The Key Principles of the Helen Doron Method

This thesis aims to examine the principles of a new technique in Early English Teaching. The Helen Doron Method is a specially organized method of teaching English as a foreign language to young learners. In my thesis I am going to present that the Helen Doron Method, in its theoretical background, is based on the assumption that Second Language Acquisition copies the way a child learns his mother tongue, by repeated hearing, imitation and with the help of positive reinforcement. In Helen Doron Early English the environmentalist view of SLA is combined with the idea of the Critical Period Hypothesis. I am determined to analyze the primary importance of these factors in language acquisition. Throughout my thesis, I am trying to come up with evidence to prove that the theoretical foundation of the Helen Doron Method is not stable and can be attacked in many ways. Therefore, I am going to demonstrate the fundamental principles of this method, emphasizing the debatable issues, and argue for and against their vital importance in language acquisition, with additional aim to give a clear view about both First and Second Language Acquisition.