d) a teacher who has pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level; e) a teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school but who is willing to work in a primary school; f) a university graduate of English who has not taken courses in education or teaching methodology; g) a native speaker of English who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher; (h). other.³ a) no published guidelines or syllabus; b) a general description of aims for EYL but no specific advice about content; c) a fairly detailed outline of suitable content, e.g. listing topic areas. functions, skills; d) a more detailed specification of content, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included; e) other.4 a) teachers have to make their own materials as there is no school budget for books; b) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget; c) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget and that the materials have been officially cleared or approved; d) there is an officially approved list of locally published material and teachers may choose anything on it, within their budget; e) there is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in the country/region. No other choice is allowed; f) other. 5 a) original materials devised by teachers themselves; b) lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources; c) international published coursebooks; d) local published coursebooks; e) other.




Cyprus Czech Republic

Ecuador Ethiopia France Greece Hong Kong


Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

When was it introduced? Before 1950 1997 December 1993 50+ years ago 1989 1993 Over 50 years ago


9/10 9/10 5/6 8 Year 4 9 5/6


No Yes No No Some No Yes


3 x 40 minutes/week x 30-35 weeks = 60-70 hours/year

3 x 40 minutes/week = 90 lessons/year

Optional up to 70 hours/year (1-2 x 45 minutes/week)

1 lesson of 45-50 minutes/day

1 hour/week for Primary 2 and 3; 1.5 hours/week for Primary 4 and 5

3 x 45 minutes/week x 35 weeks/year = 80 hours/year (approximately)

180-210 hours/year (approximately) in 35-minute lessons


a. 636b. 31,353

a. 5-8,000 (estimate)b. 150,000 (estimate)

Not stated Not stated a. 24,615b. 602,845

a. 1,000 (approximately)b. 353,000 (approximately)(1997 figures)

a. 7,655b. 461,911


a. 98% b. 1% c. 1%

a, c, d b, c, d, e, f a. 85% a. 45% b. 35% d. 20% (approximately)

b. 60% c. 40%

a. 53% b. 47%


d, e, h d, e, g, h a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h d a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h

d, e a, c




Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes


d c b c d d, e d


e d a e b e c


a, b, d c, d a, b, c, d d a, b, e a, b, d d


None German Spanish, indigenous languages

Regional languages, Amharic

German, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian

Not stated None


Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes


¹ a) the students' regular class teacher; b) a specialist teacher of English who works in only one school; c) a specialist teacher of English who gives lessons in more than one school; d) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in only one school; e) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who gives lessons in more than one school; f) other.² a) an established primary teacher who has passed a local test of English; b) an established primary teacher who has passed an internationally recognised language test; c) a primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English and/or EYL methodology; d) a teacher who has pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level; e) a teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school but who is willing to work in a primary school; f) a university graduate of English who has not taken courses in education or teaching methodology; g) a native speaker of English who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher; h) other. ³ a) no published guidelines or syllabus; b) a general description of aims for EYL but no specific advice about content; c) a fairly detailed outline of suitable content, e.g. listing topic areas. functions, skills; d) a more detailed specification of content, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included; e) other. 4 a) teachers have to make their own materials as there is no school budget for books; b) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget; c) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget and that the materials have been officially cleared or approved; d) there is an officially approved list of locally published material and teachers may choose anything on it, within their budget; e) there is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in the country/region. No other choice is allowed; f) other.5 a) original materials devised by teachers themselves; b) lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources; c) international published coursebooks; d) local published coursebooks; e) other.




Hungary Iceland India-Goa India-Gujarat India-Maharashtra

India-West Bengal

Indonesia


Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

When was it introduced? 1998 Autumn 1999 1981 1981 Not stated 1999 1994


11 9/10 7/8 10/11 10/11 7/8 9/10


Yes No No Not stated No Some, not widespread

No


1-3 hours/week = 35-105 hours/year

2 x 40-minute lessons/week

5 x 35-minute lessons/week

60 hours/year 5 x 30 minutes/week = 80 hours/year

5 x 40-minute lessons x 25 weeks/year

1 x 90-minute lesson/week x 40 weeks = 60 hours/year (approximately)


a. No statistics availableb. 324,000 (approximately)

