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Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 1

TEACHING ENGLISH FOR YOUNG LEARNERS


First Edition, Printed 1, October 2017
Author s : Ikhfi Imaniah, M.Pd
Nargis, M.Hum

Publisher:
FKIP UMT PRESS
Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan 1/ 33, Cikokol-Kota Tangerang
ISBN : 978-602-5559-16-7

Telp. (021) 55730731

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 1


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to thank the many people who have played a part in this
book. Firstly, we are grateful to our team for all the inspiration they have given
us. We are grateful to our institution for the encouragement and support.
In addition, We would like to express gratitude to all our colleagues who have
shared and discussed many ideas throughout the recent months, in particular
Mr. Wahyu, Mr. Arry and Mr. Barra, who have contributed to the reviewing,
editing and publication of this book.
And last but certainly not least, thanks to all our students to whom I have taught
English and who have taught me to teach over the years.

Ikhfi Imaniah & Nargis

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 2


PREFACE

This book contains the specifications of teaching English for young learners; the
concept of English as Foreign Language (EFL) and English as Second
Language (ESL) in language classroom, some facts about differences between
adults and children, characteristic of children‘s learning styles: learning theories,
learning style in infancy, toddlerhood, preschool period and how to optimize
them, learning style in infancy, toddlerhood, preschool period and how to
optimize them, creating learning environment for children language: maximize
their listening, speaking, reading and writing, teaching grammar and vocabulary,
teaching trough stories, games and songs and planning language teaching.
It is designed for use by teacher trainee who are preparing teaching English for
young learners, or who are considering doing so.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 3


TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Preliminaries
Main Page .......................................................................................... 1
Acknowledgement .............................................................................. 2
Preface............................................................................................... 3
Table of Contents ............................................................................... 4
2. Description of Module ........................................................................ 5
A. Description of Course .................................................................. 5
B. Lesson Plan ................................................................................. 5
C. Instruction of Module Usage ........................................................ 6
D. Basic Competences / Learning Outcomes.................................. 6
E. Materials ...................................................................................... 7
F. Evaluation .................................................................................... 11
G. Feedback ..................................................................................... 12
3. Unit 1.................................................................................................. 13
4. Unit 2.................................................................................................. 19
5. Unit 3.................................................................................................. 25
6. Unit 4.................................................................................................. 35
7. Unit 5.................................................................................................. 48
8. Unit 6.................................................................................................. 56
9. Unit 7.................................................................................................. 66
10. Unit 8.................................................................................................. 75
11. Unit 9.................................................................................................. 82
12. Unit 10................................................................................................ 102

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 4


DESCRIPTION OF MODULE

A. Description of Course
English for young learners at the primary level (approximately ages of three
to twelve years old) are cognitively primed to acquire language skills in
ways that lend themselves to an integrated skills and content -based,
experiential approach. The teachers who understands the cognitive and
social processes of second- language acquisition for English for Young
Learners (EYL) is better equipped to help learners navigate the processes
of classroom learning activities while also creating a fun, positive
environment. In many cases, Teaching English for Young Learners (TEYL)
teachers in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings have a limited
amount of time to accomplish their teaching goals and meet local
requirements regarding the use of specific texts, tests, or other materials. A
low-resource environment can also pose challenges. In this course,
students have the opportunity to explore solutions for such challenges
through an overview of current research and best practices (always context-
dependent) for TEYL, plus experimentation with a wide array of freely
available online and local resources.

B. Lesson Plan
Week 1 The concept of English as Foreign Language (EFL) and
English as Second Language (ESL) in language classroom.
Week 2 Some facts about differences between adults and children
Week 3 Characteristic of children‘s learning styles: Learning
theories
Week 4 Learning style in infancy, toddlerhood, preschool period
and how to optimize them
Week 5 Learning style in Kindergarten, First to Sixth Grade and

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 5


how to maximize them
Week 6 Creating learning environment for children language:
How to maximize their listening?
How to maximize their speaking
Week 7 Creating learning environment for children language:
How to maximize their reading?
How to maximize their writing?
Week 8 Teaching grammar and vocabulary
Week 9 Teaching trough stories, games and songs
Week 10 Planning Language Teaching

C. Instruction of Module Usage


This module design based on the lesson planning of Teaching English for
Young Learners (EYL) subject. Each unit consists of description of course,
relevance of course, learning outcomes, detail of material, worksheets,
further discussion, and references. It is allowed students to have integrated
skills in teaching English for Young Learners (e.g. Listening, speaking,
reading and writing). Moreover, it teaches the students to have concept of
teaching English for Young Learners in the basis of level of young learners,
their psychology in learning English as foreign language, their environment
of learning English, the principle, technique and method that can be used in
teaching English for young learners. At the end of each unit, there will be
questions, quizes, or cases given to students in order to measure students‘
comprehension related to the materials.

D. Basic Competences / Learning Outcomes


Basic Competences:
1. By the end of this course, students will be able to identify, evaluate, and
selectively apply a wide variety of stimulating and age-appropriate
materials (e.g., read-along texts, audio, songs, video, hands-on

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 6


manipulative, games, puzzles, realia) to existing or new EFL curriculum,
tailored to learners‘ needs and interests.
2. Effectively apply strategies for both motivating and managing
classroom-based language activities for young learners, with a tool set
for rewarding desired student behaviors.
3. Conduct a needs analysis, develop a learner profile, and then develop
unit and lesson plans that would be appropriate for young learners in a
specific local context. This may also include the amassing of a collection
of new resources and materials for strategic application to the local
TEYL-related context.
4. Clearly articulate language-learning goals and appropriately aligned
measures to be able to justify and evaluate any new approaches,
activities, and materials applied to local contexts.
5. Develop themselves professionally in the field of TEYL by participating
in the new E- Teacher online networking community and preparing
materials to share in their local community of peers, parents, and other
professionals.

Learning Outcomes
1. General Learning Outcome : The students are able to engage the
concept of teaching English for young learners and implement the
theory into practice to teaching English for young learners.
2. Specific Learning Outcome :
a. Students are able to use appropriate media in teaching English for
young learners, in order to be effective, creative, and innovative on
student‘s centre.
b. The students are able to manage the classroom teaching of English
for young learners individually or collaboratively.

E. Materials
Week 1 The concept of English as Foreign Language (EFL) and

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 7


English as Second Language (ESL) in language
classroom.
The distinction between EFL and ESL comes from the
native language of the country in which instruction is being
given. An EFL classroom is one which English is not the
native language, while an ESL classroom is one which
English is the primary national language.
Week 2 Some facts about differences between adults and
children
In terms of learning, Young Learners need to be given a
wide variety of activities which relate to the different
senses. Activities in a Young Learner classroom should be
short. With adults it is possible to spend more time on
learning tasks so it is possible to engage more deeply with
the learning materials.
Week 3 Characteristic of children’s learning styles: Learning
theories
Most activities for children should consist of movement and
involve their senses. The teacher needs many objects,
visuals and pictures to work with, and to create a possibility
to use all of the school's surroundings. It is also important
for the teacher to let the children play with the language,
talk to themselves as much as it is possible, use songs,
rhymes and tell stories.
Week 4 Learning style in infancy, toddlerhood, preschool
period and how to optimize them.
The concept of learning is influenced by the psychological
study of the learning process and is widely interpreted in
the popular use. The psychological concept extends quite
far and includes all parts of children's development, from
language acquisition to social roles and changes in their

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 8


personality. Language teaching can be widely interpreted
as all activities intended to facilitate and cause language
learning. At the beginning of learning the new language, the
learner's knowledge has none or hardly any associations
with the language; it is as an infant learning its first
language.
Week 5 Learning style in Kindergarten, First to Sixth Grade and
how to maximize them.
Children's learning is based on imitation and having fun
rather than on their awareness of learning. Imitation is the
easiest way of introducing new vocabulary and its aim is to
lead to correct articulation and intonation of sounds and
their memorization. This is because of children's flexible
larynx which allows for nearly ideal imitation of sounds and
the most efficient brain which all together create a great
opportunity for language acquisition.
Week 6 & Creating learning environment for children language:
Week 7 Maximize their listening, speaking, reading, and
writing.
The first step in creating an appropriate environment for
infants, toddlers, and preschool children is to examine how
young children learn and develop. Each stage of
development has unique characteristics that influence how
a child will experience his or her environment.
The early environment where young children live will help
determine the direction of their brain development. Children
who have severely limited opportunities for appropriate
experiences will be delayed; this may permanently affect
their learning. But, children who have the opportunity to
develop in an organized and appropriate environment are
challenged to think and use materials in new ways.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 9


Week 8 Teaching grammar and vocabulary
Some students of young learners find grammar very
appealing, some find it intrinsically boring, and some find it
useful but really hard work. In order to make grammar more
interesting for young learners, It‘s recommend a more
inductive approach, i.e. Students should be allowed to work
out the meaning and the rules of the grammar for
themselves. It also think that the teachers‘ ‗meta-language‘
(i.e. the language used to talk about the target language)
should be kept to an absolute minimum. Furthermore, it‘s
crucial to get young learners to use the target language in
an authentic way about their own lives. And, in addition to
such communicative work, young learners can be
encouraged to do some analytical work, particularly where
communicative outcomes are affected.
Week 9 Teaching trough stories, games and songs
All English teachers who teach English to children face a
big problem and that is maintaining learners‘ interest
throughout the lessons. Teachers should always be
creative in the techniques they use. One interesting and
funny way of maintaining learners‘ motivation and interest
is the use of stories, games and songs in English. Stories,
games and songs have a great impact on the learner firstly
because they present themes which are interesting for
them, and secondly because they have a major input, and
they are able to express what they want using what they
were exposed to.
Week 10 Planning Language Teaching
Teachers may find that during the teaching time as an
assistant that are called upon to not only assist them but to
actually teach the English lesson themselves. If this is the

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 10


case the best option is to be prepared. Once teachers have
prepared the lesson plan, they will feel much more
confident walking into the classroom and they will soon be
able to relax into your new role.

F. Evaluation
This course is pass/no pass regulation. Students receive a final score
(maximum = 100 %) at the end of the course.
Grading criteria for the course will be weighted as follows:
1. 20% Scoring (Assignment, Group Discussion, and Attendance)
The total scoring of 20% will be taken from the students in
asynchronous weekly discussions (include students‘ participation in
discussion), daily assignment, and attendance in the classroom (the
students are allowed to be absent at least two meetings in one
semester).
2. 40% Scoring (Middle Test)
Middle test will be in written form.
3. 40% Scoring (Final Test)
Final project plan is teaching simulation with these following scoring
rubric which are organized around four domains covering all aspects of
a teacher‘s job performance:
a. Planning and Preparation for Learning
b. Classroom Management
c. Delivery of Instruction
d. Monitoring, Assessment, and Follow-Up
The rubrics use a four-level rating scale with the following labels:
4 – Highly Effective
3 – Effective
2 – Improvement Necessary
1 – Does Not Meet Standards

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 11


G. Feedback
As feedback is designed to enhance student learning. To be effctive, the
authors use two-way dialogue which helps motivate students – although not
all students need the same type of feedback.
In this book, there will be ongoing formal and informal feedback on
students‘ work (both assessed and not-assessed) throughout each unit,
along with support how to use it. These kinds of feedback as well as
formative feedback, it is provided to students during the course of a module
so they are able to use it to improve the way they learn and enhance their
future academic performance.
The other feefback given to students is summative feedback. Summative
feedback tends to take place at the end of a module, but this does not mean
that it cannot be accompanied by formative as well as summative feedback
to enhance learning.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 12


UNIT 1

Key Concept of English


Foreign Language (EFL) and
English Second Language
(ESL)
(The EFL Context in Language Classroom
Learning)

. . . . . .
A. Description of Course
This unit is designed to show the distinction between English Foreign
Language (EFL) and English Second Language (ESL) in language
classroom learning context. It comes from the native language of the
country in which instruction is being given.
An ESL classroom is one in which English is the primary national language.
On the other hand, an EFL classroom is one in which English is notonal
language. On the other hand, an EFL classroom is one in which English is
notonal language. On the other hand, an EFL classroom is one in which
English is notional language. On the other hand, an EFL classroom is one
in which English is not the native language.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 13


B. Relevance of Course
The relevance of course is the students will engage their home and society
environment into the activities in this book (as mention details in exercises).
In the exersices, most of activities given is case study. So, the students is
allowed to think critically in group discussion.

C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to comprehend the concept of EFL and ESL in
language classroom context.

D. Detail of Material
1. The History of English Second Language and English Foreign
Language
Basically, we can divide up countries according to whether they
have English as a native language, English as a second language,
or English as a foreign language. The first category is self-explanatory.
The difference between English as a foreign language and English as a
second language is that in the latter instance only, English has actual
assigned communicative status within the country. All told, there is a
total of 75 territories where English has a special place in society. [Braj]
Kachru has divided the English-speaking countries of the world into
three broad types, which he symbolizes by placing them in three
concentric rings:
a. The inner circle: these countries are the traditional bases of
English, where it is the primary language, that is Great Britain and
Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
b. The outer or extended circle: these countries represent the earlier
spread of English in non-native contexts, where the language is part
of the country's leading institutions, where it plays a second-

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 14


language role in a multilingual society. e.g. Singapore, India,
Malawi, and 50 other territories.
c. The expanding circle: this includes countries that represent the
importance of English as an international language though they
have no history of colonization and English has no special
administrative status in these countries, e.g. China, Japan, Poland
and a growing number of other states. This is English as
a foreign language. It is clear that the expanding circle is the one
that is most sensitive to the global status of English. It is here that
English is used primarily as an international language, especially in
the business, scientific, legal, political and academic communities.

The terms EFL and ESL emerged after the Second World War, and in
Britain no distinction was seriously made between ESL and EFL, both
being subsumed under ELT ('English Language Teaching'), until well
into the 1960s. As regards ESL in particular, the term has been applied
to two types of teaching that overlap but are essentially distinct: ESL in
the home country of the learner (mainly a UK concept and concern) and
ESL for immigrants to ENL countries (mainly a US concept and
concern).
The term ESL has traditionally referred to students who come to school
speaking languages other than English at home. The term in many
cases is incorrect, because some who come to school have English as
their third, fourth, fifth, and so on, language.

2. The distinction between ESL and EFL in language classroom


An ESL classroom is in a country where English is the dominant
language. The students are immigrants or visitors. The class is usually
of mixed nationalities, so students donnot share a native language or a
common culture. Outside the classroom, students have a specific,
practical need for English, and ample opportunity to use it. Students

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 15


have extensive daily exposure to English-speaking culture, although
their understanding may be limited by their language skills.
An EFL classroom is in a country where English is not the dominant
language. Students share the same language and culture. The teacher
may be the only native English speaker they have exposure to. Outside
of the classroom students have very few opportunities to use English.
For some, learning English may not have any obvious practical
benefit. Students have limited exposure to English-speaking culture,
most often through a distorted lens like TV or music.
Based on these definitions, we can see that there are important
differences in the student population. Effective lesson planning must
take them into account.

ESL students need


a. Hands-on English lessons suitable for their immediate needs. There
may be a place for general grammar instruction, but not until more
pressing needs are met.
b. Explicit cultural instruction. These students come from many places,
all very different from your classroom. Teach them about your
cultural norms. Teach them how to get along in your society. Tell
them how people from your culture see their culture. You might not
think this is traditional English teaching, but it will generate
fascinating discussion. Understanding culture is an invaluable step
towards fluency.
c. Bridges towards integration. As an ESL teacher, you may not
consider yourself a guidance counselor, but be ready to suggest
concrete ways for your students to address their daily problems in
your local community. Whether that means referring them to an
immigrant assistance association or helping them apply for a job
online, you are likely to be the first person they ask for help. Equip

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 16


yourself with the knowledge you need, and be ready to do more
research when asked.

