WHY VERY YOUNG LEARNERS?
Kindergarten and preschool students are very nice age group. They can speak fluently in L1, they enjoy following almost all types of instruction and it’s a visible pleasure for them to take part in English classes. If the activities are prepared correctly for the age group, learning process is always fun for both students and teacher.
On this stage verbal communication is of course very important, but it isn’t crucial. We base on non-verbal replays from kids, so most of the activities should be based on Total Physical Response. Kids in this age need also very strong kinesthetic stimulation, which supports learning process. It means, that English classes should be based on movement activities, often combined with music.
It is not difficult to motivate very young learners - if they can easily measure their own achievements, they are willing to continue working. Simple tasks as repeating one word or naming an object in English should be always followed by positive comment by the teacher. It sustains learner’s positive attitude towards English classes and empower them for further learning.
On this stage verbal communication is of course very important, but it isn’t crucial. We base on non-verbal replays from kids, so most of the activities should be based on Total Physical Response. Kids in this age need also very strong kinesthetic stimulation, which supports learning process. It means, that English classes should be based on movement activities, often combined with music.
It is not difficult to motivate very young learners - if they can easily measure their own achievements, they are willing to continue working. Simple tasks as repeating one word or naming an object in English should be always followed by positive comment by the teacher. It sustains learner’s positive attitude towards English classes and empower them for further learning.
TEACHING BASED ON SPEAKING Before entering primary school children usually can’t read and write and don’t know letters. It spares a lot of work connected with literacy for the teacher. This fact also simplify checking student’s level of knowledge. If we show a flashcard with a picture and written word and a child says a word, we can be sure that he or she memorised it and knows it, because it’s obvious that student hasn’t read it… It also avoids problems with pronunciation caused by unskillful reading. On the other hand it is worth to attach the written representation of the word next to the picture. Although I was not a supporter of bottom-up reading theory, recently I discovered that it really works! I wanted to revise vocabulary with my students in a form of memory game, but I only had with me flashcards with names of the objects written on reverse. I knew they were to young to read, especially in English! They were never taught to do it. How surprised I was, when students started to talk to each other: “take this card, it’s a cat!” or “look, one fish is here and one is over there!”. Now I know, that including global reading into my teaching will be my goal for next year. |
ARE CHILDREN LINGUISTIS SPONGES?
I’ve never doubted about capabilities of young children’s brains. They can surprise us day after day. I remember how shocked I was in Indonesia, when I was working with Korean kids. Asian concept of raising kids is slightly different than ours. (Amy Chua, an American lawyer with Chineese origins writes a lot about this in her famous book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, which I highly recommend.) Asian parents (and teachers) assume high possibilities of children’s brain and believe that expecting a lot from their pupils pays back. And, believe me or not, it does! My nursery students were able to count up to 100, they knew shapes of all alphabet letters and were able to read short words. I was impressed. |
I don’t want to deliberate here about condition of polish educational system and how much it demands from learners in different age. All I know is that it’s never to early to start second language acquisition. Fred Genesee, a well-known researcher covering the field of second language learning and bilingualism, conveys that children’s brains are somehow designed to learn and use two or more languages. If so, maybe it’s a waste of their abilities to use only one language by a child?
USE OF MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES
While working with very young learners, we can face a challenge to prepare class for toddlers, who can’t even speak their mother tongue. It is logical, that we can’t hand them lists of vocabulary or any grammar rules to learn. The only way to make them familiar with the concept of foreign language is through games and fun. Sometimes they are extremely easy (like games involving only 2 flashcards) and they should usually be based on physical movement (TPR activities). The main goal is just to use English and if the only way to gather their attention is through games – why not?
Usage of games, songs, rhymes and chants is very adequate for teaching children. We can introduce them new language in easy and funny way. We change the goal from learning a language itself into using it as a tool for great fun.
Another aspect is that remembering a target language in a scheme is much easier than isolated. It applies for each age group – toddlers, children, teenagers and adults. Different ways of creating rhymes and short, funny stories, which help us remember difficult facts, names or orders are called “art of memory” and they are widely known all over the world. It would be a great lost not to use these techniques while teaching foreign language!
What is also very typical for these techniques is the easiness of reminding them even after very long time. It’s enough to introduce once or twice some attention getter and we can be sure, that our students will remember it after weeks or months. What a pity, that it doesn’t work this way with regular vocabulary…
It isn’t true, that working with very young learners demand less work than with older students. But on the other hand creative teacher can use the same materials multiple times in totally different ways and children won’t mind it. Furthermore – kids love stories and materials, that they already know! So even working with the same materials in exactly the same way may be beneficial.
Usage of games, songs, rhymes and chants is very adequate for teaching children. We can introduce them new language in easy and funny way. We change the goal from learning a language itself into using it as a tool for great fun.
Another aspect is that remembering a target language in a scheme is much easier than isolated. It applies for each age group – toddlers, children, teenagers and adults. Different ways of creating rhymes and short, funny stories, which help us remember difficult facts, names or orders are called “art of memory” and they are widely known all over the world. It would be a great lost not to use these techniques while teaching foreign language!
