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English Language Curriculum for Primary Schools in Cyprus

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Pilot Curriculum

English as a Foreign Language in Cyprus Primary Schools

(Years 1 – 6)

Styliani Hadjikyriacou Inspectress, Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture Androulla Englezaki Inspectress, Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture Sophie Ioannou-Georgiou Teacher Trainer, Cyprus Pedagogical Institute,

Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture Pavlos Pavlou Assistant Professor, Department of English Studies,

University of Cyprus Kleri Kouppa Maria Xanthou Primary EFL Advisors, Koula Christodoulou Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture Yianna Rodiki-Petrides


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Pilot Curriculum for EFL in Cyprus Primary Schools (years 1 – 6)

Contents 1. Introduction 2. Philosophy underlying the new curriculum

i. Emphasis on Young Learners’ Characteristics ii. Communicative Language Learning and Teaching iii. Individual Learner Characteristics iv. Intercultural Awareness v. Life-long Learning vi. Cross-curricular links

3. General aim of the curriculum 4. General Objectives 5. Recommended Methodology 6. Assessment / Evaluation 7. Syllabus


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1 Introduction Learning foreign languages is a vital requirement for succeeding in a competitive, modern, dynamic and rapidly changing European society whose primary concerns include the fostering and enabling of communication among European citizens, the promotion of European integration, linguistic equality and plurilingualism. The ability to communicate in more than one language is a basic skill for all European citizens. Learning foreign languages promotes the acceptance and understanding of different cultures and is the way forward for a multilingual Europe of many diverse nations, communities, cultures and language groups. European citizens are called upon to exemplify the European values of openness to others, tolerance of differences and willingness to communicate. Learning and speaking other languages encourages these values. According to the Council of Europe:

“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 cooperation, and overcome prejudice and discrimination».

(Council of Europe, 2001) Furthermore, the European Union aims to have a powerful economy and a competitive market force. In order for these aims to be achieved, European citizens should have the language skills necessary in the global market-place. The European Union is built around the free movement of its citizens, capital and services and the citizen with good language skills will be better able to take advantage of the freedom to work or study in any other member states. (Commission of the European Communities, 2003). Cyprus has responded to these challenges and has been investing heavily in the promotion of Foreign Language Learning (FLL). Given that English plays the role of a lingua franca in Europe and all over the world, special effort has been made to improve the competence of all Cyprus citizens in the English language. As part of this policy, the proposed curriculum aims at improving the current state of teaching and learning of English in Primary Education. One of the innovations in the present curriculum is the introduction of English from the age of 6. From year 1 to year 3 of primary school, children will participate in English lessons of 40-minute periods twice a week. Furthermore, from year 4 to year 6 of primary school, children will have English lessons of 40-minute periods, four times a week. Introducing English from the age of 6, follows a general trend in education systems across Europe. Countries such as Sweden, Italy, Spain and France have introduced English to children from the age of 6 and some have been doing so for more than a decade. In Austria, for example, many schools teach English from the first year of primary school (6 year-olds), since 1989.


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There are many studies as regards the optimal age to start language learning but there is not, however, a definite agreement in their results that a very early start is superior to a later start. An indisputable effect of early language learning seems to be on the development of a native or near-native pronunciation. It must be noted, however, that most of the research available has been carried out in naturalistic settings and not in school contexts where learners are exposed to the foreign language for a few teaching periods a week. In cases of formal instruction, it has often been found that older learners catch up with those who have had an early start; a result mostly due to the increased cognitive abilities of older learners. There are, however, other advantages to an early start. An interesting study is mentioned in Johnstone (1994) with children learning English in the first and third year of primary school in Italy. Reading and writing were also included from the start. Interestingly, the benefits extended beyond the foreign language since the children also showed significant improvements in all aspects of their mother tongue development when compared to a control group. There are, therefore, numerous advantages in starting to learn foreign languages at a young age, in addition to the improved phonological and aural skills which many children have and can use to pick up and reproduce the pronunciation and intonation of the foreign language. These other benefits focus mostly on the children’s lower inhibitions and less developed language ego. The fact that the children’s language ego and self-identity are still forming, enables them to be more open towards learning languages than adolescents and adults (Brown, 2000; inter alia). These same characteristics lead to the most important benefit of early language learning which is the development of lifelong positive attitudes to other languages and other cultures. Even though linguistic benefits might disappear, if in the future the learnt language is not practised, positive attitudes will remain. From a clearly linguistic point of view, an early start in an L2 will imply less interference from L1 and will, in time, enable children to form a healthy foundation in the foreign language, an awareness of language learning skills and metacognitive skills which can assist in the successful introduction of an L3 (mother tongue plus two foreign languages), which is the target aimed for by the European Union (Commission of European Communities, 2003: 7). This curriculum aims to provide a framework for the effective teaching and learning of English in Cypriot Primary Schools.

This proposed curriculum consists of the following:

• an analysis of the philosophy which underlies it • its aims and objectives • the methodology recommended for successful implementation of the

curriculum • recommended procedures for evaluation and assessment • the syllabus for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in primary education


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2 Philosophy underlying the new curriculum

