the Greek abbreviation Π.Ε.Κ.). However, after the researcher has enquired about the
content of these courses (personal communication with the school advisor of the
region), it came out that these courses are organised in such a way so that they can
provide new teachers with information concerning a variety of topics, including
legislation and class management. As far as teaching methodology is concerned,
participants are not usually taught by experts but, rather, by senior colleagues who are
called upon to disseminate the experience they have acquired so far. In this way,
however, old values and beliefs are implicitly transmitted from older to new teachers
and, as Dubin and Olshtain (1986: 71) stress, teachers become the products of the
same system. There are also four respondents who have attended a 60-hours summer
course in England on how to teach primary children. Concerning seminars,
respondents stated that they have attended the ones which are usually organized by
the school advisor in cooperation with the British Council or with a number of
publishing houses.
Finally, it should be noted that a cross-examination of the answers to questions
5, 7, 8 and 9 reveals that 19% of respondents have never received any training
whatsoever concerning how to teach Young Learners either during or after university,
something which raises a number of questions concerning the effectiveness of these
people as primary English teachers.
3.1.1.1.2 The teaching context (answers to questions 11-28)
Most respondents work in morning schools (see appendix IV, p. 112, table 11)
and, with the exception of two cases, all others share the same classroom with the
Greek teacher (see appendix V, p. 112, table 12). This can be a reason why only 32%
of respondents stated that they decorate the classrooms they teach in with English
posters or pictures (see appendix IV, p. 113, table 19), as they usually have to move to
eight different classrooms to teach, while many of them have to visit two schools
during the same day. However, especially in remote areas such as the one under
investigation where students do not have the chance to come into contact with
English-speaking people, an environment which helps students identify with the
culture of English speaking countries is considered essential as, according to Hunter
et. al (2000: unit 0: 22) it increases students’ motivation. Similarly, Littlewood (1984:
71) emphasizes that, according to the acculturation theory, ‘…the more a person
aspires to be integrated with the other community, the further he will progress along
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