ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a panoramic overview of the historical perspectives of Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay. It focuses on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay. Countries where English as a Foreign or Additional Language (EFL/EAL) is taught have undergone the pressure of a worldwide trend by which English is being included in school curricula from the early years of education. In Argentina, the teaching of a foreign language is mandatory in primary and secondary schools under the 2006 National Education Law and most provinces have tended to select English, starting at the age of six. When English is compulsorily introduced as part of a foreign language or bilingual policy into the curriculum of Young Language Learners (YLL), the education of primary school teachers needs to become a central matter. According to Oliveira, the Ceibal Plan in English was implemented as a way of beginning TEYL and of improving teachers' proficiency.
