English in kindergarten: forming primary communicative skills without overload

Abstract

This article presents an innovative methodology for introducing English as a foreign language to preschool children in Uzbekistan, where it often serves as a third language following Uzbek and Russian. Grounded in the principles of natural language acquisition and Total Physical Response (TPR), the “Immersion in a Fairy Tale” approach employs short (up to 15 minutes), translation-free sessions featuring emotionally engaging micro-stories, exaggerated gestures, facial expressions, props, and national cultural elements. These elements create a playful, low-pressure environment that fosters reflexive associations between English phrases and actions, bypassing mental translation and reducing cognitive overload. Experimental implementation with older preschoolers demonstrated substantial gains: listening comprehension increased by 60%, verbal imitation by 52%, initiative speaking by 35%, active vocabulary by 50%, absence of language barrier by 60%, and interest in language learning by 48%. Qualitative findings highlighted heightened emotional engagement and reduced fear of errors, even among shy children. The results confirm that brief, immersive, play-dominated sessions effectively build primary listening and speaking skills, establishing a stress-free foundation for future formal language education while bridging traditional storytelling practices with global communicative demands.