EFL students need


a. Lots of practice using English, especially orally. Get them speaking
in the classroom, but also teach them where to find opportunities to
practice speaking English outside of class, and reward them for
doing so.
b. Exposure to living English. Never lead your students to believe that
English is a set of rules and words to memorize. It is the living,
breathing creation of cultures and communities around the world.
Do whatever you can to reveal this depth. Pen pals, non-traditional
teaching materials, and field trips are great ways to make English
come alive for your students.
c. Reasons to learn English, and motivation to stick with it. English
can be very theoretical when you‘re growing up in a village in
Belarus. Find out about each student‘s other passions and tie
English into them. There are so many English communities online
and off that it is possible to find a tie-in for almost any other area of
interest. Social networks are powerful tools.

E. Worksheets
These are the key differences between these student communities and
strategies to teach English accordingly. Discuss in a group about these
following questions and then share it in front of the class.
1. What do you think are the key differences between ESL and EFL
classrooms?
2. Why do teachers need to differ the activities in ESL and EFL
classrooms?

F. Further Discussion

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 17


Visit and make a summary of this article:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/alexenoamen/ways-motivating-efl-
esl-students-classroom
G. References
How ESL and EFL classrooms differ. 2011. Oxford University Press ELT.
https://oupeltglobalblog.com/2011/07/12/how-esl-and-efl-classrooms-
differ/. Accessed: 05/09/2017
Nordquist, R. 2017. English as a Second Language (ESL).
https://www.thoughtco.com/english-as-a-second-language-esl-
1690599 Accessed: 05/09/2017

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 18


UNIT 2

The Characteristics of
English Language Learners
(Some Facts about Adults and Young
Learners)

. . . . . .

A. Description of Course
This unit is designed to show the distinction between charateristic and any
design teaching activities.There are three kinds of learners in EFL
classroom: young learners, adolescent, and adult. Activities in a Young
Learner classroom should be short and many activities. Adolescent can use
many different ways od studying and practicing language. it is possible for
adult to spend more time on learning tasks so it is possible to engage more
deeply with the learning materials.

B. Relevance of Course
The relevance of course is the students will engage their home and society
environment into the activities in this book (as mention details in exercises).
In the exersices, most of activities given is case study. So, the students is
allowed to think critically in group discussion.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 19


C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to comprehend and explain the distinction learning
system in three group of English Learners and the impact of those
distinction to the learning strategies.

D. Detail of Material
Fact about Young Learners
Teaching Young learners has been happening in Indonesia for many years.
The concept of young learners has been changed from the age, the course
book that has written. In the past Young learners refer to students between
five and twelve years of age. Today, the young learners started from the
pre-school (three years) to Elementary school (12 years). Different age is
crucial thing to determine the teaching method, emphasize the language
competence and address the cognitive skills. Hammer (2007) classified
three learner groups keeping in mind
The fact that every learner is unique and such lists can only reflect
generalizations :

Young Learners Adolescents Adult

They respond although - Despite their -They can engage


they do not understand. success in language with abstract thought
- They learn from learning, they are /
everything around them: seen like - They have a whole
they learn indirectly problematic range of (positive or
rather than directly. students. negative) life and
- They understand -They commit learning experiences.
mostly when they see, passionately when - They have
hear, touch and interact they are engaged expectations about
rather than from - Most of them start the learning process
explanations. to understand the and they have their
- Abstract concepts are need for learning. own patterns of
difficult to deal with. - Attention span is learning
- They generally display longer as a result of - They are more
a curiosity about the intellectual disciplined than the
world and an enthusiasm development. other age groups and
for learning a language - They can talk know how to struggle

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 20


- They like talking about about abstract on despite boredom
themselves and respond issues to a certain - Unlike other groups,
to learning that uses point. they know why they
their lives as the main - They can use are learning and what
topic. many different ways they want to have at
- They love discovering of studying and the end.
things, making or practicing language. - They sustain a level
drawing things, using - They search for of motivation even for
their imagination, moving identity and self- a distant goal, which
from one place to esteem; thus they is difficult for the
another, solving puzzles. need to feel good other groups.
- They have a short about themselves - They can be critical
attention span; they can and valued. of teaching methods
easily get bored after 5- - They need teacher or they may feel
10 minutes. and peer approval uncomfortable with
- Teachers should have and are sensitive to unfamiliar methods.
a rich repertoire of criticism of their own - Older ones worry
activities to help young age group. that their intellectual
children receive - Teachers should powers diminish by
information from a link teaching to their age.
variety of sources and everyday interests - They have a longer
plan a range of activities and experiences. concentration span to
for a given time period. continue an activity
- Teachers should work than the other
with students individually groups.
or in groups - Teachers should
- Teachers need to be consider their
aware of the students‘ (positive or negative)
interests to motivate learning experiences.
them.
- The classroom should
be colorful and bright
with enough room for
different activities.

Adapted from: Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English language


teaching (4th Ed.). Essex: Pearson Longman.

Facing the age of gbobalization, the languange centers provide some


courses and formal school designed for children. Although Some
reseahers and scholars in many countries has different definition for the
term Young learners, They distiguish the young learners focusing mainly
on children of pre-school and primary school ages. Pinter (2011) divides

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 21


young learners into three groups. The first is children who start pre-school
at about the age of three, the second is the group of children who start
primary school at around the age of 5-7 and finish primary school 11 or 12,
although in some countries it happens at around the age of 13 or 14. Pinter
calls children from the age of 13 onwards ‗early adolescents. In order to
know the characteristic of young learners and to maximize learning
process, we should defined the young learners for this course. The
following grouping reflects the EFL teaching environment and the learners
of English in the primary education in Turkey.

Older/ Late Young


Young Learners
Very Young Learnes Learners

Age: 3-6 years old Age: 7-9 years old Age: 10-12 years old

Grade: Pre-school Grade: 1st – 3rd Grade: 4th- 6th grade


Education grade

Language Focus/ Language Focus/ Language Focus/ Skills


Skills Used: Skills Used: Used:
Listening & Speaking Listening & Speaking Listening/Speaking/Read
Vocabulary Items Vocabulary Items ing/Writing
(concrete & familiar (concrete & familiar Vocabulary Items
objects) and new objects) (concrete & abstract)
No Grammar Teaching New in Reading and Grammar (inductive)
or metalanguage (can‘t Writing (word to
analyze language but sentence level)
may be exposed to No Grammar
chunks through songs, Teaching or
classroom language) metalanguage
No reading & writing (chunks through
(may recognize letters songs and classroom
or short words) language)
Characteristics: Characteristics: Characteristics:
*Low concentration *Low concentration *Longer attention span
span but easily excited span: Wide variety of but still children
*High motivation; activities needed *Taking learning
active involvement *Short memory: seriously
*Love talking but frequent revision is *World knowledge
problems in sharing needed *More cooperation in
*Short memory: Learn *Logical-analytical: groups and in pairs

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 22


slowly Forget easily Asking questions *Developed social, motor
*Repetition and *Problems in sharing and intellectual skills
revision is necessary in group work *Learning strategies are
*Limited motor skills * Developing used and developing.
(using a pen and confidence in
scissors) but expressing
kinesthetic and themselves
energetic * Developing world
*Learn holistically knowledge
*Love stories, fantasy, *Limited motor skills
imagination, art, (left-right)
drawing and coloring *Reasonable amount
of input
*Love stories,
fantasy, imagination,
drawing & coloring

Adapted from: Ersöz, A. (2007). Teaching English to young learners.


Ankara: EDM Publishing.

E. Worksheet
Discuss in pairs and answers these questions.
1. What are the characteristics of very young learners?
2. How do 4-6 year old children learn languages?
3. How does it affect foreign language teaching?
4. What is the most common English language syllabus?
5. Which activities are effective in teaching English to very young
learners?)

F. Further Discussion
Visit this web address and make summary of it.
https://studfiles.net/preview/5783237/page:4/

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 23


G. References
Ersöz, A. 2007. Teaching English to young learners. Ankara: EDM
Publishing
Harmer, J. 2007. The Practice of English language teaching (4th Ed.).
Essex: Pearson Longman.
Pinter, A. 2011. Children Learning Second Languages. London: Palgrave
Macmillan
www.pefja.kg.ac.rs/preuzimanje/...za.../Module%20Examination%20Questio
ns.doc

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 24


UNIT 3

The Characteristics of Young


Learner’s Learning Styles
(Theories of Young Learners Learning
Development)
. . . . .
A. Description of Course
Most activities for children should consist of movement and involve their
senses. The teacher needs many objects, visuals and pictures to work
with, and to create a possibility to use all of the school's surroundings. It is
also important for the teacher to let the children play with the language,
talk to themselves as much as it is possible, use songs, rhymes and tell
stories.

B. Relevance of Course
The relevance of course is the students will engage their home and society
environment into the activities in this book (as mention details in
exercises). In the exersices, most of activities given is case study. So, the
students is allowed to think critically in group discussion.

C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to understand and explain about the characteristics
of young learner‘s learning style connected to the learning theories of
Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 25


D. Detail of Material
1. Theories of Learning Development
The field of teaching young learners particularly in teaching English,
has expanded enormously in the last recent years. We need therefore
to draw on work from beyond language classrooms: in child
development, in learning theory, in first language development, and in
development of a second language in bilingual context (Cameron,
2002).
The major theorist in developmental psychology, Piaget, Vygotsky and
Bruner, highlighting key ideas from their work that can inform how we
think of the child as a language learner.
The outcome of cognitive development is thinking. The intelligent mind
creates from experience ―generic coding systems that permit one to go
beyond the data to new and possibly fruitful predictions‖ (Bruner,
1957, p. 234). Thus, children as they grow must acquire a way of
representing the ―recurrent regularities‖ in their environment.
So, to Bruner, important outcomes of learning include not just the
concepts, categories, and problem-solving procedures invented
previously by the culture, but also the ability to ―invent‖ these things for
oneself. Cognitive growth involves an interaction between basic
human capabilities and ―culturally invented technologies that serve as
amplifiers of these capabilities.‖ These culturally invented technologies
include not just obvious things such as computers and television, but
also more abstract notions such as the way a culture categorizes
phenomena, and language itself. Bruner would likely agree
with Vygotsky that language serves to mediate between environmental
stimuli and the individual's response. The aim of education should be
to create autonomous learners (i.e., learning to learn).
In his research on the cognitive development of children
(1966), Jerome Bruner proposed three modes of representation:
a. Enactive representation (action-based)

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 26


b. Iconic representation (image-based)
c. Symbolic representation (language-based)

Bruner’s Three Modes of Representation


Modes of representation are the way in which information or knowledge
are stored and encoded in memory. Rather than neat age related stages
(like Piaget), the modes of representation are integrated and only loosely
sequential as they ―translate‖ into each other.

Enactive (0 - 1 years)
This appears first. It involves encoding action based information and
storing it in our memory. For example, in the form of movement as
a muscle memory, a baby might remember the action of shaking a rattle.
The child represents past events through motor responses, i.e. an infant
will ―shake a rattle‖ which has just been removed or dropped, as if the
movements themselves are expected to produce the accustomed sound.
And this is not just limited to children.
Many adults can perform a variety of motor tasks (typing, sewing a shirt,
operating a lawn mower) that they would find difficult to describe in iconic
(picture) or symbolic (word) form.
Iconic (1 - 6 years)
This is where information is stored visually in the form of images (a mental
picture in the mind‘s eye). For some, this is conscious; others say they
don‘t experience it. This may explain why, when we are learning a new
subject, it is often helpful to have diagrams or illustrations to accompany
verbal information.

Symbolic (7 years onwards)


This develops last. This is where information is stored in the form of a
code or symbol, such as language. This is the most adaptable form of

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 27


representation, for actions & images have a fixed relation to that which
they represent. Dog is a symbolic representation of a single class.
Symbols are flexible in that they can be manipulated, ordered, classified
etc., so the user isn‘t constrained by actions or images. In the symbolic
stage, knowledge is stored primarily as words, mathematical symbols, or
in other symbol systems.
Bruner's constructivist theory suggests it is effective when faced with new
material to follow a progression from enactive to iconic to symbolic
representation; this holds true even for adult learners. A true instructional
designer, Bruner's work also suggests that a learner even of a very young
age is capable of learning any material so long as the instruction is
organized appropriately, in sharp contrast to the beliefs of Piaget and
other stage theorists.

The Importance of Language


Language is important for the increased ability to deal with abstract
concepts. Bruner argues that language can code stimuli and free an
individual from the constraints of dealing only with appearances, to provide
a more complex yet flexible cognition.
The use of words can aid the development of the concepts they represent
and can remove the constraints of the ―here & now‖ concept. Basically, he
sees the infant as an intelligent & active problem solver from birth, with
intellectual abilities basically similar to those of the mature adult.

Educational Implications
For Bruner (1961), the purpose of education is not to impart knowledge,
but instead to facilitate a child's thinking and problem solving skills which
can then be transferred to a range of situations. Specifically, education
should also develop symbolic thinking in children.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 28


In 1960 Bruner's text, The Process of Education was published. The
main premise of Bruner's text was that students are active learners who
construct their own knowledge.
Bruner (1960) opposed Piaget's notion of readiness. He argued that
schools waste time trying to match the complexity of subject material to a
child's cognitive stage of development. This means students are held back
by teachers as certain topics are deemed too difficult to understand and
must be taught when the teacher believes the child has reached the
appropriate state of cognitive maturity.
Bruner (1960) adopts a different view and believes a child (of any age) is
capable of understanding complex information: ―We begin with the
hypothesis that any subject can be taught effectively in some intellectually
honest form to any child at any stage of development‖. (p. 33)
Bruner (1960) explained how this was possible through the concept of
the spiral curriculum. This involved information being structured so that
complex ideas can be taught at a simplified level first, and then re-visited
at more complex levels later on. Therefore, subjects would be taught at
levels of gradually increasing difficultly (hence the spiral analogy). Ideally,
teaching his way should lead to children being able to solve problems by
themselves.
Bruner (1961) proposes that learners‘ construct their own knowledge and
do this by organizing and categorizing information using a coding system.
Bruner believed that the most effective way to develop a coding system is
to discover it rather than being told it by the teacher. The concept
of discovery learning implies that students construct their own knowledge
for themselves (also known as a constructivist approach).
The role of the teacher should not be to teach information by rote learning,
but instead to facilitate the learning process. This means that a good
teacher will design lessons that help student discover the relationship
between bits of information. To do this a teacher must give students the

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 29


information they need, but without organizing for them. The use of the
spiral curriculum can aid the process of discovery learning.

Bruner and Vygotsky


Both Bruner and Vygotsky emphasise a child's environment, especially the
social environment, more than Piaget did. Both agree that adults should
play an active role in assisting the child's learning.
Bruner, like Vygotsky, emphasized the social nature of learning, citing that
other people should help a child develop skills through the process
of scaffolding. The term scaffolding first appeared in the literature when
Wood, Bruner and Ross described how tutors' interacted with preschooler
to help them solve a block reconstruction problem (Wood et al., 1976).
The concept of scaffolding is very similar to Vygotsky's notion of the zone
of proximal development (ZPD), and it's not uncommon for the terms to be
used interchangeably. Scaffolding involves helpful, structured interaction
between an adult and a child with the aim of helping the child achieve a
specific goal.
Scaffolding refers to the steps taken to reduce the degrees of freedom in
carrying out some task so that the child can concentrate on the difficult
skill she is in the process of acquiring' (Bruner, 1978, p. 19).

Bruner and Piaget


Obviously there are similarities between Piaget and Bruner, but an
important difference is that Bruner‘s modes are not related in terms of
which presuppose the one that precedes it. Whilst sometimes one mode
may dominate in usage, they coexist.
Bruner states that what determines the level of intellectual development is
the extent to which the child has been given appropriate instruction
together with practice or experience. So - the right way of presentation and
the right explanation will enable a child to grasp a concept usually only

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 30


understood by an adult. His theory stresses the role of education and the
adult.
Although Bruner proposes stages of cognitive development, he doesn‘t
see them as representing different separate modes of thought at different
points of development (like Piaget). Instead, he sees a gradual
development of cognitive skills and techniques into more integrated ―adult‖
cognitive techniques.
Bruner views symbolic representation as crucial for cognitive
development and since language is our primary means of symbolizing the
world, he attaches great importance to language in determining cognitive
development.