Not stated a. 2,811b. 98,416

a. over 40,000b. over 2,000,000

a. 100,000b. over 2,000,000

Not stated Not known


a. infrequent b. 60% c. infrequent

a, b, d a. 100% a. 40% b. 10% d. 40%

a. 100% a. 70% (approximately)c. (remainder)

a. 85% b. 2% c. 10% d. 2%


a, d, e d, e, h c a d a, d, f d, e


Depends on area No Yes No Yes No No




d b d c, d (teacher's manual)

d (teacher's manual)

d b


b Yes (d) e e e, but also c e a


c (most typical); also a, b, d

c, d d a, d a, b, d d a, b, d


French and German

Danish Konkani and Marathi

None None None Not stated


No No No No Yes No Yes


¹ a) the students' regular class teacher; b) a specialist teacher of English who works in only one school; c) a specialist teacher of English who gives lessons in more than one school; d) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in only one school; e) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who gives lessons in more than one school.² a) an established primary teacher who has passed a local test of English; b) an established primary teacher who has passed an internationally recognised language test; c) a primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English and/or EYL methodology; d) a teacher who has pre-service training at college pr university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level; e) a teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school but who is willing to work in a primary school; f) a university graduate of English who has not taken courses in education or teaching methodology; (g). a native speaker of English who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher; (h). other³ a) no published guidelines or syllabus; b) a general description of aims for EYL but no specific advice about content; c) a fairly detailed outline of suitable content, e.g. listing topic areas. functions, skills; d) a more detailed specification of content, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included; e) other.4 a) teachers have to make their own materials as there is no school budget for books; b) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget; c) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget and that the materials have been officially cleared or approved; d) there is an officially approved list of locally published material and teachers may choose anything on it, within their budget; e) there is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in the country/region. No other choice is allowed; f) other. 5 a) original materials devised by teachers themselves; b) lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources; c) international published coursebooks; d) local published coursebooks; e) other.




Israel Korea Latvia Malaysia Mexico (a) Netherlands Pakistan


Yes Yes Yes Yes Only pilot projects Yes Yes

When was it introduced?

1989 1997 1990 English has always been taught

1995 1986 1989


9/10 (normally) 8/9 8/9 Year 1 or 3 6/7 10/11 4/5


Yes No No Yes No No Yes


2-4 hours/week 2 x 40 minutes/week x 34 weeks/year

3-5 x 40 minutes/week x 35 weeks/year

4-4.5 hours/week in 30-minute lessons

100 hours/year (approximately)

100 hours throughout primary education

2 hours 10 minutes/week x 33 weeks (approximately)




a. Not knownb. 5,122 (approximately)


a. 400 b. 62,000 (Coahilla only)




b, c a, b (see country page)

a. 10% b. 20% d. 70%

a. 35% b. 55%f. 20%

b. 12% c. 8% d. 45% e. 35%

a. 95 - 100%b. up to 5%

a


c, d, e, f, g (f and g must pass a local exam)

a, c, h (see country page)

c, d, e, f, h a, b, c, d, e, f a c, d, e d




No No No No No No No


b d b d b b d


d d b c Not stated b e


a, b, d d a, b, c, d a, b, c, d, e a, b, c, e a, b, d d


Arabic, Hebrew (if not L1)

None German Tamil, Mandarin Spanish (if not L1), French

None Urdu, Arabic


Yes Yes No No No Yes No


a) The information provided here is from a pilot EYL project being trialled in the state of Coahuila.¹ a) the students' regular class teacher; b) a specialist teacher of English who works in only one school; c) a specialist teacher of English who gives lessons in more than one school; d) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in only one school; e) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who gives lessons in more than one school; f) other. ² a) an established primary teacher who has passed a local test of English; b) an established primary teacher who has passed an internationally recognised language test; c) a primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English and/or EYL methodology; d) a teacher who has pre-service training at college pr university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level; e) a teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school but who is willing to work in a primary school; f) a university graduate of English who has not taken courses in education or teaching methodology; g) a native speaker of English who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher; h) other.³ a) no published guidelines or syllabus; b) a general description of aims for EYL but no specific advice about content; c) a fairly detailed outline of suitable content, e.g. listing topic areas. functions, skills; d) a more detailed specification of content, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included; e) other.4 a) teachers have to make their own materials as there is no school budget for books; b) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget; c) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget and that the materials have been officially cleared or approved; d) there is an officially approved list of locally published material and teachers may choose anything on it, within their budget; e) there is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in the country/region. No other choice is allowed; f) other. 5} a) original materials devised by teachers themselves; b) lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources; c) international published coursebooks; d) local published coursebooks; e) other.




