Rethinking the role of reading in teaching a foreingn language to young learners

Abstract

In this article the author argues that early students of English, even those who have not yet learnt to read in their native tongue, will benefit from learning to read from the beginning of their contact with a foreign language. The author starts by reviewing the basic methods of teaching reading, before reporting on and explaining the results of a pilot study of learning by kindergarten children. The study indicated that the early introduction to reading additionally speeds their progress in understanding and speaking the foreign language. The author suggests that text-oriented programmes based on textbooks with recordings should be developed as an option for some teachers.