8 Different Approaches

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INTERNATIONAL HOUSE

Young Learners Training Course

Different Approaches

Diana England

International House Torres Vedras

Written

May 2001


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List of Contents:

Title Page - Page 1

List of contents - Page 2Main aims of the session / Session Outline - Page 3

Tutors Notes:

Stage 1: - Page 4

Stage 2: - Page 4

Stage 3: - Page 5

Stage 4: - Page 7

Homework - Page 8

Bibliography - Page 8

Materials Pages - Pages 9 - 21

Answer Keys - Pages 22 - 24


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Main aims of this session:

In this session, trainees will look at different approaches that can be used in

class to help young learners to experience English. By critical analysis and

demonstration of some of the more currently popular approaches, theyshould appreciate that for children, language cannot be studied in a vacuum,

but seen as a means to an end rather than as an end in itself. They will see

how various styles and approaches can be threaded together to make a

cohesive whole. By the end of the session and the accompanying homework

task, they will have had an opportunity to show that they can logically plan a

series of appropriately varied lessons for a particular group of students.

Notes to the tutor:

This session brings together various strands of teaching and learning styles.Participants will hopefully be creating a timetable that is not simply a

collection of fun activities, but one which will encourage real long-term

learning to take place, bearing in mind the students ages, linguistic abilities,

cognitive development, and personal interests.

The whole session will take about 1hr 20mins, with the homework taking

about 1 hour. If there is no time to create the timetable during the session,

then it can be done for homework although this will add to the amount of

time spent on homework.

Trainees will each need a copy of all the materials pages although much of it

is designed to first be used in class between pairs or groups.

If you are not running the session but guiding the teachers through self-

study, you will find suggestions at the end of each stage.

Session Outline:

Stage Activity

Stage 1: Warmer Focussing on different issues and approaches

that be will explored in the session

Stage 2: Matching, Reading

and Discussion

Definitions of and rationale behind the various

approaches

Stage 3: Mind Map and Experiencing and assessing some of the above


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Demonstrations approaches

Stage 4: Timetable Understanding links and how to make a series

of lessons into a cohesive whole

Stage 5: Other Mind Map:

Food

Brainstorming of activities and techniques for

a different age range, language level and topicHomework: Timetable from

Food Mind Map

Developing a coherent timetable for the above

group of students

Tutor Notes: Stage 1

Aim: Warmer and orientation to the issues that will be explored in

the session

Handouts: Materials Page 1Materials: -

Time: +/- 2 minutes

Procedure:

1) Either hand out Materials Page 1 or put the gapped words on the

board. Pairs or participants should try to work out what the

completed words are as quickly as possible.

2) Go over the answers orally. Ask how this type of activity could be

used with students (as a warmer to revise words and expressions

from previous lessons).


Aim: To define each of the above approaches and clarify their

usefulness within a teaching programme

Handouts: Answer Key 1

Materials: Materials Page 2 [Pages 10-14]

Time: +/- 20-25 minutes

Procedure:1) Put the definitions (Materials Page 2) of each of the terms used in

Stage 1 around the room. Put the titles and question(s) above each

of the definitions, but facing towards the wall. Tell participants to

work in pairs. They should move around the room, read a definition

and decide which of the terms in Stage 1 it is referring to.


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2) Quickly check that all participants can identify each of the terms

being defined. Ask participants to turn over the title and question

papers above each of the definitions. They should then read the

questions and discuss the likely answers, still in their pairs. They

then move around the room, answering the other questions. (If youhave different levels of experienced teachers on the course, it

may be an idea to pair a less experienced one with a more

experienced teacher.)

3) Hand out Answer Key 1 to participants and ask them to read the

suggested answers to the questions and ask them to asterisk

anything they would like to question or add. Once they have gone

through all the suggested answers, allow a few minutes for them

to share their thoughts.

4) They may like to write down some of the observations made byother participants or you during this feedback.

For trainees studying on their own, ask them to check any doubts they have

with you afterwards.


