Policy: primary ELT programme
Policy: primary elt programme While ever more young learners in formal primary education learn English as a second or foreign language as part of their compulsory curriculum, the circumstances of learning and teaching vary a great deal. The status of English is a very important variable in a given country. In some contexts, very high stakes will be attached to English because children have to shift to English from their mother tongue in order to access secondary and tertiary education. This happens in many African countries. While in Japan, the stakes are not quite so high. English is desirable, but without it, children can still progress to good schools and successful careers. Whatever its status, it is also important to consider learners’, teachers’, and parents’ attitudes to English. In this case, these beliefs and attitudes are still malleable. Children whose parents speak any language and have wide knowledge about other cultures will certainly be able to develop positiv...