TEFL in Early Years Education and Its Relation to Activity Sequencing: A Theoretical Overview

Aitor Garcés-Manzanera^1,

¹Department of English Language Teaching, Faculty of Education, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Cite this paper:
Aitor Garcés-Manzanera. TEFL in Early Years Education and Its Relation to Activity Sequencing: A Theoretical Overview. Language Education Forum. 2019; 1(1):6-12. doi: 10.12691/lef-1-1-2

Abstract

The present paper intends to shed light upon the traditional trends in TEFL within the Early Years Education stage by elucidating aspects having to do with the relevance of the starting age of learning English, its influence upon the learner and the assumed biological limitations. Nevertheless, learning English is a challenge for both young and adult learners inasmuch as biological and cognitive restrictions are applied in both cases, as well as the different learning paths which each of them entails. In this regard, the Spanish educational legislation does highlight the value of language learning from Early Years, fostering the necessity of a teaching methodological framework which can apply to both legislation and the biological and cognitive nature of young learners. In order to provide a clear organization to the classroom planning, activity sequencing seems to be convenient to cognitively arrange the contents and teaching procedure. Another purpose of this paper is to provide a framework of reference for this potential sequencing within Early Years, whilst taking into account the nature of the activities which can be proposed.

Keywords:
Early Years Education TEFL young learners Activity Sequencing Theory of Teaching and Learning English for Young Learners Spanish education

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