The present curriculum is based on the principles which guide the teaching of young learners and on the notion that language is a means of communication between people from different cultures. i. Emphasis on Young Learners’ characteristics In order to understand how the teaching of foreign languages to young learners differs from teaching other age groups, one needs to understand the strengths of young learners when it comes to language learning. These strengths can then be used to their full potential in order to improve the children’s learning experience. Children are able to grasp meaning easily. Children can understand the general meaning conveyed in communication before they can understand individual foreign language (second language/L2) words. Their understanding can, therefore, be enhanced through visual aids, gestures, facial expressions and demonstrations that convey meaning. Children can creatively use their limited language recourses. Children are capable of using their little knowledge of the L2 so as to successfully communicate their intended message. They can achieve this by recombining what they already know, by using various communication strategies, gestures and facial expressions. Children have a capacity for indirect learning. This is what happens with first language acquisition. Native speakers do not consciously focus on learning their mother tongue. This is learned indirectly through Peripheral learning when people use language to try to solve problems and/or perform various tasks. Children can reproduce this kind of learning when it comes to a second or a foreign language, provided the teaching and learning context offers them the opportunity to do so. Children have an instinct for play and fun. At a very young age, children most probably do not see the need for learning a foreign language. They have an inherent need, however, for play. They also do not see the need to communicate in the foreign language, if they do not live in an L2 context. The need to communicate and the reason to use the foreign language can, therefore, be created through participation in games and other fun activities. Children have a lively imagination. Children’s capacity for fantasy and imagination has a very constructive role to play in the language classroom and provides a powerful stimulus for real language use. It can help them to ‘travel’ to other countries and ‘meet’ other people as well as ‘be’ other people through role-play and other drama activities. Finally, children have an instinct for interaction and talk. This is one of the most powerful motivators for using language. Like all people they need to use language in order to establish interpersonal relationships. They also love opportunities to talk about themselves and their interests. Other main points which should be taken into consideration when teaching young learners is the need for teaching activities to correspond to the children’s level of cognitive and emotional development and for teaching to give primary emphasis on children’s attitudes towards the target language and the foreign language lesson in general. Attitudes are particularly important in that they can influence a child’s


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learning career for many years to come. Not being able to master specific language structures or vocabulary items may be remedied in future years, whereas a negative attitude towards the language and the lesson can hamper any such efforts. ii. Communicative Language Learning and Teaching Although new trends and approaches to learning have recently been developed, the fundamental theory behind all recent developments is still the theory of Communicative Language Learning, which seems to be the most powerful learning theory in the history of the field. The primary argument of this theory is that language is used for communication. Language is seen as a social tool which speakers use to make meaning; speakers communicate about something to someone for some purpose, either orally or in writing. Communication is, therefore, a form of social interaction. It involves a high degree of unpredictability and creativity in form and message; it takes place in discourse and sociocultural contexts which provide constraints on appropriate language use and clues as to correct interpretations and utterances; it always has a purpose. According to this theory, the primary goal of language teaching should be to enable learners to communicate, using their abilities in the L2, in a variety of contexts and situations. Communicative Language Teaching is, therefore, ‘an approach (and not a method) that aims to (a) make communicative competence the goal of language teaching and (b) develop procedures for the teaching of the four language skills that acknowledge the interdependence of language and communication’. (Richards and Rodgers, 2001 p. 155) Communicative language teaching considers language as a system for the expression of meaning and not a system of rule-governed structures hierarchically arranged. Because CLT is definitely a learner-centered approach, learners are actively involved in their own learning process. According to Nunan and Lamb (2001), learners’ language skills develop through the learners actively using and reflecting on the language inside and outside the classroom. The new curriculum adopts this thinking and is designed to meet the needs of Cypriot primary school pupils concerning the learning of the English language. The emphasis is given on communication via the development of the four language skills. While at the very early stages there is more emphasis on oral/aural skills, gradually all the skills are developed and integrated under a structured framework. In conclusion, the emphasis of language teaching for young learners should be primarily on meaning and communication, especially since young children are still developing the abilities to manipulate abstract concepts such as grammar – Piaget’s (1972) level of formal operations begins at age eleven. Generally, young children tend to learn languages in a more intuitive rather than an analytical way and this way of learning is supported by the theory of Communicative language learning and its approach to teaching.


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iii. Individual Learner Characteristics The curriculum recognises the varying needs of learners as these relate to the children’s specific characteristics. The curriculum does not embrace a one-size-fits-all approach but is sensitive to the needs of learners and their particular learning styles (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic) or particular combination of intelligences.

Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences is, therefore, important to the present curriculum. The theory suggests that each person perceives and understands the world differently so not all learners learn in the same way. According to the theory of Multiple Intelligences, each individual is equipped with eight different ways of perceiving the world. Verbal – linguistic learners show sensitivity to spoken and written language, logical – mathematical learners have the capacity for inductive and deductive thinking, reasoning and using numbers, visual – spatial persons recall what they see, bodily – kinesthetic individuals use their body to learn, musical – rhythmic learners recognize tonal patterns and rhythms, interpersonal learners have the ability for person-to-person communication and relationships, intrapersonal individuals have the capacity for self-reflection and awareness and naturalist persons are able to draw upon features of the environment. Many children have a combination of intelligences and learning styles. The challenge for our schools is to cater to all the learners and not to marginalize children because of their particular learning preferences. Educators, therefore, need to provide differentiated teaching. Guessing games, story telling, visual aids, visualization, songs, problem solving, role-play, reflection, pair and group work, projects and experiments are instructional methods that appeal to various intelligences and should be employed in the classroom. An additional way of catering to individual learner characteristics is to provide permanent activity corners in the classroom in order to provide pupils with self access materials catering to their preferences, such as picture dictionaries, puzzles, crosswords and other language games, magazines, computer games and simplified readers. iv. Intercultural Awareness

Through learning a foreign language, students become familiar with other cultures and other people. This is one of the most important aspects of learning other languages and should not simply be left to occur through incidental learning, but should consciously be promoted by classroom teachers through selected activities and by taking advantage of foreign children in the classroom, who can share their traditions and customs with the rest of the class. Intercultural awareness and general openness to other people is one of the main benefits of learning a language from an early age, before negative attitudes and xenophobia sets in. Therefore, every opportunity should be taken in order to expose children to other cultures: customs, traditions, art, and way of thinking


