Approaches to English teaching at primary level

The different comments belong to either formal/traditional approaches to language teachingor theories of language acquisition and learning.

The three comments which belong to the category of formal/traditional approaches to language teaching are discussed below.

Formal/traditional comment #1

"It increases the overall quantity of language input (structures and vocabulary) given in schools."

This implies that the more time spent on language learning in schools, the more language will be learnt. As we all know, it is the quality, and not the quantity, of the teaching and learning that is more meaningful.

Formal/traditional comment #2

"It must be beneficial for the learners to spend a longer amount of time learning the grammatical rules of a foreign language."

This implies that the main focus of language learning is on the grammar.

In the primary classroom, the focus should be on communication, play and enjoyment. Apart from anything else, learners at this age don’t process language rules in the same way that older learners do. Or, as some experts in young learners say:

"Primary school language learning should promote the formation of a positive attitude to language learning in general. It should form a good basis for secondary school studies, but not ape the style of learning that may later be imposed. Rigorous grammatical analysis does not seem to be appropriate to this age group, though discovery of rules may be a useful pay-off of pleasant informal activities."

Brumfit, C., Moon, J. and Tongue, R. (1996)
Teaching English to Children - from practice to principle.
England: Longman, p35

Formal/traditional comment #3

"In order to discipline the children and prepare them for the intensive second language training they will be receiving from 6th grade onwards."

This suggests that, although they will have been introduced to a lot of English by 6th grade, the same language will be repeated, only more intensively. This is not very motivating! Or as some other primary experts say:

"The most serious miscalculation which can be made when organising foreign language teaching in primary schools is to seek to make significant savings in time and to imagine, for example, that by starting the teaching two years before entry into secondary school, the pupils will have learnt the contents of the first year teaching program at secondary school, taking into account the fact that not so many periods are available in the primary school timetable.

"This can lead to a temptation to base the two years of teaching on a textbook or program used in the first year at secondary school. Such a course of action is doubly dangerous because it fails to take into account not only the fact that the learning strategies and interests of children under eleven are different from those of older children in the first years of secondary school, but also the fact that the rate of progress is different.

"Foreign language learning in primary school should always be seen as a satisfying experience in a relaxed atmosphere and not as a race against the clock."

Brewster, J., Ellis, G. and Girard, D. (1992)
The Primary English Teacher's Guide.
England: Penguin Books, pp52-53

The other nine reasons support current language acquisition and learning theories. These theories focus on the overall needs of the young learner and suggest that:

· children should work on activities that have a practical educational value

· children should be motivated and interested in what they are studying

· children should be introduced to a wide range of natural English which is meaningful and understandable, because the activities are meaningful and understandable

· children should be taught in English

· children should not be introduced to English through a pre-arranged sequence of grammatical structures or functions

· the learning focuses on the individual child and their world: each child should be allowed to learn in their own time and in their own way.

3.1 What does the young learner need?

Think about the particular needs of a young learner. With this knowledge we can move on to the important question of what a teacher can do to address these needs, and consequently, to be a successful teacher of young learners.

Read the text below. Some of the information is false - try to identify and correct it.

The term ‘young learners’ covers children from the age of five through to seventeen. These years are a time of rapid development, and as teachers we are responsible for creating the best possible conditions for learning. When teaching a language, it doesn't really matter which approach or activity type you use in class. Children need to 'learn how to learn' so their education and learning should help them gain skills and independence that will let them continue learning outside school. Children should be given the opportunity to experiment with different learning styles. They are naturally interested in their surroundings and this should be encouraged. Physically, children are inactive and like learning by sitting and listening. They need to develop balance and co-ordination in order to play sports and perform everyday actions. Socially, children need to develop skills which allow them to fit into society and to share and co-operate. Fortunately, we do not have to address this in class as they will naturally be at ease in any group. To conclude, primary language teachers have a greater responsibility than teaching English: they have to consider the whole child.

