THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN CYPRUS by Androula Englezakis Primary School Inspectress

Council of Europe, 2001: “Only through a better knowledge of European modern languages it will be possible to facilitate communication and interaction among Europeans of different mother tongues, in order to promote European mobility, mutual understanding and co- operation, and overcome prejudice and discrimination” 2

State Primary Schools – English: Twice a week 40-minute periods Grade 4,5,6 (9-12 years of age) 3

General Aim: To communicate effectively in various situations To become sensitive to language appropriacy To develop a positive attitude towards the English Language and the people whose mother tongue is English 4

Emphasis on talk and activity Language used lies within the pupils’ range of capabilities Promotes pupil engagement 5

Course Books contain lively and interesting material Games and songs Role-playing activities Info-gap activities Group work / pair work Projects Constructions 6

Effective teaching: Language exposure Strain-free class – puts no pressure on pupils Enjoyable, lively and relaxing atmosphere Motivation Variety – actively involving all learning styles 7

ICT is a tool for learning other subjects. Aims at developing the intellectual capacity of the pupils, so that they can become “lifelong learners”. 8

Three models: a) a computer corner in every classroom b) a computer lab c) a combination of both 9

European programs: Comenius Arion European Network of Health Promoting Schools European Language Label e-pals e-twinning, etc. 10

Activities: Pupil and teacher visits to other countries communication with pupils of other countries Co-operation based on the background of pupils Brief presentation of the history of their country in their native language and English Research on common words among different languages or words with the same origin, or on words borrowed from a language, or words that may sound the same but have different meanings Creation of multilingual picture dictionaries, calendars, posters Staging small theatrical plays or musicals in English 11

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) Incorporated within mainstream education at primary level since 2004 Based on pilot projects 12

Introducing English from a very young age An innovative approach, implemented on a pilot basis