Navigating Turkish EFL Teachers’ Perceived Challenges with Very Young Learners

Year 2024, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 37 - 50, 11.06.2024

Gizem Rojda Yıldız , Merve Savaşçı

https://doi.org/10.35207/later.1356067

Abstract

This study sought to investigate teachers’ perceived challenges in teaching
English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) to very young learners
(VYLs) (2 to 6 years-old pre-schoolers) in Türkiye, with a two-fold aim: 1)
to explore the challenges that EFL teachers experience in teaching VYLs,
and 2) to investigate whether there is a significant difference in the challenges
they encounter regarding their gender and years of teaching experience. The
participants were Turkish EFL teachers (N= 35) teaching English to VYLs
in preschools. A mixed method convergent research design was adopted
within the scope of the study: Quantitative data were collected by a Likert
Scale Questionnaire, while qualitative data were gathered via semi-structured
interviews. The data elicited via the questionnaire were analyzed through
descriptive statistics and a Mann-Whitney U Test using SPSS, and the data
gathered from the interview were analyzed by inductive content analysis.
Several challenges emerged, and findings revealed that teachers mostly
encounter challenges in managing the classroom and involving students in
teaching English to VYLs. However, findings did not illustrate a statistically
significant difference in the challenges teachers face regarding their gender
or years of teaching experience. Exploring these challenges can help teachers
and other stakeholders understand the potential problems in teaching
English to VYLs and help improve their instructional practices accordingly.
The article concludes with suggestions for further research.

Keywords

Challenges, EFL teachers, Very young learners

Ethical Statement

Bu araştırma etik değerlere bağlı kalınarak gerçekleştirilmiştir.

Thanks

Bu çalışmaya katkı sağlayan katılımcılara teşekkür ederiz.

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