Much discussion is focused on teaching English to adult learners or school-age children...
After all, this is where most employment opportunities for English teachers are centered.
However, teaching English to children who have not yet reached a first grade age presents challenges which may not be so noticeable at first. Very often this branch of teaching English is dismissed as 'glorified babysitting' when in fact it is the young children who exhibit voracity and aptitude for assimilating English which definitely diminishes with age! In light of this, there are several facets to bear in mind which will make teaching this special age bracket all the more rewarding.
Very young children may often not grasp that Teacher does not understand what they are saying, and may be very puzzled that neither can they make this strange adult comprehend their chatter, nor make head or tail of what is being directed at them. This situation calls for levels of patience you may not have had to draw on previously, but their willingness to please and expressive body language easily makes up for any frustrations. Incorporating several key themes into every lesson plan will maximize learning and enjoyment potential for all. These themes are outlined below.
- Kinesthesia. Simply put, this describes a method of learning through the physical activity of the body. Allowing the children to dance, jump, run and play physical games effectively teach a wide range of vocabulary eg, parts of the body, prepositions, verbs. Don't forget that physical activity can also consist of activities such as finger-painting, water play or playdough, essential activities for this age group.
- Awareness of sound is at an all-time high. Make the most of songs and onomatopoeic activities. Reading stories with a lot of repetitive sound that the children can copy is a method of retaining little people's attention which is very effective. Animal sounds and everyday sounds (such as the zzzzzzzzzzzip of opening your jacket) are especially humorous for young children. Remember that phonic sounds are the basis of language learning, and should not be neglected; they can easily be incorporated into fun activities.
- Take advantage of activities which capitalize on children's enjoyment of rhythm and pattern and their innate mimicking skills. Poetry is a good way of exploring this, as is using your tone of voice the same way each time you give a certain command. Don't be offended if the children laugh at you and copy the 'funny' way you say something, it's all part of the learning process. You can retaliate by asking the name of something in their language and pronouncing it in a ridiculous voice which they will absolutely love, as it fosters a sense that they can 'teach' you too, and that we are allowed to make mistakes and pronounce things incorrectly!
- Following directly on from this point is the final recommendation - in every activity, endeavour to build both the children's confidence and your own; never ridicule or punish mistakes that the children may make, and keep in mind that some days just turn out terribly. Some concepts take longer to teach than others, and never push tired or sick children beyond their capacity. One of your main goals is to get them to enjoy time spent at English school; learning does not take place when children are frustrated or intimidated.
It can be exhausting teaching such a young age group as much of your work may also be comprised of 'taking care' of them, supervising toilet time, lunch time, play time, soothing bumps and bruises and refereeing mini-altercations. Retaining a sense of humour and lots of flexibility means that learning can consistently take place, and not necessarily only in rigid 'class' time. Maintaining a level of confidence in your own abilities is very important, as children are quick to react to an intimidated teacher and a chaotic environment and learning can be impeded very easily. Teaching English in this situation is very dynamic and rewarding and great strides can quickly be made, so every effort should be put into getting the most out of it for both teacher and students.
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