Capture the YLs Monitor the learning

interest & that may, or may not,

motivate them be taking place &
with appropriate provide scaffolding
and engaging Planning and guidance for all
activities activities aspects of their
for YL language learning

Show them how to

learn to learn, helping
them become more Encourage them to
aware of what they take a more reflective
are doing in class approach to learning
activities the language
 When Introducing Vocabulary to Young Learners.

the meaning of the words .a lot of vocabulary is learned

has to be made clear & in chunks and phrases
be supported by flashcards, E.g., Can I/have a ...?
pictures, gestures or realia. (Can I have a...?)

.by uttering only one or two words,

there can be a sentence full of meaning
expressed if the child is supported
and encouraged to use communicative
intonation and gestures E.g., Repeat, please.
 1. Picture & flashcards
shown to children as
they hear words
2. Stories with new
The
contextualized
Vocabulary meaning of The language
needs to be the words context
should be 3. Games, where the
taught in could be
clear to the need to use the words,
context given
young chunks or phrases is
through:
learner linked to the
motivation
4. Songs, where the new
language is repeated
in a fun way
 TEACHING PRONUNCIATION

Students need to hear lots of target language

from to like

different speakers - hear the music of the songs, chants,

their teacher, target language and stories, role-plays
voices from video imitate the sound of and games that
and audio English through the encourage them to
recordings, or any words they are interact with the
guest to the class learning. language by
that speaks English listening to and
with them. using it.
Considerations to be taken into account
when Teaching Pronunciation
If children learn a foreign or second language
early in their lives, they can attain near native-
like pronunciation, but only if the models they
hear are near native-like, too.
Just like adults, children may have trouble
pronouncing certain English-language sounds,
often they do not know how to form their lips and
mouths to correctly articulate some sounds.
 Considerations to be taken into account
when Teaching Grammar
For younger children, due to their YLs under the age of 8 or 9
level of cognitive development, it benefit from many repetitions
is not conceptually appropriate of a grammar point in
to present grammar as a set of different, meaningful contexts
explicit rules and forms to be
analyzed.
For more older children with
more developed powers of
YLs benefit from noticing and analysis, grammar should
paying attention to features of continue to be presented in
grammar presented as chunks meaningful contexts and may
of language in familiar contexts include brief details about the
such as songs, dialogues, grammar points for students
stories, and other contexts. to notice and think about.
Few YLs benefit from memorizing
rules and analyzing forms.
The balance between fluency and accuracy in activities is what
helps children acquire the grammar of English.
Teaching Grammar to Very YLs (listen & identify)
Teacher Talk: (Wave your hand over the page.) Look! I see a
park. I see boys and girls. The boys and girls are in the park.
Repeat. The boys and girls are in the park.
1. Teacher: (Point 3. Childrens
to the slide. Ask Response:
children to listen, (Listen, point,
point, and repeat) and repeat.)
This is a slide. This is a slide.

2. Teacher: (Point 4. Childrens

to the swings. Ask Response:
children to listen, (Listen, point,
point, and repeat.) and repeat.)
These are These are
swings. swings.
 Teaching Grammar to YLs (Present Simple)

Helping Grammar 2. Listen, Point and say.

Repetitions of
Hands in context 1. My father is a coach. a grammar
He teaches soccer. point, using it
as chunks.
1.Read, Listen and sing. 2. My sister is a secretary.
Helpers She types letters.
There are many helping
hands in my family. 3. Point, Ask and Answer 4.
We like to help each other What does your Hes a coach.
and our community. Oral & father do?
written
Teachers help us learn a
production
lot, and TV reporters, too.
My mother is a teacher.
What does your mother 5. Look and write.
do?.
1. What does she do? Shes a police officer.
2. What does he do? Hes a __________.
 Making the English Classroom a Supportive
Language Environment

1. Encourage 2. Develop an 3. Support

learners to speak learning
environment of through the
out (without fear trust
of making organization of
mistakes) the classroom

4. Use a variety 5. Provide lots of

of materials and comprehensible
models to present and
the language contextualized
language
 Encourage learners to speak out (without fear of
making mistakes)
1. What did 2. I goed
1.What 2. I goed you do to the
did you do to the yesterday? park.
yesterday park.
?
3. Oh,
3. Oh, you went
thats not to the
good. Its park!
wrong to
say I
goed.

