Teaching English to Pre-School Children and Children in a Primary School

Специально – ориентированная методика ИЯ. 
 

    Lecture 1. 

Teaching English to Pre-School Children and Children in a Primary School. 

Plan: 

1. Teaching problem how to teach a foreign language to pre-school children.
2. A distinguish between teaching pre-school children in the kindergarten and teaching children in primary grades in the elementary school.
3. Aims of teaching.
4. Content of teaching.

 

     The problem how to teach a foreign language to pre-school children and the children of a primary school has not been solved either in this country or abroad, though some methodologists and teachers have shown an interest in it and there are some books, papers and theses dealing with this problem. For instance, soon after World War II the Modern Language Association in the USA, with Theodore Anderson at the head, began a campaign for the teaching of foreign languages in primary schools. A broad experiment was organized in many elementary schools throughout the country. It was done to prove that it is necessary to begin the teaching of a foreign language in the first grade and even j in the kindergarten if good results are to be achieved. Otherwise the younger generation will not master foreign languages.

     In our country the interest for teaching young children a foreign language was aroused soon after the first schools with a number of subjects taught in a foreign language were opened in Moscow and other cities, i. e., in the 50's. Experience has proved that the earlier the children begin to learn a language, the better they master it. Besides, some teachers, first in Leningrad, then in other cities and towns, volunteered to instruct children in a foreign language in kindergartens. The experience and the results they have achieved are described in a number of articles published in „Иностранные языки в школе", „Дошкольное воспитание". A few guides for teachers have appeared. To help teachers and parents in teaching children foreign language lotto in four languages (Russian, French, English, and German), dominoes in the English language, and various pictures have been issued.

     It is necessary to distinguish between teaching pre-school children in the kindergarten and teaching children in primary grades in the elementary school, as there are some psychological age characteristics which should be taken into account. Here are some of them.

     1. A child of 5 or 6 easily learns words and sentences of a foreign language and associates them directly with the things, actions, etc. He learns a sentence as a sense unit without any strain as easily as he learns isolated words. He encounters the same difficulty in learning the sentences My name is Mike. I like this black cat. Give me a bear, please and words a cat, a bear. Moreover, it is easier for a child to learn a sentence than isolated words.

     For example, if a child knows only isolated words, he includes them in Russian speech: Дай мне doll. Закрой door.

     Sometimes a child does not notice that he uses English words in a sentence said in Russian. Д сейчас shall show you. English words live side by side with Russian words and the child uses those words which first come to his mind. Therefore in teaching English the children must be given words in connection with selected" sentence patterns.

For example: a doll.

Give me a doll. (There are some dolls on the table.) Give me the doll.  (The teacher points out the doll she wants the child to give her.)

     Under these conditions the children will not mix up English and Russian words in a sentence. They will use sentence patterns, and include the words they   need   (Give

me a doll. Give me a bear, a ball, etc.,), though there is a tendency to continue the thought in Russian: Give me a bear, я буду с ним играть.

     This phenomenon does not occur in the elementary school. The children of primary classes are more careful in their speech. They use either English or Russian sentences. Their Russian speech habits are much stable. They do not learn a sentence only as a sense unit, but as a model, a stereotype to be used for building up other sentences by analogy.

     2. The imitative ability of pre-school children is better than that of school-children. They experience fewer difficulties in the assimilation of English pronunciation. Besides, they like to repeat sounds, words, and sentences. They try to pronounce in imitation of the teacher, and they usually succeed   in   imitating.   Teaching pronunciation   to   school children is also based on their imitative abilities though some explanation may be given. Thus, the teacher may not only show his pupils how to pronounce, but explain to the children how to produce this or that sound. For example, place the tongue a little bit back, while producing [a:] — car.

     The natural activity of a child of 5—6 is a play. He lives in a world of various games. Moreover, if the child helps grown-ups in doing a room, cleaning a garden, in dusting   chairs,   watering   plants, etc., he is playing because he pretends to be a grown-up. In teaching the English language to pre-school children the teacher must take this factor into consideration and suggest different games to them. This is one of the ways to make them learn words and sentences in a foreign language. Playing is, therefore, the best motivation for children to work at assimilating the language.

     A child of 7—9 likes playing very much as well. He can and must work hard, however, in overcoming the difficulties he encounters. He is taught to do many things: to read, write in the mother tongue, count, make various things of paper, etc. Therefore in teaching him English playing, though very important, is not the only means to encourage him to learn the language. Various exercises should be performed alongside. 
 
