English for Pre-School Class and School Years 1-3, 15 credits

Main field of study with advanced study

General entry requirements (with the exemption of the requirement in Swedish) + English 6, Mathematics 2a or 2b or 2c, Science studies 1b or 1a1+1a2, Civics 1b or 1a1+1a2.

The course is part of Primary Teacher Education - Pre-School Class and School Years 1-3, 240 credits. The course is also given as a single-subject course.

During the course, the student will develop their own productive and receptive skills in both written and spoken English. The student will develop knowledge of the grammatical structure of English, and of its sound system. They will also develop knowledge of Second Language Acquisition theories which focus on the acquisition of words and phrases, and the ways in which children develop their ability to speak and write English. The student will also develop their communicative skills in English as a language of instruction. Similarly, they will develop, analyse and reflect upon a range of methods and ways of working with a variety of resources for the teaching of English. Based on current research into Second Language Acquisition, which encourages the teaching of languages at a young age, the student will also reflect critically on the Swedish Curriculum for English with its focus on the skills of listening, reading, writing, speaking, and interaction.

The student will develop their ability to implement the Swedish Curriculum for English practically in the classroom. The student will also develop their ability to plan learning and teaching moments, and to tie them in, motivate and reflect upon them from both theoretical perspectives and Second Language Acquisition theories. Another goal is for the student to develop their ability to analyse and evaluate different types of strategies with regards to children’s acquisition of language, and also to account for the ways in which children’s text worlds and literature influence language acquisition and development in English. The student will also develop their ability to reflect on the way in which the English language is constructed and which difficulties pupils can meet in the acquisition of a second language. The course aims for the student to develop strategies which enable them to create opportunities that encourage their future pupils to interact and develop an awareness of language through the use of English, both inside the communicative classroom and outside the school environment.

Following successful completion of the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• account for and analyse both the grammatical structure of English, and its sound system
• account for theories on how children receive spoken and written English
• account for the significance of the ways in which children’s text worlds influence language development in English
• account for Second Language Acquisition theories regarding children’s ability and development in speaking and writing in English
• comprehend written and spoken English texts from a variety of different genres and fields

Skills and ability

• communicate in spoken and written English in a clear and appropriate manner
• make use of children’s literature and other materials as tools for teaching and learning
• plan, execute, document, and evaluate teaching which practically implements a variety of theories on learning words and phrases, in order to motivate pupils to write and speak English inside and outside the classroom environment
• analyse the content and didactic methods used for the learning and teaching of English in relation to the Swedish Curriculum for English and current theories for teaching second languages

Judgement and approach

• critically reflect on the construction of the English language, and which assets and difficulties it can present for pupils with Swedish as a first or second language
• evaluate and reflect on the content and didactic methods used for the teaching and learning of English in relation to the Swedish curriculum for English and current theories of second language acquisition and, by doing so, evaluate one’s individual developmental needs

The course provides opportunities for the student to work on their own receptive and productive skills with regards to written and spoken English. The receptive skills are worked on through reading and listening (of which practice of the sound system of English plays an integral part) exercises related to a variety of text types. The productive skills are worked on through discussions on grammar, the writing of individual texts, and through a variety of spoken tasks. During the course, the student will discuss and problematise the relationship between the Swedish Curriculum for English (school years F-3) with its focus on listening, speaking, reading, writing and interaction, as well as on theories on the teaching of languages to young children.

As the course has a focus on theories for teaching and learning of vocabulary, at both word and phrase level, the student is given opportunities to expand their own vocabulary. The student will also examine ways in which children receive different types of written and spoken texts in English, as well as the impact that children’s text worlds can have on their language development in English. The student will also examine examples of how the Swedish curriculum for English can be implemented practically in the communicative classroom. The student will be given the opportunity to make use of children’s literature to plan and execute moments of learning and teaching. They will also work with the documentation and evaluation of learning and teaching moments which practically implement theories concerned with the acquisition of words and phrases in order to create strategies which motivate pupils to write and speak English inside and outside the classroom environment.

Teaching will take the form of lectures, workshops, and group exercises.

The examination English grammar and phonetics will be assessed through an individual written exam. Oral Proficieny is assessed through an individual oral assignment, and the examnation Micro-lesson will be examined through oral and written tasks performed in groups. Written Assignements assesses the student’s written proficiency.

To pass the cours all examinations must be awarded E on all examiniations. To pass the course with an A , you need an A in at least three examinations and at least C in one examination.

If there are special reasons, the examiner may make exceptions from the specified examination format and allow a student to be examined in another way. Special reasons can e.g. be study support for students with disabilities.

Course evaluation is part of the course. This evaluation offers guidance in the future development and planning of the course. Course evaluation is documented and made available to the students.