An analysis of elementary teachers' strategies and parental engagement in EFL programs in Taiwan

Many countries in the world endeavored to strengthen their teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) programs in a variety of ways. Asian countries such as Japan and Korea advanced their English language education system by offering standardized tests as well as expanding English classes to elementary levels. On the other hand, China reformed their language education policy in late 1990s by updating textbooks to new versions, introducing teaching technology as well as adopting new strategies as content-based, task-oriented instructions. Taiwan also strengthened its EFL education by implementing English classes in elementary schools (Fujimoto-Adamson, 2006; Lui, 2002; Qiang & Wolff, 2009; Zuo, 2008).;However, many studies targeted secondary level as well as higher education only. There were much less literature contributions to address similar topics at elementary level. Also, most study topics concentrated on curriculum designs, teaching skills as well as instructional technology. Only a few dealt with social-cultural influences outside the classrooms on EFL programs. For instance, the input of parents is usually neglected when discussing language education.;Therefore, this study offered a holistic view by using concurrent triangulation mixed method and collecting data through multiple approaches (semi-structured interviews, filed observations as well as surveys). In view of above research design, the study intended to probe questions such as: What strategies do teachers use to help students develop or improve English competence? How does parental engagement in EFL programs enhances students' English competence? Does parental engagement have an influence on teachers' implementation of English teaching strategies?;The research result showed that teachers used various instructional technology tools in classrooms and peer-tutoring to help children learn English. The strategies allowed students to cooperate and interact with each other which facilitate bonding of social capital among individuals with similar social-cultural contexts. However, due to lack of proper communication, most parents still didn't understand how and what their children learn in English classes. Instead, many parents sent their children to cram schools as a solution to the problem. The native speaker teachers in cram schools also allowed children to bridge their social capital with people from different social-cultural backgrounds. Last but not least, many teachers still ignored the suggestion from parents and believed that parents should assist their children at home instead of making changes to instruction or class schedules. In view of above findings, the study offered a distinguished point of view by developing a grounded theory through data collection and analysis procedures to elaborate and explain the above research findings.