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v. Life-long learning Life-long learning is an important goal for educators, learners and even learners’ parents. Learning-how-to-learn skills are necessary for any modern citizen in search of a successful future in a European society that needs progressive and dynamic people. The curriculum focuses, therefore, on ‘learning how-to-learn’. It actively promotes the development of learner autonomy and aims to develop suitable learning skills at every stage. Such skills include simple ones such as using a dictionary, using an index page or carrying out a basic search on the Internet. There are also more complicated skills such as how to co-operate with other people (team work), how to negotiate and take decisions and how to critically assess one’s personal development. vi. Cross-Curricular links The language and themes which the learners deal with during their English language lesson should not be completely different from the main aims and objectives of the other school subjects. Indeed, English lessons should, whenever possible, help the children further consolidate such aims. Adding and subtracting (Mathematics), for example, can be practiced during the English lesson when the children are learning the numbers in English. Drawing a map of a room, their house or their neighbourhood (Geography), can also take place in English when relevant vocabulary is being learnt. Talking about the weather (Science) is another example of topics and themes from other subjects which can be addressed in the English lesson. Such practice not only enhances the cross-curricular links of the English curriculum but also improves the quality of learning since the children are involved in communication about a topic they are interested in. The focus thus shifts to communication and away from specific language structures, hence developing automaticity and real-life communication skills. This practice is in line with the conclusion of the Council of Europe’s numerous workshops on primary foreign language learning, namely that integration of language learning with other school subjects can offer benefits to all areas of the curriculum as well as reinforce children’s conceptual development and help them see connections between the foreign language and other aspects of their learning (Doye and Hurrell, 1997). Finally, such practices are compatible with the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)1 methodology, which is currently becoming very popular around Europe.

1 For more information on CLIL, visit http://www.clilcompendium.com/clilcompendium.htm or http://www.cilt.org.uk/clip/faqs.htm


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3 General aim of the curriculum The aim of teaching English as a foreign language in primary education is to enable learners to acquire a general communicative competence, so that they can use English creatively for genuine communication in a variety of everyday situations. Furthermore, learners should become sensitive to language appropriacy, become exposed to numerous ‘Englishes’, that is various types of English used around the world, and develop positive attitudes towards English, and foreign languages in general, and towards other cultures and people who speak English as a first or second language. 4 General Objectives Language learning basically entails the integration of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Hence, the development of the four basic language skills constitutes a very important requirement of this curriculum. For the two first years of formal instruction in English, young learners are expected to practice mainly their listening and speaking skills, whereas reading and writing take a much smaller share of the lessons. Writing, for example, is used to practise the Roman alphabet and reading for the children to recognise isolated words from their immediate environment such as their names or classroom items. The teacher should not force more reading and writing during the first two years of instruction. It would be advisable, however, not to hold back children who seem to be ready for more reading and writing. These children should be catered for by being asked to point out words in class story books, by being given a variety of copying activities or by being asked to write labels for the classroom. For the remaining four years of formal instruction, the four skills claim equal shares of the language lesson. Each lesson should include all four skills, although an emphasis on listening and speaking may still remain up to completion of primary school education. More details as to what the pupils will be expected to be able to do by the end of primary school are given below, on four separate lists which describe the aims of each language skill as these are analyzed by the Council of Europe (2001), in what is described as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF)2. This Framework, provides ‘a common basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses, curriculum guidelines … across Europe’ (page 1). In order to enable people to use the CEF as a common, ideal scale, three Common Reference levels have been developed; A - Basic User, B- Independent User, C – Proficient User.

2 You can find the complete text of the Common European Framework at: http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/education/Languages/Language_Policy/Common_Framework_of_Reference/


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Each level is divided into two sub - categories, A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2. For primary school children, the appropriate levels to form a concrete reference point for the English language syllabus are A1 and A2. It is expected that all children will have sufficiently covered the A1 level whereas stronger children will be able to move into the A2 scale during the 5th or 6th year. The tables below describe the expectations at each level, for each one of the four language skills. Before that however, for a complete picture of the CEF, we provide the global scale for the A1 and A2 levels.

A1 Can understand use familiar everyday expressions, basic phrases regarding personal needs, talk about themselves, give some personal details and interact in a simple way if the other person is prepared to help.

A Basic Users A2 Can understand and use vocabulary associated with areas of

immediate relevance, can communicate in simple interactions and do simple descriptions on these areas.

Table 1: Global CEF Scale Speaking Skills

A1 • Has a basic repertoire of words and phrases related to personal details, familiar people and familiar places.

• Shows limited control of simple grammatical structures and sentence patterns

• Can ask and answer questions about personal details. • Can interact in a simple way. • Can link words with basic connections like and then.

A Basic Users

A2 • Can communicate limited information in simple everyday situations using memorized phrases and words (talk about people, family, immediate environment, likes, dislikes, daily routines, possessions, etc).

• Can use simple structures correctly but it is expected that systematically they make basic mistakes

• Can make themselves understood in short utterances but not fluently yet

• Can answer questions and respond to simple statements but they are rarely able to keep conversation going on their own accord

• Can link groups of words with simple connectors like and, but, because.


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Listening Skills A1 • Can follow slow and carefully articulated speech on

all areas of immediate relevance (see global scale). • Can understand and follow simple instructions and

directions.

A Basic Users

A2 • Can understand phrases and expressions related to areas of immediate relevance and priority and be able to meet the needs of a concrete type as long as speech is clearly and carefully articulated.

• Can identify the topic of discussion between native speakers (standard dialect).

• Can understand the main point of announcements and messages on familiar topics and simple directions either from live discussions or talks or from audio media and recordings.