Aim: To experience and assess some of the approaches mentioned in

the previous stage

Handouts: Materials Page 3 [Page 15]

Materials:

Time: +/- 30 minutes

Procedure:

1) Hand out Materials Page 3 (animals mind map). Explain to the

participants that they are now going to have an opportunity to see

how some of these approaches can be applied with a class of 9-10

year olds in their first year of learning English, using the topic of

animals. At the end of each example, they should say which

approach(es) were being demonstrated and how valid they are in

the learning process. So do not specify at the start of each

activity which approach they will experience let the particpants

guess.


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2) (a. Total Physical Response) Any animal-based TPR activity can be

used; there is a good one in Unit 4 Join In 1 (teachers book p22-

3), Gunter Gerngross and Herbert Puchta, CUP & ELI 2000.

3) (b. Story-based work) Again, there are lots of authentic stories

that can be used in ELT classes. Examples that can be used toteach/revise animals and provide some authentic reading and live

listening are: Wheres Spot? by Eric Hill, Picture Puffins; One day

in the Jungle by Colin West, Walker Books; Old Macdonald had a

Farm by Hawkins, Little Mammoth.

4) (c. Task-based activities) A Picasso dictation of an imaginary

animal.

For example: You say: Last night when I was asleep in bed, I had a

very strange dream about a strange animal. Can you draw the animal I

saw in my dream? Listen and draw.

It had a big body.

It had 8 short legs.

It had a big head.

It had two long ears.

It had a long tail.

It had 2 small eyes.

It also had two big wings.

5) (cross curricular) Vocab maths. On the whiteboard, write the

numbers 1 8 clearly spaced out. Eg:

1 6 4

3 5 2

8 7

Ask the participants to tell you what 3 and 5 are. Elicit and drill the

question and answers eg: Whats three and five? Eight. Do a couple

more examples. Now next to each number on the whiteboard, stick a

picture of an animal. For example:


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1 (a lion) 6 (a rabbit) 4 (a cat)

3 (a duck) 5 (a monkey) 2 (a dog)

8 (a bird) 7 (a hamster)

Now ask the participants: Whats a lion and a cat? (in other words,

whats 1 and 4?) and elicit the answer a monkey. Get participants to

continue in pairs. If they ask, for example: whats a bird and a

hamster?, they should answer I dont know. This game can also be

used for subtraction, division and multiplication.

6) Finally, ask participants to complete the spaces on their mind mapof animals with the examples of different activities they have just

taken part in.

NB This idea came from IH Bragas DOS Janet Sinclair

For participants studying on their own, they could look at some YL

coursebooks and see if they can find examples of activities and exercises

which illustrate the approaches mentioned on the mind map, and then check

their ideas with you.


Aim: To see how different activities can be organised together in a

logical learning sequence to create a cohesive series of lessons

Handouts: Materials Page 4

Materials: Different coloured pens

Time: +/- 10-13 minutes

Procedure:

1) Hand out Materials Page 4 (timetable). Explain this is a series of 6x45

minute lessons. Ask participants to look at the timetable, noting how

the timetable is built up. Working in pairs or small groups, get them to

draw arrows from one activity to another to show they can see how the

process of learning (both linguistic and other) is developed.

2) Allow time for approx 5 minutes feedback.


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If the participants are working through this on their own, they should check

their ideas with you afterwards.


Aim: To apply the input they have gained from above and from

previous experience to another topic with a different age and

level of students

Handouts: Materials Page 5 [Page 19]

Materials:

Time: 20 minutes

Procedure:

1) Hand out Materials Page 5 (food mind map) to small groups of

participants.2) Ask them to brainstorm various activities and language points

that could be explored within the theme of food for a

particular group and age of young learners. They may wish to

refer to a coursebook that includes this theme so that some of

the activities and language points from the coursebook are

included.

Tutor Notes: Homework

Hand out Materials Page 6 (blank timetable) to each participant. Tell them

to develop a timetable of 6 logically progressing lessons (length depending on

age, level and normal lesson length in their school). The lessons should be

built from the brainstorming and planning done while completing the mind

map on Food.

