teaching young learners may 2013 david q

Teaching Young Learners

Teaching experience

Which age groups have you taught?

Seniors Academy - Macao

Primary 2 - Macao

How is teaching YL different to teaching adults?

Same Same?

Attention spanEnergy levels

Motivation / Reason for learningDiscipline

Peer-Group PressureCompetitive Spirit

EmbarrassmentAttitude to writing

Approach to studyingWorld knowledgeMeta-Language

Cliques / Attitude to mixing

But there are also many similarities!

Both like varietyBoth want respectBoth want praise

Both want a sense of successBoth want to be independent

Both want fun!

Think about your own students

What factors influence their willingness to learn?Factors From Outside your Classroom:• Parents• Peers’ attitudes towards English • Cultural attitude to native speakers of English• Student’s previous experiences of learning English• Attitudes towards exams• The student’s home life• What the student did before the lesson• What the student will do after the lesson• How the student is feeling physically and emotionally

Factors From Inside your Classroom:• The teacher’s attitude and expectations• The classroom itself: displays, furniture, space, temperature, noise, etc• The tasks / materials• Likelihood of receiving praise / criticism

Think about your own students

What factors influence their willingness to learn?Motivating Factors From Outside your Classroom:• Parents• Peers’ attitudes towards English • Cultural attitude to native speakers of English• Student’s previous experiences of learning English• Attitudes towards exams• The student’s home life• What the student did before the lesson• What the student will do after the lesson• How the student is feeling physically and emotionally

Can you influence these?

Motivating Factors From Outside your Classroom:• Parents (home-school link book)• Peers’ attitudes towards English • Cultural attitude to native speakers of English• Student’s previous experiences of learning English• Attitudes towards exams• The student’s home life• What the student did before the lesson• What the student will do after the lesson• How the student is feeling physically and emotionally

Motivating Factors From Outside your Classroom:• Parents• Peers’ attitudes towards English • Cultural attitude to native speakers of English• Student’s previous experiences of learning English• Attitudes towards exams• The student’s home life• What the student did before the lesson• What the student will do after the lesson• How the student is feeling physically and emotionally

Motivating Factors From Outside your Classroom:• Parents• Peers’ attitudes towards English • Cultural attitude to native speakers of English• Student’s previous experiences of learning English• Attitudes towards exams• The student’s home life• What the student did before the lesson• What the student will do after the lesson• How the student is feeling physically and emotionally

Motivating Factors From Outside your Classroom:• Parents• Peers’ attitudes towards English • Cultural attitude to native speakers of English• Student’s previous experiences of learning English• Attitudes towards exams• The student’s home life• What the student did before the lesson (how it influences your lesson)• What the student will do after the lesson• How the student is feeling physically and emotionally

Motivating Factors From Outside your Classroom:• Parents• Peers’ attitudes towards English • Cultural attitude to native speakers of English• Student’s previous experiences of learning English• Attitudes towards exams• The student’s home life• What the student did before the lesson• What the student will do after the lesson (how it influences your lesson)• How the student is feeling physically and emotionally

Motivating Factors From Outside your Classroom:• Parents• Peers’ attitudes towards English • Cultural attitude to native speakers of English• Student’s previous experiences of learning English• Attitudes towards exams• The student’s home life• What the student did before the lesson• What the student will do after the lesson• How the student is feeling physically and emotionally

You can influence these!

What are the main problems teachers face when teaching young learners?

Students find English boring!

blah blah blah blah…..Zzzzzzzzz!!Zzzzzzzzz!!Zzzzzzzzz!!Zzzzzzzzz!!

- Limit TTT

- Provide opportunities for students to make guesses / join the dots / guided discovery

- Provide feeling of accomplishment

- Games?

Games

- Games can be either competitive or co-operative - There should be a clear goal - There must be a set of rules - They must involve use of the target language

Mixed abilities

Mixed Abilities

- Cater for those who work at a different pace• Table groups work on different activities• Team rather than individual games• Identify which answer the weak student has correct• Puzzle Projects; each brings something to class• Group Work; different roles

Children lose interest quickly

Children lose interest quickly

• Frequent change of interaction

• Move from familiar to unfamiliar• Plenty of praise

• Short stagesReview

Introduction of new language

Controlled practice activity

ReviewLinking of new target

with old targets

Review

Free Practice activity

Consolidation (e.g., through H/W)

T

S S

T

S SSS

S S

Comparatives

Tall TallerShort ShorterBig Biger?

Happy Happyer?Beautiful Beautifuler?

ME ! ME !Me

!ME !

Me !

Me !

sad

frustrated

happy

confused

angry

理工－貝爾英語中心MPI-Bell Centre of English

Display student work

Teaching Writing

QueenKingJim Jean/I/ /i:/

Jim (/I/ words) Jean (/i:/ words)

swim readchips meatfit sleep

Britain Sweden

cat

Spelling

kitten duck scoolor

skoolor

sckool?

Spelling

c k ck ch q

True for you?

True Not True

I’ve got green eyesI’ve got a headacheI’ve got to go

Don’t Know

I’ve got an i-phoneI’ve got a girlfriendI’ve got lots of marking to do!I’ve got a beautiful smile

The Tree Climbing Game

The Tree Climbing Game

Writing Practice

Pronunciation Practice

/ i : / / I /

1

2 2

3333

China Russia USA Korea Macau Japan ThailandUK

/ i : / / I /

Pronunciation Practice

s / ʒ / is ision vision

television

Pronunciation Practice

/ r / / t /

The snake is in the grass.

The snake is in the grass.

/sss / ! /sss / !

The snake is in the grass.

Practicing sounds

/s /

Practicing sounds

A or /ǽ /

/ǽ/ - /ǽ/! Ants on my arm. /ǽ/ - /ǽ/! Ants on my arm. /ǽ/ - /ǽ/! Ants on my arm. They’re causing me alarm.

Practicing sounds

/ e /

If you’re strong and you know it,

say “/ ŋ /!”

If you’re strong and you know it,

say “/ ŋ /!”

If you’re strong and you know it,

and you really want to show it…

If you’re strong and you know it,

say “/ ŋ /!”

Practicing sounds

/ŋ /

Vocabulary Games

Bingo

1 2 3

4 65

7 8 9

Tic-Tac-Toe

2

144

5

7

6

9

10

12

133

15

17

18

19

20

22

23

24

25

1 11

16

21

8

The Vocabulary Box

4 in a row

They

He

She

It

You

We

I

sing

write

talk sit eat play

run

Change Places if…

Choose a mode of transportIf + simple pastIf + present continuous

www.mes-english.com

www.bogglesworldesl.com

www.makebeliefscomix.com

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com

“Once upon a time…..”

A story about a monster

Thanks for listening!