English Proficiency Final Attainment Levels in Dutch Primary Schools: Eibo versus EarlyBird

Abstract

This paper is one of six written by graduate students from the University Utrecht. It analyses the data gathered during the research project conducted by EarlyBird, a Dutch centre of expertise for early English in primary education , and University Utrecht in cooperation with Anglia European Network. Anglia “is an active network of 350 schools, colleges and universities working together to stimulate and structure the learning and teaching of English” (Anglia, 2013). The study aims to test the EarlyBird curriculum and determine its effectiveness on second language acquisition in primary education. This paper concerns the differences in English proficiency levels between EarlyBird students, who receive English instruction from group 1 to 8, and non-EarlyBird students, who receive English instruction in group 7 and 8, at the end of primary school.