From Preschool to Elementary 4th Grade: The Follow-up Study of the Effect of Life-focused Foreign Language Acquisition Program

Abstract

The present study examines the longitudinal effects of the Life-Focused Foreign Language Acquisition Program (LFFLAP) on children who were attending public preschool education. The sample of the study consists of two groups of students studying in a public school in the Selçuklu district of Konya.  During the follow-up period, the experimental group children did not receive any other English language education until the 2^nd grade. The control group children, who never had any foreign language education, started to learn English in 2^nd grade for the first time via the Ministry of National Education Program. The Life-Focused Foreign Language Acquisition Scale was used to assess the level of English language acquisition of students. Non-parametric statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. According to the results of the study, the meaningful differences between the control and experimental group students in the beginning disappeared gradually by the time they reached 4th grade. Based on the findings and results of this research elementary school foreign language classes can be increased from two hours a week to five hours a week (as in one hour a day) and the foreign language teachers can use the target language in their classes instead of the native one.