The joys and challenges of teaching Very Young Learners

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

t-training@bkc.ru

BKC-IH Moscow

8 (495) 737 5225

www.bkc.ru