Picture books as an alternative to coursebooks: pedagogical implications for the young learner class

Picturebooks provide a language-rich multimodal authentic experience in the young learner English language class. Even though picture books are often integrated into the curriculum, they can also be used as a stand-alone resource that encourages a holistic approach to early language learning. In this session I will describe the use of picturebooks as the main teaching resource in one-off intensive 30-hour courses with children aged 3-11 in an out-of-school language learning context in Paris. I will identify the benefits of using the picturebooks as the main text in the classroom; the structure of a scheme of work based around a pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading framework; and exploiting the picture book for language development, as well as intercultural citizenship, creating cross-curricular links and developing creativity.