Teaching English to Young Arabic Speakers - by Irma-Kaarina Ghosn (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The book explores young Arabic-speaking children's English language learning. Through classroom-based research and learner work samples, the book analyses the interplay between cultural norms and the critical role that teachers play in orchestrating classroom discourse through skillful use of available instructional materials, questioning strategies and feedback to learners. The author shows the potential of instructional materials to influence young learners' vocabulary, reading comprehension, and written production, as well as the way they acquire the academic literacies needed in school subjects taught in English. She reviews the spread of the practice of teaching English to young and very young children and the increasing demand for English-medium instruction in the Arabic-speaking region, with a particular focus on the negative transfer from Arabic to English spelling and grammar. The book also discusses the importance of story narratives, arguing they are an ideal medium for language teaching because of their rich linguistic repertoire and the strong motivational force that stories have on young language learners and their cognitive growth, essential to their later academic success. Taken together, the research findings and classroom vignettes suggest that children's language learning happens within a complex system of interactive variables and cultural norms and expectations.

Review Quotes

This book fills long-standing gaps in Teaching English to Young Learners: it is research-based in a field that is often seen as undertheorised; it focuses on young Arabic speakers, an often neglected group; it takes a holistic view, exploring a variety of factors at work in the YL classroom. It is therefore a very welcome addition to the field.
Sue Garton, Professor of Applied Linguistics (TESOL), Aston University Birmingham, UK

This is an excellent and unique book for teachers, teacher educators and materials writers. Overviewing four decades of research on how children learn English and how stories can be integrated into curricula, Irma-Kaarina Ghosn offers authentic classroom data on how teachers can scaffold Arabic speaking children's development. A brilliant resource on theory and practice.
Marianne Nikolov, Professor Emerita, Department of English Applied Linguistics, University of Pécs, Hungary

About the Author

Irma-Kaarina Ghosn is Associate Professor of English and TESOL at the Lebanese American University, Lebanon.