In Korea, it has recently been resolute that children should learn English from early childhood according to the increasing interest in the cognition and the language development of the children. Accordingly, this study has been made in order to propo...
In Korea, it has recently been resolute that children should learn English from early childhood according to the increasing interest in the cognition and the language development of the children. Accordingly, this study has been made in order to propose an effective plan of English education being processed in most of the childhood education facilities. It is because there are no national standards about early childhood English education curriculum, that most of the English classes are being processed by such an unstructured system. It has no connection with the early childhood education curriculum, and a lack of the consideration for the children's cognitive development, emotion, and the creative development.
Therefore, the purposes of this study were (1) to develop a child-centered, brain-based Teaching-Learning Model which can recognize a content-based integrated education which is connected with the early childhood education curriculum, and (2) to identify the effect on the English learning achievement ability and the creative thinking ability by application of the model in the typical childhood education facilities in Korea.
The characteristics which are developed through the process of instructional design which are standardized by ADDIE’s five-step model of ‘analysis-design-development-practice-assessment’ are as in the following:
First, it is a Teaching-Learning Model which has a five-step class procedure applied by connecting the learner's perception, brain-based learning principles and the effective teaching strategies according to the children's language development.
Second, it is a Teaching-Learning Model which fulfills the 'whole work- individual work - small group work' harmoniously through using learner-centered and self-directed learning systems.
Third, it is a Teaching-Learning Model which gives a differential task according to the learner’s level.
Fourth, it is a Teaching-Learning Model which actively interacts between a teacher and children in a stable and supportive environment that is concerned with the learner’s emotion.
The objectives for inquiry through the real application of the designed brain-based Teaching-Learning Model for childhood English education are as in the following:
First, how does the teaching activity applied by the brain-based Teaching-Learning Model for childhood English education have an effect on the children’s English learning achievement ability.
Second, how does the he teaching activity applied by the brain-based Teaching-Learning Model for childhood English education have an effect on the children’s creative thinking ability.
In order to achieve this study, the subjects for the experiment were observed for a total of 10-week/20-turn classes after classifying an experimental group and a control group consisting of 18 and 17 children in G Child Care Center and CH Child Care Center in E-Gu, Seoul, respectively. The brain-based Teaching-Learning Model for childhood English education, which was developed by myself, was applied to the experimental group and the control group was instructed through various activities based on communicative language teaching methodology. The result obtained by the experiment is summarized as in the following:
First, it shows that English learning achievement ability learning by the brain-based Teaching-Learning Model for childhood English education has been improved more positively than the other group. All four sub-factors (listening, speaking, reading, writing) have been evenly improved, and the listening and speaking ability has been significantly improved compared with the control group. Especially, the speaking ability has been improved appreciably.
Second, it shows that the creativity of the children applied by the brain-based Teaching-Learning Model for childhood English education has been more positively improved than the other group. Especially, the statistical significant improvements concerning fluency, originality, and elaboration in the sub-factors of creativity have been confirmed.
There are several implications that the results of the study provides us. The basis of the childhood English education should be the content-based unified learning curriculum. Most of the early childhood English programs, which focused on only the spoken languages based on the aspect of the function of English, should be developed focusing on the principle of the cognitive development, brain development, and language development of the children.
Moreover, as for the application of the class, we should actively use the brain-based class strategies based on the principles of the development of the children, and proceed to develop the child-centered class. Therefore, a study about this integrated Teaching-Learning Model should be progressed continuously. In addition, a study and development about the learning system and materials, which can give children enough time to search meanings, control themselves and accept English as play, should be also continued for Korean young children.
Finally, to generalize these studies about the Teaching-Learning Model and the learning system, the experiment research, which can be modified and supplemented through the actual application in the fields, should be expanded. To improve from the current English class being processed using different methods, without specific national standards to the child-centered integrated English learning, I can only hope that the Teaching-Learning Model and the result of the experiment presented in this study will be able to be applied as a preliminary basis.