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Haya in " Fun With English"

Farwaniya Young Learners 2009-2010
Characteristics of Young Learners
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Knowing the characteristics is essential

For the successful teaching of English in primary schools, above all, it is essential for the teacher to understand the young learners' characteristics, instincts, and interests in their cognitive, linguistic, and emotional aspects, because this will play a crucial role in how the teacher builds a lesson, how he or she can make sure that the young learners are fully involved in the learning process, how he or she achieves the objectives of a lesson, and how they respond. In this respect, these lines, in the first place, get the English teacher not only to understand general characteristics of the young learners, but also to recognize the qualifications as a primary English teacher. Secondly, the goals, the contents, and the syllabuses of primary English teaching are roughly discussed in terms of the English curriculum in primary schools. And finally, as the main topic of this paper, how to build a lesson for primary English teaching is more specifically discussed, in terms of teaching procedures including its key stages and their sub stages, the learners' interactions and activities at each stage, and teaching skills and techniques at each sub stage, and so on.

  • They have short attention span. So teachers should vary their techniques to break the boredom. they should give varied activities as handwriting , songs , games etc.
  • They are very active. Try to ask them to play games , role play dialogues and involve them in competitions.
  • They respond well to praising. Always encourage them and praise their work.
  • They differ in their experience of language. Treat them as a unit , don't favour those who know some English at the expense of those who do not know.
  • They are less shy than older learners. Ask them to repeat utterances , resort to mechanical drills.
  • They are imaginative. Use realia or pictures to teach new vocabulary related to concrete meanings.
  • They enjoy learning through playing. young learners learn best when they learn through games. Let games be an essential part of your teaching.
  • They are less shy than older learners.
  • They enjoy imitating and skilfull in listening accurately and mimicking what they have heard.
  • They respond well to rewards from the teacher.
  • They are imaginative but may have some difficulties distinguishing between imagination and real wrold.

Lesson Planning for Primary English Teaching

   The writing of a lesson plan can help the teacher define and clarify his or her objectives as well as prepare the lesson, as it helps him or her decide what to do and how he or she will do it. It also provides the teacher with a written record of what he or she has done which he or she can look at again after the lesson to evaluate what happened. The teacher could also use the plan again with another class.
   Before building a lesson for English teaching for young learners, we need to take into consideration three study approaches suggested as follows: ¨a ) How can  teachers make sure that the learners are fully and actively involved in the learning process? ¨B ) How do teachers achieve their objectives in a lesson, and how do the learners respond? ¨C) How can the teaching and learning process use English to the best effect? In brief, we should keep in mind pupils' active involvement, the progress of a lesson, and the teaching of English through English, for successful English teaching for young learners in the classroom.

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 Advantages of Group Work

            Each child has a chance to practise and use the language.

            Shy children are not embarrassed to make mistakes.

            Teacher can give individual help.

            Motivates pupils to improve.