• Title/Summary/Keyword: Elementary English Education

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Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

  • Koroloff, Carolyn
    • English Language & Literature Teaching
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    • no.5
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    • pp.49-62
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    • 1999
  • Education systems throughout the world encourage their students to learn languages other than their native one. In Australia, our Education Boards provide students with the opportunity to learn European and Asian languages. French, German, Chinese and Japanese are the most popular languages studied in elementary and high schools. This choice is a reflection of Australias European heritage and its geographical position near Asia. In most non-English speaking countries, English is the foreign language most readily available to students. In Korea, the English language is actively promoted by the Education Department and, in less official ways, by companies and the public. It is impossible to be anywhere in Korea without seeing the English language alongside or intermingled with Korean. When I ask students why they are learning English, I receive answers that include the word globalization and the importance of English throughout the world. When I press further and ask why they personally are learning English, the students mention passing exams, usually high school tests or TOEIC, and the necessity of passing the latter to obtain a good job. Seldom do I ever hear anything about communication: about the desire to talk with other people in English, to read novels or poetry in English, to understand movies or pop-songs in English, to chat on the Internet in English, to search for information on the Internet in English, or to email pen-pals in English. Yet isnt communication the only valid reason for learning a language? We learn our native language to communicate with those around us. Shouldnt we set the same goal for learning a foreign language? In my opinion communication, whether it is reading and writing or speaking and listening, must be central to language learning. Learning a language to pass examinations is meaningless unless those examinations are a reliable indicator of the ability of the student to communicate. In previous eras, most communication in a foreign language was through reading novels or formal letters. This required a thorough knowledge of grammar and a large vocabulary. Todays communication is much less formal. Telephone conversations, tele-conferences, faxes and emails allow people to communicate regularly and informally. Reading materials are also less formal as popular novels and newspapers are available world-wide. Movies and popular songs have added to the range of informal communication available. Finally travel has ensured that people from different cultures will meet easily and regularly. This informal communication requires less emphasis on grammar and vocabulary and more emphasis on comprehension and confidence to speak. Placing communication central to language learning has important implications for the Education system and for teachers.

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Development and Application of Competency-based Elementary School Teacher Training Program for Maker Education

  • Kim, Jin-Ok;Lee, Tae-Wuk;Chung, Hyunsong;Jung, Eun Young
    • Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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    • v.25 no.9
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    • pp.213-222
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    • 2020
  • In this paper, we propose a study to develop and apply competency-based elementary school teacher training programs for maker education according to the steps of the DACUM-based Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development (SCID) procedure model. According to the stages of the DACUM-based SCID (Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) procedure model, the educational goals, contents, objects, time, methods, and prerequisite subjects of the maker education training program were derived, and based on this, a competency-based training program was developed. In addition, the effectiveness of the program was verified by applying the developed program. As a result of applying the developed training program and evaluating its effectiveness, it was confirmed that overall positive results were found. We expect this training program to be of help in strengthening the competency of elementary school teachers in maker education.

A Validity Study on the Vocabulary Grade Levels Test for Korean Elementary Students

  • Shin, Yousun
    • English Language & Literature Teaching
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.125-147
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    • 2012
  • The primary goal of the study was to provide some preliminary validity evidence for the Vocabulary Grade Levels Test (Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education, 2009), which is designed to measure the receptive vocabulary knowledge of learners in L2. For the purpose of the current study, 327 participants at the elementary school participated in the study and were asked to take two different vocabulary tests. Namely, a Vocabulary Size Test (Nation, 2001) and a Vocabulary Grade Levels Test. The data were analyzed using correlation in order to discover the relationship between these two types of tests. Following this, the Rasch analysis was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of the measurement in question. The data analysis showed that both grade separation reliability and item separation reliability were high, indicating that the Vocabulary Grade Levels Test well discriminates learners with a wide range of proficiency levels. The findings of the study are discussed, along with further improvements in order to ascertain the validity of this particular vocabulary test.

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An Implementation of SDG Program for English, Mathematics Cooperative Study (SDG기반의 영어, 수학 협동학습 프로그램의 구현)

  • Kim, Myung-Gwan
    • The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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    • v.10 no.3
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    • pp.139-144
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    • 2010
  • In this study, we have propose an english, math education program to the children of elementary school and Single Display Groupware (SDG) technique was applied to implement the program. By SDG-based program, learners will be performed at the same time learning cooperatively. Finally, we have implement a prototype of SDG system and take a usability test with elementary school children.