Reading Skiils

A1 • Can understand very short simple texts (messages, postcards, notes with familiar names and words, simple information with visual support, simple instructions).

A Basic Users

A2 • Can understand short, simple texts, containing basic familiar vocabulary related to everyday familiar matters (letters, orders, enquiries, advertisements, lists, timetables, signs and notices).

• Can find specific predictable information in all the above material, locate it and isolate what is required.

Writing Skills

A1 • Can write simple isolated phrases and sentences (about themselves and other people).

A Basic Users

A2 • Can write a series of phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors (themselves and other people, family, aspects of immediate environment, basic descriptions of events, activities and experiences).


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5 Recommended Methodology As was mentioned earlier, the main methodology underlying the curriculum is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Key elements which characterise CLT classroom practise are:

1. Activities that promote real communication promote learning (communication principle).

2. Activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks promote learning (task principle).

3. Language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning process (meaningfulness principle).

(Richards and Rodgers 2001: 161) The implementation of CLT is largely dependent on the teacher. Medgyes (1990) explained the role of the teacher in a brief but accurate way: ‘Communicative teachers are like supporting actors in a play, who have hardly any words to say, yet are the most crucial figures, on whom the whole drama hinges’. (p.107) Consequently, the role of the teacher in implementing a successful and efficient language programme cannot be overestimated. According to Breen and Candlin (2001), as an interdependent participant in the process, the teacher needs to actively share the responsibility for learning and teaching with the learners. The teacher should, therefore, create opportunities for learners to develop their communicative skills as well as their learning-how-to-learn skills. Primarily, pupils need to be exposed to genuine and authentic use of the foreign language. Opportunities should, therefore, be created, so that English can be used for communication. Communication can take place from the very first lessons through greetings like ‘Good morning!’, ‘Hello!’, words of praise, such as ‘Very Good’, ‘Well Done’ and simple instructions like ‘Listen!’, ‘Open your books.’, ‘Could you please put your hands up?’. Demonstration, gestures and the appropriate tone of voice help in making the meaning clear. It is, however, difficult to create opportunities in which very young learners would reaslistcally need to communicate in a foreign language. It is, therefore, imperative that such opportunities are offered through communicative activities. Nevertheless, whereas children of 9 and above could engage in role-play interactions taking place at a kiosk, at a café or at a shop, these are not likely activities for a child of 6 or 7. Real communication for these very young learners can take place through games, songs and stories; which are for them the most important activities they engage in. English lessons should be rich in communicative activities, which are functional in that they have a communicative intent and a real purpose. Communicative activities can work between the teacher and the class or between the child and a remote audience (e.g writing a card, preparing a poster). It is important, however, to provide many opportunities for the children to communicate with each other during pair and group-work activities. Current research shows that students can develop their


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communicative competence when given such opportunities. While communicating with their peers, pupils are actively involved in the learning process. They use all their linguistic resources in trying to communicate, they learn from mistakes and misunderstandings and negotiate meaning. Further to the linguistic benefits, pair and group work promote valuable team skills. Pupils learn to collaborate, to help each other and to respect each other’s opinions. Some of the most popular communicative activities are presented below: Games are effective learning tools for the complete age spectrum of young learners. They help students use the target language without feelings of anxiety. They also help the teacher to create contexts in which the target language is useful and meaningful. There is a wide variety of games which can be used in the language classroom. Guessing games, singing games, board games and word games are a few examples. Songs and rhymes are also excellent techniques for foreign language teaching. Although they are particular favourites of the very young, even older children love singing, if the songs are of interest to them. Young children may appreciate rhymes, circle songs and action songs whereas children of 10 and 11 find traditional songs which link to a country’s culture (e.g. African American songs) or modern songs more interesting. Songs allow children to practise their pronunciation and intonation in the comfort of a group when they sing chorally. They can also be used for listening activities since they are authentic listening texts of the target language. Role play activities create opportunities for the pupils to use the language they have learned under simulated real-life conditions. Children can receive valuable feedback by watching those involved in the role play and observing their reactions, which can indicate whether the children succeeded in communicating their message or not. Also role plays offer the opportunity for employing, and observing, non-verbal aspects of communication, such as gestures, facial expressions and eye contact. Miming is a very good activity to promote comprehension of vocabulary items and various language structures such as ‘can do’ and ‘can’t do’ statements or actions in progress. Miming is important in that it also enables the production of language without forcing the child to verbally produce a structure, that is by miming a phrase or vocabulary item that the child is given on a piece of card, she is able to show that she understands the term (comprehension) and also produce an action without being forced to speak. Other similar useful activities are listen and draw, read and colour, read and match. Story-telling is a valuable activity for young learners. It allows for comprehension without pressing for production. Production, on the other hand, if required, can take place without the need for speaking, as for example, through drawing, miming, drama.


