«Then is the whale happy»: Student Teachers Trial Picturebooks for Differentiation Opportunities in the Primary English Language Classroom

The article considers the potential but also the challenges that teachers and student teachers experience when using children’s literature in the Swiss primary English language classroom. We discuss in this paper in what ways student teachers can benefit if they are supported during their teaching practice with specific models for picturebook read-aloud sequences. These models focus on one of the main challenges mentioned by in-service teachers when asked about their use of children’s literature, namely the extensive heterogeneity in their classes. It is argued that the use of the models is promising, because by transferring and applying them in primary English language classrooms, the student teachers gain new experiences. In subsequent discussions with peers, mentor teachers and English language methodology experts, the student teachers can further develop their professional expertise. The potential of the models for student teachers is evaluated based on reflection logs written by the student teachers after the experience.