P ima y School Teache Candida es’
Re lec i e Essays on he Ca ego ies
Tha They Find P oblema ic When Teaching
English a P ima y Schools in Sweden
Oleksand Kap ano
ABSTRACT:
This a icle comp ises amixed-me hods s udy o p ima y school eache candida es’ (hence o h
pa icipan s) e lec ions associa ed wi h he ca ego ies ha hey ind p oblema ic when eaching
English as aFo eign Language (EFL) a p ima y schools in Sweden. In his s udy, he pa icipan s
a e ins uc ed o e lec on p oblema ic a eas o eaching EFL o young lea ne s a Swedish p ima y
schools and p esen hei ideas in he o m o e lec i e essays w i en in he English language. The
e lec i e essays a e w i en a e he pa icipan s ha e comple ed hei school p ac ice sessions,
ha ing augh EFL o he Yea s 4–6 a p ima y schools in Sweden. The pa icipan s’ e lec i e essays
a e analysed by means o he so wa e p og am Wo dSmi h (Sco , 2012) in o de o gene a e alis
o he mos equen ly used wo ds. Aquali a i e componen o he analysis in ol es he iden i ica-
ion o ase o ca ego ies associa ed wi h he p oblema ic a eas o EFL eaching in he Yea s 4–6 a
p ima y schools in Sweden. The esul s o he mixed-me hods analysis e eal se e al p oblem a -
eas, e.g. p onuncia ion, spelling, i egula e bs, adjec i es, a icles, ocabula y, p eposi ions, e c.
These indings and hei didac ic implica ions o EFL eaching in he Yea s 4–6 a p ima y schools
a e u he p esen ed and discussed in he a icle.
KEY WORDS:
English as a o eign language (EFL), EFL eaching, eache candida es, e lec i e essays, p ima y
school
1. INTRODUCTION
This a icle p esen s an empi ical s udy o he p ima y school eache candida es’ e-
lec i e essays ocusing on hose a eas o eaching English as a o eign language (EFL)
which he eache candida es ( u he e e ed o as ‘pa icipan s’) ind p oblema ic
when eaching EFL a p ima y schools in Sweden. The speci ic aim o his s udy in-
ol es amixed-me hods analysis o he pa icipan s’ e lec i e essays in o de o es-
ablish he main p oblema ic ca ego ies associa ed wi h he eaching o EFL o young
lea ne s in Yea s 4–6 a Swedish p ima y schools. The s udy is based upon he concep
o e lec ion on EFL eaching p ac ices, which plays asigni ican ole in he concep-
ualisa ion o eache de elopmen (Schon, 1983). The pa icipan s’ e lec ions on he
ca ego ies o eaching EFL in p ima y schools in Sweden a e u he in es iga ed in
his a icle by means o amixed-me hods design comp ised o acompu e -assis ed
and aquali a i e me hodology.
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24 STUDIE ZAPLIKOVANÉ LINGVISTIKY 1/2018
The abili y o e lec is ega ded as an explici goal o eache educa ion and de-
elopmen (Baeche , 2012; Gab iel, 2017). In gene al e ms, e lec ion in ol es he e-
examina ion and e alua ion o expe ience, belie s and knowledge (Kembe , McKay,
Sinclai & Wong, 2008). The p epa a ion o e lec i e eache s is an impo an heme
in eache educa ion (Pul o ak, 1993, p.288). The e is acon en ion ha eache candi-
da es should unde s and hei eaching as in es iga ion, expe imen a ion, and e lec-
ion (Chi pin, Simon & Galipeau, 2008, p.2049). The eache candida es’ e lec ions
a e deemed o be ause ul means o concep ualisa ion o he eache s’ oles, goal se -
ing, and belie s abou eaching (Myles, Cheng & Wang, 2006, p.234), and pe cep ions
o sel -as-a- eache (Lim, 2011). Typically, an in-se ice eache ’s e lec ions a e as-
socia ed wi h cu iculum acili a ion, obs acles o s uden mo i a ion and lea ning,
amelio a ion o he s uden s’ lea ning expe iences, e c. (Valli, 1997, p.68).
