ISBN: 978-84-1142-163-8
© Gustavo Cruz Llandres
Abstract
For young students, learning a second language can prove not only to be difficult but a deficient assignment if they are not aware of its phonetic particularities. We have to take into account that English does not have a transparent alphabetic code, in which sounds can be spelled in more than one way. Phonics is becoming more and more popular in schools in Spain, most of them immersed in a bilingual program. This methodology has been used in the last thirty years in England and other English-speaking countries. Learning a language by phonics strategies can improve students’ speaking abilities as well as other aspects of their language use such as reading and writing. I believe that a critical review and analysis related to the different phonics approaches is needed and also to state how effective the phonics instruction is through reviewing literature.
This is why this study examined the pedagogic approach of phonics strategies in learning a second language and its results. The finding showed that through phonics strategies, and from a customised approach of the teacher for each student, scholars showed not only an improvement of their second language dominance but of their awareness of the phonemic factor. However, phonics methodologies can be improved through research and the teaching of phonemic awareness.
Key words: English language learning, phonics, phonemic awareness, primary students, bilingual education.
Introduction
People usually encounter several different environments throughout life such as schools, workplaces, shopping centres, group activities, and many more which require the ability to read, write, and speak to become an active participant. While students develop their ability regarding these skills aimed at engaging in the primary discourse of school and of the working world, they must be able to draw on their letter and sound acquisition knowledge. Gee states that ‘acquisition is a process of acquiring something subconsciously by exposure to models and a process of trial and error’ (2000). Therefore, in order to acquire something through a trial and error process, students need to be able to have many opportunities to practice what has been previously modelled to them. When students are able to participate in letter and sound acquisition through life experiences that are made available, they will be practicing the use of letters and sounds to gain mastery during a second language learning process, regardless of the problems they may face along the way within a bilingual educative context.
As mentioned above, a great number of students usually face important difficulties to learn English as a foreign language (EFL) in primary school. Most of them find it hard to cope with the most daring linguistic skills, such as writing, reading, listening, and speaking. The vast majority of them are kept away from focusing on their studies because they lack reading and writing skills and are not able to keep up with their school classes. Particularly, data from grades 4-12 (Jay & Strong, 2008) alarm with the fact that over 8 million students struggle with reading and writing tasks in some American schools. As stated before, statistics in America alone are staggering. Even children whose mother tongue is English experience reading difficulties and yet for students learning English as a foreign language, there is suddenly a new language code that they have to accept and learn to a certain extent.
Therefore, in order to better understand EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners, their condition should be closely weighed, even though it may seem difficult, since a lot of adult learners have already studied and comprehended English to a certain level of proficiency and thus may not be able to see the same obstacles children encounter. Trying to remember the times when grown-ups learnt English may help researchers to further understand young learners. Many would remember English lessons in primary school being mostly student and workbook based, with no emphasis on speaking and many drill exercises. Despite this, various students might report having enjoyed English lessons, being fascinated by knowing even if a little two language codes.
Although learning this language apparently seemed to be a successful task in elementary level if curriculum was bilingual oriented, some could have the impression that one word might be in two different ways and still it meant the same thing. Moreover, young students sometimes remember that there was no sign of phonics instruction explaining that there are certain rules in English pronunciation (Pourhosein Gilakjani & Banou Sabouri, 2016). Secondary school lessons were of a similar basis. English lessons at some bilingual schools are, however, different with emphasis placed on clear pronunciation and presenting some basic, yet essential pronunciation rules explicitly. This was, compared to primary and secondary English classes, a completely different approach. For this reason, University studies with English phonetics and phonology courses offer fresh teachers a deep insight into how English language “really” sounds and that even though it is a very complex language, there really are some strict rules and letter-sound relationships.
Despite information about the critical age when young learners, like seven to nine years old, stop being able to hear and obtain a high level of quality in terms of pronunciation (Birdsong, 1999), it seems obvious to understand by far that clear pronunciation really is an essential component of learning English no matter the period individuals start learning. The native-like model of speaking is, however, not necessary since teaching program design should best aim for speakers to be intelligible (Jenkins, 2000). Thus, this issue has led to considering the instruction methods teachers choose to develop important skills like reading and writing under a pronunciation guidance model to put all components together as part of a formal language learning algorithm. More importantly, it is an actual intention to find how non-native young students attempt to learn English and if the phonics method could be an effective teaching method under a bilingual educational setting.
This research was carried out in a bilingual primary school based in Caracas with 4th grade children having different teaching experiences. Students with no phonics experience and students undergoing the phonics teaching method were chosen because the subjects were believed to reach different reading scores. The emphasis was placed on analysing whether the phonics method of teaching children to read and write can also be beneficial to EFL students in a bilingual setting. As for the organisation of the material depicted, the reason of the study is presented to rise the point of the chosen subject as well as its importance to the developing proposal. From this, the purpose of the investigation aims at setting the main goal and its specific components that come together to lead to the main objective. To sustain the present study substance, a comprehensive updated literature review is provided with related researching and projects on phonics methodology being an effective method to teach English reading and writing in primary school levels.
Table of contents
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ABSTRACT
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Justification
1.2 Objectives
2. STATE OF THE ART
3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
4. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
4.1. Research paradigm
4.2. Research design
4.3. Case study
4.4. The participants: the students
4.5. The participant: the teacher
4.6. Research method
4.7. Participant observation
4.8. Context
4.9. Quality and credibility of research
4.10. Data collection
4.11. Data analysis
4.12. Research process
4.13. Researcher stance. Limitations
5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
5.1. The interview with the adult teacher working in the school
5.2. Discussion of results
5.3. The focus group interview
5.4. Achievements in the phonics strategies
6. CONCLUSIONS AND LINES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
7. WORKS CITED