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Story-telling enables young learners to receive input, listen to the narration and notice the intonation and rhythm of the language while, at the same time, picking up the central meaning of the story. Stories do not always have to be simplified. Pupils can be exposed to authentic children stories which the teacher can make the stories comprehensible through appropriate use of visual aids, paraphrasing, gestures and facial expressions. Being able to listen to a story and understand the general meaning, trains pupils in the application of strategies for the deciphering of meaning without the need to understand every single word in a text. New technologies have a lot to offer towards helping promote the curriculum’s objectives. Firstly, technology enables the teacher to offer learning activities which cater to a variety of different learning styles and intelligences. The variety of media, for example, which can be integrated in an activity can be very helpful to learners. Furthermore, technology can assist teachers in providing a variety of different levels of an activity, so that pupils with different learning abilities can be catered to. Secondly, new technologies, and the Internet in particular, can offer access to authentic materials and a variety of dialects and ‘Englishes’. Furthermore, working with technology can offer learners opportunities for creative work during which they can produce language work in a variety of forms, such as powerpoint presentations, posters created with Word Art and Clip Art. Another important aspect of technology is the opportunity it offers for communication through asynchronous tools, such as email, bulletin boards and blogs and synchronous tools such as audio and videoconferencing. Such tools assist in the planning and implementation of intercultural projects during which young learners can improve their intercultural awareness and general knowledge of other cultures, while at the same time use the language they have learnt for authentic communication with other English speakers around the world. Last, but not least, new technologies have been found to be especially motivating for children. In conclusion, it must be emphasized that the focus of the English lesson needs to be placed on fluency. At least in the early stages of language learning, the learner’s attempts at language production should not be hampered by overcorrection and a focus on accuracy. Nevertheless, accuracy has a role to play and students’ attention should be drawn to accuracy when important mistakes are constantly made or when mistakes seriously obstruct the learner’s effort to communicate. It is, however, imperative that any attempts at correction take place within a friendly and supportive atmosphere. Our aim at this early stage of young learners’ education is to make learning English as fun and as enjoyable as possible through a ‘positive’ learning climate in the classroom; a factor which is widely argued to be crucial for successful learning. Therefore, the chosen activities, as mentioned above, must be fun, interesting and creative and take place within a pleasant and friendly learning atmosphere so that students will develop and maintain a positive attitude towards the English lesson and the English language in general.


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6 Assessment/Evaluation The two major issues in the assessment/evaluation of students in primary education are the “what” and the “how”. With regard to “what”, Smith (1995) identifies four aspects of learning that should be assessed: content (that is language), attitudes, learning-how-to learn and educational goals.

The first aspect of language learning that needs to be assessed is the content and, in particular, the development of the fours skills namely, listening, speaking, reading and writing. It is also necessary to assess the integration of the four skills. As all language skills are integrated in real life and are rarely used in isolation they should also be assessed integratively.

An equally important skill that should be assessed is learning how to learn. In today’s fast changing world, children must be trained to use a variety of learning skills and discover the ones which are the most effective for them. These are skills which characterise an autonomous learner and which are necessary for dealing with the 21st century citizen’s need to continually acquire new knowledge and/or skills so to be able to function effectively and to remain competitive in the modern society. Children’s attitudes should also be assessed. When it comes to children, fostering positive attitudes should be one of the priorities in learning since this is the best time for them to form strong positive attitudes towards learning, the target language and culture. Negative attitudes formed at this stage will be hard to alter in the future. Finally children’s behavioural and social skills should also be assessed. Teachers, regardless of their individual subjects, are above all pedagogues and share in the responsibility for the education and the development of a child as a whole person. Working as a member of a team, being polite, sensitive to others’ feelings and appreciative of others' efforts are some of the qualities all subject teachers should promote and assess. How to assess A motivating environment is a result of the teacher’s efforts to make learning as enjoyable as possible. Games, songs, puzzles, drama and drawing are among the activities that are usually used as part of this effort. Nevertheless, the teacher’s hard work in establishing a motivating atmosphere and positive attitudes towards learning and English can be severely damaged when it’s time for assessment. To avoid this, assessment should be carried out in a way that protects the positive atmosphere created in the classroom and the children’s positive attitudes towards learning and English in general. The approach proposed by this curriculum includes structured Assessment Activities/Tasks which are based on the principles of FLL by children and alternative assessment activities. Examples of assessment activities are read/draw, listen/colour, draw/colour/match and other tasks that are now also found in the most popular commercial EFL exams internationally.


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Alternative assessment activities include projects, take-home assessment tasks, portfolio assessment, self-assessment and peer-assessment and continuous assessment through observation and conferencing. (Ioannou-Georgiou and Pavlou, 2003). These are assessment activities which are quite valid but do not disturb the atmosphere of the classroom. An added benefit of these procedures is that they include the student as a partner in the learning process and they develop autonomy and learning-how-to-learn skills. This proposed assessment approach follows a shift in the field of assessment and evaluation, namely that from strictly summative testing tools to a more humanistic approach using assessment techniques that stress formative evaluation (Gattullo, 2000; inter alia). Summative assessment aims to assess learning at the end of a unit of learning without the intention of providing feedback to the next cycle of learning. On the other hand, formative assessment aims to influence both teaching and learning and offer feedback to both teachers and learners. 7 Syllabus As will be noted below, the syllabus includes a strong element of recycling. This is important in that language is seen to be learnt through repeated exposures and interactions. Recycling is also an element of scaffolding which can support children in their learning. Year 1. Children are very young and are only just now learning how to read and write in their first language. They also have to deal with the unfamiliar structure of the school and a fixed school timetable. They are too young to understand the need for a foreign language and are very sensitive to failure. At this stage of learning a foreign language, songs, games, role-play, story telling and handicraft have a significant role to play. Pupils are encouraged to learn by doing and by being fully immersed in activities they enjoy. Reading and writing are not primary aims at this stage, although pupils can gradually become familiar to some basic written forms such as their names, numbers and some classroom items. Handwriting can also be practised as the children need time to get used to the Roman alphabet. It is perhaps, better not to introduce any writing until after the first half of the academic year since children are only now learning how to write in their first language and we should avoid confusing the two alphabets. If some children are still struggling with reading and writing in their first language, they should not be pressured into any type of reading and writing in the L2. Opportunities for this can be offered in year 2. Interesting cultural issues can also be introduced at this age. Children might, for example, enjoy making paper jack-o-lanterns for Halloween or playing a traditional Easter egg hunt at Easter.


