Preschool Classroom English Teaching: A Case Study

Preschool English education has become a heated issue because of the age-lowering trend of English education in China. There are various teaching approaches to preschool English teaching. However, as for the suitable preschool English teaching method for China, we are still at the stage of borrowing mechanically from foreign language teaching methods. The situations are not good for children's English learning and lifelong learning. Methods and the practical procedures are of the same significance to the teaching outcome. The analysis of teaching process can help promote the study of method research. In view of this, by analyzing of three teachers'classroom teaching processes, the author explores the practical preschool English lessons and analyzes them from the perspective of teaching procedure and teaching techniques.The research methods utilized includes classroom observation, interviews, and stimulated recalls. The research is concerned with the following aspects:the procedures of teaching new materials and revision, and the use of teaching techniques. The author combines the data collected from classroom observation, interviews, and stimulated recalls with the test results of children from the three classes, because different teaching procedures and teaching techniques are important factors affecting children's command of language points. It has been found that the teaching of new materials is usually conducted in two lessons, the first lesson is mainly presentation, practice of new language points and the second one consolidation and reinforcement of what was taught previously. The proper duration of one lesson can be approximately 30 minutes for 5-6-year-old children. The lessons are activity-based. The basic procedure of the two lessons can be summarized as follows:initially there is an exciting and colorful warm-up exercise, then a proper situation is set up to introduce and present the new words and structures, then comes practice and application in various forms of games. The lesson should be compactly-designed to attract and maintain children's attention. Focusing on listening and speaking, the teacher should employ a series of play, including performance games, English reaction games, and English music activities, from easy ones to difficult ones, in order to mobolize children's multiple senses, so that English knowledge can be comprehended and internalized in relaxion and enjoyment when children are concentrated.Through a case study of preschool English lessons, the author analyzes preschool English lessons. It can not only testify former studies on teaching procedures, but also serves as the basis for further study on teachers'classroom performance and factors affecting preschool English education. The detailed analysis of English-teaching procedures can also be basis for exploration of the suitable method for teaching children English in China and the solution to the lack of preschool English teaching staff.