Effective Interaction Strategies in Teaching and Learning of English for Preschool Children

Abstract

This study aims to identify effective English interaction strategies during teaching and learning sessions by preschool teachers in Kerian District, Perak. This study also identifies teachers' pedagogical skills in teaching and learning of English and the use of reinforcement and encouragement as a motivation for children to interact in English. Qualitative approach with case study design have been chosen in this study. The purposive sampling involves five preschool teachers who attended a series of English language proficiency courses in 2014. Three research instruments employed were interviews, observations and document analysis. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings highlight that the use of opportunities provided by the teachers and effective strategies such as repetition, bilingual use and parallel talk can increase English interaction among preschool children. The study concludes that the use of various effective strategies, teachers’ pedagogical skills and the use of reinforcement and encouragement can enhance English interaction. The implication of this study may create awareness on the significance of preschool teachers to share their interaction skills and vary effective interaction strategies in English to improve the quality of teaching and learning for preschool children.