Teache candida es’ e lec ions and belie s ep esen a i al esou ce o e lec -
ing on he p ocesses o eaching, lea ning, and eaching p ac ices (Me ce , 2017, p.55;
Myles, Cheng & Wang, 2006). P e ious esea ch sugges s ha a eache ’s e lec ions
can be elici ed by means o ana a i e inqui y in o al and w i en o ms (Diaz-G een-
be g & Ne in, 2003; Hou igan & Mu ay, 2010). A guably, by sel -na a i es, e lec-
i e essays, and blogs, eache candida es can desc ibe hei aci hough s, belie s,
knowledge, ea s, and hopes as hey exp ess hei day- o-day unde s andings o hei
ins uc ional con ex s. Th ough he p ocess o w i ing and eading he na a i e,
eache s can iden i y hei iden i y-in-ac i i y in hei own wo ds, and add ess any
cogni i e and emo ional dissonance in hei eaching, con adic ions, and/o g ow h
poin s ha eme ge (Golombek, 2017, p.23).
Whils he concep o in-se ice eache s’ e lec ions appea s o be well- e-
sea ched (And ews & McNeill, 2005; Golombek, 2017; Kembe , McKay, Sinclai &
Wong, 2008), especially in he ield o Applied Linguis ics and EFL, he e is s ill in-
su icien esea ch on e lec i e p ac ices by eache candida es. Ano el ace o he
p esen s udy in ol es he analysis o e lec i e essays on he p oblema ic a eas o
eaching EFL o young lea ne s in he Yea s 4–6 a p ima y schools in Sweden w i en
by eache candida es a e hei p ac ice sessions a p ima y schools. This a icle is
s uc u ed as ollows: Fi s , subsec ion 1.2. will p esen an o e iew o he exis ing
li e a u e pe aining o he issue o EFL eache candida es’ e lec ions. Second, he
p esen s udy will be in oduced. The s udy seeks o iden i y ca ego ies ha he pa -
icipan s conside p oblema ic in he eaching o EFL o young lea ne s in he Yea s
4–6 whose i s language (L1) is Swedish. Thi d, he s udy is concluded wi h possible
didac ic implica ions associa ed wi h p oblema ic a eas o EFL eaching o young
lea ne s in he Yea s 4–6 a p ima y schools in Sweden.
2. EFL TEACHER CANDIDATES’ REFLECTIONS: LITERATURE REVIEW
P e ious s udies ha add ess he issue o in-se ice eache s’ e lec ions a e well
ep esen ed (And ews & McNeill, 2005; Fa ell, 1999; Gab iel, 2017; Valli, 1997). How-
e e , he e is ag owing in e es in he s udy o e lec i e p ac ices by eache can-
dida es who a e p epa ing o each EFL a p ima y and seconda y schools, espec-
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OLEKSANDR KAPRANOV 25
i ely (Chien, 2017; Gan, 2013; Golombek, 2017; Kauchak & Bu bank, 2003; Lim, 2011;
Se e oglu, 2006; Yan & He, 2010). P e ious esea ch is indica i e o anumbe o case
s udies in ol ing w i en e lec i e p ac ices by EFL eache candida es (Golombek,
2017; Kauchak & Bu bank, 2003). Fo ins ance, w i en e lec ions by an EFL eache
candida e wi h aMexican-Ame ican backg ound a e epo ed o be associa ed wi h
abelie and alue sys em embedded in ha eache ’s expe iences as a emale pe son
wi h he e hnic mino i y s a us (Kauchak & Bu bank, 2003). Re lec ing on he each-
ing expe iences, he eache candida e in he s udy by Kauchak and Bu bank (2003)
indica es ha he p o essional li e appea s o be in luenced by he pe sonal expe i-
ences as amino i y s uden a college. This eache candida e’s w i en e lec ions
e eal he signi icance o he mino i y s a us in he de elopmen as ap o essional,
which maps on o he eache ’s ole o p o ec ing mino i y s uden s om disc imi-
na o y p ac ices. In doing so, he eache ocuses on making he class oom ca ing
and accessible, especially o s uden s wi h limi ed English p o iciencies (Kauchak &
Bu bank, 2003).