3.1 Commentary - What does the young learner need?

Check your answers. The incorrect information is highlighted in yellow.

The term ‘young learners’ covers children from the age of five through to seventeen. These years are a time of rapid development, and as teachers we are responsible for creating the best possible conditions for learning. When teaching a language, it doesn't really matter which approach or activity type you use in class. Children need to 'learn how to learn' so their education and learning should help them gain skills and independence that will let them continue learning outside school. Children should be given the opportunity to experiment with different learning styles. They are naturally interested in their surroundings and this should be encouraged. Physically, children are inactive and like learning by sitting and listening. They need to develop balance and co-ordination in order to play sports and perform everyday actions. Socially, children need to develop skills which allow them to fit into society and to share and co-operate. Fortunately, we do not have to address this in class as they will naturally be at ease in any group. To conclude, primary language teachers have a greater responsibility than teaching English: they have to consider the whole child.

Did you correct the errors? The text should read as follows:

1..... fourteen/fifteen years old. This is a very wide age span and this has many implications on the way that we teach young learners. We will be looking at these shortly in more detail but for the moment it is sufficient to recognise that the abilities of a teenager are greater and more complex than a child of six years old. Throughout this course we will try to consider the whole age range but mostly we will focus on young learners from age five to twelve, in other words, young learners and pre-teens.

2...... any approach or activity that you use with children needs to be clear and well-explained. Children need to feel confident and although they want to learn new things they need to feel secure so that they won't make unnecessary mistakes. If you clearly explain the approach or activity that you are using, what you expect from the children, at a level that they can understand and relate to, then they will be motivated to participate with a greater degree of success.

Remember that language learning for children:

· must be supported

· must be relevant and interesting to the learner

· must be based on the child's understanding of the world

· must recycle and extend language.

3...... are easily excited, energetic and need calming down. It is important therefore that your lesson involves a variety of activities and a change of pace every 5/10/15 minutes. A lesson should also involve plenty of interaction.

4. We have to address this because they need to feel part of a group. Learning in a group, where individuals are expected to act and interact with each other, brings a variety of pressures. Wherever possible we must try to remove any barriers to effective group working. We should aim to foster a more relaxed and accessible learning environment which supports the learning process and encourages a wider sharing and exchange of ideas.

One way that you can do this is to use activities which help with the group forming process and create a supportive learning community. These group-formation activities allow children to gain confidence, take risks and encourage friendships and fun: all of which are important in our 'ideal' language classroom. Many of the activities that we look at on this course will have a group-forming aspect to them.

4.1 How do young learners learn?

Look at the table below. It shows some of the differences between the child and the teenager and allows you to see some of the areas where you can focus.

Child	Pre-teen	Teenager
Learns most by doing things	Becoming aware of learning and studying as a separate skill, but still responsive to holistic teaching rather than details	Learns in a variety of ways including by doing
Learns faster, forgets fast: needs constant reinforcement and recycling	Developing motor skills - (an ability to use their hands and co-ordinate at the same time)	Is more critical and complaining, and often has a sense of superiority - teacher has to win enthusiasm
Enjoys Total Physical Response eg. games, songs, mime etc.	Can learn by TPR (Total Physical response or action games). It helps channel energy. Can sometimes cause embarrassment	Maturing, though adolescence can slow up social skills development
Enters into a fantasy world willingly, loves bright colours, cartoon characters, etc.	Has a developing knowledge and awareness of world outside home, school and family	Engages more willingly with reality, fears being thought of as childish
Learns mainly by speaking and listening	Can concentrate for longer, but still needs frequent changes of pace	Has an increasing ability to analyse and draw conclusions

So what does all this mean for us as teachers? First of all, it's important to remember that older children still respond to techniques developed for younger children e.g. Total Physical Response, teaching through listening and speaking, fantasy worlds, bright colours, etc., but they are beginning to develop more adult learning patterns.

Если схемки ниже наложить друг на друга, то можно увидеть как может реагировать учитель на каждую потребность друг друга:)

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14