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Primary aims at this stage is for the learner to become accustomed to the sounds of the language and the intonation and start producing language in an anxiety-free context of an enjoyable lesson. At this time it is important to establish positive attitudes, develop and maintain motivation for learning English. These aims are achieved if the children enjoy the lesson and the various learning activities they are involved in (Blondin et al., 1998; Kennedy and Jarvis, 1991). In particular, the central aims of the EFL curriculum for Year 1, are to help pupils to:

• develop positive attitudes towards language learning • develop their awareness of the world; • develop social awareness; • develop L2 language awareness • support the development of the cognitive, numeracy and literacy skills

promoted by the other school subjects of the national curriculum (e.g. numbers, colours, sizes, adding)

Communicative Aims

Language exponents

• Greeting people • Introducing oneself

• Naming parts of the body • Responding to instructions

• Identifying colours

• Counting

• Identifying people

• Introducing members of the family

• Identifying classroom objects

• Talking about colours

• Hello! Goodbye! • I’m + name

My name is… What’s your name?

• head, feet, hands, body • Stand up / Sit down / Clap your

hands / Stamp your feet / Run / Jump

• What colour is it?

Blue, red, yellow, green

• Numbers 1-5

• Who´s this? This is + name

• This is my mum, dad, sister,

brother, grandma, grandpa • What’s this?

It’s a book, pen, pencil, ruler

• My cat is black / yellow / brown.


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• Making guesses • Expressing possession

• Expressing likes

• Gving Christmas and Easter

greetings.

• Wishing “Happy Birthday”

• It’s a … Yes / No

• I’ve got a … This is my cat/dog/bird

• I like eggs / bread / cheese / milk / apples / bananas

• Merry Christmas / Happy Easter

• Happy Birthday

Year 2. The primary aims and the philosophy mentioned earlier for Year 1 pupils, continues to apply for year 2 pupils. This curriculum aims to enable the children through a variety of fun activities to learn basic vocabulary that relates to everyday events and situations so that they will gradually manage to start communicating in the language. It aims to revise all language components that were taught in year 1, since recycling is a primary principle for successful learning, as well as to introduce new language, still associated with everyday situations. Reading and writing are still in the back seat, although work in these skills is taking place and the children should be able and comfortable writers in the Roman alphabet by the end of the year. This can take place through a variety of fun copying and other language games. Oral /aural work, however, still have the major share of the lessons. Cultural topics should again appear at various stages during the year. Learning foreign names, traditional rhymes and songs and discussing differences in traditional festivities between Cyprus and English-speaking countries are some examples. Communicative Aims Language exponents

• Greeting people • Introducing oneself • Introducing others

• Good morning! Hello! Hi!

Goodbye! • I’m + name, My name is…

What’s your name?

• He/She/ It is + name


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• Identifying parts of the body • Responding to instructions • Giving instructions.

• Identifying colours

• Counting • Identifying people

• Introducing members of the family

• Identifying classroom objects

• Describing animals and objects

• Making guesses • Expressing possession

• Expressing likes and dislikes • Naming rooms of the house

• Locating objects

• My head / feet / hands / body / face / hair / eyes / ears / fingers / tummy / toes

• Stand up / Sit down / Clap your

hands / Open/Close the door / Stamp your feet / Jump / Touch / Point to …/

• Stand up / Sit down / Come here/

Open/Close your book.

• It´s blue, red, yellow, green, grey, white, black, pink, orange

• Numbers 1-10

• Who´s this/that?

This/That is + name

• This is my mother, father, sister, brother

• What´s this?

It´s a book, pen, pencil, pencil case, ruler, sharpener, board, picture

• My cat is big / small. • My ball is big/small.

Its´ black / grey / brown

• Is it a …? He/She/It is …. Yes/No

• I´ve got a … He´s got…

This is my cat/dog/bird

• I like ……/ I don´t like… • This is my house.

This is the kitchen / bedroom / bathroom / living room

• Where´s the …? It´s on / in …


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• Giving Christmas and Easter gretings.

• Wishing ´Happy Birthday´ and

´Happy Name day´

• Merry Christmas, Happy Easter

• Happy Birthday Happy Name day

Year 3. 8-year-old children in their third year of English still need to enjoy the lesson and be involved in a variety of activities. Thus, there is still a lot of ‘fun’ time in the language lesson, where pupils sing and play. In year 3, however, reading and writing take on a more important part of the lesson and there is more balance between the four skills. As shown form the description of the language components that will be taught, recycling of language is the major characteristic of this curriculum. Everything that was taught in years 1 and 2 is now revised whereas new language components are also added. Opportunities to explore cultural issues should also be included wherever possible.

Communicative Aims Language exponents

• Asking for personal information. • Giving personal information. • Expressing possession

• Describing faces and body parts

• Counting • Telling the time

• What´s your name?

How old are you? What´s your favourite colour? Is this your pen? What colour is your car? Is it blue?

• What have you got? I have / I haven´t got… What has he / she got? He /She has got… He / She hasn´t got…

• I´ve got long / short hair, big /small eyes…

• Numbers 1-20 • It’s five/six/seven o’clock.


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• Locating objects

• Identifying house objects and furniture

• Talking about abilities

• Expressing likes and dislikes

• Expressing possession

• Identifying items of clothing

• Describing people’s appearance. • Talking about people.

• Where’s …? Where are …? Prepositions : on, in, under

• Bed, chair, table…

• I can… / can’t... It can… Can you…?

• I like / don’t like… Do you like…? Yes, I do. No, I don’t. Who likes…? Does he/she like …? Yes, he/she does. No, he/she doesn’t. Who likes…?

• I’ve got… / haven’t got… Who’s got…? He/She’s got… What has he/she got…? How many … have you got…? How many … has he/she got…?

