The development of English plural expressions among Malaysian kindergarten children

Abstract

This study examines the development of English as a second language in Malaysia among public preschool children. In Malaysia, children learn English as early as 4 years of age. However, it is largely unknown how most Malaysian children acquire English in a Malaysian context, as studies investigating early English development are scant. Therefore, this study investigates the development of English, specifically the English plural expressions, among Malaysian kindergarten children. This study also investigates the effectiveness of developmentally moderated focus-on-form (DMFonF) instruction on learning English plurals in the Malaysian context within ten weeks. The participants in this study were six kindergarten children from two preschools under the Ministry of Education. They are divided into two groups: group A (experimental) and group B (control). The developmentally focus-on-form instruction is designated to group A and administered by trained undergraduate research assistants throughout the study period. Meanwhile, group B continued their lessons without any intervention. At the beginning of the study, a pre-test was administered to establish the children’s English baseline (T0). After six lessons, post-test 1 (T1) was administered, and after another four lessons, post-test 2 (T2) was administered. T0 was conducted physically at school, while T1 and T2 were done online via ZOOM due to school closure. The data from the pre-test and post-tests were audio and video recorded. The development of plural expressions between group A and B is analysed and compared. The findings indicate that the plural expressions of children in group A, who received the DMFonF instruction, developed significantly faster than children in group B who did not receive the DMFonF instruction in their English lessons.