Systematic Review of Teaching and Learning Strategies for English as a Foreign Language in Early Childhood
Authors
Maria Angelica Briceño-Martinez
Universidad Antonio Nariño
[email protected] https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1154-6418Ronald Andrés González
Universidad Antonio Nariño
[email protected] https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7910-2015Detalles
Published
Abstract
The acquisition of English as a foreign language in early childhood is crucial for developing the foundational skills required for lifelong learning. However, South America still faces a shortage of pedagogical strategies specifically talored to this educational level. This study conducted a PRISMA systematic review in Scopus and WoS databases, analyzing 16 studies identified through two screening stages. The findings reveal that strategies primarily emphasize the use of technology, playful and artistic activities, and the development of linguistic skills, with a strong focus on oral and writing abilities, and to a lesser extent, reading. These results highlight the importance of prioritizing interaction and communication over the teaching of complex grammatical structures at early ages (Cheatham et al., 2015; Greenfader & Brouillette, 2013). Additionally, some studies adopt crossdisciplinary approaches that integrate science and mathematics, which, while enriching, extend beyond the core scope of early language learning. This analysis underscores the need to expand and diversify English teaching strategies in early
childhood, paying greater attention to Spanish-speaking and multilingual contexts.
Keywords
How to Cite
Downloads
Metrics
References
Adisti, A. R., Yuliasri, I., Hartono, R., & Fitriati, S. W. (2023). Developing a model of English digital poster book for teaching English in Indonesia’s early childhood education. World Journal of English Language, 13(3), 193-203. https://doi.org/10.5430/WJEL.V13N3P193
Aldossary, N., Curwood, J. S., & Niland, A. (2021). Fostering multilingual children’s language development through iPad apps. The Reading Teacher, 75(3), 329–338. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2057
Avalos, M. A., Bengochea, A., Malova, I., & Massey, S. (2021). Building on ELA vocabulary instruction to develop language resources. The Reading Teacher, 75(3), 305–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2061
Baker, M. (2019). Playing, talking, co-constructing: Exemplary teaching for young dual language learners across program types. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(1), 115–130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-018-0903-0
Brown, S., & Allmond, A. (2021). Emergent bilinguals’ use of word prediction software amid digital composing. The Reading Teacher, 74(5), 607–616. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1988
Byrnes-Cloet, H., & Hill, S. (2022). Writing play-books with linguistically diverse young learners. The Reading Teacher, 75(4), 413–427. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2056
Cárdenas, M. L. (2006, enero). Bilingual Colombia: Are we ready for it? What is needed. 19th Annual EA Education Conference, Perth, Australia. https://r.issu.edu.do/EhZ
Cárdenas, R., & Miranda, N. (2014). Implementación del Programa Nacional de Bilingüismo en Colombia: Un balance intermedio. Educación y Educadores, 17(1), 51–67. https://r.issu.edu.do/hln
Cheatham, G. A., Jiménez-Silva, M., & Park, H. (2015). Teacher feedback to support oral language learning for young dual language learners. Early Child Development and Care, 185(9), 1452–1463. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2014.1003552
Cichocka, J. (2022). Early childhood educators as language teachers: Preschool teachers’ understanding of language learning and language use. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 24(4), 948-969. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687984221098353
Concannon-Gibney, T. (2021). “Teacher, teacher, can’t catch me!”: Teaching vocabulary and grammar using nursery rhymes to children for whom English is an additional language. The Reading Teacher, 75(1), 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2013