• What is he/she wearing?

Jeans, dress, boots, glasses, hat, shorts, trainers, shoes…

• My mum is short/tall, She’s got

long/short hair,

• My mum has got… He/She likes… He/She can…

Year 4. Pupils are now considerably older but they are still children and 9-year old learners crave for songs and games as much as their younger friends. The basic teaching philosophy remains the same. At this point the language is familiar to them as they have been using it for the past three years. By the end of the year they should be able to communicate orally in


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simple tasks regarding themselves and their immediate environment. Opportunities for intercultural awareness should be exploited. Unfamiliar celebrations could, for example, be introduced at this point. Such celebrations could be St. Patrick’s day (Ireland), Independence Day (USA) and Thanksgiving (USA).

Communicative Aims

Language exponents

• Introducing oneself • Talking about colours

• Talking about age

• Talking about likes and dislikes

• Talking about possessions • Talking about appearance

• Describing objects

• Asking about someone’s

appearance

• Talking about what is happening

• Naming objects of the house

• Talking about abilities

• Talking about the weather

• Hello, I’m…, What’s your name? • What’s your favourite colour?

• How old are you? I’m … years

old. How old is he/she/it? He/She/It is … years old.

• Do you like…? I like…, I don’t like… Does he/she like…? He/She likes… He/She doesn’t like…

• He’s/ She’s got… I’ve got… Who’s got …?

• His/Her hair’s long/short

• They’re big/small/long.

• Is his/her hair long? Has he/she got short hair?

• Present Continuous I’m dancing/jumping He/She’s singing Is he/she …ing? Are you …? • It’s a fridge, chair, sink, wardrobe

They are plates, cups …

• I can play/ swim …

• What’s the weather like today? It’s hot / sunny / raining / windy / snowing / stormy


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• Asking about the location of objects

• Talking about the seasons

• Talking about feelings

• Talking about animals and insects

• Locating things

• Counting

• Telling the time • Talking about habitual activities

• Talking about likes and dislikes • Naming the days of the week

• Learning about some famous

places in England / Australia / USA

• Where’s the….. Where are the … ?

• It’s spring / summer / autumn /

winter My favourite season is…

• I’m / He/She´s scared / hungry /

tired happy / sad / angry / worried / thirsty Is he/she happy? Are you scared of…? How do you feel?

• My favourite animals are

monkeys…/ butterflies … They are dangerous / interesting / scary

They’ve got …head / legs / eyes

• It’s/ They are in, on, behind, in front of, next to There is / are…

• Numbers 1-100

• What time is it? It’s five o’clock/ half past six

• Present Simple: I play, go work, go to school, have breakfast / lunch / supper

He gets up/ he has breakfast/lunch/supper, he dances, he goes to bed

• He/she likes football / basketball / dancing / hiding…

He/she doesn’t like … • Today / Tomorrow is Sunday…

• British museum, Buckingham

palace, London Zoo, the White House, the Grand Canyon …


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Year 5. The majority of pupils should be able to cover the Common European Framework A1 goals by the end of this year. If, however, certain pupils need more time, they have this year and the next in order to do so. More able pupils, on the other hand, who might cover the A1 goals before the end of the year, should be given the opportunity to move forward into A2 areas. Intercultural awareness goals can be further enhanced at this stage by establishing communication with children from various countries within the framework of various intercultural and cross-curricular projects.

Communicative Aims

Language exponents

• Naming the days of the week

• Introducing people and eliciting

personal information

• Using polite phrases appropriately • Talking about oneself and one’s

favourite things

• Talking about what is happening

• Talking about what one likes and doesn´t like doing

• Talking about things people are good

at • Counting • Talking about various buildings and

their location

• Today / Tomorrow is Sunday, Monday….

• This is Anna.

How old are you? I’ve got a sister/brother…I live at… My telephone number is…

• Excuse me, please. Sorry. Here you are. Thanks. Thank you.

• I’ve got…I haven’t got...My favourite

sports / music / school subject is … • Present Continuous – what are you

doing? ... dancing, playing tennis, running, swimming.

• I like dancing… I don´ t like cycling… • I´m good / not very good at cycling /

swimming … • Numbers 1 - 1000 • There is a supermarket / library /

chemist´s … There are bookshops / toy shops …


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• Asking the price of goods in a shop

• Telling the time

• Talking about school subjects and

timetables

• Describing habitual activities

• Talking about physical states

• Giving advice • Asking and saying what month

people’s birthdays are in.

• Making and accepting invitations

• Making comparisons

• Talking about animals in various countries

• Talking about animals that lived in

the past • Talking about early memories

• How much is this…that…? How much are these …/ those …?

• It´s quarter past / to …

It´s ten past one. It´s twenty to four.

• School subjects: Greek, English,

Geography, Art, Physical Education….

I have English on … (days of the week)

I have Maths at 9:25 (The time: o´clock, half past…)

• Present Simple: get up, get dressed,

have breakfast, watch TV…

• What’s the matter? I’ve got a cold/cough/flu/headache/sore throat…

• You must eat more fruit and

vegetables • Months of the year, dates (Dates: on

the 4th of June… 1st, 2nd, 3rd.) • Would you like to …? Shall we …?

No, thanks / I´m sorry I can´t / Yes, that´s a great idea

• Comparatives ending in –er and

superlatives ending in –est • Animal names, where they live, what

they eat, their abilities and habits • Wh- questions (When/Where did ….

live?) /What did … eat?) Past Simple (was/were) how long/how tall…? Names of dinosaurs • When I was…(my first day at school,

on a holiday…)


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Year 6. The general aims of formal instruction in the English language for year 6 pupils are the same as the aims for year 5 pupils. Children are expected to develop in all four language skills. Those pupils who have not covered A1 goals are expected to do so during this year, whereas stronger pupils might be able to progress further into A2 goals. Cultural awareness topics can be introduced and explored through the use of the Internet and computer-mediated-communication projects (e.g. emails and blogs).

