1. Introduction

This paper aims to find out whether immersive language learning has a profound influence on the acquisition of English vocabulary in terms of 0~6-year-old Chinese preschoolers’ English education. To this end, the literature is to be reviewed extensively, scientific experiments are to be carried out and an interview with preschool teachers focusing on pronunciation will be conducted.

1.1. Research Topic

Does Immersion Language Learning Exert Significant Influence on Acquisition of English Vocabulary for 0~6-year-old Preschoolers in Chinese Context?

1.2. Research Question

Immersion learning environment provides preschoolers with phonics instruction, it teaches the relationships between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language, and it is what the author shows interest in and tends to integrate in the research question. It can be utilized to memorize words, but there is insufficient research to find its effect till now. Consequently, the author will make a comparison between two different vocabulary memorization methods. The author desires to investigate which is superior - immersion language learning and non-immersion language learning, phonics words memorization method and the regular letter-oriented words memorization method concerning the effect, motivation, interest, passion, and children's developmental psychology. Detailed questions are as below.

1. What is the most effective method for Chinese preschoolers to memorize words?

2. What is the most natural method that can foster interest, motivation, and passion for Chinese preschoolers to memorize words?

3. What are the detailed differences in teaching methods between regular letter-oriented word memorization and phonics-oriented word memorization methods?

1.3. Significance

The broad aim of this research is to provide a helpful resource for teachers and schools in providing effective support for children with English as another language [1]. Specifically, my research can be helpful for teachers to find out whether they should change their approaches to teaching preschoolers to memorize words and for parents to understand whether they ought to adjust their strategies to assist and guide their kids to learn better for themselves. Moreover, immersion learning has been under heated debate for a long time. After understanding whether immersion learning is effective or not, more effective ways, and more or less immersive environments can be selected to guide kids to learn. Furthermore, immersion learning towards phonics-oriented vocabulary acquisition will be beneficial to teachers to switch their methods which are seemingly outdated but practical, making it more natural and scientific for kids to learn.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Immersion Language Learning

It turned out that French immersion (IMM) programs had strong academic outcomes and more advanced English proficiency for learners in Canada in the 1960s. Moreover, studies showed that bilingual children had more advanced metalinguistic concepts than their monolingual peers for word awareness. Additionally, nonverbal executive tasks and studies of metalinguistic awareness by Bialystock showed increments in metalinguistic development for children in immersion education programs [2].

2.2. Phonics

Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write. It helps children hear, identify, and use different sounds that distinguish one word from another in the English language. Written language can be compared to a code, so knowing the sounds of individual letters and how those letters sound when they’re combined will help children decode words as they read. Understanding phonics will also help children know which letters to use when they are writing words [3]. Phonics and phonemic awareness are foundational skills that play a vital role in early literacy development. Phonemic Awareness (PA) is: the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in spoken words and the understanding that spoken words and syllables are made up of sequences of speech sounds are essential to learning to read in an alphabetic writing system, because letters represent sounds or phonemes. Phonics instruction focuses on teaching the relationship between sounds and letters, enabling children to decode words and read fluently. Phonemic awareness, on the other hand, focuses on developing children's ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in words, laying the groundwork for phonics instruction. By combining the power of phonics and phonemic awareness, children develop strong language skills, enhancing their reading, writing, and spelling abilities. These skills serve as building blocks for future academic success and create a solid foundation for lifelong literacy [4].

3. Methodology

3.1. Sampling Frame

In our research, Chinese preschoolers (0-6-year native Chinese speakers) with poor or no English and standard Chinese are served as the population, among which 40 participants with similar phonological awareness are to be selected as a sample, for the reason that preschoolers’ diverse intrinsic language abilities are likely to make an impact on the results, leading to inaccuracy. They are to acquire different types of English lessons while learning Chinese starter lessons.

3.2. Ethical Consideration

Obtaining permission from the guardians of the participants and signing agreements on what will be done to their kids in detail is to be put into the first before the official start of the experiment.

3.3. Participants and Research Design

3.3.1. Allocation

Table 1: Staffing in the experiment.