Poland Romania Russia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka


Yes Yes Only if certain conditions are met

Yes Yes Yes Yes

When was it introduced? 1994 1990 1992 1999 50+ years ago 1990 In the 1930s


10 10/11 6/7 10/11 6 8/9 5/6


Yes Yes No data available Yes Yes Yes Yes


240 hours spread over the 3 years of Grades 4, 5 and 6

1.4 - 2.3 hours/week x 28 weeks/year

35-85 hours/year 35-175 hours/year Not stated 90 hours/year 80 - 140 hours/year


Not stated No statistics available

a. Not knownb. 1.29 m (Grades 1-4)

a. 2,135b. 6,000 (estimate)

Not stated No statistics available

a. No statistics availableb. 400,000 (in each Grade level approximately)


b, c, d, e a Not stated a. 10%b. 70%c. 20%

a. 50% b. 50%

b, c, f b. 80% c. 5% d. 1% e. 10% (approximately)


c, d, e, g, h a, e, g, h d, e, f, g f d d, e, h a, b, c, d, e, f




No No No No Yes Yes No


c Not stated d Not stated c b c


b Not stated c Not stated c c e


a, b, c, d Not stated a, c, d Not stated a, b, c, d c, d d


German, Russian French, German, Russian, Italian, Japanese, Spanish

French, German, Spanish

Hungarian, Italian Afrikaans French None


Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes


¹ a) the students' regular class teacher; b) a specialist teacher of English who works in only one school; c) a specialist teacher of English who gives lessons in more than one school; d) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in only one school; e) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who gives lessons in more than one school. ² a) an established primary teacher who has passed a local test of English; b) an established primary teacher who has passed an internationally recognised language test; c) a primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English and/or EYL methodology; d) a teacher who has pre-service training at college pr university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level; e) a teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school but who is willing to work in a primary school; f) a university graduate of English who has not taken courses in education or teaching methodology; g) a native speaker of English who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher; h) other.3 a) no published guidelines or syllabus; b) a general description of aims for EYL but no specific advice about content; c) a fairly detailed outline of suitable content, e.g. listing topic areas. functions, skills; d) a more detailed specification of content, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included; e) other. 4 a) teachers have to make their own materials as there is no school budget for books; b) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget; c) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget and that the materials have been officially cleared or approved; d) there is an officially approved list of locally published material and teachers may choose anything on it, within their budget; e) there is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in the country/region. No other choice is allowed; f) other. 5 a) original materials devised by teachers themselves; b) lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources; c) international published coursebooks; d) local published coursebooks; e) other.




Sudan Taiwan Tunisia Turkey Ukraine UAE Venezuela

Is EYL taught as a compulsory part of the curriculum?

Yes It is being introduced

No Yes Yes Yes No

When was it introduced? 1990 1998 (in the main cities)

N/A 1998 1961 Not stated N/A


10 5th Grade N/A 9 10/11 6 N/A

Is there any widespread teaching of English before compulsory EYL begins?

No Yes N/A No No No N/A


90 hours/year 80 minutes/week x 2 semesters of 18 weeks = 48 hours/year

N/A 72 - 108 hours/year

100 - 130 hours/year

4 x 40 minutes/week

N/A


a. 15,000 b. 1.125m


N/A Not stated No statistics available


N/A


b. 20% d. 80%

a, b, d N/A b. mainlyd. some

b. 80% c. 20%

b. 100% N/A

Who is qualified to teach EYL in the public education system? ²

a, c, d a, d (if they pass an entrance exam for teacher training)

N/A e, f c, e c, d, e, f N/A


No Yes N/A No No Yes N/A




e c N/A d d e N/A


e b N/A d d e N/A


d b, c, d N/A d a, b, c, d a, d N/A


None None N/A German, French (from age 11)

French, German, Hebrew, Spanish

None N/A


Yes Yes No No Not stated Not stated Not stated


¹ a) the students' regular class teacher; b) a specialist teacher of English who works in only one school; c) a specialist teacher of English who gives lessons in more than one school; d) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who works in only one school; e) a person who is not a qualified teacher but who knows English and who gives lessons in more than one school

