Strategies Employed for Teaching English as a Foreign Language in the Primary School Level: The Case of Primary Schools in Bordj Bou Arreridj - Algeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study aims to explore the extent to which EFL teaching strategies are applied in Algerian primary schools as well as the perspectives of teachers and inspectors about the implementation of these strategies for teaching young learners. To conduct this research, a mixed method approach combining the qualitative and quantitative methods (triangulation of methods) to data collection procedures and analysis is adopted. This is done by the use of three (03) data collection instruments. An observation was done with one teacher at Louail El Djoudi primary school in Bordj Bou Arreridj city using a checklist, a questionnaire was submitted online to twentyfour (24) English teachers at primary schools from different country sides in Bordj Bou Arreridj, and a structured interview - with eleven (11) open-ended questions - was conducted with two English language inspectors of primary schools. The findings of the observation and the questionnaire indicated that the teachers attribute importance to the implementation of teaching strategies, but the degree of importance they attribute to each strategy varies from one teacher to another. Concerning the interview, it has revealed that EFL teaching strategies are important in teaching English to young learners, it may lead to creating a clear set of ideas, and goals for pupils. The analysis of the data indicated that the EFL teachers in primary schools are either not aware of all the teaching strategies, or they neglect them when they teach. So, teachers should implement various teaching strategies inside their classrooms to enhance the pupils’ needs and help them to improve their language proficiency