Abstract:
Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) is crucial as it helps students to recognize and learn the language at an early stage. The common problems encountered by teachers in TEYL are related to low motivation, negative attitudes, and lack of interest in learning the English language. As speaking is one of the most crucial skills to be developed in second language learners, the teacher must focus more on teaching strategies that would retain students’ motivation for active participation in language classrooms. The objective of this study is to investigate students’ perceptions on the teaching strategies implemented in their language classrooms, to determine to what extent the strategies have influenced their motivation on speaking English. The study population will comprise samples taken from two schools in Gampaha District. The study will primarily consist of three data collection tools: a questionnaire, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. Initially, the questionnaire will be given to all primary school English teachers. Thereafter, the researcher will conduct classroom observations for about 45-50 Grade 05 students from each school. Finally, ten students from each classroom will be chosen for the semi-structured interviews through the random sampling method. A mixed approach will be used to analyze the data. The questionnaires will be analyzed through SPSS. A qualitative data analysis approach will be executed by using content analysis to analyze the data, which will be gathered through semi structured interviews and classroom observation. The results of the study will reveal the opinions of the young learners as to what extent they are motivated to speak in the target language about the variety of teaching strategies implemented in the classroom. It will be useful for the teachers to get an understanding about the perceptions of the young students regarding the teaching strategies used to develop English speaking.