² a) an established primary teacher who has passed a local test of English; b) an established primary teacher who has passed an internationally recognised language test; c) a

primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English and/or EYL methodology; d) a teacher who has pre-service training at college pr university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level; e) a teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school but who is willing to work in a primary school; f) a university graduate of English who has not taken courses in education or teaching methodology; g) a native speaker of English who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher; h) other

³ a) no published guidelines or syllabus; b) a general description of aims for EYL but no specific advice about content; c) a fairly detailed outline of suitable content, e.g. listing topic

areas, functions, skills; d) a more detailed specification of content, e.g., word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included; e) other.4 a) teachers have to make their own materials as there is no school budget for books; b) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget; c) teachers may choose any published materials provided that they are within the school budget and that the materials have been officially cleared or approved; d) there is an officially approved list of locally published material and teachers may choose anything on it, within their budget; e) there is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in the country/region. No other choice is allowed; f) other. 5 a) original materials devised by teachers themselves; b) lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources; c) international published coursebooks; d) local published coursebooks; e) other


Summary: EYL in the private sector - English - British Council UK

Summary: EYL in the private sector

Topics

■ EYL in private sector primary schools

■ EYL in private language schools

■ Private tuition in EYL

More detailed information can be found in the individual country pages.

The abbreviation N/A should be read as Not Applicable.

English for young learner home page



http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/private.htm07/12/2004 09:48:55

EYL in private sector primary schools - English - British Council UK

Summary: EYL in private sector primary schools

Country Number of schools significant?

% of Young Learners attending them

Differences from public sector schools

Materials used for EYL

Argentina Yes Not stated Syllabus, teaching hours

Not stated

Austria No N/A N/A N/A

Bahrain Yes 6% Earlier start; English medium

Not stated

Bangladesh Yes 10% estimated English medium Non-government and some imported

Brazil Yes No statistics available

No public sector provision

Not stated

Colombia Yes 80% Not stated Not stated

Croatia No N/A N/A N/A

Cyprus Yes Not stated Teaching hours; curriculum; materials

Not stated

Czech Republic No N/A N/A N/A

Ecuador Yes 30% approximately Teaching hours. Some schools teach other subjects in English.

Not stated

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Ethiopia No N/A N/A N/A

France Yes Not stated Most follow same curriculum; a foreign language may be introduced earlier

Same as public schools

Greece Yes 5% approximately Better trained teachers; smaller classes; more resources; but same curriculum

Not stated

Hong Kong Yes 10% approximately Most are English medium

Not stated

Hungary Some Under 1% No data available No data available

Iceland No N/A N/A N/A

India - Goa No N/A N/A N/A

India - Gujarat Yes 10% English medium Not stated

India - Maharashtra

Yes 35% No difference - uniform curriculum

Not stated

India - West Bengal No information available

No information available



Indonesia Yes 5% Starting age; quality of teachers; teaching hours; materials

Not stated

Israel No N/A N/A N/A

Korea Not stated Not stated Not stated Not stated



Latvia Very few 0.9% Earlier start; specialist teachers; sometimes more teaching hours

Not stated

Malaysia Yes 10% Some follow UK curriculum

Not stated

Mexico Yes 7.32% Primary ELT is not part of state sector but is widespread in private sector; teachers tend to be better prepared

Not stated

Netherlands No N/A N/A N/A

Pakistan Yes Urban minority but no statistics available

Better qualified teachers, different books

Internationally published materials

Poland No N/A N/A N/A

Romania No N/A N/A N/A

Russia Yes 1% Curriculum; teaching hours may be greater

Not stated

Slovenia No N/A N/A N/A

South Africa Yes 10% approximately None Not stated

Spain Yes Not stated English offered in and outside the curriculum; earlier start

Not stated

Sri Lanka Yes 5-30% English medium Not stated



Sudan Yes 5% Earlier starting age; materials

Locally prepared; international schools may use international coursebooks

Taiwan Not stated Not stated Not stated Not stated

Tunisia No N/A N/A N/A

Turkey Yes, in big cities 3-4% Earlier start, more hours

Local and international

Ukraine Yes 5% Starting age; teaching hours; materials

Not stated

UAE Yes No data available Starting age; teaching hours; materials

Not stated

Venezuela Yes 20% estimated Earlier start (English is not taught in the public sector)

Imported material from USA

Private tutoring home page




EYL in private language schools - English - British Council UK

Summary: EYL in private language schools

Country Number of schools significant?