To an ex en , he s udy unde aken by Lim (2011) is simila o ha o Kauchak and
Bu bank (2003) in he sense ha bo h hese s udies examine he EFL eache candi-
da es’ p io expe iences, hough s, and belie s in ela ion o hei p o essional iden-
i y o ma ion. Lim (2011) in es iga es EFL eache candida es’ e lec ions on hei
own pe sonal his o ies and belie s in sea ch o quali ies comp ising agood English
eache and p o essional expec a ions emb aced in EFL eaching in Sou h Ko ea. The
s udy esul s e eal ha EFL eache candida es expe ience asubs an ial le el o psy-
chological p essu e in e ms o hei English p o iciency when hey conside EFL
eaching o hei ca ee (Lim, 2011, p.979).
Sel - e lec i e w i en na a i e p ac ices by an EFL eache candida e a e used o
add ess he iden i ica ion o p oblema ic a eas o eaching EFL g amma in one pa -
icula class (Golombek, 2017). I is indica ed ha h ough he p ocess o sel -inqui y
and he w i ing o he e lec i e na a i es, he male eache disco e s agap be ween
his and he s uden s’ goals in eaching EFL g amma (Golombek, 2017). Whils he
s uden s’ p ima y goals in ol e lea ning g amma o be able o pass an English p o i-
ciency es , he eache candida e’s goal is o each EFL g amma in communica ion.
Golombek (2017) indica es ha he eache candida e’s sel - e lec i e na a i es acil-
i a e he iden i ica ion o he gap be ween ha eache candida es and he s uden s.
As aconsequence o he sel - e lec i e p ac ices, he eache candida e c ea es acu -
iculum uni ha in eg a es hese seemingly con adic o y goals (Golombek, 2017).
Re lec i e essays a e employed in as udy by Yan and He (2010) in o de o in es-
iga e he p oblems and obse a ions which 210 EFL eache candida es encoun e ed
du ing hei eaching p ac ice a schools in Cen al China. Based upon he eache
candida es’ e lec ions, Yan and He (2010) summa ise anumbe o common p oblems
encoun e ed by he eache candida es du ing hei school p ac ice, e.g. ension be-
ween he expec a ions and eali y, un easonable ime and leng h o eaching p ac-
ice, dis us , li le supe ision om he supe iso s, s uden s’ lack o e o in les-
sons p epa a ion, and he lack o an adequa e assessmen sys em. Yan and He (2010,
p.66) sugges ha eache candida es’ e lec ions can be used as a ool o eaching
p ac ice e alua ion and p o essional de elopmen .
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26 STUDIE ZAPLIKOVANÉ LINGVISTIKY 1/2018
In con as o he e lec i e da a in Yan and He (2010), w i en e lec ions by EFL
eache candida es in Taiwan e eal posi i e gains in p o essionalism and coope a-
ion, ac i i y design, class oom managemen , and in e pe sonal skills de elopmen
(Chien, 2017). Chien a gues ha e lec i e p ac ices enable eache candida es o ec-
ognise hemsel es as p o essionals in he ield o EFL eaching. Repo edly, his (2017)
indings p o ide insigh s in o EFL school p ac ice and sugges u he in eg a ion
school p ac ice in o eache educa ion cou ses.
Simila ly o Yan and He (2010), aquali a i e s udy by Se e oglu (2006) is aimed a
explo ing EFL eache candida es’ e lec ions on he me hodology and p ac ice com-
ponen s o ap e-se ice EFL eache aining p og amme. The e lec ions comp ise o
ex ensi e e alua ion epo s conce ning he me hodology and p ac ice cou ses aken
as apa o he p e-se ice aining. Se e oglu (2006) seeks o iden i y eache can-
dida es’ expe iences ega ding he me hodology and p ac ice componen s. Se e oglu
(2006) a gues ha aclose connec ion be ween he cou se ma e ials and p ac ical ap-
plica ion in eal class ooms is absen in he me hodology and p ac ice cou ses. In line
wi h hese e lec ions, he pa icipan s sugges ha he e should be mo e oppo uni-
ies o mic o- eaching and p ac ice eaching, and mo e obse a ions o EFL classes
conduc ed by di e en eache s a a a ie y o school se ings (Se e oglu, 2006).
