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, namelyBangladesh, 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.

1. Introduction to English for Young Learners in Asia: Directions for Teacher EducationSubhan Zein and Yuko Goto Butler2. Primary School English Teacher Education in South Korea: Challenges and Future DirectionsIan Moodie3. Preparing Future Primary Education English Teachers in Turkey: Innovation in Teacher EducationYasemin Kirkgöz4. Primary School English Language Education in Kazakhstan: Policy, Preparation, and PracticeAssel Kambatyrova, Bayan Assylbekova, and Bridget Goodman5. Needs Analysis of Primary School English Teachers: Implications for Teacher Training in ThailandPornapit Darasawang and Wareesiri Singhasiri6. English for Young Learners in Turkey: Reflections from Pre-Service English Language TeachersMelike Ünal Gezer7. Primary English Language Teaching in Bangladesh: Classroom Practices and Teacher IdentitiesPrithvi N. Shrestha8. Knowledge Base of Teaching English to Young LearnersSubhan Zein9. An Evaluative Case Study of a Professional Development Program for Primary School English Teachers in a Rural Region in ChinaTao Xiong and Yue Peng10. In Search of Localized Professional Development for Teaching English Among Primary School Teachers in JapanYuko Goto Butler and Mayumi Tabuchi

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.