% of public school students attending them

How much English is taught?

Differences from EYL provision in public schools

Materials used for EYL

Argentina Only in Buenos Aires

Not stated 3-10 hours/week

More advanced classes; different methodology

Mainly imported from UK

Austria No N/A N/A N/A N/A

Bahrain Yes 15-20% 3-4 hours/week

Students attain a higher level of English competence

UK and US materials

Bangladesh Yes 5% estimated 4 hours/week

Students' English is more advanced

Imported textbooks

Brazil Yes Not stated 2.5 hours/week

N/A (there is no public provision)

Imported UK and US textbooks

Colombia Yes 10% Not stated Not stated Not stated

Croatia Yes Not stated 2 hours/week

Better conditions Local and international materials

Cyprus Yes 5% approximately 2-3 hours/week

No significant differences

Various, mostly imported from UK



Czech Republic

Yes Under 20% 2 hours/week

Students' English is more advanced

Same as in public schools

Ecuador Yes 10% approximately 5 hours/week

Different methodology, more advanced English

International materials

Ethiopia No N/A N/A Not stated N/A

France Yes Not stated Up to 6 hours/week

More advanced classes; methodology more likely to be UK-based

In-house, published and authentic

Greece Yes 80% approximately 3-6 hours/week

Children start earlier and become more advanced; facilities are better

Variety of local and international materials

Hong Kong Only the British Council

2,060 EYL students per term

2.67 hours/week x 9 weeks (BC school)

Different methodology

BC materials

Hungary No N/A N/A N/A N/A

Iceland No N/A N/A N/A N/A

India - Goa No N/A N/A N/A N/A

India - Gujarat

No N/A N/A N/A N/A

India - Maharashtra

No N/A N/A N/A N/A

India - West Bengal








Indonesia Yes 10% 3 hours/week

Not stated Many kinds

Israel Yes Not stated 1-2 hours/week

These lessons provide support for students with difficulties

Not stated

Korea Yes Up to 90% Not stated Not stated Not stated

Latvia No N/A N/A N/A N/A

Malaysia Yes Not stated Not stated Not stated Both local and international materials

Mexico No 30,000 (estimate) 3 hours/week

Not stated International materials

Netherlands No N/A N/A N/A N/A

Pakistan No N/A N/A N/A N/A

Poland Yes 35 - 50% in cities; fewer in smaller towns

2 hours/week

Lessons may be more advanced; methodology more modern; teaching more interactive

International course books, cassettes, videos

Romania No N/A N/A Not stated N/A

Russia Yes No statistics available

Not stated Not stated Not stated

Slovenia Yes Not stated 2 hours/week

No differences on the whole


South Africa No Not stated Not stated Not stated Not stated



Spain Yes Not stated 3 hours/week

Different, more communicative methodology

In-house and international materials

Sri Lanka Yes Less than 1% Not stated Not stated Not stated

Sudan Yes, but all in Khartoum

5% approximately 6 hours/week

Students perform better; teaching is exam-oriented

Not stated

Taiwan Yes Not stated Not stated Children start English earlier; more hours of English are offered

International and local course books and in-house materials

Tunisia No N/A N/A N/A N/A

Turkey No N/A N/A N/A N/A

Ukraine Yes 5% 4-6 hours per week

More advanced lessons; different methodology


UAE Yes Not stated Not stated Not stated International materials

Venezuela Yes 2-3% estimated 4 hours/week

Not stated Imported materials





Private tuition in EYL - English - British Council UK

Summary: Private tuition in EYL

Country Is there a significant amount of private tuition?

% of children having private

tuition in English

Typical starting age Why do parents use private tutors?