Whils Se e oglu (2006), and Yan and He (2010) employ w i en e lec ion elici a-
ion asks, bo h o al in e iews and e lec i e w i en asks a e used in acase s udy
by Gan (2013), who analyses he eaching p ac ice expe iences o EFL eache candi-
da es a auni e si y in Hong Kong. In Gan (2013), he analysis is pa ially composed
o e lec i e jou nals, whe e EFL eache candida es eco d bo h c i ical and ou ine
inciden s du ing hei eaching p ac ice. Gan (2013) posi s ha he eache candi-
da es’ e lec i e p ac ices indica e ha he ini ial ideals and expec a ions appea o
be comp omised in eal class oom si ua ions. Ano he a ea o conce n, e iden om
he eache candida es’ e lec ions, is class oom managemen . The indings in Gan
(2013, p.105) e eal ha he eache candida es’ English language compe ence ends
o ha e an impac no only on hei eaching beha iou , bu also on he de elopmen
o hei p o essional iden i y.
The abo e-men ioned s udies sugges ha eache candida es’ e lec ions on hei
EFL eaching expe iences a ac subs an ial a en ion in esea ch li e a u e. How-
e e , li le esea ch da a is a ailable in ol ing eache candida es’ e lec ions on EFL
eaching o young lea ne s in he Yea s 4–6 a p ima y schools in Sweden. The s udy
u he p esen ed in his a icle seeks o add ess his issue by means o an empi ical
in es iga ion.
3. TEACHER CANDIDATES’ REFLECTIONS ON THE PROBLEMATIC
AREAS OF TEACHING EFL AT SWEDISH PRIMARY SCHOOLS:
HYPOTHESIS AND SPECIFIC RESEARCH AIMS
P io o p oceeding wi h his s udy, i should be emphasised ha i s heo e ical
amewo k is embedded in o he iew o language eaching o mula ed by he Doug-
las Fi G oup (2016). Wi hin his amewo k, EFL eaching is ega ded as si ua ed,
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OLEKSANDR KAPRANOV 27
mul imodal, dynamic, media ed, and ela ed o he eache ’s iden i y (Cos a & No -
on, 2017). Guided by his iew o EFL eaching, he p esen s udy seeks o explo e he
pa icipan s’ e lec ions on he ca ego ies ha hey conside p oblema ic in eaching
EFL o young lea ne s in he Yea s 4–6 a p ima y schools in Sweden. I is assumed
in he hypo hesis ha he pa icipan s’ e lec i e essays on he opic o hei expe-
iences o eaching EFL o p ima y school lea ne s in Yea s 4–6 would esul in he
e e ence o ase o ca ego ies ha a e associa ed wi h po en ial di icul ies in EFL
eaching o young lea ne s in Sweden. P esumably, he pa icipan s’ e lec i e essays
would be indica i e o he complexi ies o EFL eaching embedded in o he con ex o
Swedish p ima y schools. Hence, he speci ic esea ch aims o he p esen s udy a e
o mula ed as ollows: i) o iden i y he mos equen wo ds in he pa icipan s’ e-
lec i e essays; ii) o iden i y he ca ego ies o he EFL p oblem a eas a Swedish p i-
ma y schools based on he mos equen wo ds coun and iii) o analyse he ca ego-
ies associa ed wi h he EFL p oblem a eas by means o aquali a i e analysis.
3.1. PARTICIPANTS
The pa icipan s in he s udy we e 33 p ima y school eache candida es en olled in
a eache aining p og amme a S ockholm Uni e si y (Sweden) a he ime o he
expe imen . The pa icipan s’ eal names and o he iden i ying in o ma ion we e
coded o ensu e con iden iali y. The pa icipan s’ codes we e PSTC1— PSTC33 (i.e.,
P ima y School Teache Candida e abb e ia ed as PSTC and he numbe s 1–33, e-
spec i ely). In e ms o English language p o iciency, all he pa icipan s we e in e -
media e EFL s uden s. The e we e nei he English/Swedish bilinguals, no English L1
speake s in he g oup o pa icipan s.