BRUNER AGREES WITH PIAGET BRUNER DISAGREES WITH


PIAGET
1 1 Development is a
Children are pre-adapted to
continuous process – not
learning
a series of stages
2 2 The development of
Children have a natural language is a cause not a
curiosity consequence of cognitive
development
3 3 You can speed-up
Children‘s cognitive
cognitive development. You
STRUCTURES develop over
don‘t have to wait for the
time
child to be ready
4 4 The involvement of adults
Children are active
and more knowledgeable
participants in the learning
peers makes a big
process
difference
5 Cognitive development entails 5 Symbolic thought does not

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 31


the acquisition of symbols replace earlier modes of
representation

2. Characteristics of Children Learning Style


Children have different ways of learning which the education experts
have roughly grouped these into three basic styles – auditory,
visual and kinaesthetic.
When parents know their child‘s best way to learn, they can help their
child learn more effectively. And part of this process is for parents to
understand their own learning style, because we tend to teach in that
style.
To find out what type of learner both you and your child are, read on.
But before you pigeonhole yourself or your child, it‘s worth
remembering that while you may have a dominant style of learning,
everyone borrows a little bit from all the styles to learn about the
world around them.

a. Auditory of Language Learner


These types learn through listening to what others have to say
and talking about what they‘re learning. They‘re also more likely
to:
1) remember information by talking aloud
2) need to have things explained orally
3) may have trouble with written instructions
4) talk to themselves while learning something new
5) enjoy discussion groups over working alone.
Worth noting: auditory learners might look like they‘re not paying
attention when you talk to them, but their listening skills are more
developed than their visual skills.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 32


b. Visual of Language Learners
As their name suggests, these people learn through watching. It‘s believed
to be the most dominant learning style and many traditional classrooms
are geared towards the visual learner. For their learning to make
sense they need to be able to see, visualise and illustrate their
knowledge skills and concepts. Visual learning characteristics
include:
1) remembering visual details
2) preferring to see what they are learning
3) needing to have paper and pens handy
4) doodling while listening
5) liking to write down instructions or see them demonstrated.
Worth noting: Telling these learners how to do something may
not make sense to them at all – they need to see it.

c. Kinaesthetic/tactile learners
These learners like to be actively involved in the learning
process, and learn best through hands-on activities and
movement. Other kinaesthetic characteristics are they:
1) want to actually do whatever is being talked about or learned
2) like to move around while listening or talking
3) often ―talk‖ with their hands
4) like to touch things in order to learn about them
5) remember events by recalling who did what rather than who
said what.

E. Worksheet
Cases:
Both Bruner and Vygotsky emphasise a child's environment, especially the
social environment, more than Piaget did. Both agree that adults should
play an active role in assisting the child's learning. Bruner, like Vygotsky,

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 33


emphasized the social nature of learning, citing that other people should
help a child develop skills through the process of scaffolding.
1. How is the process of scaffolding activities in teaching and learning at
young language learners?
2. Based on children learning styles; auditory, visual and khinestetics, Is
there a fourth style? Give your reason and explain in details.
3. While the above three are the major styles discussed, some experts talk
about logical or analytical learners. These learn through exploring
patterns and understanding how things relate to each other.
4. What kind of activities do teachers need to design for logical and
analytical learners in the classroom of language learning?

F. Further Discussion
Visit and make a summary of this article:
http://eprints.umk.ac.id/7007/27/The-2nd-TEYLIN-ilovepdf-compressed-
223-232.pdf

G. References
Cameron, L. 2002. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. UK:
Cambridge University Press.
Baker, F. 2015. Learning Styles in Children.
http://www.kidspot.com.au/school/primary/learning-and-
behaviour/learning-styles-in-
children/newsstory/2c188e7d8ca8d273b2f441fcae6ae1ba
McLeod, S. A. (2008). Bruner. Retrieved from
www.simplypsychology.org/bruner.html

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 34


UNIT 4

Learning Styles of Young


Language Learners (Part I)
(Infancy, Toddlerhood, and Preschool
Period)

. . . . .
A. Description of Course
The concept of learning is influenced by the psychological study of the
learning process and is widely interpreted in the popular use. The
psychological concept extends quite far and includes all parts of children's
development, from language acquisition to social roles and changes in
their personality. Language teaching can be widely interpreted as all
activities intended to facilitate and cause language learning. At the
beginning of learning the new language, the learner's knowledge has none
or hardly any associations with the language; it is as an infant learning its
first language.

B. Relevance of Course
The relevance of course is the students will engage their home and society
environment into the activities in this book (as mention details in
exercises). In the exersices, most of activities given is case study. So, the
students is allowed to think critically in group discussion.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 35


C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to understand and explain the learning styles of
infant, toddlerhood and preschool period and how to optimize them.

D. Detail of Material
As you watch children grow and learn, it quickly becomes obvious that
each child has their own way of learning and interacting with the world
around them. One child may spend hours curled up with a book, while
another uses any excuse to go outside. One child begs to go to the
museum, while another can‘t stop pulling objects apart to discover how
they work together.
In the early 1980s, developmental psychologist and educational
researcher Howard Gardner verified what many parents intuitively know:
different children learn in different ways. He observed that even though all
individuals in a group seemed to be equally intelligent, a lesson plan that
worked successfully for some children didn‘t work as well for others.
Gardner‘s observations led him to publish Frames of Mind: The Theory of
Multiple Intelligences in 1983. He asserted that different people approach
learning in different ways and that children learn better in school when
their individual learning styles are recognized and supported. He outlined
seven different learning styles: auditory, visual, kinesthetic, interpersonal,
intrapersonal, linguistic and logical-mathematical.
Education has traditionally been focused around linguistic and logical-
mathematical learning styles, however student centered learning models
such as the Montessori Method and the International Baccalaureate
program have found success helping children learn in the way that is best
for them.
Let‘s take a look at three often-overlooked learning styles to help you
discover if your child is an Auditory, Visual or Kinesthetic learner. We‘ll
also share tips on how to help your child succeed if they are one of these
learning styles.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 36


When parents know their child's best way to learn, they can help their child
learn more effectively. And part of this process is for parents to understand
their own learning style, because we tend to teach in that style.

1. Infant
Even infants may display tendencies toward a certain way of learning,
experts believe. ―Some babies seem especially observant and attuned
to details,‖ says Barbara Marcelo Evans, M.D., a neurodevelopmental
pediatrician at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, in Camden,
NJ. ―Others may be very verbal and vocal at an early age.‖
Whatever a baby's tendency, she's apt to experiment with various
styles -- often at the same time. A 3-month-old who stares at the rattle
she waves in her tiny hand takes in information visually, auditorally,
tactually, and kinesthetically. But babies go through short phases of
focusing on a specific style. ―A one-year-old may seem physically
precocious, but that can level off within a few months, and then she
may seem very attuned to listening instead,‖ says Jim McCrory, Ph.D.,
a professor of education at Mary Baldwin College, in Stauton, VA.
All this experimentation is good for your baby. That is why many experts
advise that even if you see a strong pattern in an infant, it is best to
focus on stimulating all the senses, by exposing her to a variety of
experiences.

Physical Development
Between 9 and 12 months, babies‘ physical development affords them
many different opportunities to play, move and relate. Standing and
cruising bring babies to new places in their homes, as well as access to
objects and furniture at new heights. They can now pick up objects from
the floor as well as reach for items that might be on low shelves or
coffee tables. Locomotion and movements empower them to be
sociable—they can seek for attention rather than wait for someone.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 37


Besides gross motor development, the older babies‘ hand-eye
coordination and fine motor skills are also maturing. They are more able
to grasp and manipulate small objects. They practice picking up and
letting go of whatever they can put their hands on—perhaps you've
seen this "game" played from your baby's high-chair. These activities
are in the service of exercising fine motor skills and coordination, as
well as experimenting with action and reaction. Your baby's high-chair
may actually be his experiments to learn about how things fall.

Imitation and Play


As babies continue to observe new events and explore new
environments, they might begin to imitate adult behaviours. Imitation
becomes a key way for older babies and new toddlers. They may
imitate and replicate voice sounds they hear, a specific sequence of
actions, or even emulate adult behaviours with pretend play. Playing
games that involve funny sounds and facial expressions helps spark
your child‘s imagination.
After the age of nine months, babies become fascinated with learning
about objects. Babies at this stage may begin to use everyday objects
and toys in the way they were intended. They experiment by interacting
with objects in new and creative ways.

Remember, Learning does not happen at ones


Baby develops many skills at the same time. For example, she may be
putting a lot of energy into learning to walk. If so, her language
development may slow down for a bit. Or she may be trying to get used
to a new child-care centre. If so, her physical and social skills may stall.
Give plenty of support, and all areas of development will usually level
out.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 38


2. Toddler
Picking a Preference
A toddler may begin to display a particular learning tendency.
Recognizing and responding to his preferred style as he explores new
concepts and materials can help your child develop a sense of mastery.
Though we sometimes think that there's a "right" way to teach almost
any child a particular skill, learning-style proponents argue that there is
a right way to teach almost any skill to a particular child.
Here's how you can recognize and support each type of learner:
Auditory learners gain new information best by hearing it.
Signs that your child's a listener:
a. She quickly remembers the words to stories and songs.
b. She follows directions easily.
c. She repeats overheard phrases and comments.
Ways to help her learn:
a. The more you talk, the more information she'll gather.
b. She'll enjoy listening to stories -- about both real and imaginary
events -- and telling her own.
c. Songs and rhymes are a great way to teach new things -- from
colors and letters to remembering daily routines.

Kinesthetic learners like to get physically involved in learning, using


their bodies to investigate new places and concepts.
Signs that your child's a mover:
a. He gleefully zooms down the slide-over and over again.
b. He pretends to be characters from a favorite book, mimicking the
story's actions.
c. He always brings his toys to life, moving them about, and revels in
active games.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 39


Ways to help him learn:
a. If he acts out stories, it will help him understand and remember
favorite books.
b. Teach new information by creating movement games. For instance,
draw letters on the sidewalk and have him jump on the one you call
out.
c. Have him role-play scenarios you've created to help him learn new
concepts or remember important safety lessons.

Tactual learners need to feel and touch things to understand how they
work.
Signs that your child's a toucher:
a. She's drawn to objects with interesting shapes and textures, and
loves to play with blocks.
b. She needs to actually feel abstract ideas, such as touching an ice
cube to understand how cold ―really cold‖ is.
c. She has trouble following directions to unfamiliar tasks.

Ways to help her learn:


a. Introduce new tasks or materials, then let her try them.
b. Give her materials with interesting textures that are sturdy enough
to stand up to intensive handling.
c. Offer her a variety of puzzles and table games.
d. Let her make shapes and letters with her finger in sand or flour, or
form them with clay.

Visual learners pick up information best by seeing new material.


Signs that your child's a watcher:
a. He's mesmerized by photos, illustrations, and television shows or
videos.
b. He remembers how to do things he's seen others doing.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 40


c. He's quick to recognize shapes, colors, and letters.

Ways to help him learn:


a. Share picture books with plenty of engaging graphics.
b. Show him educational television shows and videos, which are a
good way to explore new topics.
c. Demonstrate how to do new tasks or use materials he hasn't tried
before.
d. Let him sort and match by creating murals or collages.
e. Make a chart with photos to show daily routines or household
chores.
By tuning in to your child's preferred style, you may help him learn
more -- and more easily. That's not to say that we should only
encourage our kids to do things one way. All children need to have
experiences that call every learning style into play so that they can
succeed in school and beyond. But when we help our kids learn in the
way that's most natural for them, they're more likely to develop the
confidence needed to master every learning style.

3. Preshool
Learning Style in Preschool Period
A high quality preschool program requires dedicated and qualified
teaching staff, working in partnership with children‘s families, to
systematically assist children in developing social competence and
confidence.

Children demonstrate self-confidence.


Effective preschool teachers:
a. Provide materials and activities to further learning at the child‘s
developmental level and to foster feelings of competence (e.g.,

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 41


knobbed and regular puzzles, looped scissors, open-ended art
materials, child-sized manipulative).
b. Make adaptations to the classroom environment to support
individual children‘s needs (e.g., sensory table, quiet spaces,
appropriately-sized furnishings, and visuals at eye level).
c. Use children‘s ideas and interests to inspire activities and to engage
students in discussions (e.g., tire tracks made by bicycle wheels on
the playground can lead to an exploration and discussion of the
different kinds of tracks made by an assortment of wheeled
vehicles).

Preschool English Language


Reading Literature
Effective preschool teachers:
a. Create cozy, comfortable reading areas with a variety of age-
appropriate printed materials (e.g., at least 15- 20 books in a
display case, changed every two weeks, along with magazines,
catalogs, newspapers).
b. Read aloud to each child individually and in small and large groups
two or more times a day in different settings using age-appropriate
high-quality books and texts (e.g., picture storybooks including the
Caldecott medal books, picture information books, traditional
literature including folktales, fantasy, poetry and rhyming books, big
books, books that are predictable and repetitive, culturally diverse
books and an assortment of alphabet books and number books).
c. Organize routines of the day with children to ensure that children
are aware of their opportunities for read aloud with the teacher in
whole, small group or one-on-one as well as times of the day that
they can use the classroom library and self-select books for their
reading enjoyment.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 42


d. Prepare children for listening to a new book during read aloud by
building on background knowledge (e.g., make appropriate
connections to children‘s work and interests, predict topic by looking
at front cover illustration, look at a few illustrations throughout the
book to build anticipation, identify title, author, and illustrator and
the roles of each).
e. Read aloud the entire book with few interruptions and use
motivating expression appropriate to story line.

Writing
Effective preschool teachers:
a. Model teacher writing in a variety of genres throughout the day and
encourage children‘s writing (e.g., guide children to write their
names on their work, share writing lists, messages, charts, forms,
signage, labels, invitations, letters, and model pretend roles in
dramatic play activities that include writing such as a doctor in the
doctor‘s office charting patient health information, etc.).
b. Provide shared writing opportunities (e.g., the children volunteer the
ideas and letters or words and the teacher elaborates on the ideas
and writes the words). Display interactive examples of writing
(including pictures) at children‘s eye level for intentional follow-up
activities.
c. Take dictation for a child by writing exactly what the child says and
making sure the child can see what you are writing. Read the
dictation back to the child tracking their words with a finger.
d. Encourage individual and small groups of children‘s writing at the
writing center and other centers independently or with teacher
support (e.g., provide exciting writing and book making materials,
provide examples at the writing center of printed letters, words,
names, and phrases that children frequently use in their writing,

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 43


encourage writing notes to a family member, model or share writing
signs for the block and manipulative centers, model and support
recording and making observations at the science center, model
and encourage writing numbers at the math center and during other
activities).
e. Model the process of classroom bookmaking by using different
sizes and shapes of paper, varied and interesting colors, etc.
Ensure exciting bookmaking materials are readily available at the
writing and art centers. Make classroom book topics simple and
predictable. Frequently share classroom books and display in
library and throughout the room. Have children share or buddy-
read with a partner and take a copy home to share or ―read‖ with
families.

Language
Effective preschool teachers:
a. Respond to children using their words (―reflect back‖) with the
correct plural forms, tenses, prepositions and in complete
sentences. Also, add new and rich vocabulary to the response
when appropriate.
b. Ensure that children have interesting opportunities to practice
language using plural forms, prepositions, complete sentences, and
question sentences by using props and toys in engaging individual,
small and large-group opportunities (e.g., the use of props to
identify positional phrases such as in back of, in front of, under, on).
c. Provide individual support to each child to write their name on their
work throughout the day. Allow children who need it ample time to
move through the developmental stages of writing (e.g., teacher
dictation, scribble-writing, letter-like forms, a combination of upper
and lowercase letters).

