Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education

Carla Briffett Aktaş

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11

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Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education

Carla Briffett Aktaş

Published in International Journal of Elementary Education (Volume 6, Issue 1)

Received: 9 February 2017 Published: 10 February 2017

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Abstract

Increasing globalization means that many families are moving into English speaking environments, and so too are their young children. To date, research on English as an Additional Language (EAL) education has largely been focused on primary, secondary, and post-secondary schooling. EAL research should include preschool aged children, since this group is also a part of the globalization trend. Likewise, discourse in education surrounding social justice has largely focused on older student groups. Here, the focus is on preschool aged children, bridging the gap between globalization, EAL education, and social justice disciplines. The action research conducted here employed the Montessori Method to promote a socially just learning environment for young preschool EAL children that focused primarily on experiential learning. Data analysis of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) checklists, used to monitor language progress, indicates that such an educational pedagogy has a positive outcome for English development when social justice is placed in a prominent role in the education process. The education being provided in this study sought to establish that socially just EAL education can be provided, but that the educator must take on the role of a listener in order for this educational model to be successful. This application seeks to give even the youngest of students a voice in their education, without jeopardizing the rate at which English is acquired.

Published in	International Journal of Elementary Education (Volume 6, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11
Page(s)	1-7
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Social Justice, English as an Additional Language (EAL), Montessori Method, Early Childhood Education (ECE)

References

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Carla Briffett Aktaş. (2017). Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education. International Journal of Elementary Education, 6(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11

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Carla Briffett Aktaş. Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education. Int. J. Elem. Educ. 2017, 6(1), 1-7. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11

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AMA Style

Carla Briffett Aktaş. Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education. Int J Elem Educ. 2017;6(1):1-7. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11,
  author = {Carla Briffett Aktaş},
  title = {Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education},
  journal = {International Journal of Elementary Education},
  volume = {6},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-7},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeedu.20170601.11},
  abstract = {Increasing globalization means that many families are moving into English speaking environments, and so too are their young children. To date, research on English as an Additional Language (EAL) education has largely been focused on primary, secondary, and post-secondary schooling. EAL research should include preschool aged children, since this group is also a part of the globalization trend. Likewise, discourse in education surrounding social justice has largely focused on older student groups. Here, the focus is on preschool aged children, bridging the gap between globalization, EAL education, and social justice disciplines. The action research conducted here employed the Montessori Method to promote a socially just learning environment for young preschool EAL children that focused primarily on experiential learning. Data analysis of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) checklists, used to monitor language progress, indicates that such an educational pedagogy has a positive outcome for English development when social justice is placed in a prominent role in the education process. The education being provided in this study sought to establish that socially just EAL education can be provided, but that the educator must take on the role of a listener in order for this educational model to be successful. This application seeks to give even the youngest of students a voice in their education, without jeopardizing the rate at which English is acquired.},
 year = {2017}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education
AU  - Carla Briffett Aktaş
Y1  - 2017/02/10
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11
T2  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JF  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JO  - International Journal of Elementary Education
SP  - 1
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PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7640
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11
AB  - Increasing globalization means that many families are moving into English speaking environments, and so too are their young children. To date, research on English as an Additional Language (EAL) education has largely been focused on primary, secondary, and post-secondary schooling. EAL research should include preschool aged children, since this group is also a part of the globalization trend. Likewise, discourse in education surrounding social justice has largely focused on older student groups. Here, the focus is on preschool aged children, bridging the gap between globalization, EAL education, and social justice disciplines. The action research conducted here employed the Montessori Method to promote a socially just learning environment for young preschool EAL children that focused primarily on experiential learning. Data analysis of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) checklists, used to monitor language progress, indicates that such an educational pedagogy has a positive outcome for English development when social justice is placed in a prominent role in the education process. The education being provided in this study sought to establish that socially just EAL education can be provided, but that the educator must take on the role of a listener in order for this educational model to be successful. This application seeks to give even the youngest of students a voice in their education, without jeopardizing the rate at which English is acquired.
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Carla Briffett Aktaş

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APA Style

Carla Briffett Aktaş. (2017). Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education. International Journal of Elementary Education, 6(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11

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ACS Style

Carla Briffett Aktaş. Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education. Int. J. Elem. Educ. 2017, 6(1), 1-7. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11

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AMA Style

Carla Briffett Aktaş. Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education. Int J Elem Educ. 2017;6(1):1-7. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11,
  author = {Carla Briffett Aktaş},
  title = {Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education},
  journal = {International Journal of Elementary Education},
  volume = {6},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-7},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeedu.20170601.11},
  abstract = {Increasing globalization means that many families are moving into English speaking environments, and so too are their young children. To date, research on English as an Additional Language (EAL) education has largely been focused on primary, secondary, and post-secondary schooling. EAL research should include preschool aged children, since this group is also a part of the globalization trend. Likewise, discourse in education surrounding social justice has largely focused on older student groups. Here, the focus is on preschool aged children, bridging the gap between globalization, EAL education, and social justice disciplines. The action research conducted here employed the Montessori Method to promote a socially just learning environment for young preschool EAL children that focused primarily on experiential learning. Data analysis of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) checklists, used to monitor language progress, indicates that such an educational pedagogy has a positive outcome for English development when social justice is placed in a prominent role in the education process. The education being provided in this study sought to establish that socially just EAL education can be provided, but that the educator must take on the role of a listener in order for this educational model to be successful. This application seeks to give even the youngest of students a voice in their education, without jeopardizing the rate at which English is acquired.},
 year = {2017}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Listening to Young Children: Applying Montessori’s Method to English as an Additional Language (EAL) Education
AU  - Carla Briffett Aktaş
Y1  - 2017/02/10
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11
T2  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JF  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JO  - International Journal of Elementary Education
SP  - 1
EP  - 7
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7640
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20170601.11
AB  - Increasing globalization means that many families are moving into English speaking environments, and so too are their young children. To date, research on English as an Additional Language (EAL) education has largely been focused on primary, secondary, and post-secondary schooling. EAL research should include preschool aged children, since this group is also a part of the globalization trend. Likewise, discourse in education surrounding social justice has largely focused on older student groups. Here, the focus is on preschool aged children, bridging the gap between globalization, EAL education, and social justice disciplines. The action research conducted here employed the Montessori Method to promote a socially just learning environment for young preschool EAL children that focused primarily on experiential learning. Data analysis of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) checklists, used to monitor language progress, indicates that such an educational pedagogy has a positive outcome for English development when social justice is placed in a prominent role in the education process. The education being provided in this study sought to establish that socially just EAL education can be provided, but that the educator must take on the role of a listener in order for this educational model to be successful. This application seeks to give even the youngest of students a voice in their education, without jeopardizing the rate at which English is acquired.
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download