All he pa icipan s a ended he cou se o English p o iciency i led ‘English o
school yea s 4–6, EN0146. Language p o iciency and heo y’ a S ockholm Uni e si y
(Sweden). Tha cou se was ocused on English skills and language heo y wi h em-
phasis on s uc u es o English om ac oss-linguis ic pe spec i e, spoken e sus
w i en English and language a ia ion in he English-speaking wo ld. The cou se in-
ol ed g amma and ocabula y exe cises o be done indi idually and in small s udy
g oups. A he semina s, he pa icipan s we e expec ed o i) discuss p oblema ic
aspec s o English g amma and ocabula y in ela ion o language heo y, ii) ead
abou and discuss common concep ions o language, wi h pa icula ocus on he ole
o English in oday’s wo ld. The cou se aimed a acquain ing he pa icipan s wi h
language a ia ion in he English-speaking wo ld and di e ences be ween spoken
and w i en English. O he aims o he cou se in ol ed he de elopmen o English
skills, unde s anding o he language, i s use and he challenges o eaching i .
3.2. PROCEDURE AND METHODS
A e he pa icipan s inished hei p ac ice sessions a p ima y schools, hey we e
asked o w i e a e lec i e essay in English i led “P oblema ic A eas o Teaching Eng-
lish o Young Lea ne s in he Yea s 4–6 a Swedish P ima y Schools”. The pa ici-
pan s we e ins uc ed ha he essay should be app oxima ely 400 wo ds in leng h
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28 STUDIE ZAPLIKOVANÉ LINGVISTIKY 1/2018
and ha i should be submi ed elec onically o he s uden po al Mondo. The pa -
icipan s had wo weeks o comple e he ask. Once he pa icipan s sen in hei es-
says, he iles wi h he essays we e collapsed in o one ile and analysed quan i a i ely
in he so wa e p og am Wo dSmi h (Sco , 2012) in o de o iden i y he mos e-
quen ly used wo ds. In acco dance wi h Bake (2006), i was assumed in he s udy
ha he compu e -assis ed wo d equency analysis would be sugges i e o po en-
ial lexico-seman ic ca ego ies o be u he in es iga ed quali a i ely in he co pus
o he essays. The quali a i e in es iga ion was o p o ide unc ional in e p e a ions
o he lexico-seman ic ca ego ies associa ed wi h he p oblema ic a eas o EFL each-
ing expe ienced by he pa icipan s. P io o he quali a i e analysis, he da a ga -
ne ed om he equen wo ds coun we e educed by omi ing a icles, p onouns,
discou se ma ke s, and auxilia y e bs. Then, he educed equen wo ds da a we e
subjec ed o he quali a i e analysis in o de o iden i y apossible ange o ca ego-
ies associa ed wi h he p oblema ic a eas o EFL eaching. Following he me hodol-
ogy desc ibed by Yan and He (2010), he e lec i e essays we e ead se e al imes in
o de o iden i y possible hemes and o clus e hose hemes in o he ca ego ies ep-
esen ing EFL dimensions o he pa icipan s’ e lec ions. Then, he ca ego ies we e
manually checked alongside wi h he equen wo ds lis .
3.3. DATA
The co pus o he s udy consis ed o he pa icipan s’ e lec i e essays i led ‘P ob-
lema ic A eas o Teaching English o Young Lea ne s in he Yea s 4–6 a Swedish P i-
ma y Schools’. The o al numbe o essays was 33 and he o al numbe o wo ds in
he essays was 12,458.
3.4. RESULTS
The analysis o he co pus o he pa icipan s’ essays in he so wa e p og am Wo d-
Smi h (Sco , 2012) yielded he desc ip i e s a is ics summa ised in Table 1.
