The case study investigates what impact extensive reading of authentic picture books/illustrated books had on the learners' writing skills in a Norwegian EFL (English as a foreign language) classroom of 11-year-olds. Furthermore, the study also looks into the importance the pictures/illustrations had for the learners and what type of picture-text…

Recent research shows an increase in the number of trained teachers teaching foreign languages to learners aged 7-11 in English primary schools. Part of this increase stems from a government-funded four-week teaching placement abroad as part of a languages programme in initial teacher education (ITE). Student teachers' cultural, linguistic and…

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a multifaceted educational approach which has emerged as a major innovation in improving language learning and subject learning in the curriculum. In order to analyse the effect of this approach, a number of studies (Dalton Puffer, C., T. Nikula and U. Smit, eds. 2010. "Language Use and…

This article explores ways in which learners' achievements can be assessed and reflected in both the domains of linguistic performance and subject-content learning. The content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approach adopted by the authors is one in which language learning and content learning are truly integrated and where neither…

Since the publication in England of the National Languages Strategy, there has been much debate concerning the aims of primary modern foreign language (PMFL) teaching. This article presents research into the beliefs of tutors and pre-service teachers in training on Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) courses with a PMFL specialism in…

This article reports on a two-year project located within one local authority (LA), Brighton and Hove City Council, which was selected in 2003 to become a Primary Foreign Language Pathfinder. The main aim of this Pathfinder was to work with 18 other LAs across the country to pilot fresh approaches towards delivering foreign languages in the…

In a paper published in "The Language Learning Journal" in 2005, Eric Hawkins describes his vision of language education as an apprenticeship comprising two stages. In stage one (ages 5-14), the purpose is "educational" and the focus is on language awareness; in stage two (14-19), the purpose is "instrumental" and…