Bibliography

Moon, J. Children learning English, Macmillan Heinemann, 2000

Phillips, S. Young Learners, Resource Books for Teachers, OUP, 1993

Phillips, S. Drama with Children, Resource Books for Teachers, OUP 1999

Puchta, H. and Gerngross, G. Join In 1, CUP, 1999

Puchta, H. et alPlayway to English 1, CUP 1998

Reilly, S. and Ward, S. Very Young Learners, Resource Books for Teachers,

OUP, 1997


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Materials Page 1

T R _ D _ T _ _ N _ L G R _ M M _ R

P R _ J _ C T W _ R K

S T _ R Y - B _ S _ D _ C T _ V _ T _ _ S

T _ S K - B - S - D L - - R N - N G

C R _ S S - C _ R R _ C _ L _ R _ P P R _ _ C H

C _ G N _ T _ V _ , M _ T _ R , S _ C _ _ L S K _ L L S

T _ T _ L P H _ S _ C _ L R _ S P _ N S _

T _ P _ C - B _ S _ D P R _ G R _ M M _ S

D R _ M _ - B _ S _ D - C T _ V _

T _ _ S


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Materials Page 2

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR

what is a possible problem with this exchange designed to practise Is

there a ?/ Yes, there is. / No, there is not. ?

A: Is there a ruler?

B: Yes, there is.

A: Is there a pen?

B: No, there is not.

what might parents or some client primary schools think if a teacher paid

no attention to this approach? Would they be justified in their opinions?

This is probably the most widely-used means of teaching language in the

world today. It is the means by which students are often assessed. A

typical beginners syllabus will consist of the verbs to be and have got,

present simple, present continuous, adjectives, nouns. There is nothing

intrinsically wrong with this approach to language teaching and learning; inorder to be able to form meaningful sentences, students need to know how

different parts of speech work together. A problem arises when children

cannot relate to this type of language work. As a result, this approach can

present difficulties for young learners and can be one they find uninspiring.

And many learners under the age of 7/8 would not be able to grasp this

approach to learning.

PROJECT WORK

What forms can the end-product of a project take? And how can it be

displayed?


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This is a body of work with an obvious beginning, middle and end. Children

participate in a variety of (hopefully) stimulating activities, which are linked

together to a particular theme and go towards achieving an end-product,

which can be shown to other colleagues, teachers, parents or the general

public. This approach can be used to help nurture a variety of skills that

children are developing in other school subjects and during their time out of

school, such as citizenship skills, intellectual skills, physical /motor skills, as

well as learner independence and emotional and personal development. In

addition, they learn about planning, research and presentation. Its also

useful for mixed ability classes because each student can make a worthwhile

contribution to the final result.

STORY-BASED ACTIVITIES

Which is better: an authentic story (like Little Red Riding Hood) or

one specially written for foreign language students?

These offer a significant and constant source of language experience for

children. They have a universal appeal, and allow for natural and enjoyablerepetition of words and phrases. As well as providing a lot of fun and an

excuse to exercise childrens imaginations, they can be a means of conveying

simple morals or of encouraging children to explore moral dilemmas for

themselves. The language teacher can incorporate a variety of other spin-

off activities, such as play-acting, games and other language work.

TASK- BASED LEARNING

Can you think of some other examples of tasks?


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For most children, language is not intrinsically interesting; its what you do

with it that matters. Theres little point in studying grammar, words, or

sentences for their own sake. Children communicate with language to find

out more, share information and feelings or to achieve something. This type

of learning helps children perform certain activities and provides them withthe language relevant to help them do so. Hopefully, therefore, through this

approach, there is a genuine purpose for learning and using language in the

classroom. Some examples could be: playing a game, finding out students

ages to produce a graph, writing a story-book.

CROSS-CURRICULAR APPROACH

How can this approach help with mixed ability classes?

This is becoming increasingly recognised within both public and private

sectors of education as a useful means of promoting language learning.

Learning about other things in English helps children to learn English. So a

teacher could integrate aspects of geography, (comparing the students

country to England/The United States etc), maths (adding up or subtracting

in English), history (learning about the Inuit in Canada), music (identifying

different musical instruments from an internet recording) or logic skills

(lateral thinking games).

COGNITIVE, MOTOR AND SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

What skills can a teacher help foster in children while they write up a

story as part of wall display?