As p e iously men ioned in he desc ip ion o he me hods, he e lec i e essays
we e hen examined quali a i ely. Based upon he equen wo ds lis , he essays
we e analysed quali a i ely in o de o iden i y he ca ego ies e lec ing he p oble-
ma ic a eas and dimensions o eaching English o young lea ne s in he Yea s 4–6.
Based upon he equen wo ds lis p esen ed in Table 1, se e al ca ego ies associa ed
wi h he pa icipan s’ e lec ions we e iden i ied in he quali a i e analysis and su-
mma ised in Table 2 below.
3.5. DISCUSSION
As is e iden om Tables 1–2, he esul s o he quan i a i e (Table 1) and quali a i e
(Table 2) analyses a e indica i e o acomplex ange o ca ego ies ha he pa icipan s
end o associa e wi h he eaching o EFL o young lea ne s in Yea s 4–6 a Swedish
p ima y schools. Concu ing wi h Fa ell (2008), he au ho o his a icle a gues
ha he pa icipan s’ e lec i e essays a e in luenced by hei ealis ic school-based
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OLEKSANDR KAPRANOV 29
Pa ici-
pan s’
Re lec i e
Essays
Wo d Occu ences and F equencies pe 1,000 Wo ds
33 essays,
he o al
numbe
o wo ds
12,458
English 169 (2.5%), language 127 (1.9%), pupils 111 (1.7%), Swedish 81 (1.2%), di -
e en 62 (0.9%), eache 61(0.9%), lea n 52 (0.8%), wo ds 48 (0.7%), example
47 (0.7%), way 42 (0.6%), wo d 42 (0.6%), lea ne s 42 (0.6%), accen 37 (0.6%),
g amma (0.5%), p eposi ions 35 (0.5%), eaching 35 (0.5%), spelling 32 (0.5%),
p oblem 32 (0.5%), impo an 31(0.5%), child en 31 (0.5%), make (0.5%), speak
29 (0.4%), ime 26 (0.4%), people 25 (0.4%), o m 25 (0.4%), lea ning 25 (0.4%),
new 24 (0.4%), ha d 24 (0.4%), di icul 23(0.3%), need 23 (0.3%), s uden s 22
(0.3%), p onounce 21 (0.3%), p eposi ion 21 (0.3%), a icles 21 (0.3%), co ec 21
(0.3%), speaking 21 (0.3%), school 20 (0.3%), e bs 20 (0.3%), noun 19 (0.3%),
sound 19 (0.3%), p esen 18 (0.3%), w i ing 18 (0.3%), p onuncia ion 18 (0.3%),
g ade 18 (0.3%), know 18 (0,3%), languages 17 (0.3%), good 17 (0.3%), spell 17
(0.3%), wo k 17 (0.3%), e b 16 (0.2%), pas 16 (0.2%), unde s and 16 (0.2%),
class 16 (0.2%), i egula 16 (0.2%), each 15 (0.2%), s a 14 (0.2%), ules 14
(0.2%), accen s 14 (0.2%), sounds 13 (0.2%), ind 13 (0.2%), p oblema ic 13
(0.2%), simple 13 (0.2%), di e ences 13 (0.2%), w i e (0.2%), meaning 13 (0.2%),
p oblems 13 (0.2%), p ope 12 (0.2%), see 12 (0.2%), a icle 12 (0.2%), hing 12
(0.2%), pupil 11 (0.2%), sen ences 11 (0.2%), say 11 (0.2%), p ope ly 11 (0.2%),
adjec i es 11 (0.2%), speech 11 (0.2%), pe son 10 (0.2%), hea 10 (0.2%), ead 10
(0.2%), ocabula y 10 (0.2%), g amma ical 9 (0.1%), p ac ice 9(0.1%), eason 9
(0.1%), ac i i y 9 (0.1%), knowledge 9 (0.1%), speci ic 9 (0.1%), alk 9 (0.1%), di-
alec s 9 (0.1%), a eas 9 (0.1%), p onounced 8 (0.1%), end 8 (0.1%), ole 8 (0.1%),
using 8 (0.1%), adjec i e 8 (0.1%), compa ed 8 (0.1%), examples 8 (0.1%), owel
8 (0.1%), eache s 8 (0.1%), ad e b 7 (0.1%), nouns 7 (0.1%), pa iciple 7 (0.1%),
ense 7 (0.1%), spel 7 (0.1%), homophones 6 (0.1%), ansla e 6 (0.1%), owels 6
(0.1%), eading 6 (0.1%), ell 6 (0.1%), spoken 6 (0.1%), consonan 6 (0.1%), eg-
ula 6 (0.1%)
Table 1:The Mos F equen Wo ds pe 1,000 wo ds.
