Video research in language classrooms: Activities and target language use in early language learning

A compulsory foreign language in Finland starts now in Grade 1 instead of
Grade 3. The change has forced teachers to adopt new teaching methods.
As young learners are not yet literate, teaching should focus on oral skills
and awareness of diversity. Video data from 19 early foreign language
lessons of five English, German, or French teachers in Grades 1 and 2
were analyzed to investigate what methods and activities were
employed and how the target language was used. The teachers used
various engaging, multisensory activities that were mostly teacher-led
and done together with the whole class. Two teachers used plenty of
target language while three used mostly Finnish. Besides singing, pupils
generally produced single target language words while prefabricated
longer expressions were rarer. It is important for teachers to consider
activities from the perspective of language use so that pupils’ exposure
to and practice of the target language are maximized.