3.3.2. Detailed Process

Pretests allow teachers to see the levels of proficiency for each student. They should assess the degree to which students meet expectations using just prior knowledge. For example, a geography pretest can assess understanding of the concepts of latitude and longitude. Students who demonstrate mastery of this topic either meet or exceed expectations, students somewhat familiar with approach expectations, and students demonstrating little to no understanding do not meet expectations [5]. In our research,100 3~6-year-old Chinese preschoolers were chosen randomly to have Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Pre-Test (see Appendix 1). Specifically, we will have a random selection among different provinces, guaranteeing that each province will own certain participants, including different degrees of wealth, cultural diatheses of the whole civil, and degrees of emphasis on English subjects. The 40 participants with the closest test scores will be selected.

Selected participants are divided into four groups, each of which is composed of 10 people. Chinese starter program, including literacy, ancient poetry, etc., is taught throughout the process. Simultaneously, participants will receive English lessons, with diverse teaching methods according to different groups.

Participants in group A and group C will both receive regular letter-oriented word teaching while the only difference is that those in group A enjoy immersion learning and B do not. Similarly, group B and D participants are both taught phonics-oriented word memorization. Nevertheless, group B will be under immersion learning while group D not (see Table 2).

Table 2: Variables.

Specifically speaking, on one hand, group A and B participants will be put in a relatively cozy environment suitable for studying English for approximately 10 hours a day. For instance, they will listen to English songs, have conversations in English, acquire situational teaching, watch films and videos, engage in group discussions, and attend online courses in English [6]. By contrast, participants in groups C and D will acquire classes with regular teaching mode in China. To be more exact, the lasting time of each class is fixed as well and conventional parts in classes like dictations, Q & A sessions, quizzes are to be utilized, etc. Besides, subjects tend to accomplish daily assignments after the day at school.

On the other hand, phonics-oriented word memorization methods are to be implemented in groups B and D participants. During their learning, participants will learn to memorize words using explicit, systematic instruction as well as practice. Subjects must learn to match a unit of sound (a phoneme) to the letter or letters that make the sound (a grapheme) in this, separating the written word into its sounds and blending the individual sounds of letters to make words. Take the word “apple” as an example, subjects will memorize it according to its phonemes, [æ]-a,[p]-pp,[(ə)l]-le. Apart from that, they will be involved in a wide range of phonological activities, language comprehension activities, syllable activities, onset and rime, rhyming, and phonemic awareness activities (Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: In Practice | Reading Rockets, n.d.) [7], etc. In comparison, participants in groups A and C are taught in an entirely different way, spelling. Tapes playing A-P-P-L-E are to be played over and over again or teachers will not cease spelling until every subject remembers it.

After 30 days of learning, each participant will receive a test called Phonological Awareness Quick Assessment (see Appendix 2) by an examiner. Scores of participants in the same group will be recorded on a sheet. Shortly afterward, the average value will be calculated and acquired. By comparing the average values of the four groups, we tend to conclude.

Apart from that, the author’s team will closely track the psychological changes of participants while learning to research children's psychological development while receiving different types of vocabulary learning. By checking the behavior, a countenance of three pre-selected participants of each group through a settled monitor in the classroom,12 educational psychologists are requested to complete a record sheet (in Table 3) during each lesson, including marking and description. After the whole session, as shown in Figure 1, the average values of 3 subjects of each group in each lesson will be calculated and demonstrated in a line graph by information technology, presenting data of each lesson and its overall trend, which is likely to reflect children’s psychological development. Below is a detailed sheet and a sample line graph.

Table 3: Sample of the record sheet.

Figure 1: Line Graph of Group A: Changes of Various Indicators with the Progressof Courses.

In addition, an interview with an English teacher focusing on pronunciation teaching is to be held. Participant Joy has been involved in child’s phonics teaching for more than a decade, working for a Chinese company of holds extra-curricular activities for profit. Moreover, the classroom she utilizes the most will be the place for interviewing, for the reason that loads of auxiliary teaching tools (flashcards, smart board, touch and talk pen, etc.) can be used throughout the whole process, making it easier for interviewers to understand. Below are preliminary interview questions for the work:

(i)What do you do in teaching English to help children develop pronunciation?

(ii)How to teach and shape kids’ pronunciations effectively, scientifically with minimized harm to vocal organs like the vocal cord and the glottis?