Cortina-Pérez, B., & Andúgar-Soto, A. (2020). Aprendiendo inglés en Educación Infantil: Un relato de prácticas innovadoras. Revista de Estudios Socioeducativos RESED, 8, 217–234. https://r.issu.edu.do/zt
Escamilla, K., Hopewell, S., & Slavick, J. (2021). Teaching (bi)multilingual learners: Connecting languages. The Reading Teacher, 75(3), 363–371. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2044
Evangelou, M., & Sylva, K. (2007). Evidence on effective early childhood interventions from the United Kingdom: An evaluation of the Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP). Early Childhood Research & Practice, 9(1), 1–19. https://r.issu.edu.do/Bs
Firat, K. (2021). Supporting emergent bilingual children’s literacy development simultaneously in Turkish and English languages: A focus on phonological awareness of 3- and 4-year-old children. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 24(7), 1011–1023. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2018.1530189
Ganske, K., & Heller, M. C. (2022). Word knowledge instruction: We can walk and chew gum at the same time. The Reading Teacher, 76(2), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2132
Gibbs, A. S., & Reed, D. K. (2023). Shared reading and science vocabulary for kindergarten students. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(1), 127–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01288-w
Greenfader, C. M., & Brouillette, L. (2013). Boosting language skills of English learners through dramatization and movement. The Reading Teacher, 67(3), 171–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1192
Greenwood, C. R., Irvin, D. W., Schnitz, A. G., & Buzhardt, J. (2023). Children’s exposure to STEM instruction in preschool and how they respond to it. Science Education, 108(2), 524-545. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21846
Harris, P. M. (2021). Diseño de un entorno interactivo para la enseñanza bilingüe en la primera infancia [Tesis doctoral, Universitat Politècnica de València]. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/179558
Hernández-Palma, H. G., Ojeda-Pertuz, D. del C., & Brito-Chiquillo, J. G. (2023). Adopción de la segunda lengua, un componente de competitividad en la educación global. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 25(1), 86–96. https://doi.org/10.14483/22487085.19003
Hsieh, M. F., & Teo, T. (2023). Examining early childhood teachers’ perspectives of collaborative teaching with English language teachers. English Teaching & Learning, 47, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-021-00102-5
Indriani, S., & Suteja, H. (2023). Fostering reading interest through digital storytelling for young learners in the early childhood. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 17(2), 301–306. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v17i2.18372
Jaramillo-Valencia, B., & Quintero-Arrubla, S. R. (2020). Significación sobre la enseñanza de la lectura en inglés: Prácticas de docentes en educación preescolar. Saber, Ciencia y Libertad, 15(2), 234–250. https://doi.org/10.18041/2382-3240/saber.2020v15n2.6731
Jones, S. A. (2021). A local research evidence base for English language education (ELE) in Singapore from 2010 to 2020 (early childhood to secondary school). Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 41(4), 641–656. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2021.1997712
Konstantakis, M., Lykiardopoulou, A., Lykiardopoulou, E., Tasiouli, G., & Heliades, G. (2022). An exploratory study of mobile-based scenarios for foreign language teaching in early childhood. Education Sciences, 12(5), 306. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12050306
Koyuncu, S., Kumpulainen, K., & Kuusisto, A. (2023). Teaching English as a second language in the early years: Teachers’ perspectives and practices in Finland. Education Sciences, 13(12), 1177. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121177
Kuhl, P. K., Stevenson, J., Corrigan, N. M., van den Bosch, J. J. F., Can, D. D., & Richards, T. (2016). Neuroimaging of the bilingual brain: Structural brain correlates of listening and speaking in a second language. Brain and Language, 162, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2016.07.004
Lado, A., & Hauth, C. (2022). Selecting picture books for EL beginners in Panama: Tellability. The Reading Teacher, 75(6), 767–775.