The boy is hypothesizing the
regular past tense of the verb go.
The teachers correction could
demotivate the learner discouraging
him from trying to hypothesize in
English again.
The same situation but this time, the
modeled example given by the
teacher would allow the child to
continue on the hypothesis circle and
realize from this feedback that he
needed to adjust what he had said.
Develop an environment of trust
the language classroom needs to be a place where the young learner does
not feel threatened or frightened
the teacher needs to be patient as students trial things, and by modeling
back any changes they need to make in their language
creating and posting English classroom rules that all the YLs have discussed
and agreed to. E.g.: We will listen to each other patiently.
We will help each other say things in English.

Support learning through the organization of the classroom

The English classroom should support the students' learning by having:
examples of students' work on the walls
picture dictionaries and storybooks available to be used
lists of different types of words on the wall, such as describing words,
action words, joining words, question words, and so on
songs and chants (written on chart paper) available to review
labels on classroom items in English (door, window, desk) to help prepare
beginner students for the written language by introducing models of it
Use a variety of materials and models to present the language
Use a variety of means to expose YLs to different language models. E.g.
CDs with a range of different speakers
videos and DVDs that allow children to see the faces and mouths of those
speaking English
A variety of written models to stimulate the visual learning of the language
including books, posters, examples of childrens work, pictures with captions,
and labeled objects

Provide lots of comprehensible and contextualized language

Teachers must also remember the need to introduce lots of comprehensible
and contextualized language in the English class within meaningful and
purposeful activities
Classroom instructions (used repeatedly and with gestures) enable
students to respond to and use the language. (Johnny, please come here.
Hand out the notebooks to the students.)
 Topic and activity-based teaching is based on topics (like food, pets, house,
colors, and so on) within activities which allow the language to be introduced,
practiced, recycled, consolidated and acquired by YLs

Many teachers and specialists in the EYL world believe that topic and activity-based teaching is
the most suitable way for children to learn and use the target language.
This is because of how children learn, develop and change during these early years.
Many English textbooks for young learners are designed around this approach.
A topic and activity-based approach to learning has children linking language to interactive experiences
where children talk about what they are doing, what they are seeing and what they are experiencing.
As teachers, we can encourage this interaction and natural way of language learning by planning suitable
activities and selecting topics that are especially interesting and relevant to our students.
These three activities present the topic of food, but are
aimed at different age groups considering their
cognitive stages and learning abilities
Topic - Food
Function -
Talking about
likes and
dislikes

Teachers can teach the same topics to the same group of

children over a number of years (and recycle the language),
but as the children grow in age, linguistic ability and maturity,
we will be looking at different aspects of these topics, so the
input never has to be the same.
 Stage 1: Select the Topic

When planning lessons around a specific topic , the teacher should

consider five stages:
1. Brainstorming is one of the best ways to plan a topic and the
lessons that are linked to it.
Put the topic title in the center of a page.
 Stage 2: Think of appropriate activities linked to the topic

Brainstorm the
variety of
activities that
are suitable for
the age group
you are thinking
about and are
linked to this
topic.

A lesson for 8
to 10 year-old-
student
 Stage 3: Consider the language for each activity
Think about what language (vocabulary and structures) will be used in each
activity.
 Stage 4: Plan the focus/approach for each activity
Look at each of these activities and briefly consider the focus for each
activity as well as the type of approach to take. Consider the class survey,
and develop it as you would all the other activities in your brainstorm.

Activity: Carry out a class survey of favorite food

Language focus for this activity:

What is your favorite food?
Food vocabulary chicken
Its (chicken).
My favorite food is (chicken).

Resources needed for the Outcome of activity:

activity: Timing of the
A list of favorite
activity:
Children need paper and foods of children
pencils / pens. 10-15 minutes
A result from survey
Teacher needs a board or
flipchart to gather results
 Stage 5: Consider the order of activities

Look at how the activities flow together, considering vocabulary and

structures and the challenges required in completing each activity. If you
look at the brainstorm chart below, you will see that the activities have
been ordered by how the language is introduced and developed.

After determining
the desired
outcome of each
activity, the
teacher will put
together more
detailed lesson
plans that look
more closely at the
steps required to
achieve the
proposed goals.