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 44


d. Encourage children to use their emergent writing skills
independently or with teacher support by providing ongoing and
motivating up-to-date materials and activities at the writing center
based on individual and group interests including written models of
the alphabet and printed words with pictures that children currently
use and request for writing projects (e.g., ―Mom,‖ ―no,‖ ―love‖
―Save!‖). Support children during the writing process by referring to
the letter construction chart and prompting with letter construction
and letter sounds when needed.
e. Build oral language and writing skills through read aloud extension
activities in classroom centers (e.g., after reading a collection of
Thomas and Friends, brainstorm ideas for props for a train station
in the dramatic play area. Share writing a list with children of
materials and supplies needed).

Optimize Children’s Learning Styles


1. Kinesthetic Learners:
a. As a first step, you should go to a school that is active learning
system where many students are involved in the learning
process. This is so that its ability to develop optimally.
b. Learning through experience using a variety of props, such as
laboratory experiments.
c. For students who have excess energy capacity should be given
physical activity at home before school. For example, following
sports, helping with homework such as washing cars, cleaning
home, or doing something with his fingers.

2. Auditory Learners:
a. Read and repeat the lesson material by making a sound or
asking others to read it. Use music as a learning tool.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 45


b. Provide with a tape recorder to record all the subject matter
taught at school and repeat at home.
c. Conduct verbal reviews with friends, parents or teachers.

3. Visual Learners:
a. Learn to memorize, use a flashcard or small card containing the
keywords of any information being studied.
b. Learn to look for alternative materials from various sources, for
example from video, PowerPoint, mind map, images, or an
interesting chart. This will help you to get a big picture of what
he will learn.

E. Worksheets
1. How does the child most effectively learn?
2. How can adults best support and facilitate the child's learning?
3. What environmental conditions best support and facilitate the child's
learning?

F. Further Discussion
Visit and make a summary of this article:
https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/early-education/diverse-learning-
styles-in-early-childhood-education/

G. References
Chau, C. Infant Learning, 9-12 months. http://www.leapfrog.com/en-
us/learning-path/articles/learning-through-year-one © 2001-2017
LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.
Davis, E.S. What’s your child learning styles?
http://www.parenting.com/article/whats-your-childs-learning-style-
21354384

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 46


de Villiers, J. Language Development- Infancy, Toodlerhood, Preschool
Years: The two-year-
old. http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/369/Language-
Development.html

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 47


UNIT 5

Learning Styles of Young


Language Learners (Part II)
(Kindergarten and First to Sixth Grade)
. . . . .

A. Description of Course
Identify, evaluate, and selectively apply a wide variety of learning style in
kindergarten, first to sixth grade. The young learmers age 5-12 years needs
learning styles based on imitation, teacher creativity in providing some
visual, realia, thematic lesson and familiar teaching material.

B. Relevance of Course
The students can reflect to demonstrate the comprehensive knowledge, use
of the theory learning styles and apply the ‗real life‘ context in teaching
material. The students will demonstrate strategies to create a more
interactive and communicative classroom, particularly for young learners of
English.

C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to comprehend the concept and the implementation
a wide of variety of learning style in kindergarten, first to sixth grade.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 48


D. Detail of Material
Teaching Learning Styles
Putra (2012) stated that The teachers‘ teaching style include their ability to
1) keep the learners‘ motivation high or generate energy to learn in class, 2)
handle the problem of giving rewards and punishment, 3) establish rapport
and 4) use certain teaching technique. While the physical environment of
the classroom involves the seating arrangement, classroom walls and
board. The use of the native language of the learners deals with the
consideration on when to appropriately use and not to use it.

Ten Helpful Ideas for Teaching English to Young Learners


Joan Kang Shin

Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) is a rapidly growing field


around the world, and English education is increasingly found at the primary
levels. However, starting earlier is not necessarily the solution for producing
better English speakers. Therefore, what can EFL teachers of young
learners do to take advantage of the flexibility of young minds and the
malleability of young tongues to grow better speakers of English?

1. Supplement activities with visuals, realia and movement


Young learners tend to have short Use brightly colored visuals, toys,
attention spans and a lot of physical puppets or objects
energy. In addition, children are very • Community donations for toys
much linked to their surroundings and and objects
are more interested in the physical • Create a―Visuals and Realia
and the tangible. As Scott and Bank‖
Ytreberg (1990) describe, ―Their own • Use Total Physical Response
understanding comes through hands (TPR) by James Asher (1977)
and eyes and ears. The physical • Use TPR Storytelling by Blaine
world is dominant at all times.‖ Ray

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 49


http://www.blaineraytprs.com/
2. Involve the students to making visuals and realia
Young learners have short attention Students draw different
spans. For ages 5–7, Keep activities characters for a story or make
around 5 and 10 minutes long. For puppets, masks, play-do
ages 8–10, keep activities 10 to 15 sculptures
minutes long. Scott and Ytreberg • Collaborate with the art teacher
(1990) suggest creating a balance to make the visuals you need for
between the activities in the column you activities
on the right side • Students contribute their own
toys for the lesson (―Show and
tell‖)

3. Move from activity to activities


Young learners have short attention • Quiet/noisy exercises
spans. For ages 5–7, Keep activities •Different skills:
around 5 and 10 minutes long. For listening/talking/reading/writing
ages 8–10, keep activities 10 to 15 • Individual/ pairwork/ groupwork/
minutes long. Scott and Ytreberg whole class
(1990) suggest creating a balance activities • Teacher-pupil/ pupil-
between the activities in the column pupil activities
on the right side. .

4. Teach in themes
A thematic unit, a series of lessons Common themes for YLs:
on the same topic or subject, can animals, friends, family,
create broader contexts in which to environment, citizenship,
teach language, recycle language shopping, or units revolving
from lesson to lesson, and allow around a storybooks, e
students to focus more on content websites, celebrities, or movies

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 50


and communication than on language students likThemes based on
structure. curricula from students‘ other
subjects are also effective (Haas
2000)
5. Using stories and contect familiar with the student
Use of stories and contexts in home • Take a favorite story in the L1
country or culture can help YLs and translate it into English
connect English with their • Allow students a chance to
background knowledge, which is personalize content every lesson
limited because of their young age
and inexperience.

6. Establish classroom routine in English


YLs function well within a structured • Clap short rhythms for students
environment and enjoy repetition of to repeat.
certain routines and activities. Having • Start the lesson with song or
basic routines in the classroom can chant
help to manage young learners. • Add classroom language to the
routines as well
7. Use L1 as resource as necessary
Use L1 in the classroom as a • Quickly make a difficult
resource for forwarding the learning expression
process without becoming too reliant comprehensible by translating
on it. Concentrate on building into L1
communicative skills. Save your time • Use L1 for complicated
for the directions for activities
target language actually within
students‘ reach.

8. Bring in helpers from the community

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 51


9. Collaborate with other teachers in your school.
10. Communicate with other TEYL professionals
Joan Kang Shin University of Maryland, Baltimore County
[email protected] 17

Learning styles in kindergarten and first grader to sixth grade


Learning styles in kindergarten
Kindergarten is considered an important and purposeful educational level
and it is not less important than other educational levels. Moreover, it is a
level that has important behavioral, cognitive and affective goals, which the
teacher tries to make the students acquire them. The teacher seeks to
provide an educational environment to the child to help him acquiring the
specified cognitive skills of the curriculum using innovative teaching
methods based on the modern cognitive learning techniques, which
motivate the child‘s thinking during the process of learning.
In addition, the teacher has variety of roles as motivating the child to
acquire behavioral skills that helps the child‘s transition to the school‘s level,
reducing the child‘s attachment of his parent when he enrolled with the
kindergarten and developing the child‘s emotional side to be more
independent.
Visual learners in kindergarten are attracted to puzzles, building sets, the
computer, cutting and passing, and other activities that involve their eyes
and hands. Drawing and printing come easily, as does the memorization
word of configurations by the beginning reader. It comes as no surprise that
visual learners go on to enjoy video games, the internet, board game, crafts
and models.
Auditory learners in kindergarten are love to sing and recite the song and
rhymes, ask a seemingly endless stream questions, and have clear, precise
speech like tell the story or legend.
Kinesthetic learners in kindergarten are drawn to climbing, jumping, block
building, riding toys, and full body activities in wide open spaces.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 52


Learning styles in first to six grades
Beginning in first grade, students are expected to master reading, spelling,
and math, while the ability to successfully complete class work and
homework assignments becomes high priority.
Visual learners in first to six grades are likely to use flashcards, direct
copying of notes and vocabularies, write down summaries, and watch
videos and simulation.
Auditory learners in first to six grades are love to read aloud and are able
to follow oral directions with ease, and ask and answering questions
Kinesthetic learners in first to six grades are taught with role playing,
relate knowledge to movement, followed the instructions to make things.

E. Worksheet
Role Play
Think about what you have seen and learned in this classroom about
learning and teaching styles for primary students. Now do these two role
plays with a partner.
Role Play #1

Person #1 Person #2
You are an English teacher in a You are a supervisor at a primary
primary school. Your supervisor school. You visit a teacher‘s class
comes to visit your classroom and and are surprised to see her
is surprised to see your students students out of their seats playing
out of their seats playing games games and having fun. You think
and having fun. She thinks that that this teacher is not doing her
you are not doing your job. Listen job. Tell her that you think she is
to what she says. being irresponsible.
Respond to her and explain why Demand that she explain herself to
you are teaching English this way. you!

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 53


Role Play #2

Person #1 Person #2
You are a parent of a primary You are an English teacher in a
student. You notice that your child primary school. A parent of one of
brings back art projects, funny your students comes to see you.
pictures, and strange stories from She thinks that your assignments
English class. You think it looks like art projects and stories are fun
fun, but you aren‘t sure that he is but do not seem like good English
really learning English. You ask instruction. Listen to what she
his teacher why he isn‘t bringing says.
home more grammar and Explain to her why you are
vocabulary exercises. After all, it is teaching English this way.
English class! Tell the teacher you
are not sure this is good English
instruction.

F. Further Discussion
Visit this website and make summary of it in your own words.
https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/early-education/diverse-learning-
styles-in-early-childhood-education/

G. References
Chamot, A. U. (1993). Student responses to learning strategy instruction in
the foreign language classroom. Foreign Language Annals, 26, 308-
321.
O‘Malley, J. M. and Chamot, A. U. (1990). Learning strategies in second
language acquisition. UK: Cambridge.
Putra, J.R(2012) .Creating a Positive English Language Teaching and
Learning Environment in EYL Classroom Setting. Proceeding Teflin 2

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 54


eprints.umk.ac.id/340/28/PROCEEDING_TEYLIN_2.224-267.pdf by I Syafe
- 2012
Shin. J.k (2012) Teaching English For Young Learners. University of
Maryland, Baltimore [email protected]
1https://alassemah.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/young_learners_book
.pdf

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 55


UNIT 6

Creating Learning
Environment for Young
Language Learners
(Listening & Speaking)

. . . . .

A. Description of Course
This course discusses how to establish the welcoming learning environment
for young learners and encourage Early childhood professionals to do some
leading activity in teaching Listening and speaking. This courses emphasis
two of English skills: how to maximize How to Maximize Young Learner‘s
speaking. They describe some enjoyable activities to encourage early
childhood get comprehension in listening and speaking.

B. Relevance of Course
The relevance of course is the students will engage their home and society
environment into the activities in this book (as mention details in exercises).
In the exersices, most of activities given is case study. So, the students is
allowed to think critically in group discussion.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 56


C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to comprehend and create the learning environment
for young learners in listening and speaking skills accordance with the
characteristic of the students.

D. Detail of Material
Creating an environment for Young Language learners
A caring environment in which children feel secure and valued will allow
them to express their thoughts, feelings and understanding. The classroom
environment should promote language as a tool for learning across the
curriculum. Teachers need to provide an environment which promotes
active listening and purposeful talking, well designed writing and
compherensive reading.
Creating safe and caring environments for children from linguistically and
culturally diverse backgrounds involves establishing a tone of respect. This
means that children, parents and community members should feel as
though they are welcomed members of the learning community and that
their diverse identities are valued.

Establish a welcoming early learning environment


Establish a welcoming environment by:
reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of all children in such things as
classroom posters, pictures, props, tabletop toys, games, storybooks,
media resources, musical instruments and foods served in the classroom
providing opportunities for family and community members to share
experiences with children in the classroom in their home language as well
as in English providing learning experiences such as field trips and other
community outings to places where children and families can learn about
the culture and history of themselves and others. Offering opportunities for
children, assisted by their parents or other family and/or community
members, to cook foods from a wide range of cultural backgrounds

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 57


learning and using key words in the home languages of the children
ensuring that all children are respected and valued, and that biases and
discrimination are quickly and effectively dealt with when they arise.

Encourage children to play


Play is the cornerstone activity for social, cognitive and language
development in children from two-and-a-half to five-years-old. Early
childhood professionals should promote play as the leading activity for
children.
The relationship between language development and play is two-way:
Language makes it possible for children to adopt roles, and to negotiate the
rules and goals of play. Dramatic or pretend play stimulates the
development of language.
Play fuels development through imagination and symbolic functions.
Symbolic functions are the ability to understand that objects, actions, words
and people can stand for something else. Symbolic functions are at the core
of pretend play and form the foundation for conceptual thinking, literacy and
numeracy. For young children learning a new language, play provides a
safe space to try out new words. Even if they do not know the exact word
for something, children do not feel embarrassed by using a different name
for it since, as in play, everything can become anything—a stick can be a
horse or a pen.

How to Maximize Young Learner’s Listening


The nature of listening
Garvie (1999) stated that 'Listening is an active not a passive operation.'
Arnold (2012 : 1) Furthernore Arnold emphasis three things the nature of
listening :

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 58


1. The importance of understanding this concept of listening being an
active engagement. That is, as a listener, the mind is actively searching
for meaning.

2. The importance of what Krashen calls 'comprehensible input' (CI) or


that 'we acquire when we understand what people tell us or what we
read, when we are absorbed in the message.' Individual progress is
dependent on the input containing aspects of the target language that
'the acquirer has not yet acquired, but is developmentally ready to
acquire.'

This seems to imply the importance of ensuring that the language level is
matched to the learners, which means teachers must understand their
learners' abilities.

Krashen advises that acquisition proceeds best when 'the acquirer's level of
anxiety is low and self-confidence is high.' This seems to enforce the
importance of making the learning environment in our classrooms non-
threatening.

Diyanti (2006) stated It is through listening that babies first learn the
language. It is also believed that exposure to English should be first done
through exposing students to verbal talks. Learners get many things trough
listening. When learners have the opportunity to listen to listening materials,
then teachers should expose students to listening to English as much as
possible. Therefore, listening skills become very crucial emphasis in the
teaching of English to young learners.

1. Teachers or tapes first?


One of the most frequently asked questions teachers have is whether
their learners should listen to them or the tapes first. When teachers
focus on classroom interaction teachers can use their talks to deliver the
tasks and engage students to the designed activities. Teachers can

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 59


present the new words and patterns in the form of puzzles. For example,
teachers can ask What kind of food do you like?. When the students do
not seem to understand what it means, we can encourage students to
ask us the same questions then let them guess the meaning from our
respond to the questions. If we answer by saying a certain food that they
are familiar with, with a little smile or gesture to show that we like it,
students can guess the meaning of the pattern from the context.
Students can then start asking and answering the questions among
themselves. On the other hand, in most listening activities, children
simply listen carefully to the material. Activities and practices are
postponed until students finish listening.
Therefore when children listen to tapes first, they tend to guess and
interact less. So it is better to do come kind of practice before listening.
Students can arrange a set of jumbled pictures based on what is played
on the recording. Listening activities can also be designed as an
interactive activity in which students do what is stated in the recording.
then listening to songs or chants, children can sing along or imitate what
is play.

2. Dictation
Dictation exercise is always an important technique of teaching listening
because it trains students‘ comprehension in differing English sounds.
Dictation doesn‘t have to be dull and boring in which teachers simply
state the words and students write the words in their notebooks, it can be
so much fun and interesting if we apply it in language games. Some of
the listening games that involved the principles of dictation are Chopstick
Spelling and Bingo.