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It can be argued that with adult teaching, the emphasis is often on language

development. With childrens classes, the students are still developing as

people, so the teacher will not simply be teaching language, but using

language to teach the children valuable life skills. Examples are classifying,

matching, perceiving patterns, promoting concentration, developing logicalthought, cutting and sticking skills, handling equipment (pens, scissors),

kinaesthetic awareness, cooperating with peers. With teenage classes, the

language teacher can help develop the students organisational skills, their

critical thinking, long-term planning skills (ie for project work or exam

preparation), logic, as well as their ability to understand patterns and ways

of categorising things.

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE

Have you heard or carried out any TPR work before? If so, what?

This approach involves the child as a whole on a visual, auditory and physical

level. Many children will not successfully learn language just through

completing written exercises and going through a series of rote oral

substitution drills. Language has a greater chance of being understood and

retained if the children can experience language, not just through their

brains, but through the whole body.

TOPIC-BASED PROGRAMMES

What types of topics appeal to 7 10 year-olds, do you think?


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With this approach, children are not learning language for its own sake.

Language is clearly related to context. If these contexts are directly

relevant to the childrens experiences and interests, the language becomes

more meaningful to them and so language is more likely to be retained and

form an active part of the childrens active knowledge. Many young learnerscourses are divided into several of these. Each one will probably cover 3 or

more lessons. Through one of these, children can perform a variety of tasks

and perhaps carry out a project to help them experience and learn different

lexis and structures. Examples are: monsters, the environment, food,

hobbies etc.

DRAMA-BASED ACTIVITIES

What do you do if there are only 4 or 5 characters but youve got a class

of 15 students?

This approach takes account of the fact that many children enjoy learning

by doing: they are k inaesthetic learners. Movement and acting out can be

enjoyable activities. Getting students to act out a scene from a coursebook

story, giving students a short play to rehearse and act out, developing a mini-

play from visual aids are all ways in which children can physically as well as

verbally participate in the language learning process. Indeed, it is often

actions that accompany language that help us to remember and recall words

and their meanings.


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Eg

Il

H

TOPIC

V

Eg: far

pet

adjecti

TOTAL PHYSICAL

RESPONSE

Eg: a)

TASK-BASED ACTIVITIES

Eg: c)


Eg: b)

PROJECT WORK

Eg: class poster Our Pets

featuring: graph,

pictures, descriptions

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR

Eg: Its + adjective; Its

got + (adjective) + noun; It

lives/eats/swims;

CROSS-CURRICULAR

ACTIVITIES

Eg: geography: where wild

animals live;

d)


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Materials Page 4

Lesson 1 Lesson 2

pictures plus actions to teach 6 animals

pairs: 1 st mimes, the other says the animal our dictionary: sts draw pictures and write names

of animals to include on their classroom wall

dictionary

listen to song: sts name the animals they hear

listen again and follow lyrics from

handout/coursebook

practise singing the song without and then with

the tapeHomework: learn spelling of new words and practise

song

spelling test clarification and restricted use of its got two big

ears / its got a long tail etc, using animal visuals Picasso dictation listen to teachers description

of an imaginary animal, sts draw and colour it

Homework coursebook exercise on its got +

adjectives and parts of the body

Lesson 3 Lesson 4

clarification of have you got a dog / cat etc +

answers

mingling activity using above language

collate results of above onto a semi-completed

graph

vocabulary extension: teach 4 more animals

TPR activity: fly like a bird, roar like a lion etc

Homework: workbook exercise on have you got +

answers and find a photo of their pet(s)

hand back homework and sts correct mistakes

sts read description of 5 animals posted around

the classroom, sts silently guess the animals

study and change writing activity sts read one

description and alter it to describe another

animal; teachers helps with proofreading

Homework: sts copy out description neatly and draw

accompanying picture and colour it.

Lesson 5 Lesson 6

vocab maths revision of animals, parts of the

body and adjectives learnt so far

story: The Lion is Ill using accompanying picture

cards of story to introduce words/expressions

video of above story: sts watch and follow sound

up, then watch with sound down to supply

words/expressions

hand out mask templates of story characters for

sts to cut out, colour and stick on card.