 
 

AIMS OF TEACHING. 

     The Ministry of Education has issued a draft programme on foreign languages for kindergartens. The aims and objectives of teaching a foreign language according to the programme are: to develop elementary skills in oral language, i. e., the understanding of the spoken language and talking in a foreign language. Learning a foreign language will stimulate the development of a child's intellect. As a result of learning a foreign language in the kindergarten pre-school children should be able (1) to understand orders and requests in a foreign language and little stories on familiar linguistic material within the topics of the programme; (2) to answer questions and use sentences connected with games and children's activities; (3) to recite little rhymes, sing songs, etc. 
 
 

CONTENT OF TEACHING. 

     Pre-school children must assimilate about 200—250 sentences, these sentences may include 100—150 words; learn 8—10 rhymes and little songs by heart.

The material is arranged in the following topics:

1 - greetings,  acquaintance, requests;

2 - games (the names of some toys, some words denoting actions with the toys, sentences the children say while playing);

3 - words (phrases)  and sentences connected with children's daily activities: washing, playing, laying the table, clearing up, going home;

4 - holidays, the names of some holidays, some sentences connected with children's preparation for the holidays.

     Pre-school children begin to learn the language at the age of 5—6. Children should have 4 periods a week, each lasting 25—30 minutes. 
 
 
 

METHOD AND TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN 

     In teaching English to pre-school children in the kindergarten the aural-oral method is used since spoken language is the aim, the only means, and the only approach available here. No speech is possible unless the speaker associates a word with the thing it denotes, or a sentence with the thought it expresses directly within the target language so the direct method is most natural here. It must be borne in mind, however, that the use of the method requires a careful, thorough selection of the material for the pupils to assimilate. Its amount for each lesson must be within the children's ability to retain the linguistic material the teacher introduces. The teacher must strictly follow the rule: "never pass to new material until your pupils have thoroughly assimilated the previous one". For example, at the English lesson the teacher tried to apply the direct method. The children were able to answer the teacher questions of the What is it? type.

Teacher: What is it?

Class: It is a book (a dog, a cat, a pen).

     The new material the teacher was going to present was a general question: Is it a pen (a dog, etc.)? What did the teacher do? She took a pen and holding it in her hand asked: Is it a pen? Seeing no response she repeated this question several times which did not help either. So the teacher was obliged to turn to Russian: Что я сказала? The children answered at once: Где ручка? Their answer was logically justified, because -they had learned What is if? question and now they naturally expected to learn the question with, где?. So the teacher had to translate this question and the questions following. Then she asked the children to repeat the question several times. The method did not work because it was applied in the wrong way. The teacher should have done the following if she wanted her pupils to understand the questions of that type directly. She should first ask and answer question herself: Is it a pen? Yes, it is. It is a pen. (She takes a pen.) Is it a pencil? Yes, it is. It is a pencil. (She takes a pencil.)

     Sometimes the method fails, however. And this is not usually due to its drawbacks as a method but to unskilled application, on the part of the teacher.

Is it a pen? No, it is not. It is a pencil. (She holds a pencil.)

Is it a pencil? (She takes a pen again.) No, it is not. It is a pen.

And so, children! Is it a pen? (She addresses the group.) Yes, it is. (The group answers.)..

     The pupils follow the teacher's questions and answers. They listen to her attentively and try to understand what she says. Time is not wasted as they listen to the spoken language and make efforts to understand it. Soon by their faces the teacher sees they have grasped the question. Then drill exercises are performed by the pupils to retain the new material.

     This example shows that in the hands of unexperienced teacher the method does not work. The use of the direct method requires skill and experience on the part of the teacher, more than that, his emotions and enthusiasm. If the teacher does not possess such qualities he had better not work with small children with whom' these qualities are a must.

     There are many techniques the teacher can use in teaching English to pre-school children, such as:

     1. Show me (him, her, Natasha, Nina) a doll  (a bear, flag, etc.). — The child the teacher calls on must show the object. In this way the teacher checks comprehension.

     2. Name the thing. — The teacher points to a thing, a child names the thing either with a single word (a doll, a car, a dog) or with a sentence (7/ is a dog; It is a doll; or This is a dog; That is a doll.). The pupils fulfill the teacher's request in turn. In this way the teacher checks both comprehension and reproduction, i.e., the children's ability to say a word or a sentence.

