The joys and challenges of
teaching very young learners
Who are those very young learners?
YL – a very confusing term (primary school kids, anyone under the age of 16 or 18)
VYL – pre-primary, learners aged 3 - 6
Working with the little people, what's it like?
Very young learners:
- have a short attention span
- not very well-developed motor skills
- enjoy working alone
- need adults' approval and praise
- are still developing their L 1
- have trouble separating fact from fantasy
- cannot read or write
- have little life experience
- might have never been in a learning environment
- learn quickly and forget quickly
-
Implications for teachers:
Short attention span => a set of short activities
Not very well-developed motor skills => well-staged activities, good instructions, modelling
Enjoy working alone => no pair-work
Need of adults' approval => a lot of praise
Still developing L1 => only meaningful language in a familiar context
Difficulty separating fact from fantasy => everything is equally real (the classroom and the monster from the story:)
Can't read and write => developing literacy
Little life experience => careful choice of vocabulary
Learn quickly and forget quickly => repetition, revision, recycling
Might have never been in a learning environment => routines
Lesson observation:
1. How many students were there?
2. How old were they?
3. What were the aims of the lesson?
4. How was the classroom organised?
5. What 'tools' did the teacher use?
Classroom routines...
'Routines are established patterns of behaviour in which everyone knows what is expected of them and what
they should do. The introduction of classroom routines is instrumental in setting up working
parameters which function effectively with all ages. With very young children they play a particularly
important role'Carol Read, 500 Activities For The Primary Classroom, Mcmillan
...and their importance
Safety
Prevention
Reaction
'Navigation'
Interest
Well-being
Belonging
Autonomy
Teaching methods and approaches
Flashcards and realia
Music and chants
Total Physical Response
Storybooks
Craft activities
Flashcards and realia
- make the input comprehensible
- create the context
- cater to different learning styles
Music and chants
- children naturally love them and use them to learn L1
- help with pronunciation
- introduce whole chunks of language
- social events
- the language is easily taken out of the classroom and transferred into speech
Total Physical Response
- makes the input comprenensible and memorable
- boost confidence
- caters to different learning styles
Storybooks
- create a different context for language revision or introduction
- are the real thing
- expose children to the natural language
- create an opportunity for introducing the functional language
- develop imagination and narrative skills
Craft activities
- develop motor skills
- create an opportunity for practising functional language
- help boost the confidence
- language is not the main objective, it is only the means to create something
Which of these methods and approaches could be used with both age groups: VYL
and YL?
Question:
Answer:
All of them:-)
With VYL they are absolutely crucial.
With YL they are still very necessary and beneficial.
Practically every activity can be adapted to both age groups.
What kind of a person is a VYL teacher?
Creative
Resourceful
Optimistic
Open-minded
Energetic
Compassionate and understanding
Patient
Fun
Enthusiastic
Resourceful and creative
The many ways
Thanks
BKC-IH Teacher Training Centre
8(495) 234 0314
BKC-IH Moscow
8 (495) 737 5225
www.bkc.ru
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