Blossoming in English: Preschool Children’s Emergent Literacy Skills in English

ABSTRACT

The debate over an optimal age for learning a second language has been active for decades and includes dispute about whether learning derives mainly from nature or nurture. This article explores to what extent exposing native Portuguese preschool children (3–5 years old) to a specific pedagogic approach for learning English is effective in positively impacting emergent literacy skills. An innovative pedagogic approach for learning English (EFL Pedagogic Approach) was designed and implemented in an early years foundation stage setting. The effects of the pedagogic approach were investigated for the length of an academic year in terms of receptive vocabulary, oral production, and emergent word-level reading and writing skills. Evidence indicated emergent literacy skills in English, such as awareness of intentionality of print, the match between spoken and written words, and the conventions of print. Therefore, it is recommended that further action for incorporating English into the Portuguese early years foundation stage curriculum should be taken in order to build school readiness.

KEYWORDS:

• Early years foundation stage
• EFL pedagogic approach
• emergent literacy in English
• English language learners
• school readiness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.