     3. Guess what it is. The teacher names some qualities of an object the children may see in their room. The children are to name this object in English. 

     Teacher: It is big and yellow and has no tail.

     Children: A bear (in chorus). 

     This exercise is very useful. It develops pupils' ability to analyse the situation given in a foreign language and to find the word required in their memory. The children's responses at the same time help the teacher check their progress in language learning (their knowledge of vocabulary and comprehension of English at hearing).

     4. Speak about an object. — The   teacher either shows some object or the child sees it in a picture. He says: It is a cat. The cat is black. I like it. It is nice (or, I don’t like it. It is ugly.). The children speak in turn. In this way the teacher develops their speech at the utterance level.

Answer the  questions. — The   teacher   asks   questions and the children answer them. These questions may be:

     Is it a ...?

     Have you a ...?

     Has he (she, Natasha ...) a ...?

     What is it?

     Where is the ...?

     What colour is the ...?

     Of course the questions are introduced gradually. The way the children answer shows the teacher how they have assimilated the material.

     6. Ask a question. — The teacher shows objects or pictures to the children. They ask questions in turn. This work is not so difficult, because they reproduce the models they have assimilated in listening to the teacher asking questions.

     7. Say a rhyme. — A child or children say a rhyme. Their recitation may be accompanied by some movements.

     8. Sing a song. —Children sing a song. Singing may be followed by dancing or some movements expressing the idea of this or that sentence in the song. 

     The programme on foreign languages for primary schools states:

     The aim of the foreign language lessons in primary schools is to develop pupils skills in understanding English speech and participating in conversation based on the topics covered. As a result of teaching children should be able:

     1. To understand the teacher’s speech, carry out the teacher's direction (instruction), understand short oral stories on the material and topics included in the programme.

     2. To ask and answer questions on the pictures.

     3. To use the sentences they learned during the lesson and know the. isolated words these sentences include.

     4. To recite a poem assimilated orally.

     5. To read words and sentences assimilated orally. 
 

     The content of teaching. Children must learn about 600—800 sentences and phraseological units and 350—500 word units.

The following topics are suggested:

1^st – 2^nd forms.

Room. Toys. Meals. Dressing. Going for a walk. (The topics are covered through playing shop and guests.)

3^rd form.

Family. Seasons. Nature. Animals. (They are covered through playing lotto.)

4^th form.

School. Sports. Joining the pioneer organization. Holidays. (Through playing during the lessons.)

     During the first two years pupils assimilate the language orally.

     (It is better to begin studying a foreign language with the 2nd form. The teacher begins with the 1st form provided there are pupils who studied the language in the kindergarten.)

     In the 3^rd and the 4^th forms they are taught to read.

     Flashcards and the alphabet in pictures should be widely used for teaching children to read.

The following plan of teaching is suggested:

1^st form: 5—20 min., 4—5 periods a week;

2^nd form: 25—30 min., 4 periods a week;

3^rd , 4^th forms: 40—45 min., 4 periods a week.

     The group should consist of 13—20 pupils.

     The method and techniques the teacher should use in teaching children of primary school are similar to those applied in teaching pre-school children, i. e., the aural-oral method, and various techniques which can develop pupils' listening comprehension and speaking. Games should be more complicated, for instance, the teacher can use lotto, dominoes, the game Check your answer and others. Guessing games can be widely used. Pupils are also given various exercises, connected with the situational use of words and sentence patterns. Various audio-visual aids and materials are to be used.

     Naturally English or any other foreign language can be taught in kindergartens and primary classes (except those in specialized schools) if parents want their children to learn the language, and they are ready to pay teacher for the lessons. 
 
 

Control questions: 

1. What’s teaching problem how to teach a foreign language to pre-school children?
2. What’s distinguishing between teaching pre-school children in the kindergarten and teaching children in primary grades in the elementary school.
3. What are aims of teaching?
4. What’s content of teaching?
5. What’s method of teaching pre-school children?
6. What are techniques of teaching pre-school children?

 

Recommended literature: 

1. Кудрицкая М.И. Методика работы с видеоматериалами на занятиях по практике речи английского  языка. АКД, Алматы, 2001.
2. Гальскова Н.Д. Современная методика обучения иностранным языкам., М., 2000.
3. Зимняя И.А. Психология обучения иностранным языкам в школе.- М., 1991.