Principles of Teaching English to Young Learners: Preservice Teachers' Applications in Young Learner Classrooms*

The success of teaching foreign languages to children depends on teachers' professional preparation; therefore, it is important to view teacher education programs. The current study investigated the preservice teachers' perceptions of the principles of teaching a foreign language to young learners, their stated activity usage, and the compatibility of their teaching practices with the theory and principles that they learned in their teacher education program. The participants were 50 preservice teachers who were studying at a foreign language teaching department and practicing teaching at primary schools. Data was obtained through a questionnaire, interviews, lesson plans, and observations, which were compared and cross-checked to verify reliability and validity. The results revealed that preservice teachers are aware of the characteristics of young learners; they know the principles of teaching a foreign language to young learners and implement visuals, games, and puzzles in their teaching practice. However, they do not implement storytelling or role-play activities. The study found that preservice teachers know the theory and principles but have difficulties with their implementation during their practice teaching. It is concluded that by gaining insights into preservice teachers' implementations of the theory and principles of teaching young learners, teacher educators may better design teacher training programs.