Feasibility Study On English Learning Of Chinese Children Aged 0-3

In recent years, people have attached great importance to children's early childhood development. Many models of early development centers are brought in from America and other developed countries. Some popular hypothesis on children's foreign language learning such as "the younger the better" makes it desirable to offer English classes in early childhood development centers. Thus, English education becomes a representative of early childhood development. The author experience in her daughter's English learning provides a chance for the author to have further exploration on children's early English learning. The author visited in Wuhan different kinds of training centers which offer English education for young learners under the age of 3, and chose two typical teaching models (Gymboree's bilingual classes and Helen Doron early English classes) as the subject of the current research. The aim of the study is to find an effective method of English education for young children aged 2-3.Within the framework of Krashen's second language theory, Piajet's development theory and the theory of multiple intelligences and based on some empirical studies home and broad, the author investigated the English learning of 20 children from Gymboree and Helen Doron Early English Training Center from October 2010 to March 2011. This paper makes a comparative research between these two kinds of English language educational model from the perspectives of teaching aim, teaching approaches, teaching process, and learning achievements. The data was collected by author's observation, interviews, survey, and the final test. The author finds that Gymboree classes are much more practical and feasible in conducting English education for young children. This study also has some other important findings. First, the children attending Helen Doron English classes have better performance than those in Gymboree classes. Second, early English immersion proves to be an effective way in children's English learning and teaching in terms of children's learning interests, while Helen Doron English teaching model should be further explored and developed according to the context of China. Third, the children who are better developed in their mother language are more successful English learners. At last, parents play an important and irreplaceable role in children's English learning. Through the comparative study, this thesis focuses on the suggestions for young children's English learning. The author puts forward some suggestions for parents on children learning English and full development.1. Children's English education could take place more effectively when the language itself is not an independent subject for children. It is of vital significance to develop children's interest in English and language learning; 2.Parent should have better understanding of the nature and the relations of children's language learning and early development; 3.The teachers and instructors in the programs for young children learning English should meet both the requirements in language teaching and children's education.4.It is valuable to develop children's special intelligence, and it is not advisable to strengthen children's weakness.This research provides reference and suggestion for further study on young children learning English. This thesis devotes to reveal the problems existing in the English education market, thus providing information and data for decision makers to decide how to regulate the English education and early childhood development market. This study would give us reference for running out such a language training program in China.