expe iences, which encompass adi e se se o ca ego ies ha in ol e, o ins ance,
English p onuncia ion, spelling, i egula e bs, and an EFL lea ne ’s backg ound
(see Table 2). The esul s o he mixed-me hods analysis e eal ha he pa icipan s
iden i y wo se s o ca ego ies, which hey ound challenging in hei eaching p ac-
ice sessions a school, i.e. i) language compe ency- ela ed ca ego ies, and ii) non-
language compe ency- ela ed ca ego ies. The language compe ency- ela ed ca ego-
ies comp ise he ollowing p oblem a eas: p onuncia ion, spelling, i egula e bs,
adjec i es, a icles, ocabula y, p eposi ions, ad e bs, ense, p onouns, and plu al
nouns. The non-language compe ency- ela ed ca ego ies include he EFL lea ne ’s
backg ound, pa en al suppo , insu icien mo i a ion, and eaching me hods.
This s udy appea s o suppo he con en ion by And ews and McNeill (2005) ha
a‘good’ EFL eache should possess aclea concep ion o he language con en in hei
own pedagogical p ac ice. The p esen da a seem o indica e ha he pa icipan s a e
awa e o he challenges o EFL eaching posed by he language con en , since hey
iden i y such EFL- ela ed ca ego ies as p onuncia ion, spelling, i egula e bs,
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30 STUDIE ZAPLIKOVANÉ LINGVISTIKY 1/2018
adjec i es, a icles, ocabula y, p eposi ions, ad e bs, ense, p onouns, and plu al
nouns. In addi ion o he language- ela ed issues, he pa icipan s’ e lec ions sugges
ha hey a e conscious o se e al ca ego ies ha a e no di ec ly language- ela ed
( o ins ance, EFL lea ne ’s backg ound, pa en al suppo , insu icien mo i a ion,
and eaching me hods).
P esumably, he he e ogenei y o he quali a i e indings s ems om he ealis ic
na u e o he pa icipan s’ expe iences. This assump ion is suppo ed by p e ious
esea ch (Fa ell, 2008; Gan, 2013; Wa zke, 2007), which indica es ha eache can-
dida es’ e lec ions du ing and a e hei school p ac ice a e highly dynamic and a e
associa ed wi h mul iple a iables in ol ed in class oom expe iences and class oom
con ex s. Whils he he e ogenei y o p oblema ic a eas o EFL eaching o young
lea ne s in Yea s 4–6 is obse ed in he p esen da a, i is, ne e heless, possible
o assume ha p onuncia ion (iden i ied in 42% o all essays) is conside ed among
he p inciple challenges o EFL eaching. Rega ding English p onuncia ion, amale
pa icipan coded PSTC8 e e s o he English sounds ha a e absen in he Swedish
language, hus making hem di icul o each o he young EFL lea ne s whose L1 is
Swedish:
(1) The consonan s <sh> and <ch> do no exis in Swedish. The sounds o he consonan s
will he e o e be e y ha d o he young lea ne s o p onounce bu wi h some speak-
ing exe cises hey will lea n how o p onounce hem and hey will also lea n ha hey
a e spel wi h mo e han one consonan . (Pa icipan PSTC8)
#P oblema ic A eas o Teaching English
o Young Lea ne s in he Yea s 4–6
To al Numbe o he Pa icipan s’
Essays Con aining he Ca ego y and
i sPe cen age
1. P onuncia ion 14 (42%)
2. Spelling 8 (24%)
3. I egula Ve bs 7 (21%)
4. Lea ne s’ Backg ound 6 (18%)
5. Adjec i es 5 (15%)
6. A icles 5 (15%)
7. Vocabula y 5 (15%)
8. P eposi ions 4 (12%)
9. Pa en al Suppo 3 (9%)
10. Tense 3 (9%)
11. Teaching Me hods 2 (6%)
12. Insu icien Mo i a ion 2 (6%)
13. Ad e b 1 (3%)
14. Plu al Nouns 1 (3%)
15. P onouns 1 (3%)
Table 2:The Ca ego ies Associa ed wi h he P oblema ic A eas o Teaching o English o Young
Lea ne s in he Yea s 4–6 a Swedish P ima y Schools.
