Teaching language to young learners

TEACHING LANGUAGE TO YOUNG LEARNERS Language: Pronunciation Vocabulary Grammar General Principle TEACHING PRONUNCIATION The scope of pronunciation Individual sounds Sounds in connected speech Stress and rhythm Intonation Individual sounds Sounds in connected speech Coffee, coffee Milk and sugar, milk and sugar Strawberries and cream, strawberries and cream Chocolate cake and chocolate biscuits Fish and chips Fish and chips Soup S-O-O-O-U-P Stress and Rhythm COffee, COffee MILK and SUGAR, MILK and SUGAR STRAWberries and CREAM, STRAWberries and CREAM CHOcolate CAKE and CHOcolate BIScuits FISH and CHIPS FISH and CHIPS SOUP S-O-O-O-U-P More Practice One two three four One and two and three and four One and a two and a three and a four One and then a two and then a three and then a four More Practice One two three four One and two and three and four One and a two and a three and a four One and then a two and then a three and then a four Intonation My name’s Peter. Where’s my bag? Can I open the window? Stick it on here What a beautiful shirt! Would you like a lift? Which shirt do you like, the red one or the blue one? What there is left we’ll put it in the pot. Techniques and Activities TEACHING VOCABULARY What is vocabulary? Lexical sets e.g. shop, fruit, room in a house Rhyming sets e.g. bat, rat, hat, mat Color sets e.g. things that are green Grammatical sets e.g. adjectives, verbs, nouns, prepositions Partners / collocations e.g. play the piano, ride a bike, easy class, loud noise Opposites or male and female e.g. hot / cold, boy/girl Background Children are active learners in different social contexts. Other people help them learn by: bringing objects, talking while playing with them, reading stories, asking questions … Children learn new words by interacting with others The vocabulary teaching and learning process 5 main stages guided by teachers: Understanding and learning the meaning of new words Attending to forms Practising, memorizing, and checking activities Consolidating, recycling, extending, and personalizing Developing strategies for vocabulary learning Stage 1 Understanding and learning the meaning of new words using objects using drawings using illustrations, pictures, photos, flashcards using actions, mime, expressions, gestures pointing, touching, tasting, feeling, smelling using technology Stage 1 (continued) Understanding and learning the meaning of new words – verbal techniques explaining defining the context eliciting describing translating Stage 2 2. Attending to forms listening and repeating listening for specific phonological information (individual sounds, number of syllables, stress patterns) observing the written forms (shape, letters, spelling) noticing grammatical information copying and organizing Stage 3 3. Practising, memorizing, and checking activities classifying / sorting giving instructions picture dictation wordsearches … Stage 4 4. Consolidating, recycling, extending, and personalizing vocabulary book collages word networks/webs/trees word boxes, banks, envelopes, boxes … Stage 5 5. Developing strategies for vocabulary learning Becoming aware of a variety of clues to help guess and predict meaning Planning and organizing a vocabulary record keeping system Do self-testing Reviewing … TEACHING GRAMMAR Attention Formal teaching of grammar is not usually a major objective in the young learners classroom Using form-focus techniques in meaningful and interesting contexts What grammar to teach? notice the pattern, and then generate new language expose, develop deep understanding of the relationship between and grammar meaning learn by heart TYPES Facts Patterns Choice EXAMPLES foot – feet, My favorite color is blue. leaf – leaves I’ve played tennis since I was eight./ I’ve been playing tennis since I was eight. Pete is in the class. What grammar to teach? Facts: 	e.g. foot – feet, leaf – leaves 	learn by heart Patterns: 	e.g. My favorite color is blue. notice the pattern, and then generate new language Choices: 	e.g. I’ve played tennis since I was eight. I’ve been playing tennis since I was eight expose, develop deep understanding of the relationship between and grammar meaning (Lewis, 1986:9-12) Sequencing grammar learning activities Noticing new language input (focusing attention to language form) Structuring knowledge of language (controlled practice) Involving learners in language fluent use and communication Discovery grammar activities Read and order the pictures in the correct order. 	She put on her black stockings, her big black shoes, her long cloak and her tall black hat. Discovery grammar activities Answer the questions. 	She put on her black stockings, her big black shoes, her long cloak and her tall black hat. Which words are adjectives? Which words are nouns? Where do adjectives go in English? Where do adjectives for color go in English? Where do adjectives for size go in English? Developing strategies for grammar learning Self / peer-testing Mark changes in form with colored pens Look at the pattern and create their own pattern book of English grammar … DEMONSTRATION Lesson: My weekend(Family and Friends, Unit 2, p.14) Target language: 1. Vocabulary: collocations 2. Structure: like/ not like + V-ing Stage 1: Teaching vocabulary Expose pupils to the new vocabulary Use pictures and miming to make meaning clear Conduct choral and individual repetition Check memory – guessing through actions Play a game to reinforce memory 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stage 2: Teaching pattern Expose pupils to the new pattern by letting them read and listen to conversations. Engage pupils by asking them to act out the conversations. Focus on the pattern – repetition and substitution drills; exercises (controlled practice) Provide language fluent use of pattern - interview Stage 3: More Practice – A song