<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"><div>Hi Ellen,<br><br>There are several studies on the subject ongoing in Europe. It is a general belief that English learning has to start as early as possible, to avoid disadvantages for the child and to benefit from the so-called "open frames" in language acquisition that might close later, once the child has acquired its own mother tongue completely.<br><br><span>One study you might be interested in is "The main pedagogical principles underlying the teaching of languages to very young learners. Languages for the children of Europe. Published Research, Good Practice & Main Principles", conducted by the European Commission. You find it here: <a target="_blank"
href="http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/doc/young_en.pdf">http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/doc/young_en.pdf</a></span><br><br>As to your study, I would suggest you undertake English language competence tests within kindergarten children and primary school children. It would be best if you could find primary school children with and without former English schooling in kindergarten. Results may prove either advantages for those children starting very soon, or show no differences at all between the children's competences, whether they started at 3 or at 6 years.<br><br>Hope that helps!<br><br>Kristina (Göttingen, Germany)<br><br></div><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Von:</span></b> yqwang
<yqwang@admin.ecnu.edu.cn><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">An:</span></b> info-childes <info-childes@googlegroups.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gesendet:</span></b> Dienstag, den 15. Dezember 2009, 14:20:30 Uhr<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Betreff:</span></b> ask for suggestions on research methodology<br></font><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">This
is the first time I ask for help here. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">I
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">am
looking forward for your kind suggestions.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"></span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum" size="4"> </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">In</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
my Ph.D. dissertation, I want to conduct a study on kindergarten English
instruction. Since 1990s, parents are crazy for young kid</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">s’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
English learning in
China . It’s a fact in
Shanghai that most
kindergarten provide English program for 3-6 year children. It seems that
parents are over-anxious. However, what is the relationship between kindergarten
English learning and later English achievement</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
Can the early start guarantee more success</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">?
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">What
are the optimal conditions for children to learn a foreign language</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
I think a careful study is necessary and of great significance to both parents
and kindergarten</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
teachers</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;"> <span lang="EN-US">How</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
can I conduct my study effectively?<span style="">
</span>Is there anyone have done relevant studies?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
Suggestions on methodology are especially welcome.
</span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">Thanks
in advance for any </span><span style="" lang="EN-US">help anyone is able to offer regarding this
point.</span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4"><span style="" lang="EN-US"></span></font></font> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4"><span style="" lang="EN-US"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4">Ellen
</font></font></span></span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum" size="4"> </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum" size="4"></font></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"> ************************************************************************************************</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4"></font></font></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4"></font></font></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4">Ellen Wang</font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4">Ph.D. Student</font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4">Children’s Language Development and Education
Area</font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4">Department of Preschool
Education</font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4">
<span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">East</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
China
Normal
University</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
</span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;" align="left"><font face="@Dotum"><font size="4">
<span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">Shanghai</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">,
China</span><span style="color: black; font-family: DotumChe;" lang="EN-US">
</span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: GungsuhChe;" lang="EN-US"><font face="@Dotum" size="4"> </font></span></p></font></div>
<div><font face="@Dotum" size="4"></font> </div><p></p>
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