Argentina Yes Not stated Before mainstream education

To make up for shortcomings of public system

Austria No N/A N/A N/A

Bahrain No N/A N/A N/A

Bangladesh Yes Not stated Not usually before mainstream education


Brazil No N/A N/A N/A

Colombia No N/A N/A N/A

Croatia Yes Not stated Usually before mainstream education

They believe they offer better teaching

Cyprus Yes Not stated Usually before mainstream education

Public provision is not considered to be enough

Czech Republic

No N/A N/A N/A



Ecuador No N/A N/A N/A

Ethiopia Yes 2% Not usually before mainstream education

Because of the importance they attach to English as the medium of secondary and tertiary education

France A little Not stated May be before mainstream education

They want their children to be bilingual

Greece Yes 10% approximately May be younger than mainstream education

To get a head start; to make up for shortcomings of public schools; convenience; access to a native speaker

Hong Kong Yes 10% (estimate) Same as for the public system

To help children get through their homework

Hungary Yes 40% (estimate) Before mainstream education

They believe that an early start is an advantage

Iceland No N/A N/A N/A

India - Goa No N/A N/A N/A

India - Gujarat Yes 10% Before mainstream education


India - Maharashtra

Yes 70% Not before mainstream education

To strengthen their children's study habits

India - West Bengal







Indonesia Yes 10% Before mainstream education

To give children access to more intensive and advanced teaching

Israel Yes Not stated Before mainstream education

To make sure that their children know English as well as they do

Korea Yes Many Not stated To get an early start

Latvia Yes Not stated Probably not before mainstream education

To make up for shortcomings of the public system; to give their children an edge

Malaysia Yes 60% Before mainstream education

To give their children a good foundation in English

Mexico No N/A N/A N/A

Netherlands No N/A N/A N/A

Pakistan Yes No statistics available N/A To help children in private schools meet the expectations of the schools where all subjects are taught through the medium of English

Poland Yes Not stated Usually before mainstream education

Lower fees than in a private language school; more personalised attention

Romania Yes Not stated Not significantly before mainstream education

To give their children an edge; when English is not offered on the school curriculum; prestige



Russia Yes Not stated May be before mainstream education

To give their children an start than is possible in school

Slovenia No N/A N/A N/A

South Africa No Not stated Not stated Not stated

Spain Yes Not stated Very often at 6 years of age

To give their children an edge; prestige

Sri Lanka Yes 60-90% Often before mainstream education

Competition. Parents see English as the universal language.

Sudan Yes 3% approximately Not before mainstream education

Out of discontent with the public system

Taiwan Yes Over 80% of 5th Grade in Taipei City


To give their children a head start in getting into top schools, colleges

Tunisia Possibly, but not widespead

Not stated Not stated Not stated

Turkey Yes No data available No data available To help their children pass their courses

Ukraine Yes 10% Before mainstream education

So that their children begin English earlier and have more hours of teaching; the quality is better

UAE Yes Not stated Probably not before mainstream education

To prepare their children for school examinations; to make up for shortcomings of the public system



Venezuela Yes 2% (estimate) Before mainstream education

To make up for shortcomings of the public system; the quality of teaching is better





EYL Survey - Questionnaire - English - The British Council United Kingdom

Questionnaire

1. Country and/or region to which the answers refer.

2. Name of British Council recipient/co-ordinator of answers to this questionnaire

3. Name and professional role of the person actually providing the responses (if different from 2 above). Please also supply contact address/e-mail address for Shelagh Rixon to use for clarifications and queries.

State school provision

4. Is there any EYL teaching in as part of the curriculum in compulsory state education? If YES, please go to Q5. If NO, go to Q18.

5. How many years ago, approximately, was EYL introduced as an official part of the curriculum in compulsory state education? (If you know the exact date, please give it).

6. At the moment, when does EYL start as an official part of the curriculum ? (Please express your answer as a Year/Grade of schooling and add the age range that this represents, e.g. 'Primary Year Three, about 7 - 8 years of age').

7. Has the age for starting EYL been changed since 1980?

8. Is there any widespread teaching of English to YL in public education at a stage BEFORE the official starting stage?

9. Please indicate the number of hours per school year officially allocated for EYL. If there is a difference in provision for different grades, please give details.

10. Please indicate how these EYL hours are distributed (e.g. 'There are 30 teaching weeks in a school year, and EYL lessons are 2.5 hours a week in 5 half hour sessions').

11. If you can, please give the most up-to-date statistics for numbers of EYL teachers and pupils in the public education system in your country.