3. Stories
It is a wonderful technique to teach, English through stories. Paul, (2003:
74) argues that stories can be a supplementary material when teaching

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 60


English to young learners particularly when the stories can be integrated
to the course. Teachers can read it to children from storybooks,
memorize the stories then tell it to children, or play it on a tape.
There are some activities that teachers can involve when they are telling
stores. These activities are designed to engage students in the story
telling time and to avoid a teacher-dominated classroom activity. The
activities are:
a. The children draw characters or scenes from the story.
b. Teachers tell the story with puppets, children then retell the story with
their own puppets.
c. Children arrange pictures from the scene of the story, or touch/jump
on the correct pictures as teachers tell the story. This activity can
also be modified by asking students to guess what the story will be
by arranging pictures from the scene before teachers tell them the
story.
d. Each child has a word card. When her word is mentioned in the
story, she has to do something about it, like raising her card, make
funny noise, or put up her hand.
e. The teacher stops sometimes during the story to ask students what
they think is going to happen next.
4. Total Physical Response (TPR)
TPR is another technique that teachers often used in classroom. In this,
teachers give instruction like stand up, sit down, walk slowly, point to the
door, point to the windows, and so on and students do as instructed.
However, many teachers question the effectiveness of TPR in an English
classroom because the idea of TPR is students respond to what is
instructed by doing an action without speaking. This tends to give
students very little chance to speak in the class. To overcome this
problem, some teachers modify the instruction with those instructions
which require verbal respond like say hurray, say Good Morning, sing
The Farmer in the Dell, and the like; or the combination of action and

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 61


verbal responses like when the teachers say stand up then students
stand up and say we‘re standing up.
5. Songs
Paul, (2003: 58), states that children love songs. Children keep songs in
their heads, sing them after class, hum them on the way home, and sing
them at home. They like the singing activity and songs provide many
opportunities to get new words and to acquire the model pronunciation.
Paul, (2008: 58-59), suggests the following ways of how teachers can
use songs (and chants) in class:
Singing
The children sing songs that have catchy melodies and useful language
content
Activities
The children combine actions with songs. This is usually the most
effective way to use songs, especially with younger children. Any songs
can be combined with actions.
Chants
Almost any sentence or expression can be put into a chant. If possible,
chants should also be combined with actions.
Background
There are songs in the background when children play games. This can
be an effective way for children to remember patterns without focusing on
them too much, and to pick up chunks of language in songs.
Between lesson
We encourage parents to play English songs in the car and encourage
both the parents and the children to play them at home between lessons.
They acquire these advantages through these very enjoyable activities.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 62


How to Maximize Young Learner’s Speaking
a. Teacher‘s Preparation
We began with the question, ―Who is the most important person in
theclassroom?‖, and answered, ―The student is the most important
person,because the university and the teacher are there to serve the
student‘s need tolearn, just as the hospital is there to treat the patients, or
the police to protectthe security of the citizens.‖
Ironically, however, institutions can end up serving the purposes of those
who run them so an imbalance is created that downplays the rights of those
to beserved. Teachers should always remember this and try to look at their
classes from the student‘s point of view. In short, we need to do what the
students need and not make them do what we need.

b. Student‘s motivation
Encourage students to spend time speaking to you. Be mindful of how
much time you arespeaking versus your student: keep tutor talk time to a
minimum and increase student talk time. Focussing on speaking practice
also offers an opportunity to build on cultural traditions of oralstory telling
which many students may be familiar with. Encouraging pride in this
tradition can be a useful tool in providing students with the confidence
needed for preparing class presentations or other formal speaking activities.

Strategies and Approaches Social Conventions In Speaking Skill


Children will learn how to develop friendships, have conversations, give and
receive information, share materials and ideas and show respect and
consideration as they interact with others. The following experiences will
assist children to develop appropriate and effective social conventions.
1. Conversation
Informal : Model social courtesies and conventions, for example, greetings,
enquiries, turn-taking, responding, and non-verbal communication.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 63


Structured : Involve children in purposeful conversation by introducing
topics, displaying pictures, telling stories etc.
2. Partner Work
• Model appropriate interactions.
• Provide opportunities for children to complete tasks together:
– shared jobs, for example, tidying the writing corner;
– labelling, for example, own/jointly made constructions, pictures,
classroom signs;
– puppet plays;
– brainstorming and list making;
– role play;
4. Talking Partners
Another child with whom ideas are shared and answers rehearsed.
• Ensure children work with different partners.
• Model how to interact.
• Provide opportunities to talk with a partner throughout the day, for
example: to discuss response to the question during shared reading
sessions; to solve a problem;
5. Role-play
• Base on real or imaginative experiences.
• Speak and behave in an appropriate manner, for example, doctor in
hospital, taking a message using a telephone.
• Discuss class rules and role-play scenarios, for example, asking to join in
a game and resolving conflict.

E. Worksheets
Design some activities based on the material above to teach listening and
speaking and you may use some activities in teaching listening and
speaking.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 64


F. Further Discussion
Visit and make summary of this article
Why Teach English for yaoung Learners
https://googleweblight.com/?lite_url=https://www.tefl-online.com/tefl-
jobs/online-tefl-articles/why-teach-english-young-
learners/&ei=3CXoiN5v&lc=en-
ID&s=1&m=914&host=www.google.co.id&ts=1507185195&sig=ANTY_L1kq
gpLgp3uuR65w2NO76L0vGfp8Q

G. References
http://ocw.metu.edu.tr/file.php/79/WeekV_Listening_and_Speaking_in_
Young_Learner_Classes.pdf
Alberta Education. Early Learning Branch. (2009) Working with young
children who are learning English as a new language. Alberta :
Early Learning Branch.
Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge
University Press. Linse,
Northern Ireland Curriculum. Talking and Listening Language and literacy In
the Foundation Stage
Garvie, E (1990) Story as Vehicle. England:Multilingual Matters Ltd
Krashen, S.D. (1997) Foreign Language Education. The Easy Way.
Wendy Arnold, Teacher, Trainer, Author, IATEFL YL SIG,
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/listening-young-learners
Yuniar Diyanti (2006) Teaching Listening and Speaking
http://studylib.net/doc/12685454/teaching-listening-and-speaking-to-young-
learners----by-

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 65


UNIT 7

Creating Learning
Environment for Young
Language Learners
(Reading & Writing)

. . . . .
A. Description of Course
The first step in creating an appropriate environment for infants, toddlers,
and preschool children is to examine how young children learn and develop.
Each stage of development has unique characteristics that influence how a
child will experience his or her environment.
The early environment where young children live will help determine the
direction of their brain development. Children who have severely limited
opportunities for appropriate experiences will be delayed; this may
permanently affect their learning. But, children who have the opportunity to
develop in an organized and appropriate environment are challenged to
think and use materials in new ways.

B. Relevance of Course
The relevance of course is the students will engage their home and society
environment into the activities in this book (as mention details in exercises).
In the exersices, most of activities given is case study. So, the students is
allowed to think critically in group discussion.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 66


C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to understand and create a learning environment for
young language learners and optimize their reading and writing skill.

D. Detail of Material
Reutzel and Clark (2011) explain that the physical arrangement and
organization of a classroom can be powerful and supportive of effective
literacy instruction. Literate environments should motivate students and
emphasize the importance of speaking, reading, and writing (The Access
Center, 2007). Creating a literate classroom environment where students
feel well, productive, energized, and safe requires design knowledge
(Roskos & Neuman, 2011). Below you will find practical, helpful suggestions
and a picture to aid you in designing a literate environment to benefit
literacy development for your students. Suggestions are based on the work
of Reutzel and Clark (2011), Roskos and Neuman (2011), and The Access
Center (2007).

1. Reading
The nature of Reading
‘An estimated 122 million youth globally are illiterate, of which young
women represent 60.7% .. 67.4 million children are out of school …
deficient or non-existent basic education is the root cause of illiteracy’.
(UNESCO)
Imagine what your life would be like if you didn‘t know how to read.
Approximately only 80% of the world‘s population is reported to be able
to read (Grabe & Stoller, 2002).
Reading is a fundamental skill for learners, not just for learning but for
life (Traves 1994) with reading being defined as ―…the ability to draw
meaning from the printed page and interpret this information
appropriately‖ (Grabe & Stoller, 2002, p. 9).

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 67


Why we need to develop reading skills
L1 literacy leads to L2 literacy development awareness. Reading itself
builds on oral language levels and key factors that influence (L2) reading
skill development include the ability to comprehend and use both listening
and speaking skills because you need to:
Hear a word before you can say it
Say a word before you can read it
Read a word before you can write it (Linse 2005)
What this tells us is that young learners need a firm foundation in auditory
and oracy skills before they can become proficient readers and writers of
ANY language. Learning to read and then to write means the young learner
has to link what they have heard or spoken to what they can see (read) and
produce (write).

How to explore reading with young learners


Early literacy strategies
Phonemic awareness (grapho-phonics)
Young learners of English need explicit instruction on the link between the
symbols (letters) in English and the sounds they make. They need to be
taught that there is a direct link between the phonemes (sounds) and
graphemes (letters) in order to be able to start ‗blending‘ or sounding out
simple words, e.g. vowel consonant (VC), followed by consonant vowel
consonant (VC). The UK National Literacy strategy ‗Letters and Sounds‘ is
a good place to start for ideas on not only the order of letters and sounds to
be taught but also the methodology to be used. Once a young learner has
mastered blending sounds together, they can be taught how to ‗segment‘
the sounds in words they can say. These skills of putting together and
separating sounds will help them with both ‗decoding‘ and spelling.
The whole point of human beings inventing symbols is to pass on
information to each other. They have done this in many different ways,
consider the Ancient Egyptians with their hieroglyphics, Chinese

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 68


pictographs, Arabic text and Roman text to name a few. There are not just
differences in symbols but also in directionality. These all have to be taught
explicitly because they are man-made and not intuitive.

Semantics
Being able to ‗decode‘ or read aloud is not useful on it‘s own. The symbols
carry meaning and so young learners need to be taught how to ‗encode‘ the
symbols and visuals in order to find out the message being shared.

Syntactics
In the same way that every language has differences in symbols, so they
have in the ‗nuts and bolts‘ or arrangement of their symbols. The grammar
or syntax of language is best ‗acquired‘ in the Krashen sense, rather than
‗learnt‘ explicitly. Acquisition will occur through multiple exposures to
language usage in different contexts. Dissecting language is not very useful
to a young learner, however, some simple metalanguage from the age of 10
years old upwards can be helpful, e.g. identifying nouns, verbs, adjectives,
adverbs, articles, pronouns and word order. The reason being that there
may be differences between the L1 and English and being helped to ‗notice‘
these differences can help. A helpful publication to find out differences
between 22 languages and English is edited by Swan and Smith (2001).

Developing literacy
You do not need access to a vast library or online literature to explore
reading in your classroom. Techniques we have used, and ones learners
have enjoyed are shared for you below. It is important to remember that
activating background knowledge when needed may be key to a
comprehensible reading activity as; ―Our background knowledge is like a
lens through which we understand what we read‖ and it ―allows teachers to
unlock vocabulary before reading‖ (Anderson, 1999, p. 11).
Cameron (2001) gives a very useful list of ideas for creating a ‗literate

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 69


environment in the classroom‘ as this may be the only place young learners
see print in the foreign language. This list includes:
Labels – labelling children‘s trays, desks, coat hooks, as well as furniture
and objects around the classroom and school.
Posters – colourful posters are especially eye-catching which could include
a rhyme that is being learnt, advertising something, e.g. reading, cleaning
teeth
Messages – for homework or ‗Don‘t forget to bring …‘
Reading aloud – by teacher or older child
Some other activities that will help to make reading ‗pleasurable‘ (Arnold
2009) which is crucial for success in literacy, include:
Focusing on reading fluency may include timed repeated reading (Nation,
2009). Running dictation (in pairs, so all learners are involved in reading).
Learners making their own story books (or comics) to share with each other
(Wright, 1997, p.114-130).
Creating backstories for character in a puppet family and creating a class
binder to refer back to when reading peers stories about the family. This
can be developed over a semester with learners taking in turns in small
groups to create dramas to share with the class in written form, so peers
read, and can be followed through with role plays.
Motivation – ask your learners to bring in materials they enjoy reading –
whether it is football results, recipes or song lyrics, use these as a
springboard for discussion and reading.
Make it purposeful – if learning food lexis, bring in packets / tins of food,
read where different kinds of food originate from, and classify them by
country or by noun basis (countable/ uncountable). (Ellis & Brewster, 1991,
p.57).
Extensive reading is where learners read a lot of easy material in the new
language. They choose their own material and read it independently from
the teacher. (Krashen, 1988). This develops confidence in their abilities and
promotes an enjoyment of reading for pleasure.

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2. Writing
Writing and Young Learners
Writing can be an engaging, interesting and inspiring activity for young
learners. Children are active learners and thinkers (Piaget 1965), learn
through social interaction (Vygotsky 1978) and learn effectively through
scaffolding by more able others (Maybin et al 1992), who can be adults
or peers. Collaborative and well-planned writing tasks encourage the
context for all of these characteristics to be fully exploited in the young
learner classroom.

The nature of writing


Writing is a complex skill to develop and master, focusing on both the
end product and the steps to arrive there. Writing skills only develop
when young learners are taught how to write and are given
opportunities to practice these skills and strategies.

Why we need to develop writing skills with young learners


Writing tends to be somewhat neglected in the classroom, but it is an
essential part of language development. Good writing skills are based
on good reading skills, you need to recognise words in order to write
and use them comprehensibly (Linse 2005).
a. Many young learners will not have fully developed their own L1
writing skills, and these strategies may not necessarily transfer to
writing in English.
b. Writing allows young learners to practise new vocabulary and
structures.
c. It allows for a high degree of personalisation and creativity.
d. It provides young learners to take risks and try out new language,
with more ―thinking time.‖
e. Writing skills equip young learners with a solid base for future
development and learning.

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f. A focus on writing tasks in the classroom creates variety and caters
for different learning styles
g. Teachers can diagnose learners‘ strengths and areas to develop in
terms of vocabulary, structure, spelling etc.
h. Focusing on this area can instil the joy of writing from an early age.

Theories to consider
Much of the theory behind L2 writing is based on research into the
development of L1 writing skills. Two main approaches have emerged out
of this research: writing as a process and as a product.
Writing as a process involves:
1. Thought-showering or ‗brainstorming‘ notes, ideas, words and phrases
about a topic
2. Categorising and ordering the ideas according to the task requirements
3. Writing a first draft
4. Revising the first draft by improving content and accuracy
5. Implementing the improvements in the re-written text

Writing as a product
The end goal is an authentic task e.g. writing to inform, to thank etc.
Success is gauged by the accuracy of the content and accuracy of the text.
Accuracy focuses on:
1. Grammar and vocabulary
2. Spelling and punctuation
3. Legibility and appropriate genre conventions
Content focuses on:
1. Conveying information successfully to the reader
2. Providing enough detailed information
3. Logically ordering ideas
4. Using appropriate register
5. Originality of ideas

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Considerations for classroom writing
Here are some ‗top tips‘ for encouraging more engaging writing tasks for
young learners. Think about how you can employ these with your own
young learner groups and try them out.
1. Encourage collaboration between young learners and provide
opportunities during thought-showering, making notes, planning,
revising etc
2. Provide visuals, or ask the learners to draw their own pictures to
provide the content for the tasks
3. Topics should be engaging for your young learners e.g relatable and
intrinsically motivating. Write about what they know e.g. games, friends,
favourite activities etc.
4. Look at writing tasks from a different perspective e.g. rather than writing
about their daily routine, they could write about their pet‘s daily routine,
their pet‘s favourite activities, food etc
5. Let young learners choose their own characters to write about
6. Set challenging but achievable tasks
7. Have extension activities available for fast finishers
8. Encourage pride in the presentation of their writing e.g. young learners
can draw, annotate etc.
9. Respond to written ideas, not just language
10. Mark positively and give feedback on areas of content as well as
language. Encourage learners to value writing.
11. Give clear and simple criteria and encourage self/peer correction of
written tasks. Using a range of smileys can encourage young learners
to record how they feel about different writing tasks.
12. After pair/group work, make time to share writing as a class e.g. read
out good examples of writing (but don‘t name names!).
13. Include presentation of learners‘ work. This depends on the task type,
but work could be compiled into a short books, displayed in the

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classroom, school message boards etc. Young learners get a
motivational ‗boost‘ by seeing their written work ‗on view.‘

It is the teacher‘s responsibility to develop writing tasks for young learners


that are enjoyable, full of practice, meaningful, purposeful, social and
supported (Reid 1998). Challenging your learners and exploiting
collaborative opportunities all combine to provide a learning environment
where writing is both valued and enjoyed.

