THE PARENTS\u27 OPINION REGARDING THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE FIRST CYCLE OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE CELJE REGION

V diplomskem delu so predstavljene številne sodobne teorije o pridobivanju jezika, proces zgodnjega usvajanja tujega jezika, njegove prednosti in cilji. V teoretičnem delu diplomske naloge sem opisala psihološke in pedagoške osnove učenja tujega jezika ter sodobne didaktične pristope poučevanja tujega jezika (med njimi tudi t.i. jezikovno kopel). V diplomski nalogi predstavljam tudi, kako se s poučevanjem in učenjem tujih jezikov v otroštvu spopadajo druge evropske in svetovne države. Osrednja tema diplomskega dela se nanaša na mnenje staršev o zgodnjem učenju in poučevanju tujega jezika v otroštvu. Izvedena je bila anketa, zasnovana na vzorcu 405 staršev, ki so svojega otroka vključili v projekt učenja in poučevanja angleškega jezika v 1. triletju OŠ, ter stališča staršev, kjer njihov otrok ni vključen v omenjeni projekt.This undergraduate thesis presents numerous contemporary theories regarding language acquisition, which is the process of early foreign language adoption, its advantages and goals. The theoretical part of this paper describes psychological and educational bases for the learning of a foreign language, as well as contemporary teaching approaches in the study of foreign languages (among them the approach known as “language immersion”). This paper also discusses how the teaching and the study of foreign languages in childhood are treated in other countries in Europe and the world. The central topic of this thesis refers to the parents’ opinion regarding the early study and teaching of foreign languages in childhood. I conducted a survey based on a sample of 405 parents who enrolled their children in a project dealing with the study and teaching of English in the first three years of primary school, as well as the opinions of parents whose children are not a part of the mentioned project