A new study from Cambridge shows the diverse motivations young people have for learning English, brought to life through a series of drawings by primary school children from around the world. From chatting to friends and family, landing a great job or even travelling the world, the artwork illustrates the real-world impact of learning English.
A series of 85 drawings by a group of 6–11-year-olds from schools across Italy, Türkiye and Vietnam has helped inform a new impact evaluation study on learning English in primary settings from Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The drawings offer a unique insight into how young people perceive the impact and opportunities of learning English.
Children’s drawings are a powerful reminder of how language learning connects to hopes, dreams, and everyday life. It’s inspiring to see how even our youngest learners already have such meaningful motivations
– Cambridge English comment, via LinkedIn
Dr Brigita Séguis, Head of Impact Evaluation at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, said the artwork helped to bring out the voices of young learners, which can sometimes be overlooked.
“It was fascinating to see students illustrating themselves using English outside the classroom in familiar situations,” commented Dr Séguis. She continued: “They drew social situations such as traveling abroad and interacting with hotel receptionists, chatting to friends and family, and even predicting their future job prospects.
“We also saw young children drawing animals talking to each other in English which demonstrated how they are beginning to construct their linguistic identity. These drawings are fantastic because they reveal how learners internalise the value of English and their evolving understanding of English as a tool for real-world communication.”
The study also incorporated traditional data collection methods such as teacher questionnaires, focus groups, interviews, and classroom observations. It helped inform a wider impact study which showed the positive impact of teaching and learning English using Kid’s Box New Generation – a widely recognised course for young English learners.
One of the key findings from the study was that 81% of teachers thought Kids Box New Generation helped them create a positive and effective learning environment in the classroom.
Dr Aynur Karakoç, Senior Impact Evaluator, added she was surprised to see future career opportunities already firmly on the minds of young learners.
“It was also lovely to hear that children were already thinking about how English will help them get jobs in the future. We saw lots of examples of students motivated by career prospects which was surprising considering their age, but very encouraging to hear.”
• Find out more about the study here on the Cambridge English web site
• The Kid’s Box New Generation resources can be found here on the Cambridge University web site
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is part of the University of Cambridge. Our English team produces the world’s leading range of learning resources and assessments for learners and teachers of English.
Everything we do is based on research and we are dedicated to helping people learn English and prove their skills to the world. Cambridge is where your world grows.
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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