E. Worksheets
Flashcards are every language learner‘s indispensable vocabulary
assistants. Most of the young learners in your groups cannot read or write
yet. Use the picture dictionaries or use the illustrations, but most
importantly, use the flashcards.
1. How do you design your reading classroom for young language
learners?
2. How do you design your writing classroom for young language
learners?

F. Further Discussion
Visit and make a summary of this article:
https://teachmama.com/10-ways-create-literacy-rich-environment/

G. References
Cameron, L .2001. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. UK:
Cambridge University Press
Linse, C.T. 2005. Young Learners. USA: McGraw Hill.

Moon, J. 2000. Children Learn English. UK: MacMillan Publisher Limited.


Scott, A. W. and Ytreberg H. Lisbeth. Teaching English to Children.
NewYork: Longman.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 74


UNIT 8

Teaching Grammar and


Vocabulary
. . . . .
A. Description of Course
This course discusses the model and strategies in teaching grammar and
vocabulary. The five main stage for young leaders to increase their
vocabulary inspires some techniques in teaching vocabulary. Some media
are needed to help young learners presenting their new words.Teaching
Grammar is related closely to teaching vocabulary and it should be done in
a playful and creative way.

B. Relevance of Course
The students can reflect to demonstrate the comprehensive knowledge, use
of the theory learning styles and apply the ‗real life‘ context in teaching
material. The students will demonstrate strategies to create a more
interactive and communicative classroom, particularly for young learners of
English.

C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to comprehend the concept of teaching grammar and
vocabulary and implement it in English language classroom.

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D. Detail of Material
Teaching Vocabulary
When designing a course for young learners, the most central questions a
teacher has to answer include:
1. How much vocabulary do children need?
2. How much vocabulary is manageable for them to learn within a
3. given time period?
4. How do children learn new words?
5. What vocabulary should be taught and how should it be taught?
When teaching foreign language vocabulary to children, the teacher needs
to keep in mind that young learners are still building on their first language
vocabulary and are still in the process of acquiring and organizing concepts.
The first language background needs to be taken into account in order to
know what will work and what may be too difficult for children. It is also
common sense that teaching names of animals will go fine with young
learners, however, teaching more complex adjectives e.g. relevant,
significant or exhausted to seven or eight year-olds is rather a pointless
effort. Basic level words are likely to be more appropriate for young
learners, while building up more sophisticated, complex and abstract
vocabulary should come later and should rely on basic vocabulary.
Teachers should also note that learning a new word is not a simple task that
is done once and then completed. Lynne Cameron puts it in the following
way: ―Learning words is a cyclical process of meeting new words and initial
learning, followed by meeting those words again and again, each time
extending knowledge of what the words mean and how they are used in the
foreign language.‖29 Teaching vocabulary is a continuous activity, words
need to be continuously revised, refreshed and used again and again.
Children need to be exposed to words in many different situations, which
means that learning a word takes a long time. In addition, the above quote
also suggests that teaching words should be carried out in intervals;

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teachers should go back to previously taught words regularly, e.g. in
different activities where the same words are used or met again.
Brewster, Ellis and Girard explain that children go through five main stages
in their efforts to learn new words and attach the words they already know.
The stages they identify are the following:
1. Understanding and learning the meaning of new words
2. Attending to form
3. Vocabulary practising, memorizing and checking activities
4. Consolidating, recycling, extending, organizing, recording and
personalizing vocabulary
5. Developing strategies for vocabulary learning31

The first stage of vocabulary learning introduced by Brewster Ellis and


Girard is connected with the introduction of new words and the several
different ways of presenting vocabulary. They claim that new words are
ideally presented in a context which is familiar to the child and that visual
support is very important to help convey meaning and to help students
memorize new vocabulary. They claim that it is helpful to introduce new
words in groups, based on certain similarities, e.g.:
1. Lexical sets, e.g. shops, fruit, clothes, house, etc.
2. Rhyming sets, e.g. bat, rat, hat, man, etc.
3. Colour sets, e.g. things that are green: frog, pea, apple, leaf, etc.
4. Grammatical sets, e.g. adjectives, verbs, nouns, prepositions, etc.
5. Partners or collocations, e.g. play the piano, ride a bike, loud noise, get
up late, etc.
6. Opposites or male and female, e.g. hot/cold, boy/girl, husband/wife,

Grouping words together definitely helps students associate new words with
words they already know and assists them in recalling words. When
learning new words, the emphasis should definitely be placed on
consolidating words that students know and practising a fewer number of

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 77


words rather than presenting a huge amount of words and expecting
children to memorize them.
The stage of ‗Attending to form‘ refers to learning the right grammatical
form, spelling and pronunciation of words. Students also need to learn if the
word has an irregular plural form (e.g. child – children) or whether a given
noun is countable or uncountable (apple – apples, information – no article
‘an’). This stage should involve a lot of listening and repetition as well as
organizing and copying.
Vocabulary practicing, memorizing and checking activities involve the active
participation of students. Children need to do certain activities with words in
order to learn them properly and to make strong memory connections. The
more things they do with the new words, the more frequently they use them,
the more likely they are to remember them. This stage is interrelated with
the stage of consolidating, recycling, extending, organizing, recording and
personalizing vocabulary. The fourth stage of learning vocabulary is based
on the very same principle as the third stage, i.e. children need to work with
the new words a lot so that they stay in their long-term memory. However,
this stage also underlines the importance of personalizing vocabulary, to
help children build up their own vocabulary systems. It is not only about
students creating their own vocabulary books, but also about deepening
children‘s knowledge of words, and helping them discover connections
between words. They can make their own sets of vocabulary, colour cards,
flashcards and vocabulary bags or even create a class dictionary or sets of
words.
Children also need to develop their own strategies for vocabulary learning
so that they can memorize words more effectively. They need to be actively
involved in the learning process and become more and more independent
in learning new words.

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Presenting new words
There are several different ways of presenting new vocabulary to young
learners. The most frequent ones are the following:
Realia – Bringing the things the words represent into the classroom (e.g.
postcard, ruler, pen, ball, etc.). The teacher holds up the object or points to
it, says the word and then gets students to repeat it.
Pictures – Bringing a pen into the classroom is not a problem.
Bringing in a car, however, is. One solution could be bringing in pictures
(board drawings, wall pictures, charts, flashcards or magazine pictures).
They can illustrate concepts such as above and opposite, clothes, parts of
the body, forms of transport, etc. Visual support is extremely important for
young learners.
Mime, action and gesture – Action is probably better explained by 39
mime, especially with young learners: e.g. it is easier to present running or
eating with mime. The teacher can establish a common gesture for a certain
concept, e.g. for the past tense – hand jerked over the shoulder.
Contrast – It means presenting the meaning of a word by contrasting it with
its opposite, e.g. empty – full, cold – hot, big – small; it can be carried out
verbally but also with the help of pictures or miming, by simply drawing
attention to the contrast in meaning.
Enumeration – It is a great and creative way of presenting meaning by
enumerating or listing various items: e.g. clothes, vegetables, furniture, etc.
Explanation – It can be very difficult, especially with young learners, at
beginner and elementary levels. It is more suitable for older and
intermediate students; however, if it is done with care, it can be effective
even with younger children. For example, when explaining the word ‗dog‘,
the teacher can say ‘It is an animal. It says woof, woof and it is man’s best
friend’. The teacher can combine explanation with miming or even acting.
Translation – It is a quick and easy way to present meaning, but not
without problems. It seems to be the most straightforward and the fastest
way of explaining new vocabulary to young learners, on the other hand, it

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 79


may be a bit too easy and it discourages students from interacting with the
words in English.
Pointing, touching, tasting, feeling, smelling – It is about getting
children using their senses. It helps memorize words and understand their
meanings.
Using digital technology – Using the Internet, the interactive
whiteboard, tablets and smartphones.
All of the above presentation techniques either singly or in combination are
useful ways of introducing new words. What must be remembered with
vocabulary presentation, too, is that pronunciation is just as important here
as it is for structural material. We should not introduce words without
making sure that students know how they are said: they must know how to
use the words in speech.

E. Worksheets
Design some activities based on the material above to teach grammar and
vocabulary and you may use some activities in teaching vocabulary and
grammar.
Designing Lessons
It‘s great to use songs, mime, gesture, and reordering sentences or words
in class. However, you have to make sure that you are using them
effectively to teach English. Here is one way to organize a lesson using a
song. Use this page to take notes after watching a demonstration of a
lesson.
Lesson title:
Song title:
Content: Vocabulary:
Grammar:
Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students should be able to…
Warm-up:
Presentation:

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 80


Practice:
Follow-up:
Evaluation:

F. Further Discussion
Visit this web address and make summary of it.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson334.shtml

G. References
Brewster, J., Ellis, G and Girard, D. 2002. The Primary English Teacher’s
Guide. New Edition. Harlow: Pearson EducationLimited.
Cameron, L .2001. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. UK:
Cambridge University Press
Puskás, A. 2016. The Challenges and Practices of Teaching Young
Learners. Kega Gank Project
Putra, J.R(2012) .Creating a Positive English Language Teaching and
Learning Environment in EYL Classroom Setting. Proceeding Teflin 2
Shin. J.k (2012) Teaching English For Young Leraners. University of
Maryland, Baltimore [email protected]
https://alassemah.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/young_learners_book.
pdf

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 81


UNIT 9

Teaching Trough Stories,


Games and Songs
. . . . .
A. Description of Course
All English teachers who teach English to children face a big problem and
that is maintaining learners‘ interest throughout the lessons. Teachers
should always be creative in the techniques they use. One interesting and
funny way of maintaining learners‘ motivation and interest is the use of
stories, games and songs in English. Stories, games and songs have a
great impact on the learner firstly because they present themes which are
interesting for them, and secondly because they have a major input, and
they are able to express what they want using what they were exposed to.

B. Relevance of Course
The relevance of course is the students will engage their home and society
environment into the activities in this book (as mention details in exercises).
In the exersices, most of activities given is case study. So, the students is
allowed to think critically in group discussion.

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 82


C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to understand on how to implement teacing English
to young learners by optimalize their physical, mental and spiritual aspects.
Moreover, the students also can develop young language learner language
development and motivate them to learn English through stories, games
and songs.

D. Detail of Material
1. Teaching English through Stories
Stories and Themes as Holistic Approaches to Language Teaching
and Learning
Stories and themes are placed together in this chapter because they
present holistic approaches to language teaching and learning that
place a high premium on children‘s involvement with rich, authentic
uses of foreign language. Stories offer a whole imaginary world, created
by language that children can enter and enjoy, learning language as
they go. Themes begin from an overarching topic or idea that can
branch out in many different directions, allowing children to pursue
personal through the foreign language.

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As we move now to stories and themes, we start from materials and
content that has more independent existence beyond the classroom.
Stories bring into the classroom texts that originate in the world outside
school. Theme organize content and activity around ideas or topics that
are broader than the organizing ideas in most day-to-day classroom
language learning, and that might be found structuring events outside
the classroom such as television documentaries or community projects.
Bringing the world in to the classroom by using stories and themes has
to work from the theme or story to make the content accessible to
learners and to construct activities that offer language learning
opportunities, and in doing so needs many of the skills and language
knowledge of the text book writers. In continuing to develop a learning-
centered perspective to teaching foreign languages to children, we will
emphasize the need for teachers to plan classroom work with clear
language learning goals in mind.
Stories are frequently claimed to bring many benefits to young learner
classrooms, including language development (Wright 1997: Garvie
1990). The power attributed to stories, which sometimes seems to
move towards the mystical and magical, is probably generated by their
links into poetries and literature in another. Stories can serve as
metaphors for society or for deepest psyche (Bettelheim 1976), and
parent-child story reading can be rich and intimate events that contrast
sharply with the linear aridity of syllabus and some course books
(Garton and Pratt 1998).

The Discourse Organization of Stories


Story telling is an oral activity, and stories have the shape they do
because they are designed to be listened to and, in many situations,
participated in. The first, obvious, key organizing feature of stories is
that events happen at different point in time. They occur in a temporal
sequence. The other key organizing feature of stories is their thematic

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structure. There is some central interest factor (theme) that changes
over the timescale of the story. Difficulties or evil are overcome, or a
major event is survived. Very often the thematic structure of a story can
be characterized as resolution of a problem (Hoey 1983). A narrative
does not need a thematic structure other than the unfolding of time, but
is then a kind of commentary rather than a story. And the second the
structure of typical stories was analyzed by Propp (1958) and many of
the same features have been found in analyses of how people tell
stories in their conversations (Labov 1972). Prototypical features of
stories that will be found in most versions are:
a. An opening: often formulaic in fairy tales ex:’Once upon a time....’
b. Introduction of characters
c. Description of the setting
d. Introduction of problem
e. A series of events
f. That lead to
g. The resolution of problem
h. A closing; often formulaic in fairytales ex: ’they all lived happily ever
after’
i. A moral: which may or may not be explicitly stated?

Language Use in Stories


a. Parallelism
This repeated pattern, or parallelism, creates a way into the story
for the active listeners, as well as providing a natural support for
language learning
b. Rich vocabulary
Because stories are designed to entertain, writers and tellers
choose and use words with particular care to keep the audience
interested. Stories may thus include unusual words, or words that
have a strong phonological content, with interesting rhythms or

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sound that are onomatopoeic. The context created by the story, its
predictable pattern of events and language, and pictures, all act to
support listeners‘ understanding of unfamiliar words. Children will
pick up words that they enjoy and in this way stories offer space for
growth in vocabulary.
c. Alliteration
Alliteration is the use of words that have the same initial
consonants.
d. Contrast
Stories for children often contain strong contrasts between
characters or actions or setting. Placing ideas in such clear
opposition may well help children‘s understanding of the story as a
whole. For language learning, the lexical items that are used in
connection with each idea will also form contrasting set that may
help understanding and recall.
e. Metaphor
Bettelheim (1976) suggests that our early experiences with fairly
stories map subconsciously on to our real world experiences, and
become a kind of script for our lives. Such power for these simple
tales takes us far beyond the foreign language classroom, although
there are gifted individuals who have used ‗story making‘ for
educational and personal development (Marshall 1963).
f. Inter-textuallity
This term used to describe making references within one text to
aspects of other texts that have become part of shared cultural
knowledge. When children begin to writer their own stories, or little
dramas, they may just as adult writers do, involve familiar
characters or pieces of language from stories they know. This
appropriation of the voice of writer is an integral part of first
language development (Bakhtin 1981), and can help in foreign
language learning too.

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g. Narrative / Dialogue
Within a story, we can distinguish two main uses of language: for
narrative and for dialogue:
Narrative text concerns the series of events: ‗the little girl walked
through the forest: the wolf ran to grandmother’s house’ Dialogue is
use of language as it would be spoken by the characters: ‗all the
better to eat you with‘

Quality in Story
A good story is, at one level, simply one that listeners or readers enjoy.
However, stories that appeal more than others, and that remain
favorites with children and parents over many years, do demonstrate
some common features that can be identified as characterizing quality.
Quality stories have characters and a plot that engages children, often
the art work is as important as the text in telling in the story, and they
create a strong feeling of satisfaction when the end is reached. A
convincing and satisfying closure includes the reader in those who ‗live
happily ever after‘.
Stories that have the qualities of content, organization and language
use that we have explored thus far are potentially useful tools in the
foreign language classroom, since they have the potential to capture
children‘s interest and thus motivation to learn, along with space for
language growth. However, not all good stories will be automatically
good for language learning, and we now move to think about what is
involved in choosing and using stories not just for pleasure, but for
(pleasurable) language learning.