Homework: learn the words/expressions used in the

story

sts help teacher complete corkboard display of

their work: graph, photos of pets, descriptions of

animals and accompanying pictures, wall dictionary

review language used in story using picture cards

allocate roles for sts own play of The Lion is Ill

using masks sts act out story while others watch

invite DOS/other teachers into classroom to look

at display and see performance of The Lion is Ill


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Materials Page 6

Timetable: FOOD

Lesson 1 Lesson 2

Lesson 3 Lesson 4

Lesson 5 Lesson 6


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Answer Key 1

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR

What is a possible problem with this exchange designed to practise Is there a ?/

Yes, there is. / No, there is not. ?

At the moment it lacks any context, so as far as the children are concerned the practice

is meaningless. There needs to be a clear reason for using the language so that children

can understand what the language means and why it is used. Language uptake is not

likely to occur if these two prerequisites are not fulfilled. For this example, hiding some

items under a tea towel on a tray and getting the children to ask questions to determine

what is hidden would provide a more meaningful use of the language. In addition, using

contracted and weak forms would provide more realistic practice of language (isnt,

arent).

What might parents or some client primary schools think if a teacher paid no

attention to this approach? Would they be justified in their opinions?

They may wonder what the children are being taught and worry that the teacher is

merely baby-sitting . There is some justification for these fears: parents might be

sending their children to English lessons at a language institute either to help give them

a head start for when they start English at their day school or they might want to

supplement their regular English lessons. In addition, some primary schools are fairly

traditional in their teaching approach and may uneasy about activities such as boardrushes, TPR, or songs as vehicles for language learning. So a teacher needs to tread

carefully and be sensitive to these concerns. This is not to say that these more

progressive activities and techniques should be abandoned, but that parents and clients

should be aware of the language syllabus via a programme made available at the start of

the course, via ongoing assessments and by clear labelling of worksheets made for the

children.

PROJECT WORK

What forms can the end-product of a project take? And how can it be displayed?

an exhibition; a wall display; a poster; a home-made video; a play or end of term/course

review; a book; a parcel of English (see Cambridge English for Schools or Cambridge

English Worldwide coursebooks, CUP)


Which is better: an authentic story (like Little Red Riding Hood) or one specially

written for foreign language students?


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Neither is necessarily better than the other. In fact several well-known traditional

stories have been adapted for the foreign language classroom (see Penguin readers for

examples). Principal factors to consider when choosing a story include:

the amount of language required in telling the story;

the amount of repetition in the story;

the clarity and style of pictures;

the amount language in the book that can be used prior to and after telling the story.

TASK-BASED ACTIVITIES

Can you think of some other examples of tasks?

Creative activities such as: making masks, paper fortune-tellers, board games;

Playing games;

Writing and taking part in quizzes and questionnaires;other problem-solving activities.

CROSS-CURRICULAR APPROACH

How can this approach help with mixed ability classes?

Some students may not be (apparently) very strong language learners, but good at

maths. By helping them to see that English language can be seen as formulae (ie question

formation: Question word + helping verb + subject + infinitive) we can help in pattern

formation. Others may enjoy showing off their knowledge of science; getting studentsto do or talk about small-scale experiments can be a means of helping develop English

through another medium (see www.hunkinsexperiments.com) . Similarly with geography or

history.

COGITIVE,MOTOR AND SOCIAL SKILLS

What skills can a teacher help foster in children while they write up a story as

part of wall display?

spatial awareness and layout;artwork and design;

proof-reading and editing;

neat handwriting;

cutting out and pasting;

sharing, give-and-take;

taking responsibility;

planning time.
http://www.hunkinsexperiments.com%29/http://www.hunkinsexperiments.com%29/http://www.hunkinsexperiments.com%29/


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TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE

Have you heard or carried out any TPR work before? If so, what?

See the following coursebooks for examples:

Big Red Bus (Macmillan Heinemann)

Conrad and Company (Longman)

Magic Time(Longman)

Join In (Cambridge)

Playway to English (Cambridge)

TOPIC-BASED PROGRAMMES

What types of topics appeal to 7 10 year-olds, do you think?

sports; animals; food; my family; hobbies; magic; monsters; fantasy are a few examples.

DRAMA-BASED ACTIVITIESWhat do you do if there are only 4 or 5 characters but youve got a class of 15

students?

Perform the play 2 or 3 times;

Add in extra supporting characters;

Get some students to say / read out loud any accompanying narrative;

Put some students in charge of props.

Documents

8 Different Approaches