Real Life Parenting and Communication in English

Abstract

This textbook is designed for mothers who have toddlers and preschoolers (1 to 5 years old) and are interested in their children’s English education. According to Kim (2017, pp. 187-189), mothers believe that English is necessary in Korea and wish to start their children’s English education earlier. Many Korean mothers want to communicate with their kids in English to support the children’s language learning at home. They, however, often feel uncertain about their speaking abilities and end up sending their children to expensive language institutes. Therefore the main objective of this textbook is to help mothers improve their English communication skills by providing interactive and communicative activities. All the activities will be related to parenting issues which arise in mothers’ real lives and facilitate communication among mothers and between a mother and her children. The target students’ proficiency level is intermediate mid according to the ACTFL guidelines. They have studied English for over ten years in an EFL context and mainly focused on test preparation. They are able to perform uncomplicated communicative tasks but have frequent hesitations and inaccuracies in linking ideas and use communicative strategies. The target students attend two-hour lessons every week at a private language institute.