Project coodinator LIPS :  Prof. Dr. Stefanie Frisch

Summary:

In secondary school English teachers criticize the limited results of the fifth graders’ writing competences and they used to claim playful methods of teaching English in primary school for it (Böttger 2009: 20). Within the last ten years the teaching of English in primary schools has developed from playful to outcome oriented programmes (Frisch 2017). Learners are expected to be able to write short and simple texts by the end of year 4 and writing therefore now plays a more important role than in its infant years (BIG-Kreis 2015: 29ff.). It is still discussed though whether learners should only copy familiar texts or whether learners can already express their own ideas in a written form. As a consequence, learners do not enter secondary schools with a lack but with different proficiency levels. As soon as learners get the chance to write (and not only copy texts) they make a lot of mistakes. Knowledge about developmental phases of writing acquisition is necessary to foster writing appropriately and to make a contribution to a smooth transition from primary to secondary school.

The aim of the WIPS study (Writing in Primary School) is to investigate the quantity and quality of young EFL learners’ writing competences. Two writing tasks were developed and used in eleven classes (N=189). The results of the analysis of the learner texts are cautiously interpreted as evidence suggesting that primary school EFL writers need to get theory-informed opportunities for practicing writing (not only copying) to develop productive writing skills.

Publications

Frisch, Sefanie/Rymarczyk, Jutta (eds.) (2021). Current Reseach into Young Foreign Language Learners' Literacy Skills. Berlin et al.: Peter Lang.

Frisch, Stefanie/Heidelberg, Nina (2020). (Hrsg.) Themenheft "Schreiben". Grundschule Englisch. 72.

Frisch, Stefanie (2020). "No matter what - keep that hand moving. Schreiben im Englischunterricht der Grundschule." In: Grundschule Englisch. 72. 2-5.

Frisch, Stefanie (2020). Aufgabenkartei zum Thema "Schreiben". In: Grundschule Englisch. 72.

Frisch, Stefanie/de Raet, Meike (2020). "Anything but boring! Kurze Texte über die wunderbaren Eigenschaften von Kindern." In: Grundschule Englisch. 72. 20-23.