English E-Learning System Based on .NET Framework (.Net Framework를 이용한 영어 이러닝 시스템)

  • Jeon, Soo-Bin;Jung, In-Bum
    • Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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    • v.16 no.2
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    • pp.357-372
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    • 2012
  • Existing e-learning systems not only require complex admission processes but also do not give stepwise education methods according to individual learners' characteristic. These circumstances cause learners to lose educational interest so that their educational efficiency decreases. In particular, the present e-learning systems do not provide educational approaches suitable for infant and elementary children. Under this system, the e-learning education for children does not proceed completely without guardians. To solve this problem, we design and implement an English e-learning system for elementary children based on friendly and comfortable user interfaces. For children, the proposed system reflects their age and individual interesting per each e-learning stage. This system supports both the Web application platform and smart phone application platform for various client requirements. The proposed system manages 3 classes as English learning content. Learners can experience their own English e-learning course in each class, which is compiled by current educational ability. In addition to the general functions in e-learning system, the proposed system develops content buffering algorithm to reduce data traffic in server.

An Integrative Literature Review on Sexual Abuse Prevention Education Programs for Elementary School Students in South Korea (한국의 초등학생을 대상으로 한 성폭력 예방 교육 프로그램에 관한 통합적 고찰)

  • Shin, Hyewon;Lee, Jung Min;Kang, Kyung-Ah;Kim, Shin-Jeong
    • Child Health Nursing Research
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    • v.25 no.4
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    • pp.435-448
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    • 2019
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review sexual abuse prevention education program for Korean elementary school students. Methods: Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review methods were used and Gough's weight of evidence was employed as a quality appraisal tool. Articles published in Korean or English were identified through electronic search engines and scholarly web sites using three keywords: "elementary school student", "sexual abuse", and "prevention education". Peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2018 were included in this review. Results: Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria and were appraised as being high-quality. Among the 12 selected studies, seven were descriptive, while five were intervention studies. Sexual abuse prevention education programs were effective in improving perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behaviors among elementary school students. However, deficiencies were found in the variety of educational methods, utilization of experts, and standardization of the content of sexual abuse prevention education. Conclusion: We need to provide various educational methods that are appropriate for specific developmental stages, and the sexual abuse prevention content should draw upon the current sexual education program administered to this population. Furthermore, parents and trained teachers or school health teachers should be included to provide effective education programs for elementary students.

Syllabus Design and Pronunciation Teaching

  • Amakawa, Yukiko
    • Proceedings of the KSPS conference
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    • 2000.07a
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    • pp.235-240
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    • 2000
  • In the age of global communication, more human exchange is extended at the grass-roots level. In the old days, language policy and language planning was based on one nation-state with one language. But high waves of globalizaiton have allowed extended human flow of exchange beyond one's national border on a daily basis. Under such circumstances, homogeneity in Japan may not allow Japanese to speak and communicate only in Japanese and only with Japanese people. In Japan, an advisory report was made to the Ministry of Education in June 1996 about what education should be like in the 21st century. In this report, an introduction of English at public elementary schools was for the first time made. A basic policy of English instruction at the elementary school level was revealed. With this concept, English instruction is not required at the elementary school level but each school has their own choice of introducing English as their curriculum starting April 2002. As Baker, Colin (1996) indicates the age of three as being the threshold diving a child becoming bilingual naturally or by formal instruction. Threre is a movement towards making second language acquisition more naturalistic in an educational setting, developing communicative competence in a more or less formal way. From the lesson of the Canadian immersion success, Genesee (1987) stresses the importance of early language instruction. It is clear that from a psycho-linguistic perspective, most children acquire basic communication skills in their first language apparently effortlessly and without systematic and formal instruction during the first six or seven years of life. This innate capacity diminishes with age, thereby making language learning increasingly difficult. The author, being a returnee, experienced considerable difficulty acquiring L2, and especially achieving native-like competence. There will be many hurdles to conquer until Japanese students are able to reach at least a communicative level in English. It has been mentioned that English is not taught to clear the college entrance examination, but to communicate. However, Japanese college entrance examination still makes students focus more on the grammar-translation method. This is expected to shift to a more communication stressed approach. Japan does not have to aim at becoming an official bilingual country, but at least communicative English should be taught at every level in school Mito College is a small two-year co-ed college in Japan. Students at Mito College are basically notgood at English. It has only one department for business and economics, and English is required for all freshmen. It is necessary for me to make my classes enjoyable and attractive so that students can at least get motivated to learn English. My major target is communicative English so that students may be prepared to use English in various business settings. As an experiment to introduce more communicative English, the author has made the following syllabus design. This program aims at training students speak and enjoy English. 90-minute class (only 190-minute session per week is most common in Japanese colleges) is divided into two: The first half is to train students orally using Graded Direct Method. The latter half uses different materials each time so that students can learn and enjoy English culture and language simultaneously. There are no quizes or examinations in my one-academic year program. However, all students are required to make an original English poem by the end of the spring semester. 2-6 students work together in a group on one poem. Students coming to Mito College, Japan have one of the lowest English levels in all of Japan. However, an attached example of one poem made by a group shows that students can improve their creativity as long as they are kept encouraged. At the end of the fall semester, all students are then required individually to make a 3-minute original English speech. An example of that speech contest will be presented at the Convention in Seoul.

