Theresa Summer Bücher

This volume addresses the teaching of English as a foreign language to young learners in primary schools. It begins with an introduction that explores essential aspects of teaching from theoretical, empirical, and neuroscientific perspectives, discussing principled mindsets, competence development, transcultural learning, material usage, literature, and lesson planning. Contributions delve into topics such as reading and writing, bilingual programs, the transition to secondary school, storybooks, self-selected fiction, anti-bias education, and strategies to encourage speaking among young learners. Additionally, it offers professional advice for primary English educators derived from qualitative interview analyses. Drawing from an international TEFL lecture series, researchers and educators from Germany, Switzerland, and the United States share insights and theoretical concepts for the professional development of (pre-service) primary school English teachers. Practical ideas aim to make theoretical constructs relatable for future educators. The afterword critically examines future challenges for primary school educators, emphasizing the importance of early English language acquisition and the development of national educational standards. This volume serves as a research-based, practice-oriented foundation for (pre-service) English teachers looking to enhance their knowledge of recent developments in foreign language learning t

In the context of foreign language education, the importance of cultural and literary studies has grown continuously in our globalising world. Language educators and researchers are looking into ways in which inter- and transcultural awareness and competence can be developed so that learners become responsible global citizens. This volume invites the reader to engage in critical thinking while reflecting upon important theoretical concepts and their application in practice. The contributions deal with a wide variety of topics including antinomies that mark literary and cultural competence development, textbook analysis, Shakespeare, South Africa, India, and pop culture artefacts such as graphic novels and songs. Resources are presented to illustrate how theory can be related to practice.

The textbook is a significant medium of instruction in foreign language learning and teaching. Materials writers claim to implement the most recent foreign language acquisition research findings as well as modern approaches that are proposed by methodologists for the successful development of communicative competence. In spite of this, recent studies have shown that many practitioners are dissatisfied with textbooks, and the majority of learners dislike grammar and are unmotivated by how it is taught. The main objective of this study is to evaluate methodological options that figure in currently used textbooks on the basis of important pedagogic principles. The four methodological options textual data, grammar activities, discovery activities, and songs, are critically analysed to provide an outline of the extent to which current textbooks meet the demands of grammar instruction in the Postmethod era. In addition, areas of improvement for the conceptual design of future textbooks are presented.