Attention span

Teaching Across Age Levels

QUSTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

1. Which factors do you think are important in teaching children?

2. Do you think it takes a very special person to be able to teach children?

3. What do you know about motivational factors for different age groups?

4. Can you think of things you could do with children but which would not be suitable for adults?

5. Can you think of things you could do with children but which would not be suitable for teenagers?

CHAPTER OUTLINE

· Teaching Children

· Teaching Adults

· Teaching in Between

CHAPTER GOALS

After completing this chapter you should be able to

1. name and describe five categories that teacher should take into account when teaching foreign languages in primary schools

2. define the concept of “attention span”

3. explain what “rules” for teaching children can apply to teaching adults

4. explain why a very special set of consideration should be applied to teaching teenagers

5. describe the ways to stimulate all 5 senses

KEY WORDS

intellectual development; attention span; sensor input; affective factors; authentic language; teenagers; intellectual capacity

· Teaching Children

To successfully teach children a foreign language requires specific skills and intuitions that differ from those that you would use for adult teaching.

Five categories may help to give you some practical approaches to teaching children.

Intellectual Development

Children up to the age of about 11 are still in an intellectual stage of what Piaget called “concrete operations”. So, you need to remember children’s limitations: rules, explanations, and other even slightly abstract talk about language must be approached with extreme caution. Children are centered on the “here and now”, on the functional purposes of language. Some rules for your classroom:

o don’t explain grammar using terms like “present progressive” or relative clause”

o don’t explain rules using abstract terms

o show them certain patterns (“Notice the “ing” at the end of the word”) and examples (This is the way we say it when it’s happening right now: “I’m walking to the door”)

Attention span

One of the most salient differences between adults and children is attention span (AS). First, it’s important to understand what AS means. Put children in front of a TV with a favorite cartoon show on and they will stay there for hours. So, we cannot make a claim that children have short ASs! The short ASs come up only when you present material that is boring, useless, or too difficult. Since language lessons can at times be difficult for children our job then is to make them interesting, lively and fun. How do we do that?

o Because children are focused on the immediate here and now, activities should be designed to capture their immediate interest.

o A lesson needs to have a variety of activities to keep interest and attention alive.

o A teacher needs to be animated, lively and enthusiastic about the subject matter. Consider the classroom a stage in which you are the lead actor. You may even think that you are overdoing it. But children need this exaggeration to keep spirits high and minds alert.

o A sense of humor will go a long way to keep children laughing and learning. But children’s humor is quite different from adults’. So, remember to put yourself in their shoes.

o Children have a lot of natural curiosity. Use that curiosity whenever possible.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29