The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners

The number of young English learners worldwide continues to grow while preparation for English language educators in teaching young children is limited.

This book guides educators in teaching young learners (2- to 12-year-olds) in an English as a foreign language setting by using The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners® as a framework. A core set of principles for the exemplary teaching and learning of English as a new language, The 6 Principles and their recommended practices are targets of teaching excellence that provide teachers with the knowledge to improve instruction and assessment. Instructional techniques are illustrated throughout the book with numerous classroom examples, case studies, checklists, and vignettes.

The authors’ vision for The 6 Principles for teaching English to young learners has four major underpinnings that are foundational for teaching children, teaching children English in a foreign language context, and teaching children in the 21st century.

1. Commitment to children
2. Recognition of English as a global language
3. Integration of multiliteracies
4. Commitment to a multilingual world

Educators who share their vision and want to improve outcomes for their young English learners in a foreign language context will greatly benefit from the strategies and resources provided in this easy-to-follow guide.

Joan Kang Shin, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Education at George Mason University. She is an award-winning author and series editor for National Geographic Learning. Her titles include Teaching Young Learners English, Our World, and Impact. In 2016, Dr. Shin was named one of the 30 Up and Coming Leaders of TESOL by TESOL International Association. In 2021, she was named one of the 30 top English Language Specialists by the U.S. Department of State.

Vera Savic, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education in Jagodina, University of Kragujevac, Serbia. Dr. Savic specializes in teaching English as a foreign language to young learners and has provided preservice and in-service TEYL programs. She is a co-editor of Teaching Young Language Learners in South Eastern Europe: A Multidimensional Research on Policy and Pedagogical Practices (2020). 

Tomohisa Machida, PhD, is a Professor at the Graduate School at Akita International University in Japan, where he teaches TEYL and EFL teaching methodology courses. He offers workshops to primary school teachers with local boards of education. His research interests include TEYL, language anxiety, and teacher education.

Andrea B. Hellman, EdD, is Assistant Professor of TESOL/Linguistics at Missouri State University, where she directs the iELT-Ozarks Project, a National Professional Development grant. A recipient of the Christopher Brumfit Award, her research focuses on second language vocabulary attainment and the preparation of mainstream teachers for English learners. She is a Hungarian-English bilingual, an adult immigrant to the U.S.