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12. Which kinds of teachers are involved in the official teaching of EYL in the public education system? Choose from the categories below. If you can, please add an approximate % figure for each category that you select. a. the children's normal class teacher. b. a specialist teacher of English who works in only one school. c. a specialist teacher of English who visits different schools to give lessons.d. a person not a qualified teacher who knows English and works in only one school.e. a person not a qualified teacher who knows English and visits different schools to give lessons. f. other. (Please give details.)

13. Who is considered in your country to be eligible to teach EYL in the public education system? You can choose one, or several answers: a. an established primary teacher who has passed a local test or exam in English. (If you select this answer, please give details about the test or exam). b. an established primary teacher who has passed an internationally recognised language test or exam, e.g. the Cambridge First Certificate. (Please state which tests or exams are accepted.) c. a primary teacher who has successfully completed a special in-service training course in English language and/or EYL methodology. (Please give details of the course.) d. a teacher who has had pre-service training at college or university and is qualified to become a teacher of English at primary level. e. a teacher qualified to teach English at secondary school, but who is willing to work in primary schools. f. a University graduate of English who has not taken courses in Education or Teaching methodology. g. a native speaker of English, who has no recognised qualifications as a teacher. h. other. (Please give details.)

14. Nationwide, are schools able to find enough eligible EYL teachers for their needs? If YES, how was this achieved? If NO, what steps are being taken to increase the numbers of suitable teachers?

15. What official documents exist at the moment to guide teachers about the content of EYL teaching in your country? Choose one answer. a. No published guidelines or syllabus. b. A general description of aims for EYL, but no specific advice about content. c. A fairly detailed outline of suitable content, listing e.g. Topic Areas, Functions, Skills to concentrate on. d. A more detailed specification of content, with e.g. word lists, structure lists, examples of phrases and sentences to be included in the teaching. e. Other types of guidelines. (Please give details.)

16. How free are teachers and schools to choose which sorts of materials to use? Choose one answer. a. There is no school budget for books, so teachers must make all their own materials.



b. Teachers may choose any published materials (local or international) provided that they are within the school budget. c. Teachers may choose any published materials (local or international) provided that they are within budget and that the materials have had official clearance or approval, e.g. by a Ministry of Education Textbook Committee. d. There is an officially-approved list of locally published material, and teachers may choose any of these, within their budget. e. There is only one approved book and this is published specially for schools in this country or region. No other choice is allowed. f. Other. (Please give details.)

17. What sorts of teaching materials are used? Select all answers which apply. a. original teaching materials devised by teachers themselves. b. lesson materials adapted by teachers from several published sources.c. international published course books.d. locally published course books.e. other. (Please give details.)

18. Plans for the future in your country or region. Is an innovation with regard to EYL in public compulsory education under discussion or officially agreed for the near future? E.g. a lowering of the starting age or an increase in the hours per year?

EYL in the private sector

In many countries there is a vigorous private sector involved in EYL which we have separated into three main categories which you will find below.

19. Private primary schools providing a mainstream general education for children of parents who can pay fees. Are these schools present in any significant way in your country? YES/NO. If YES, please answer the questions below: a. What % of primary school children attend such schools? b. Does EYL provision differ significantly from that in the public sector - e.g. different age of starting, different number of hours teaching, different material? c. Other comments.

20. Private sector language schools which are parallel and supplementary to the mainstream general education system (for instance, the British Council's Teaching Centres). Are such schools present in any significant way in your country? YES/NO If YES, please answer the questions below: a. How many YLs attend these language schools (estimate % or numbers)? b. How many hours per week is typical? c. Please comment on any perceived conflict between these schools and the public EYL provision (e.g., children attending the private language school have more advanced English lessons than they receive in mainstream primary school, or the methodology may be very different).



d. What materials are used in these private sector language schools? e. Other comments.

21. Private tuition in English, either lessons for children in their own homes by a visiting tutor, or for small groups of children who meet in a place of the tutor's choosing. Does this exist in your country in any significant way? YES/NO. If YES, a. How many YLs are involved (estimate % or numbers)? b. Do private tutors teach children of a younger age than the official starting age in compulsory education? c. Why do parents want their children to have private tuition?

The place of English for YL compared with other foreign languages

22. Are any other (non-L1) languages than English an official part of the curriculum in compulsory state education? YES/NO. If YES, please list the languages learned, and give the normal starting age.

Produced in United Kingdom by The British Council © 2000. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational and cultural relations. Registered in England as a Charity.


Worldwide Survey of Primary Elt

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