As in many other countries English is an important lingua franca in Germany. Before 2001, it was only learned from class five or in some states from class three. Since 2001, English or another foreign language is an obligatory subject in the primary school from class one to four. The ability to communicate in a foreign language should be supported. Speaking skills are necessary for achieving this goal. As a consequence, speaking tasks should occupy an important place in everyday school live. The "Unterrichtsorganisation Grundschule" allocates teaching time to all subjects and the foreign language acquisition got the fewest time of all primary school subjects. This term paper elaborates this problem and gives a brief overview about possibilities on how a teacher could handle this situation.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Importance of Speaking in Primary School
3 What is Important for Building a Conductive Ability of Speaking?
3.1 The importance of a nice atmosphere
3.2 The importance of input and authentic speaking situations
4 How Do the “Teilrahmenplan Fremdsprachen” and the “Unterrichtsorganisation Grundschule” Deal with the Support of Speaking?
5 The Problem Between the Contact Time and the Goals for Speaking in Primary School
6 Didactic and Methodological Consequences
6.1 The professionalism of a good teacher
6.2 Useful methods
6.3 Rituals, Songs and Games
7 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the role of oral communication in primary school English education, specifically investigating how current curricular frameworks and structural constraints influence the support of speaking skills. The primary research goal is to identify effective teaching strategies that help overcome limited contact time and promote genuine linguistic competence among young learners.
- The significance of speaking skills in early foreign language acquisition.
- The impact of classroom atmosphere and authentic input on learner motivation.
- Analysis of the "Teilrahmenplan Fremdsprachen" regarding communicative goals.
- Evaluation of structural challenges posed by limited English teaching hours.
- Didactic approaches, including the use of rituals, games, and teacher professionalism.
Excerpt from the Book
The importance of a nice atmosphere
According to Kurtz, children are highly interested in English language. They link it to something positive and beautiful like lyrics of songs on the radio or slogans in TV-advertisement for toys. This interest can be endangered by bad vibes in classroom and inappropriate learning and teaching styles. It is proven by neuropsychology that children are able to learn faster and more effective when they are interested in the subject and get enthusiastic about it. Especially speaking can be made harder by a problematic atmosphere because pupils may develop shame and so stop participating in class.
Pupils in primary school are mostly uninhibited learners. Speaking and producing new words is funny for them and this could be very useful for the teacher to motivate them. They are not as scared about making mistakes as older children are and a nice atmosphere can even expend their courage to speak.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the context of English as a foreign language in German primary schools and introduces the research problem regarding speaking skills.
2 The Importance of Speaking in Primary School: This section discusses the psychological foundations of early language acquisition and why speaking is a vital component for children.
3 What is Important for Building a Conductive Ability of Speaking?: This chapter identifies key requirements for successful oral learning, specifically focusing on atmosphere, input, and authentic situations.
4 How Do the “Teilrahmenplan Fremdsprachen” and the “Unterrichtsorganisation Grundschule” Deal with the Support of Speaking?: An analysis of official educational guidelines and their alignment with the communicative goals of foreign language teaching.
5 The Problem Between the Contact Time and the Goals for Speaking in Primary School: This chapter highlights the conflict between the ambitious goals for oral competence and the reality of very limited weekly contact time.
6 Didactic and Methodological Consequences: A practical exploration of how teachers can optimize instruction through professionalism, appropriate methods, and the integration of songs, games, and rituals.
7 Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, reiterating the necessity of didactic adaptations to foster oral competence despite structural limitations.
Keywords
Speaking skills, Primary school, Foreign language teaching, Communicative competence, Teilrahmenplan, Contact time, Classroom atmosphere, Authentic input, Didactic, Teacher professionalism, Oral production, Language acquisition, Motivation, Methodology, English education.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the relevance of speaking skills in English language instruction at the primary school level and evaluates the effectiveness of current organizational frameworks in supporting these skills.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The themes include the psychological basis for early language learning, the influence of classroom atmosphere, curricular requirements, and practical didactic methods for language teachers.
What is the main research question?
The research explores the relevance of speaking in primary education and investigates whether the "Teilrahmenplan" is sufficiently aligned with the necessary requirements for developing communicative speaking skills.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes a qualitative literature analysis, examining pedagogical theories and official government documents (Teilrahmenplan and Unterrichtsorganisation) to evaluate current practices.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the psychological importance of speaking, the analysis of administrative teaching regulations, the challenges of limited teaching hours, and didactic strategies such as the use of rituals and games.
How would you summarize the work in terms of keywords?
Key concepts include communicative competence, primary school foreign language acquisition, teacher professionalism, and the balancing of teaching goals with limited contact hours.
How does limited contact time specifically affect speaking skills?
Limited time leads to a lack of spontaneous speaking opportunities and often results in pupils relying on memorized, incomplete patterns rather than developing true, flexible communicative ability.
Why is the teacher's professionalism emphasized?
The teacher serves as the primary linguistic model for the students; therefore, their pronunciation, input quality, and ability to manage classroom dynamics are critical for fostering oral competence.
What role do songs and games play in the author's argument?
The author argues that while they should not be the sole focus of lessons, they are essential for establishing a secure environment, internalizing vocabulary, and increasing learner motivation.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Master of Education V. W. (Autor:in), 2014, What relevance does speaking have in primary schools and is the "Teilrahmenplan" aligned to meet the needs of speaking skills?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/293171
