A Brief History
Before Kosovo declared independence in 2008, English was still taught as a part of the the core curriculum in the region. The country continued to use the Serbian curriculum of education until 2011 when it established its own curriculum.
Primary Education Curriculum
Language and communication classes take up one third of the total curriculum for public schools. Students in Kosovo's public schools take classes in their native language as well as their first foreign language, which is usually English. Kosovo's Ministry of Education requires schools to teach English for at least three classes per week in each grade, starting in preschool and continuing until the last grade of upper secondary school. In primary education, schools typically teach English through games, songs, and drawings, with an emphasis on speaking.
Secondary education curriculum as outlined by the Ministry of Education. English classes at this level compose roughly seven percent of the total curriculum. Students are also required to learn another foreign language, and have the option to learn two other languages.
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Curriculum for preschool and grades one to five, as outlined by the Ministry of Education.
Secondary Education CurriculumThe later stages of the curriculum require less Language and Communication classes and shift the curriculum's focus towards writing and reading skills in English. By grade 10, the curriculum requires students to be able to:
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Guidelines on Methodology
The Ministry of Education's guidelines emphasize the importance of learner-centered methods, stating that these methods improve students' motivation, creativity, cooperation, and problem solving skills (Ministry of Education, 2015, p. 43). That being said, it also recommends that teachers draw from a variety of methods and techniques that gives them flexibility as to which methods they choose.
The guidelines provide insights into what approaches informed the construction of the curriculum. The primary education gives attention to kinesthetic and auditory learning styles by teaching language through songs and games. The secondary education shifts away from these styles with its focus on literacy.
Kasumi (2016) analyzed Kosovo's English curriculum and noted the influence of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and the Engage- Study- Activate (ESA) methods in secondary education. CLT gives students independence as to what topics they would like to talk about in English, with the goal of developing language skills for contexts outside of the classroom. Meanwhile, ESA aims to engage the students' interest, guide them through studying, and let them communicate freely. Kasumi concluded that, while these methods are valid, they do not work in Kosovo for two reasons. The first reason why they do not work is that, of 2892 English teachers in Kosovo, only 1226 are qualified. As a result, teachers often use textbooks designed for ESA or CLT methods but they do not use the same method in their teaching style. Another contributing factor was the lack of resources necessary for CLT methods due to lack of funding. Ultimately, Kasumi found that Kosovo's current curriculum is ineffective in practice (p. 1-15).
The guidelines provide insights into what approaches informed the construction of the curriculum. The primary education gives attention to kinesthetic and auditory learning styles by teaching language through songs and games. The secondary education shifts away from these styles with its focus on literacy.
Kasumi (2016) analyzed Kosovo's English curriculum and noted the influence of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and the Engage- Study- Activate (ESA) methods in secondary education. CLT gives students independence as to what topics they would like to talk about in English, with the goal of developing language skills for contexts outside of the classroom. Meanwhile, ESA aims to engage the students' interest, guide them through studying, and let them communicate freely. Kasumi concluded that, while these methods are valid, they do not work in Kosovo for two reasons. The first reason why they do not work is that, of 2892 English teachers in Kosovo, only 1226 are qualified. As a result, teachers often use textbooks designed for ESA or CLT methods but they do not use the same method in their teaching style. Another contributing factor was the lack of resources necessary for CLT methods due to lack of funding. Ultimately, Kasumi found that Kosovo's current curriculum is ineffective in practice (p. 1-15).