An exploration in language pedagogy: developing oral language skills in three and four year old children in an early intervention setting
McGough, Anne
(2008)
An exploration in language pedagogy: developing oral language skills in three and four year old children in an early intervention setting.
PhD thesis, Dublin City University.
The first aim of this study was to explore whether the aspects of adult speech to young
children which have been identified in the literature as being facilitative of children’s
language development, could be adapted for use as teaching strategies. A second aim was to
examine whether these strategies could constitute an inclusive language pedagogy for early
years settings. The areas of language development considered were children’s acquisition of
the elements of the language system and their use of that system to engage in expository and
narrative discourses.
The study was designed as a qualitative, interactive enquiry located within the ethnographic
tradition. The data collection technique was participant observation. The study was
conducted through the generation of data, first hand, by the researcher adopting a teaching
role. Over one school year, during weekly visits to an early years setting, conversations
between the researcher and the participants were generated and recorded in small group, oneto-one
and whole group contexts.
The findings show how the use of a range of adult talk strategies contributed to the
development of discourse skills in all of the participants. In Phase 2 of the study, all of the
participants, including two children with serious language delay, were exhibiting knowledge
of vocabulary and structure, engaging in discussion on topics, and presenting information to
an audience, in ways which contrasted sharply with their communicative behaviours in
Phase 1.
The findings of the study suggest the need for increased support for practitioners in language
teaching and learning in early years settings in Ireland and for reform of curriculum and early
intervention policy. Directions for future research to build on the findings from this study are
also suggested.