https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2088
Lawson-Adams, J., & Dickinson, D. K. (2020). Sound stories: Using nonverbal sound effects to support English word learning in first-grade music classrooms. Reading Research Quarterly, 55(3), 419–441. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.280
Liaw, M. J. J., Botelho, M. J., & Lau, S. M. C. (2023). Multilingual learning inside/outside the classroom: Insights from intra-active events. The Reading Teacher, 77(2), 199–206. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2237
López-Montero, R. (2020). Enseñanza del inglés a nivel preescolar en un contexto de educación pública. Revista Educación, 44(1), 1–17. https://r.issu.edu.do/IrB
Marín-Hine, S. F., Gualdrón Pinto, E., & Ávila Zárate, I. (2021). Culturas de pensamiento para el fortalecimiento de habilidades comunicativas en inglés. Revista Boletín Redipe, 10(9), 296–311. https://doi.org/10.36260/rbr.v10i9.1442
Marshall, C. R., & Hobsbaum, A. (2015). Sign-supported English: Is it effective at teaching vocabulary to young children with English as an additional language? International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 50(5), 616–628. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12161
Milton, C., du Plessis, S., & van der Heever, H. (2020). English as an additional language: Professional development needs of early childhood practitioners in historically disadvantaged contexts. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v10i1.804
Nikolov, M., & Mihaljevic Djigunovic, J. (2023). Studies on pre-primary learners of foreign languages, their teachers, and parents: A critical overview of publications between 2000 and 2022. Language Teaching, 56(4), 451–477.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444823000095
O’Brien, B. A., Seward, R., & Zhang, D. (2022). Multisensory interactive digital text for English phonics instruction with bilingual beginning readers. Education Sciences, 12(11), 750. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12110750
Padial-Ruz, R., García-Molina, R., & Puga-González, E. (2019). Effectiveness of a motor intervention program on motivation and learning of English vocabulary in preschoolers: A pilot study. Behavioral Sciences, 9(8), 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs9080084
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Putri, A. P., Suparno, S., Issaliyeva, S., Retnawati, H., Arpentieva, M., & Kassymova, G. (2020). Effect of problem based learning models on the ability to remember English vocabulary in preschool. The Bulletin of National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 3(385), 202–210. https://doi.org/10.32014/2020.2518-1467.86
Redondo, B., Cózar-Gutiérrez, R., González-Calero, J. A., & Sánchez Ruiz, R. (2020). Integration of augmented reality in the teaching of English as a foreign language in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48(2), 147–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00999-5
Reynolds, B. L., Ha, X. Van, Ding, C., Zhang, X., Liu, S., & Ma, X. (2022). Pre-service teachers learning to teach English to very young learners in Macau: Do beliefs trump practice? Behavioral Sciences, 12(2), 19.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12020019
Rueda Cataño, M. C., & Wilburn Dieste, M. (2014). Enfoques teóricos para la adquisición de una segunda lengua desde el horizonte de la práctica educativa. Perfiles Educativos, 36(143), 21–28. https://r.issu.edu.do/Mq
Sahiti, Q., & Stamp, J. A. (2022). The use of visuals in undergraduate neuroscience education: Recommendations for educators. Teaching of Psychology, 49(3), 276–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/00986283211000326
Saputra, D. B., Arianto, M. A., & Saputra, E. (2023). “Will they listen to me?” Investigating the utilization of audio feedback in higher education. Studies in English Language and Education, 10(2), 741–755. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v10i2.28173
Smith, S. A., Carlo, M. S., Park, S., & Kaplan, H. (2023). Exploring the promise of augmented reality for dual language vocabulary learning among bilingual children. CALICO Journal, 40(1), 91–112. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.22757
Song, J., & Park, M. H. (2021). Emotional scaffolding and teacher identity: Two mainstream teachers’ mobilizing emotions of security and excitement for young English learners. International Multilingual Research Journal, 15(3), 253–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2021.1883793
Takkaç Tulgar, A., Yilmaz, R. M., & Topu, F. B. (2022). Research trends on the use of augmented reality technology in teaching English as a foreign language. Participatory Educational Research, 9(5), 76–104. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.105.9.5
Teale, W. H., Whittingham, C. E., & Hoffman, E. B. (2020). Early literacy research, 2006–2015: A decade of measured progress. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 20(2), 169–222. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798418754939
Tortorelli, L. S., Gerde, H. K., Rohloff, R., & Bingham, G. E. (2022). Ready, set, write: Early learning standards for writing in the Common Core era. Reading Research Quarterly, 57(2), 729–752. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.436
Westbrook, J., Baleeta, M., Dyer, C., & Islei, A. (2023). Re-imagining a synchronous linguistic landscape of public and school uses of Runyoro- Rutooro and Runyankore-Rukiga in early childhood education in Western Uganda. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 44(9), 846–859. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2038181
Wheeler, D. L. (2021). Why kindergarten is the model English learner educational environment. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(1), 95–98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01051-7
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Maria Angelica Briceño-Martinez, Ronald Andrés González
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.