Choosing Stories to Promote Language Learning


We use the features of stories described so far to set out questions that
a language teacher might ask to evaluate the language learning

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opportunities offered by a story in order to choose stories for the
language classroom.

Real books or specially written ones?


In British education in the 1980 there was a move to bring what were
called ‗real books‘ into primary schools for teaching reading (e.g.
Waterland 1985). Real books were those written by ‗real‘ authors for
parents to buy for children, and there was a so-called ‗golden age‘ of
young children‘s literature in English in the 1970 and 1980, as writers
exploited the use of color and pictures alongside simple story lines. The
questions that follow can be applied to any story book that is being
considered for use in the foreign language classroom.

Will the content engage the learners?


A good story for language learning will have interesting characters that
children can empathize with, who take part in activities that the learners
can make sense of. The plot will be clear, but may have a surprise or
twist at the end. The role of the pictures in combination with the text to
form the story as a whole should be considered. If the pictures are
indispensable, as is often the case, then somehow there will need to be
enough copies or they will need to be made big enough for everyone to
see.

Are the values and attitudes embodied in the story acceptable?


Story can help children feel positive about other countries and cultures,
and can broaden their knowledge of the world. However, stories should
be checked for values and attitudes that may not be appropriate.

How is the discourse organized?


Stories with a structure close to the prototypical format set out in section
are likely to be most accessible to children. The characters and setting

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 88


will be described. There will be a clear plot, with an initial formulation of
a problem. An element of surprise or unpredictability will add to
children‘s involvement with the story.

How is language used?


The built-in repetition of words and phrases is one of the features of
stories that is most helpful for language learning. Careful analysis of the
language of the text will reveal whether the repeated phrases and
vocabulary will help a particular class. There may be some phrases
used in the dialogue that children can appropriate for their own
language use.

What new language is used?


In planning the use of a story, the teacher can identify language use
and make three rough groupings:
a. Language that children have already met, and that will be recycled.
b. New language that will be useful for all children to learn from the
story.
c. New language tthat may or may not be learnt, depending on
individual children‘s interest.

2. Teaching English through Games


Games as a Teaching Method
Teaching today has changed a lot over the past years. Once it was all
about learners being passive and listening in the classroom, but today
learners are usually much more active in the classroom, and what
better way to be active than by playing games (Sugar, 1998 p. 3). The
national curriculum in foreign languages in talks about the importance of
keeping teaching methods diverse in order to light and sustain interest
amongst students. Teachers can help sustain diversity in a variety of
ways, for example by using activities that require students to be creative

Teaaching English for Young Learners © 2017 89


in thinking and by emphasizing individual learning and cooperative
learning equally. A more specific way that teachers can use in order to
keep diversity within the classroom is to not be afraid of using games as
a teaching method along with other methods. According to the national
curriculum games can be a good teaching method and games, such as
role playing games, imitation games, theatrical expression and problem
solving activities are especially fitting for all stages of language learning.
Gardner, who theories that humans have eight intelligences, claims that
when exploring a certain topic in school it can, and should, be
approached in 6 different ways in order to maximize the chances of
reaching all students in the classroom. One of these ways is ―the
personal way‖, where the ultimate goal is to see if it is possible to
approach a specific topic by using, for example, role play, or other
interactions (Gardner.2006.p 142). In addition, Armstrong (2000)
suggests board games as a teaching strategy that might suit students
with interpersonal intelligence because they provide an excellent setting
for interaction between students.

Why Games?
There are a number of reasons that games deserve a place in the
language classroom. First of all, they are fun, which is extremely
important, because they can help activate students who may have been
inactive before, due to lack of interest. Keeping students active is vital
because teachers will never be able to actually teach students anything
unless they can get them to participate in their own learning process.
Second, games also play a big part in helping participants build
relationships, and to feel equal. Playing games in the classroom can
also help create a friendly and positive atmosphere where seat
arrangement can differ from game to game, and thus cause diversity
from the norm which can be extremely helpful in keeping an exciting
learning environment

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Third, the reason most people want to learn a language is to be able to
use it in real situations, for example when travelling. Games can be a
very good way to practice this skill because they can easily be used to
reenact various situations from real life and provide students with
practice in their fluency. Also, by using games in the classroom the
teacher is giving his students a bigger role, and he himself is stepping
out of the frontline which is a positive thing because it allows students to
take on more responsibility. Also that allows students to do more on
their own, and that can very well result in an increase in their
confidence level. (Langran & Purcell.1994. p.12-14).
Fourth, language students need to be exposed to the language in a
variety of situations, which is a need games can fulfill. Language
students also need to be ready to take on the experience, keeping their
minds open and being willing participants Again, games make this
possible.
Fifth, language students need to be emotionally involved, meaning they
need to feel something while they are exposed to the language. Strong
emotions, such as happiness, excitement, amusement and suspense
allow students to feel positively about their learning situation and are
therefore likely to have a positive effect on language learning.
Sixth, games are good for shy students and students with low
confidence, and that applies specifically when playing takes place in
smaller groups because then they get a chance to speak in front of
fewer audience instead of having to express themselves in front of the
whole class. Also it is sometimes easier to open up and forget the
shyness when playing a game because the atmosphere is not as
serious and more emphasis is put on fluency rather than grammatical
correctness. (Langran & Purcell.1994. p.12-14).
Seventh, games can be a good strategy when teaching various subjects
because they are very likely to spark interest amongst students. They
can be used with students of all ages, and when they are used with

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other teaching methods they create diversity which is ideal for
schoolwork (Sigurgeirsson,1999)

How to Use Games?


Even though games are usually started with the aim of having fun, they
can sometimes end badly, for example if someone gets carried away
with all the fun and says or does something that hurts someone else or
his feelings. When games are used in the classroom the teacher must
keep this in mind and control the game in the right way. Also he or she
must make sure that every participant has a positive experience
because the classroom must not become a place where students feel
vulnerable or picked on in. Another thing that is important to
acknowledge is the fact that not all games fit the classroom
environment, or all groups of students, and that it can be hard finding
the right game. In fact, it is good to keep in mind when selecting a game
that a recipe for a good educational game is one that balances both fun
and challenge (Sugar, 1998 p. xvi).
Another point teachers need to keep in mind is to choose wisely when it
comes to selecting a game to use in the classroom because; although
one game might be perfect for one teacher or a particular group of
students it can be terrible for another teacher or group of students
(Sigurgeirsson, 1995 p.3). First of all, the teacher has to look at the
group that will be participating in the game and he or she then has to
set out a goal for the group which the game should aim towards (Jones,
1998 p. 14). Selecting an appropriate game for a specific group of
students who are working towards a specific goal can be tricky
because, for example, they need to make sure that the game is relevant
to the subject, that it fits their students‟ age and, teachers must
remember not to select a game that is too complicated because that
might result in a loss of interest amongst the students, or even defeat.

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Also teachers must make sure they explain the rules of the game in
detail and that all instructions are clear before starting the game. During
the game it is important for the teachers to observe and be ready to
help, but without unnecessarily interrupting the flow of the game
because that might affect the fluency, which could result in discouraging
students from participating. After the game, it is a good idea to have
some sort of a follow up activity planned because it gives the student‘s
time to reflect upon the game and how it turned out (Langran & Purcell,
1994 p.15-19). It is important for teachers to know that augmenting a
game is allowed and can certainly be necessary in some cases. More
difficult games can be made easier so they become a challenge instead
of to hard for less skilled or younger students and vice versa (Hadfield,
1990 p. v).
Although games can usually be modified to suit students of various
ages, there are certain characteristics in games that appeal to children
within specific age groups. For children age 6-8 repetition is very
common in games, rules are often few, and the games usually do not
take a very long time. When it comes to children age 9-11 they have
patience for longer games, which often include much more suspense.
Also when children reach this age they start to be able to augment the
games themselves, for example to bend the rules to make the game
more suited for their group. For children older than 12 games are often
much more planned and they often emphasize teams and teamwork
(Þórey, 1987 p. 6).

Games and the Four Areas


a. Writing
Writing is a skill that, even in the native language, is learnt and not
acquired. That fact could explain in part why writing is often
considered to be difficult, or even boring in the target language.
Another explanation could be that it is often assigned as homework,

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and many students don‘t like homework. One possible reason why
writing can be viewed as being difficult is because the writer does
not get an immediate feedback similar to what happens during
conversations, and as a result the writer could feel more insecure
about his work. Games can be a good way to prevent this because
not only are games fun but they can provide writers with a reason to
write and it is obvious that writing will become easier when there is
a clear reason instead of just having to write because the teacher
said so. Another thing that games can provide for writers is an
audience. In many games other students will play the reader‘s part
and therefore provide the writer with the necessary feedback that
writing often lacks (Hadfield & Hadfield, 1990 p. v-vi).

b. Listening
Most people remember training their listening skill mainly by doing
listening activities when they were in school. Listening activities
might very well be an effective way of training that particular skill but
teachers need to remember to keep the activities versatile or their
students might get bored. By combining listening with games,
teachers might prevent their 16 students from getting bored, and by
keeping them interested they are increasing the chances of the
students achieving their goals. An example of a good listening
game is the famous game ―Simon says‖ where one participant plays
the role of Simon and gives the others directions, for example by
saying: ―Simon says jump‖, or ―Simon says stop jumping‖ and then
everybody would have to do that. If Simon only says ―everybody
jump‖ and does not attach the phrase ―Simon says‖ at the front then
the other participants are not be supposed to follow the direction.
Because of this, students need to listen carefully in order to know
when to follow Simon‘s directions and when to ignore them. This
game can also be used to train any vocabulary.

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c. Speaking
According to the national curriculum, teaching communication is
very important because of the fact that it plays such a big part of
knowing a language. The curriculum also claims that since
communication is unpredictable in real life, students must get the
chance to practice exactly that and not just to read premade
conversations. Students look up to their teachers and when they do
not use the target language inside the language classroom it should
not come as a surprise that many students do not use it either.
Games could be helpful in solving this problem because they call
for communication, and they emphasize fluency instead of
accuracy, which should encourage students to communicate
because when the emphasis is on fluency students usually do not
receive much criticism although they might make errors. Fluency is
an important skill to practice because it is what is needed in the real
world, and in that sense it could be said that games provide a
necessary connection between the classroom and the real world
(Hadfield, 1990 p. v).

d. Reading
Reading is an important skill to possess especially when learning
the English language. First of all it is important because of the fact
that to be able to write people need to know how to read. Secondly
it is important for people if they plan to visit the country where the
language is spoken because then they will have to be able to read,
for example, various directions, menus, and tourist brochures.
Thirdly, knowing how to read is important if students are planning
on getting an education beyond elementary school because that
requires reading (Harmer, 2009 p. 77). This last point applies
especially in Iceland where the majority of textbooks for university

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are in English. Because of how important the skill reading is it is
crucial that teachers seek appropriate means in order to keep
students interested. As with the other skills, games can provide
diversity and help keep subjects fun and interesting.

Examples on Games to Teach English Learners


If teachers are still uncertain of what kind of game to teach English
learners, teachers may want to use or how to go about making students
work in the classroom, perhaps the following examples may help.

a. Tic-Tac-Toe (British Naughts and Crosses) is altered slightly to


accommodate for team play, but the traditional objective of three-in-
a-row remains the same. Students must work together to correctly
answer questions in order to gain a chance to place an X or O
(based on their team) and each person on the team gets a chance
to answer for their group. Questions can be in the form of pictures
which match vocabulary, to creating a sentence using grammar
points, or whatever you choose to review with the students.

b. Concentration is a game to teach English learners that uses cards


to match vocabulary or grammar points and is best played in circle-
groups so that everyone can see the cards. The students can help
you by making pairs of cards so that they get extra practice. Once
you‘ve shuffled each set of cards, they should be laid face-down in
the middle of the circle. Each student takes a turn by flipping two
cards face-up. If they match, the student wins those cards. If they
do not match, the student must flip them face-down again and
continue to pay attention so that they can make a match on their
next turn. Students will help each other decide when a match is
made, but you will want to monitor as well and perhaps have each
student share their pairs at the end of the game for extra review.

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c. The Clothesline is a game to teach English learners of building
sentences using different words each time. Have many different
options for each part of speech, including punctuation, in piles.
Students take turns (in teams or individually) changing the words in
order to create sentences. Students read the sentence they‘ve
created upon completion, and points are awarded for correct use of
vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. The student or team with the
most points at the end of the round wins.

d. Oral Matching can be a fun way for English learners to mingle and
practice conversation. Each student is given a slip of paper with
either a question or an answer on it (for more variety, they can have
one of each, so long as they don‘t match!) and they are to read their
questions and answers to their fellow students in order to decide
which ones go together. For more fun, use a dialogue or story to
create your question and answer slips. Once each student has
found his or her matching pair(s), you can have the students put it
back together in the original order and read it together.

e. Scrambler is more of a puzzle type of activity that can be fun for


English learners as a break from traditional worksheets. Create a
target word that you wish the students to discover (this can be an
answer to a key question as well, if you wish). Use various
vocabulary words that contain letters to be used in the target word.
Then, scramble the vocabulary words so that the students must
discover from each scrambled word the vocabulary to go letter-by-
letter in the boxes behind it. The target word can then be placed in
a vertical fashion using those letters from the vocabulary. If you are
using a key question, be sure to leave a blank so that the students

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can re-write the target word from the boxes once they‘ve discovered
the answers to all the scrambled words.

Games as Pedagogical Devices


As pedagogical devices, games are extremely useful ‐ they can
enliven teaching topics and are especially effective for dealing with
problem solving and key concepts. Research shows that ―games have
a special role in building students‘ self-confidence‖ and ―they can
reduce the gap between quicker and slower learners‖ (Fuscard, 2001).
The highly adaptable, flexible nature of games means that they can be
molded to suit a variety of learning settings and environments, such as
Blackboard, this can add another layer of interactivity and facilitate
distance learning students. The number of game frames or models
available is extensive, so no matter what discipline you teach in, there
is a game model you can use. Apart from inviting students to learn
curriculum content in a fun and relaxed manner, games also expose
students to other skill development during game play via sequential,
verbal, visual and kinetic and other game based activities.

3. Teaching English through Songs


The singing games and chants are the embodiment of symbolic play
and imitation. These activities help the children to move from sensor
motor experience to a symbolic transformation of it (Isenberg, 1993).
Music helps children develop cognitive skills, as well as enhances
language skills, by singing song; children learn language appreciation,
vocabulary and rhyme (Shipley, 1998). Another thing is that songs and
rhymes are learned by heart, and this may form part of a child‘s
linguistic. Thus, through this paper, the writer wants to explain how
teachers can use songs to enhance skills to young learners, such as
listening, speaking and writing skills. When the songs are introduced;
the first skill that the children learn is listening. This section will focus

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on activities which will practice the skills of listening. The activities
include detailed listening comprehension, listening for summarizing or
writing, listening to isolated vocabulary and listening for word order
(Griffee,1992).

Listening Activities through Song


There are some activities to learn English using songs. In categorized,
they are activity in listening comprehension, activity in providing the
children a paraphrased version of the song, and activity in sing a song
to learn fun.
First activity is listening comprehension. Before being introduced to the
songs, the children are given several questions, for example, ―Is this
song going to be happy or sad?‖ ―Who do you think is the singer, a girl
or a boy?‖ and ―Do you think you will like the song?‖ After answering
the questions, the teachers play the song, and followed by other
questions. The teacher might ask these questions: ―How do you feel
when you listen to the songs?‖ ―What words do you remember?‖ ―Do
you like this song?‖ ―Why or why not?‖
Second activity is by providing the children a paraphrased version of
the song before they listen it. This activity is especially good to
introduce songs that tell stories because it gives children the story line
before they listen to the actual song. The activity goes like this; the
teachers read the paraphrased version of the song to the children.
This is an example from the song Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Old
MacDonald Had a Farm consists of several animals. The animals are
chicken and duck. After the children listen to the paraphrase, they
listen to the song. The lyrics of the song of Old MacDonald Had a
Farm:

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Old MacDonald had a farm , ee-i,ee-i-oh!
And on that farm he had some chicks, ee-i,ee-i-oh!
With a chick – chick here, chick – chick there
Here chick, there chick, everywhere chick – chick
Old MacDonald had a farm , ee-i,ee-i-oh!