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The Perception of Pre-service English Teachers' use of AI Translation Tools in EFL Writing (영작문 도구로서의 인공지능번역 활용에 대한 초등예비교사의 인식연구)

  • Jaeseok Yang
    • The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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    • v.10 no.1
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    • pp.121-128
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    • 2024
  • With the recent rise in the use of AI-based online translation tools, interest in their methods and effects on education has grown. This study involved 30 prospective elementary school teachers who completed an English writing task using an AI-based online translation tool. The study focused on assessing the impact of these tools on English writing skills and their practical applications. It examined the usability, educational value, and the advantages and disadvantages of the AI translation tool. Through data collected via writing tests, surveys, and interviews, the study revealed that the use of translation tools positively affects English writing skills. From the learners' perspective, these tools were perceived to provide support and convenience for learning. However, there was also recognition of the need for educational strategies to effectively use these tools, alongside concerns about methods to enhance the completeness or accuracy of translations and the potential for over-reliance on the tools. The study concluded that for effective utilization of translation tools, the implementation of educational strategies and the role of the teacher are crucial.

Promoting self-efficacy through microteaching in a flipped classroom in US teacher education: focusing on elementary pre-service teacher's ESL teaching for culturally and linguistically diverse English language learners (플립드 러닝에서 수업시연을 통한 미국 초등 예비교사의 자기 효능감 향상 방안: 다문화 배경 영어학습자 대상 ESL 수업시연을 중심으로)

  • Lee, Yong-Jik;Cho, Hyoung-Sook;Lee, Kyung-Cheol
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.18 no.8
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    • pp.221-230
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    • 2017
  • This study explores the impact of a flipped classroom, in terms of self-efficacy, for elementary pre-service teachers in US teacher education programs. This research project explores how ESL microteaching activity in the flipped classroom shapes teacher-candidates' self-efficacy regarding teaching culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. By analyzing ESL microteaching videos, pre-service teachers' reflection papers, and individual interviews with the course instructors, the study results show how pre-service teachers enhance their self-efficacy in teaching CLD English language learners in mainstream content subject classrooms. Moreover, the researchers provide suggestions on how teacher educators can utilize the flipped classroom to create an authentic and meaningful learning experience, such as using ESL microteaching for pre-service teachers to shape their self-efficacy in order to be well-prepared for CLD English language learners. The implication is that Korean pre-service teachers should be prepared to teach CLD students in their mainstream classrooms.

Association between Self-esteem and Health Behavior of the Children with Multi-cultural Family Background (다문화가정 초등학생의 자아존중감과 건강행위 간의 관련성)

  • Yoo, Bit-Na;Park, Kyoung-Ok;Choi, Jin-Young
    • The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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    • v.11 no.1
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    • pp.41-55
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    • 2010
  • Objectives: This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of health behavior and self-esteem and the relationship between the two factors among elementary school students with multi-cultural family background. Participants: Survey participants were 87 multi-cultural family children who lived in Seoul and Kyoungi areas and were registered in the local elementary schools. Methods: Data collection was conducted by face-to-face interview survey. Elementary education majored undergraduate students who participated in the education support program for multi-cultural family children in the Ministry of Education and Science and primary researcher of this study interviewed the target students and finished the survey questionnaire based on the students' responses. Survey included general characteristics, multi-cultural family characteristics, self-esteem, and (physical, mental, and social) health behavior. Results: 1. The self-esteem scores of the multi-cultural families children were greater in girl than boys among the children whose parents were graduated from college or more, and whose father had his job. The participants' health behavior scores were different by mothers' educational level. 2. The better they speak in English the greater the self-esteem scores. There was no statistical difference in health behavior scores by the participants' multi-cultural family background. 3. Self-esteem had moderate level correlation with health behavior (r= .56, p= .00) including all sub-categories of physical, mental, and social health. Conclusions: Positive self-esteem level is more sensitive to explain multi-cultural family children's health behaviors, which means that self-esteem is an important factor determining multi-cultural children's health behaviors and their health status in future. Therefore, more research to identify the factors related to health behaviors should be supported and the health promotion programs utilizing self-esteem should be developed for the child and youth with multi-cultural family backgrounds.

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