Young Learner Education

The young learner classroom expands far beyond the classroom walls. Uncover the various levels of influence on a young learner's classroom life from teachers to parents to the community. Explore the challenges of teacher training and the benefits of adapting pedagogies for teaching younger students. Step into the shoes of an English language learner during standardized testing, in bilingual programs, and in the everyday classroom. Understand the reasons to develop strong home-school connections. Finally, examine the complexity of the field of teaching English to young learners in the 21st century.

Fiona Copland is Professor of TESOL at the University of Stirling, Scotland, where she is also Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Fiona has taught English around the world and has been involved in teacher education for over twenty years. She has published widely in the field of young learners, materials development, teacher education feedback conferences, and linguistic ethnography. Sue Garton is Associate Professor of TESOL at Aston University, UK. She taught English in Italy for almost 20 years and has many years’ experience of working with language teachers from around the world. She has published widely in the areas of young learners, language policy, and classroom-based research.