Communicative Aims Language exponents

• Saying which school subjects you like and what things you are good at

• Talking and describing

possessions

• Asking and answering about how people travel

• Saying where various places are

• Asking for and giving directions

• Talking about professions

• Talking about nationalities

• Making future plans

• Making suggestions

• Giving advice

• S/he likes physical

education…S/he is good at drawing, swimming…

• I have got a goldfish / cat /

dog… He eats… He sleeps….

• We can travel by car, bus, train, airplane… by bike, by bus… on foot.

• Prepositions of place: near,

opposite, in front of, between…

• Turn right / left at / go across /

straight on… • He / She´s a dentist, cook,

pilot, reporter, singer, secretary…

• He / She is from Italy, China,

Brazil…He / She is Italian …

• Future with going to…

• Let´s …/ Shall we….? Why don’t we…?

• You must / should/ need to /

could eat fruits and vegetables…


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• Giving and following

instructions

• Locating people and objects in the past

• Talking about events in the past

• Talking about a sequence of events in the past

• Making comparisons.

• Imperatives • Past Tense There was a church… There were trees… • Past Simple Yesterday I visited … Last months I went to… • Past Simple

He got up… he had breakfast… he went to school… Sequencing adverbs: First, then, later, next, last …

• Superlatives:

He is my best friend. This is the highest mountain…longest river…


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References Allan, D. 1995. (ed.), Entry Points: Papers from a Symposium of the Research, Testing and Young Learners Special Interest Groups, IATEFL, Cambridge Blondin, C., Candelier, M., Edelenhos, P. Johnstone, R. Kubanek-German, A. and Taeschner, T. 1998. Foreign Languages in Primary and Pre-School Education: A Review of Recent Research within the European Union. London: Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research. Breen, M.P. & Candlin, C. (2001) The Essentials of a Communicative Curriculum in Language Teaching. In D.R.Hall & A. Hewings, (eds.) Innovation in English Language Teaching. London: Routledge. 9-26. Brown, H.D. 2000. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. Longman Commission of the European Communities, 2003. Promoting Language Learning and Linguistic Diversity: An Action Plan 2004-2006. Brussels Council of Europe, 2001. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, CUP Doye, P. and Hurrell, A. (eds). 1997. Foreign Language Learning in Primary Schools. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Gardner, H. 1983. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic.

Gardner, H. 1993. Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic, 1993

Gattullo, F. 2000. Formative Assessment in ELT primary (elementary) classrooms: an Italian case study. Language Testing, 17,2: 278-288 Ioannou-Georgiou, S and Pavlou, P. 2003. Assessing Young Learners. Oxford University Press Johnstone, R. 1994. Teaching Modern Languages at Primary School: Approaches and Implications. Edinburgh: Scottish Council for Research in Education Kennedy, C. and Jarvis, J. (eds). 1991. Ideas and Issues in Primary ELT. Nelson Medgyes, P. 1990. ‘Queries from a Communicative Teacher’ in Rossner, R. and Bolitho, R. (eds) Currents of Change in English Language Teaching, Oxford, Oxford University Press. Nunan, D and Lamb, C. 2001 Managing the Learning Process. In D.R Hall. & A. Hewings, (eds.) Innovation in English Language Teaching. London: Routledge. 27-45.


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Richards, C. J. and Rodgers, S. T. 2001. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press Smith, K. 1995. Assessing and Testing Young Learners: Can we? Should we?. In D. Allan, (ed.). Entry Points: Papers from a Symposium of the Research, Testing and Young Learners Special Interest Groups. IATEFL, Cambridge Extended Bibliography Brown, H. D. 2001. Teaching by Principles: an Interactive View of Language Pedagogy. Prentice Hall. Brumfit, C, J. Moon, and R. Tongue. 1991. Teaching English to Children. Collins. Dornyei, Z. 2001. Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom. CUP. Dornyei, Z. 2001. Teaching and researching motivation Harlow: Longman. Dudeney, G. 2000. The Internet and the Language Classroom. CUP. Ellis, R.1997. Second Language Acquisition. OUP Ellis, R. 2003. Task-based Language Learning and Teaching. OUP Hall, D.R. & Hewings, A. (eds.) (2001) Innovation in English Language Teaching. London: Routledge. Harmer, J. 2001. The Practice of English Language Teaching. Longman Hedge, P. 2000. Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford University Press Larsen-Freeman, D. 2000. Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. OUP Lewis, G. and Gunther B. 1999. Games for Children. OUP Lewis, G. 2004. The Internet and Young Learners. OUP Lightbown, P. and N. Spada. 1999. How Languages are Learned. Oxford University Press. Lynch, T. 2001. Communication in the Language Classsroom. OUP. Mitchell, R. and F. Myles 1998. Second Language Learning Theories Arnold Moon, J. 2000. Children Learning English. Heineman Macmillan.


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Morrow, K. (ed). 2004. Insights from the Common European Framework. OUP Oxford, R. 1990. Language Learning Strategies: What every teacher should know. Heinle & Heinle Phillips, S. 2001. Young Learners. OUP Reilly, V. and Ward M. S. Very Young Learners. OUP Richards, J. C & Rodgers, T. S 2001. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. CUP Rost, M. 2002. Teaching and Researching Listening. Longman Willis, J. 1996: A Framework for Task-Based Learning. Longman Wright, A. 1995. Storytetlling With Children, OUP Wright, A. 1997. Creating Stories With Children, OUP

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