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OLEKSANDR KAPRANOV 31
In e es ingly, in Exce p (1) he pa icipan iden i ies ano he a ea o conce n, namely
English spelling: ‘… hey will also lea n ha hey a e spel wi h mo e han one consonan .’
(PSTC8). Simila e lec ions associa ed wi h English spelling a e iden i ied in 24% o
he pa icipan s’ e lec i e essays, as seen in Exce p 2:
(2) Ano he complex hing in he English language is he emp y le e , i is he e when
you spell i , bu you do no p onounce i ; he opposi e o he silen le e . Such as kni e,
know, knee, e c. The e o e i would be unde s andable why some pupils would spell
he wo d know as now ins ead. When eaching young lea ne s, you can compa e his
o he Swedish language. And in o m hem abou he simila i ies ha we ha e in bo h
languages. An example you can gi e when doing ha is he wo d ljus, when you p o-
nounce i , you do no p onounce he le e /l/, you p onounce i as jus. So i is agood
example o show you pupils o ge an insigh in o hese wo simila i ies. (Pa ici-
pan PSTC2)
I should be obse ed ha he p oblem posed by English spelling appea s o be a he
equen in he pa icipan s’ e lec i e essays, o example, he wo d equency da a
e eal ha he wo d spelling is employed 32 imes (0.5%) pe 1000 wo ds, spell 17 (0.3%),
w i ing 18 (0.3%), and w i e (0.2%). Speci ically in (2), i is e iden ha he pa icipan
iden i ies English spelling as ap oblem and e lec s upon he means o sol ing he
p oblem by sugges ing acompa ison be ween English and he Swedish language, o
example ‘When eaching young lea ne s, you can compa e his o he Swedish language.’
(Pa icipan PSTC2). As indica ed by Kömü (2010, p.292), i is laudable ha he pa -
icipan s can iden i y p oblema ic a eas o hei EFL eaching and, upon e lec ion,
de elop s a egies o cope wi h he p oblems. Exce p (2) p o ides ape inen illus-
a ion o such as a egy.
Simila o Exce p (2), he pa icipan s’ p oblem sol ing capaci y is mani es ed in
se e al e lec i e essays, especially in hose whe e hey iden i y he p oblem o EFL
eaching posed by English i egula e bs. Speci ically, in 21% o he essays i egula
e bs a e conside ed ap oblem in he pa icipan s’ EFL eaching. The quan i a i e
wo d equencies suppo his inding ( he wo d i egula is used 16 imes (0.2%)
and he equency o he wo d e b 16 (0.2%) pe 1000 wo ds), as seen in Exce p (3)
below:
(3) Lea ne s make wo equen e o s wi h i egula e bs. They ei he add an inco ec
-ed o he end o an i egula e b o acciden ally in e change he simple pas and
pas pa iciple. Iwould each his o 5 h g ade s: Gi e he pupils ashee wi h ins uc-
ions ha says “Make sen ences in English o ollowing e bs in p esen ense, pas
ense, and when some hing has happened (pas pa iciple). Ex: Icome om Sweden
(Jag komme ån S e ige). My iend came o isi me om No way. (Min än kom
ö a besöka mig ån No ge). Iwish you had come ea lie . (Jag önska a du hade
kommi idiga e). (Pa icipan PSTC23)
In (3), he pa icipan e lec s on he p oblem a ea associa ed wi h he i egula e bs
in English, analyses i , and o e s ap ac ical solu ion o sol e he p oblem, e.g. ‘Iwould
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