English for Young Learners in Asia: Challenges and Directions for Teacher Education

In the first book to concentrate on teacher education for English for young learners (EYL) teachers in Asia, Zein and Butler offer a comprehensive coverage of teacher education by addressing various issues and recent developments such as programme evaluation, knowledge base, practicum, classroom discourse, needs analysis, and policy on teacher education.

The world’s rapidly changing political, social, economic, and educational landscapes in the 21st century have been distinctively characterized by an increasing number of children who are learning English globally at younger ages. This book tackles the challenges and complexities surrounding teacher education by examining the policies and practices of primary English language teacher education in a variety of educational contexts, namely Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and South Korea. Using a variety of data collection methods like interviews, reflective journals, and questionnaires, the content delves into the different strategies and initiatives that have been implemented or proposed to improve teacher education.

A vital read for academics and students in the fields of early language learning, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Applied Linguistics, Educational Linguistics, English Language Education, and comparative education studies, as well as teacher educators aiming to advance the teaching of English in Asia and beyond.

Subhan Zein (Ph.D.) is Lecturer at Australian National University (ANU). He has been recently awarded Australia’s Best Researcher in English Language and Literature.

Yuko Goto Butler is Professor of Educational Linguistics at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also Director of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program.