English Language Teaching - Book Report/Review Example

The former study makes use of the CHILDES (Child Language Data Exchange System) and qualitative analysis with analytic induction in order to analyze the role of curriculum as a vocabulary learning environment. Thus, the authors compare the teacher's Large Group Time instruction in two curricula--Creative Curriculum and the Doors to Discovery program. "The results revealed differences in the children's amount of meaningful talk and in the frequency trends of teachers' use of rare words and vocabulary instructional strategies in favor of the Doors to Discovery program.

No significant differences were found in the teacher's amount of meaningful talk, root words, and vocabulary diversity." (Han, et al. 333) In the article "The literacy development of kindergarten English-language learners" Luisa Araujo summarizes the findings of the yearlong qualitative study which explored how a literature-based literacy curriculum supported the literacy growth of ESL kindergartners participating in a full-day Portuguese-English bilingual program. In the study, the qualitative research method was employed in order to find the interrelationships among oral language, reading, and writing development, and to outline the children's literacy development in the context of the instruction received.

"Findings indicate that an emphasis on phonics and on constructing meaning from texts supported the children's construction of literacy understandings. In addition, the findings support the notion that limited oral language proficiency does not constrain children's emergent writing and reading development." (Araujo, 232) Therefore, qualitative research methodology was found most useful in arriving at essential findings in both these studies and this paper undertakes a critical review of the qualitative research conducted in the articles by Han, et al.

and Araujo. In their article, Han, et al. gives an effective background analysis into the question they are dealing with and this is most valuable in understanding the major ideas of the writers as well as their research methodology. According to them, learning words in the early years has a major role in reading achievement due to the fact that an average or greater vocabulary is essential for adequate reading comprehension from grade 3 onward. Statistically observing, on average, young children need to obtain about two new word meanings per day from the age of 1 if they should have adequate vocabulary for grade-level reading comprehension.

That means, they need to create about two new word meanings per day on an average and root words can literally help them in expanding their vocabulary strength. It is observed that those children adding less than one word per day on average are likely to falter reading comprehension and fall below grade level in 3rd grade and beyond. "Thus, one of the biggest