(iii)How to correct certain pronunciations that are easy to vocalize wrongly and avoid similar situations for young children?

To grasp the different teaching methods of phonics teachers and traditional teachers, we tend to make a comparison between the two methods. Therefore, an interview with a teacher using a regular letter-oriented word memorization method will be conducted. Similar questions are to be asked as above.

3.4. Research Instruments and Materials

Phonological Awareness Quick Assessment (PAQA) and YOU & ME Ladder happy English online English textbooks for beginners will be utilized as the instrument and material in the research. Phonological awareness is of great significance, for the reason that A student’s level of phonological awareness at the end of kindergarten is one of the strongest predictors of future reading success, in Grade 1 and beyond [8].

As for the PAQA tool, below is a detailed explanation. There are a variety of tests and screening protocols available for screening or assessing students’ phonological awareness skills. These tools vary about the

length of administration and the specific tasks that are assessed. The PAQA tool was designed to obtain a quick overview of a student’s phonological awareness skills. By administering this tool to an entire class or targeted group of students the scoring response form provides visualization of trends in performance, both within a specific student’s skills, as well as across an entire class or group (Phonological Awareness Quick Assessment,2023). In this research, investigators are eager to examine and grasp each participant’s phonological and phonetic ability after a month’s learning, and that is the reason why the PAQA tool was selected.

YOU & ME Ladder™ happy English online English textbooks for beginners (Ladder Digital Education® Crop.) are selected to guide teachers’ teaching for group A and group B. This set of textbooks makes use of diversified multimedia audio-visual teaching methods, as well as lively and interesting cartoon animations to guide preschoolers to learn joyfully. The protagonist style of the plot development, anthropomorphic cartoons, close-to-life content, songs and rhythm verse, and game activity designs of the set of systematic textbooks tend to make participants of groups A and B immersed in a comfortable language learning environment. In the curriculum system of YOU & ME,6 pedagogy are advocated: Phonics, Direct Mother Tongue Teaching Method, TPR Body Response Teaching Method, Overlapping Spiral Teaching Method, Diversified Multimedia Situational Teaching Method, and Left-right Brain Balance Potential Development Teaching Method. To encapsulate, this set of textbooks is likely to be second to none among all immersion learning materials from the author’s point of view, for the reason that other immersion learning materials tend to have single advantages.

Table 4: A Conclusive Table of Methodology.

4. Conclusion

4.1. Summary of research

In the research, quantitative studies and qualitative studies are both utilized. On one hand, we would use one experiment with two research directions, the most effective and the most natural ways to teach. On the other hand, an interview makes a detailed comparison between two completely separate word memorization modes. Through two studies, the author holds the firm belief that he can reach an answer to the research question.

4.2. Limitations of the Study

First and foremost, it is unfortunate that the sample of the experiment is too small to represent the population of all Chinese preschoolers, making the results of the experiment deviant from reality, eventually leading to inaccuracy and the imprecision of the results and the conclusion. Moreover, another caveat of this research is that different standards of English vocabulary accumulation may exert influence on the abilities to memorize new words and their phonological awareness, which becomes an interference factor for us to explore the answer.

In addition, it is seemingly plausible but somewhat unrealistic to find 12 educational psychologists to keep a trace of participants for 10 hours a day or so for one month, demonstrating superfluous time and manpower resource costs tend to be made in the research. Apart from that, the experiment is merely to be performed once which causes contingency, (neo-)investigators lack of relevant experience and ample background information on the topic, etc.

4.3. Potential Applications

After having found out that immersion learning in studying English and phonics through word memorization helps affect children’s learning and their psychological development, some practical and vigorous actions could be taken and spread. We can popularize immersion environments for language learning or phonics to large extra-curricular institutions, which tend to make loads of similar institutions follow the example of, contributing to becoming well known in certain geographical areas with advanced education. At that time, a proposal can be made to local governments to help implement it and even ask them for financial support for new teaching methods that can balance direct instruction of the language with spontaneous immersive learning and ease the financial burden of relatively underprivileged families. In this manner, quality education is within the reach of every family [9].

4.4. Further Research

The author will probably do some further systematic explorations on how immersion language learning exerts a gradual and procedural impact on preschoolers with EAL and limitations even shortcomings of phonics in terms of SLA for young children.