Old MacDonald had a farm , ee-i,ee-i-oh!


And on that farm he had some ducks, ee-i,ee-i-oh!
With a quack – quack here, quack – quack there
Here quack, there quack, everywhere quack - quack
Old MacDonald had a farm , ee-i,ee-i-oh!

Third activity is singing a song to learn fun. This skill that the children
can learn through songs is speaking skills. Singing a song, however
simple, is a pleasing achievement. After the children listen to the song,
they would attempt to sing it. Moreover, since the words in the refrain
are repeated several times, they are easily memorized. As Rixon
(2000) says that one of the most popular formats for songs is that the
refrain (a rhythmic section) is repeated many times, and has often
been observed to result in spontaneous ‗joining in‘ by the young
audience. Teacher of young learners of a language experienced that
this exposure to rhythmic utterances benefits retention of words in
memory. Griffee (1992) also states that the children practice saying
the words in the same way they sing the songs, the children can
repeat the words in rhythmic word groups. Thus, the exposure and the
repeated words from the songs make it easier for the children to
remember the words as a result the children can produce or utter the
words.
The songs need to be sing able, but the teacher can use only part of
the songs, for example, one or two verses of the whole song. The
teacher can also consider the children‘s songs, folk songs, or other

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reality songs. The teachers then write all the spoken dialogues to
introduce and connect the story line, and ask the children to perform in
front of the class. Another activity is rhyme after rhyme. This activity
practices rhyme and gives the children a chance to make up rhymes of
their own.

E. Worksheets
Stories, games and songs are motivating and fun; they create a deep
interest and a desire to continue learning.
How do you develop your young language learners skill through stories,
games and songs? Describe the activities in the classroom.

F. Further Discussion
Visit, download and print the stories (one story for each group), an activity in
that story, the answer and the character flashcard (if it is available).
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-
stories?_ga=2.88024477.424065937.1507900462-29900278.1507181378

G. References
Cameron, L .2001. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. UK:
Cambridge University Press
Moon, J. 2000. Children Learn English. UK: MacMillan Publisher Limited.
Scott, A. W. and Ytreberg H. Lisbeth. Teaching English to Children.
NewYork: Longman.

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UNIT 10

Planning Language Teaching


. . . . .

A. Description of Course
This course illustrates some planning and preparation to create the English
for young learners process and create some activities during teaching and
learning process. It also defines some language teaching for young
learners. Some suggestion for learning activities leads the students to
create their interesting lesson plan.

B. Relevance of Course

The students are engaged to interpret the lesson plan which concise,
measurable purpose and have specific time frame: all parts of the lesson
plan are included. They should be able to practice the teaching activities in
the worksheet of lesson plan.

C. Learning Outcomes
The students are able to comprehend the concept of designing language
planning for young learners.

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D. Detail of Material
How To Write a Perfect Lesson Plan
Writing a lesson plan will ensure that you are prepared for your class and
will make it run more smoothly. It is important to break the material up into
several sections and choose activities suitable for each. Knowing
approximately how much time an activity will take is important, but after the
first lesson you may need to adjust things accordingly. It is best to be
flexible seeing as different classes will respond to material differently. If at
any point students struggle, you will have to dedicate more time to
instruction or drilling before moving on to practice activities. For the
purposes of this example let‘s assume that an English class is forty-five
minutes long.

1 Warm up
A warm up activity can be used in a number of ways. It can get your
students thinking about material that will be used later on in the class,
review material from a previous class, or simply get your students thinking
in English, moving around, or awake. This activity should only take up a
small portion of your lesson, perhaps five minutes.

2 Introduction
A good introduction will create a need for students to learn the material you
are going to present and get them interested in the day‘s topic. This is the
part of the lesson where the teacher does the most talking so try to get
students involved and use choral repetition to keep students talking about
half the time. Depending on how complex the topic is or how much new
vocabulary there is, the introduction could take some time but in most
cases, about ten minutes should be sufficient.

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3 Practice
The practice activity would normally be about ten minutes and have
students working individually or in pairs. Practicing model dialogues,
completing worksheets, and doing short activities would be appropriate.
This may take about ten minutes including going over the answers or
having some demonstrations.

4 Production
In the production activity students should have to produce material on their
own. Rather than reading sentences, perhaps they have to answer
questions or make their own sentences. Longer activities such as board
games, which can be played in groups, or activities for the whole class,
where students work in teams, would be best. The remaining class time can
be devoted to this activity.

5 Review
It is a good idea to plan another five minute activity that can be done at the
end of class as a review or used as the warm up in the following lesson. If
the production activity does not take up the remaining portion of the class
period, you have a backup plan.

The aim of lesson planning

Dossetor (2012) stated most teachers plan lessons in order to feel more
confident in the class itself. If we know what we‘re trying to achieve in the
lesson, we are freed up to spend more time with the learners rather than
worrying about our next step.

The aim of planning is also to map out learning activities in a coherent,


logical way, in order to help students understand, learn and practice
concepts and skills which will develop their abilities in English.

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When it comes to planning a whole scheme of work, it is important to
ensure there is a balance of different skills work over the course. We might
also want to map out the areas of grammar and vocabulary that we intend
to teach over the year, and plan a rough timetable for when we will
introduce these concepts.

The concept of lesson plan

At the start of a course, we need to sit down and think about ‗What‘ we
intend to cover in the course, and ‗Why‘. These two concepts go hand in
hand; we will be able to decide ‗what‘ to teach, when we know ‗why‘ we
want to teach it, and this will depend on the group of learners that we have
in front of us in the classroom.

Even if we are teaching from a coursebook (as many of us will be),


decisions still need to be made about ‗what‘ is really important to cover.
Once this is mapped out over a series of lessons, the learning journey starts
to acquire the look of a road about it... or at least some kind of a reassuring
track.

Some schools and institutions will provide their teachers with a syllabus
from the start of an academic year, which maps out exactly what they
expect their teachers to cover. In those cases, this process of working out
the ‗what‘ and the ‗why‘, has largely been done for the teacher (for good or
for ill!).

However there are many schools and institutions that will provide their
teachers with a course text, and expect the teacher to make these kinds of
decisions. In these situations, forward planning by the teacher at the start of
the year, or start of each term, will be extremely helpful in ensuring that

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there is coherence and balance in the course, as well as direction (and
good signposting).

What about the ‗How‘?

Callum Robertson, in his articles Planning 1 and Planning 2 for Teaching


English, identifies 3 important ingredients in lesson planning: Engage (the
students); Study (the new content for the lesson); Activate (getting students
to do something with the content).

I think that the question of ‗how‘ we plan the activities in our lessons is
closely related to the first ingredient that he mentions: student engagement.
Students need to be fully engaged in the lesson because without this
engagement, interest and concentration, it will be very hard for them to
learn effectively in the class.

One important criteria to have in mind is that we want to provide variety for
our students because, as soon as they become bored, we have lost the
crucial attention that students need to learn. However if we were to
constantly spring new ideas & activities on them, students might feel
disorientated and confused. Therefore, we should also aim to use familiar
routines and activities that students already know, in order to provide a
familiar structure to the lesson.

I‘d like to talk then, about some ideas to help us with the ‗how‘ of lesson
planning: first of all, how we can build variety into our lessons, and
secondly, how we can also use familiar routines and activities to ensure
continuity.

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Varying the way that we teach is beneficial to both teachers and students. It
adds interest to the class and allows the teacher to reflect on how a
different way of teaching might bring better results.

Variety can come into the lesson in many different ways. It might mean that
the teacher decides to take a test-teach-test approach to grammar, rather
than a presentation-practice-production approach. It might mean that
students generate their own questions to the reading text, rather than using
the true/false ones in the book.

Variety can also come into the lesson with the deceptively simple change of
varying the way that the tables and chairs are set up, if your classroom
allows for this. The position that individual students sit in can also be
changed regularly, by mixing up pairs and groups, so that students aren‘t
working with the same people.

One way that the teacher can plan for variety, is to have a recipe book of
these ideas to refer to. By ‗recipe book‘, I don‘t mean the kind of TEFL
recipe book that can be pulled off the shelf in a bookshop, but rather a
personalised recipe book that the teacher builds up over time. The recipes
are tried and tested lesson activities, that can be noted down to refer back
to in the future. It‘s easy to find that you incorporate new ideas that you
have heard from colleagues, or seen being done in a conference, only to
find that a few months later, you‘ve stopped using that activity and in fact
you‘ve forgotten it. Keeping a note of these kinds of activities will help you
to have them to hand when you need them.

Another way to vary lessons is to incorporate content from a range of


sources. The textbook might be used as the main content for the course,
but it can be supplemented by material from other sources. This could
include cultural content, designed to teach students about the culture of the

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language that they are learning. It could be literature, including poems and
short stories. Students can do CLIL lessons, where they learn about
another subject through the medium of English.

Lesson planning with ‘threads’

Planning for variety means that we can keep ourselves and our learners
interested and engaged in our classes. At the same time, the opposite
concept, routine, can also be an important element in the class to add
harmony and balance to the learning experience. One way that we can
structure this experience is to use what Tessa Woodward, in her excellent
book Planning lessons and courses (CUP) would call ‗threads‘.

Threads can be interpreted in different ways, but essentially they are


activities & routines that students are familiar with, and which they will have
no trouble picking up again. For example, if students start most lessons with
a review of vocabulary using a word bag which the class regularly updates,
they will know what to expect at the start of the class, and this will help to
provide a structure to the learning experience. In this way, threads are
‗horizontal‘ links that are created across the individual lessons of a course,
threading together the experience in such a way that there is continuity.

How can ‗threads‘ help the teacher to plan lessons?

Threads can be enormously helpful to the teacher by providing a ready-


made assortment of activities for each lesson. Full-time teachers will
probably be teaching anywhere between 20 – 30 hours of classes per
week. It can be very challenging to plan effectively for such a lot of time. If
we use ‗threads‘, however, we already have a good idea of what will
constitute about a third of the time in our classes. The remaining two thirds

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becomes far more manageable to plan, and we can concentrate more
clearly on the specifics, the ‗how‘, of this remaining content.

The fabric of threads

The following ideas are just a number of different ‗threads‘ that I regularly
incorporate in my classes.

Student presentations

I use student presentations with nearly all my groups who are B1 or above.
Sometimes I structure the presentations quite loosely, and don‘t require a
minimum number of slides or minutes. At other times, I ask students to try
to use a ‗Pecha Kucha‘ 20 slides by 20 seconds format, which is more rigid
(but often more enjoyable). I start by doing a presentation myself, about
something that relates to myself. I encourage the students to choose a
topic which has personal significance to them, so that the whole class can
find out more about each other through the presentations.

Student chosen songs

At the beginning of a course, I pass round a list and ask students to choose
a song each. We then listen to these songs, with a song worksheet, over
the course of the term / year. Where possible I ask students to create the
song worksheets themselves.

Vocabulary review activities

I regularly note down new words from my lessons on ‗word bag cards‘, and
students write definitions and example sentences for these word bag cards.
Once the word bag is sufficiently large, there are a number of different

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activities that can be done with them. Students can choose 8 – 10 words,
and make up a story. They can also make questions out of the words, and
ask each other the questions. We can also use the words to play board
games such as pictionary, noughts and crosses, and blockbusters.

Journal writing activities

Students can have a writing journal, where they write down their thoughts
about a range of different topics. Writing in the journal can provide a regular
slot in each lesson, and can help to get students more used to writing
fluently in English.

Pronunciation games

Pronunciation activities are a great way to change the focus of a class. The
pronunciation of individual sounds, word stress, or sentence stress requires
different skills from the learners than reflecting on grammar or the meaning
of words. There are lots of fun ways to practise pronunciation in a gamelike
way, and in my experience students have always enjoyed this. The
pronunciation ‗thread‘ can be a regular routine, but within this routine, there
can be (and needs to be) a good deal of variety about what features of
pronunciation are practised.

Plan, Do, Review


The ‗plan, do, review‘ cycle is another very useful concept to bear in mind
when planning both lessons and courses. It can refer to what the teacher
does, or what the student does. Learning a language is a skill, and requires
the practice stage where learners ‗do‘ what they can with the language that
they have. The review stage is extremely important too, as this is when we
often assimilate what we have learnt. Without the review stage, it‘s too
easy for us to forget new information and knowledge, and most courses will

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build in some kind of review stage at some point (and possibly at regular
intervals throughout the course). This leads on to assessment, of course,
which is also likely to form part of many courses.

Essentially, planning is an art, not a science, but applying systems and


strategies to the process can be very helpful. This allows us to map out in
our heads (and on paper) a learning path for ourselves and the students on
our courses that will make the journey both purposeful and entertaining.
Planning for Success in EYL Programs
Pinter (2006) determined some factors can affect the achievement of
English for Young Learners,the important factors are:

■■ Effective English for Young Learner (EFY) program models


Effective EYL Program Models Although starting a language in early
grades has many advantages, we cannot rely on an early start alone to
increase the levels of English language proficiency of our students, nor
even the selection of an appropriate program model. Whatever the model,
effective EYL programs are those that encourage
interaction, provide engaging activities, and build positive attitudes toward
English language learning
■■ Appropriately trained EYL teachers
Appropriately Trained EYL Teachers Educational research continually
reminds us that the most important factor in any child‘s education is the
teacher. Effective EYL programs have well-trained teachers with adequate
proficiency in English to help their children learn English.
■■ Culturally appropriate materials
Because English is an international and intercultural language, we
should also include materials from many cultures around the world. The
children we teach will most likely use English with other EIL speakers, and
what they reallyneed is an appreciation of different cultures. We also want

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to include the students‘ home culture. This will help students to talk about
their own culture in English
■■ Continuity of curriculum between primary and secondary English
. According to Cameron (2003, p. 105), secondary school language
teachers will likely have to ―cope with classes of mixed levels of language
skills and knowledge‖ and also with ―the task of maintaining or restoring
motivation over long periods of language learning.‖
She continues, ―English language programs in the secondary school ―may
look quite different from earlier models that served a system in which
language learning began around 11 years of age‖ (p. 106). Curricula need
to be aligned to promote a smooth transition for students and to help
teachers meet the needs of former young learners.

Young children learn about the world as they experience it. This means that
their learning is holistic and related to particular events in their lives.
Thematic and project-based approaches are two effective ways to offer
children relevant and hands-on learning experiences.
Consider developing an overall thematic or project-based approach with
language functions embedded in it. Themes and functions should be related
to children‘s everyday lives, surroundings and routines. Media and popular
culture-based themes are often effective because they are what young
children learning a new language have in common with their peers. Access
to peer group culture is important so that children can make friends and
learn to play together, no matter what their cultural and linguistic
background is.

E. Worksheets
Design your own lesson plan of teaching English for young language
learners. Some points to be considered are : Level, Objective, Material,
activies and Ending the lesson.

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F. Further Discussion
Visit this website and choose one of the lesson plan that you want to
develop in teaching English for young learners.
http://jetprogramme.org/wp-content/themes/biz-
vektor/pdf/publications/2es.pdf

G. References
Cameron, L. (2003). Challenges for ELT from the expansion in teaching
children. ELT Journal, 57(2), 105–112.
Pinter, A. (2006). Teaching young language learners. Oxford, UK: Oxford
University Press http://busyteacher.org/3753-how-to-write-a-lesson-
plan-5-secrets.html
Joanna, D. (2012) Course Planning.
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/course-planning

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