The Reading and Writing Connections in Developing Overall L2 Literacy: A Case Study

This study focused on the characteristics of an action-research study concerning an English language reading and writing intervention program in a primary state school, located in northeast Portugal (low-Socio Economic Status setting), where four groups of children (<i>n</i> = 92) partic...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Carmen Lucas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-12-01
Series:Languages
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/5/4/69
_version_ 1797545019028013056
author Carmen Lucas
author_facet Carmen Lucas
author_sort Carmen Lucas
collection DOAJ
description This study focused on the characteristics of an action-research study concerning an English language reading and writing intervention program in a primary state school, located in northeast Portugal (low-Socio Economic Status setting), where four groups of children (<i>n</i> = 92) participated in the academic year 2019–2020, after the National strategy for foreign languages was launched. The longitudinal study carried out in the action-research methodology, where the teacher, syllabus designer and researcher was the main author, was set out with two main aims. The first was to tackle and to overcome the lack of teacher training for teaching English to young learners in Portuguese primary schools. The second was to prompt intervention, through the design and implementation of a suitable pedagogic approach for teaching English to young learners, in line with Content for Language and Integrated Learning (CLIL) principles, namely English Across the Curriculum, thus fostering the interrelationships between English language reading and writing skills. The findings of the action-research reading intervention program demonstrate that it is possible to overcome such barriers as pupils’ negative attitudes and counteract the damaging effects of poverty in foreign language literacy development by exposing them to children’s picturebooks/storybooks, thus fostering the overall literacy development. The key concepts explored in these books, being associated with primary key curriculum themes are an effective way to establish clear positive connections among English language reading and writing relationships. In addition, the current study also sheds light on how primary English language school teachers can design suitable pedagogic approaches to foster overall literacy development, thus advancing innovative teacher training opportunities.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T14:08:51Z
format Article
id doaj.art-6fa06547574c4809b6b3ec8076ba1b48
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2226-471X
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T14:08:51Z
publishDate 2020-12-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Languages
spelling doaj.art-6fa06547574c4809b6b3ec8076ba1b482023-11-21T00:22:08ZengMDPI AGLanguages2226-471X2020-12-01546910.3390/languages5040069The Reading and Writing Connections in Developing Overall L2 Literacy: A Case StudyCarmen Lucas0Departamento de Letras, Artes e Comunicação, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, PortugalThis study focused on the characteristics of an action-research study concerning an English language reading and writing intervention program in a primary state school, located in northeast Portugal (low-Socio Economic Status setting), where four groups of children (<i>n</i> = 92) participated in the academic year 2019–2020, after the National strategy for foreign languages was launched. The longitudinal study carried out in the action-research methodology, where the teacher, syllabus designer and researcher was the main author, was set out with two main aims. The first was to tackle and to overcome the lack of teacher training for teaching English to young learners in Portuguese primary schools. The second was to prompt intervention, through the design and implementation of a suitable pedagogic approach for teaching English to young learners, in line with Content for Language and Integrated Learning (CLIL) principles, namely English Across the Curriculum, thus fostering the interrelationships between English language reading and writing skills. The findings of the action-research reading intervention program demonstrate that it is possible to overcome such barriers as pupils’ negative attitudes and counteract the damaging effects of poverty in foreign language literacy development by exposing them to children’s picturebooks/storybooks, thus fostering the overall literacy development. The key concepts explored in these books, being associated with primary key curriculum themes are an effective way to establish clear positive connections among English language reading and writing relationships. In addition, the current study also sheds light on how primary English language school teachers can design suitable pedagogic approaches to foster overall literacy development, thus advancing innovative teacher training opportunities.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/5/4/69English language reading and writingpicturebooks/storybooksteacher trainingContent for Language and Integrated Learning (CLIL)English across the curriculumreading motivation
spellingShingle Carmen Lucas
The Reading and Writing Connections in Developing Overall L2 Literacy: A Case Study
Languages
English language reading and writing
picturebooks/storybooks
teacher training
Content for Language and Integrated Learning (CLIL)
English across the curriculum
reading motivation
title The Reading and Writing Connections in Developing Overall L2 Literacy: A Case Study
title_full The Reading and Writing Connections in Developing Overall L2 Literacy: A Case Study
title_fullStr The Reading and Writing Connections in Developing Overall L2 Literacy: A Case Study
title_full_unstemmed The Reading and Writing Connections in Developing Overall L2 Literacy: A Case Study
title_short The Reading and Writing Connections in Developing Overall L2 Literacy: A Case Study
title_sort reading and writing connections in developing overall l2 literacy a case study
topic English language reading and writing
picturebooks/storybooks
teacher training
Content for Language and Integrated Learning (CLIL)
English across the curriculum
reading motivation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/5/4/69
work_keys_str_mv AT carmenlucas thereadingandwritingconnectionsindevelopingoveralll2literacyacasestudy
AT carmenlucas readingandwritingconnectionsindevelopingoveralll2literacyacasestudy