What is also very typical for these techniques is the easiness of reminding them even after very long time. It’s enough to introduce once or twice some attention getter and we can be sure, that our students will remember it after weeks or months. What a pity, that it doesn’t work this way with regular vocabulary…
It isn’t true, that working with very young learners demand less work than with older students. But on the other hand creative teacher can use the same materials multiple times in totally different ways and children won’t mind it. Furthermore – kids love stories and materials, that they already know! So even working with the same materials in exactly the same way may be beneficial.
ATTENTION CHALLENGE (ACTION RESEARCH CASE)
Classroom management is usually not an issue while working with very young learners. We gather them in a circle (a dedicated song may be a great help), sit down and run a class. On the other hand keeping their attention may be quite challenging. I tried to work this out using a tool of Action Research.
The puzzle I’ve faced was that during my classes in Kindergarten students use to turn around, touch toys standing behind them and start to play. I decided to work with collaborative Action Research approach. In my context English teacher is a member of a teaching team. I don’t work in a vacuum, my lessons are just part of day schedule of my students. Beside that main teacher knows students better than I do, because s/he spends with them much more time. And last but not least - I can’t take any actions separately and independent from other teachers who work with this group.
To collect data I started a collaboration with other teachers, who teach this particular group. I also discussed the issue with peers. I was very interested in their experiences with similar situations. I tried to observe how students behave depending on different conditions like lesson type, time of a day, content, amount of students, sitting arrangement etc. I also observed particular students and their behaviour patterns.
I’ve noticed that my problem occurred with particular students only and usually bad mood was a trigger. They performed similar behavior during whole day, but it differed depending on attractiveness level. I’ve took a deeper look at the issue of attention span for very young learners.
My conclusions after this task:
WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THIS JOB?
The only one risk I can see about working with this age group is general attitude of the teacher. There are some people, who don’t feel very comfortable while dealing with kids. It is obvious, that they would never become a great teachers for very young learners. You have to be patient and lenient. Young children can be in a bad mood for no reason or sometimes they are unable to explain, what is happening with them. It’s because they are not yet completely developed in a field of emotions and physical knowledge of their bodies. Teacher should wisely divide tantrums and whims from serious problems, which may also occur during classes.
Classroom management is usually not an issue while working with very young learners. We gather them in a circle (a dedicated song may be a great help), sit down and run a class. On the other hand keeping their attention may be quite challenging. I tried to work this out using a tool of Action Research.
The puzzle I’ve faced was that during my classes in Kindergarten students use to turn around, touch toys standing behind them and start to play. I decided to work with collaborative Action Research approach. In my context English teacher is a member of a teaching team. I don’t work in a vacuum, my lessons are just part of day schedule of my students. Beside that main teacher knows students better than I do, because s/he spends with them much more time. And last but not least - I can’t take any actions separately and independent from other teachers who work with this group.
To collect data I started a collaboration with other teachers, who teach this particular group. I also discussed the issue with peers. I was very interested in their experiences with similar situations. I tried to observe how students behave depending on different conditions like lesson type, time of a day, content, amount of students, sitting arrangement etc. I also observed particular students and their behaviour patterns.
I’ve noticed that my problem occurred with particular students only and usually bad mood was a trigger. They performed similar behavior during whole day, but it differed depending on attractiveness level. I’ve took a deeper look at the issue of attention span for very young learners.
My conclusions after this task:
- That it’s important how I am prepared and what have I prepared
- That I should be flexible and react for my students needs
- That I should organize my classroom with my students needs in mind
- That there are some limitations (attention span) of my working environment that I have to respect
WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THIS JOB?
The only one risk I can see about working with this age group is general attitude of the teacher. There are some people, who don’t feel very comfortable while dealing with kids. It is obvious, that they would never become a great teachers for very young learners. You have to be patient and lenient. Young children can be in a bad mood for no reason or sometimes they are unable to explain, what is happening with them. It’s because they are not yet completely developed in a field of emotions and physical knowledge of their bodies. Teacher should wisely divide tantrums and whims from serious problems, which may also occur during classes.
Holiday Helper + Baby Small Talk
As an experienced teacher I have no doubts that second language acquisition can't be limited to language classroom. I constantly encourage my students' parents to incorporate English to their everyday communication. 30 minutes two times a week is not enough for a toddler to pick up a second language! As an outcome of my convictions I published a book together with my friend Natalia Biernacka. The book touches the topic of holidays and travels abroad. It includes Baby Small Talk sections with ready phrases to use in everyday communication with kids.
As an experienced teacher I have no doubts that second language acquisition can't be limited to language classroom. I constantly encourage my students' parents to incorporate English to their everyday communication. 30 minutes two times a week is not enough for a toddler to pick up a second language! As an outcome of my convictions I published a book together with my friend Natalia Biernacka. The book touches the topic of holidays and travels abroad. It includes Baby Small Talk sections with ready phrases to use in everyday communication with kids.