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Małgorzata Winciorek, 2019-06-18
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Język angielski, Rady

Principles in teaching EFL to young learners

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As Scott and Ytreberg (1991) claim, when it comes to foreign language learning some questions still remain unanswered .So far a universal pattern of language learning with which everybody agrees has not been found yet. What seems to be clear is that most eight to ten year of age pupils have some sort of language awareness and readiness which they bring into the foreign language classroom.
According to Strevens (1977) young children about 6-13 years of age display different characteristics from older learners. They bring an initial enthusiasm and assumption of success; they learn unselfconsciously; they are not inhibited from making errors in the presence of other learners. Than again, they have a short attention-span; become quickly fatigued and are easily affected by the relations with the teacher as she/he is the most important person for the young learner.
Seven main principles in teaching English to young learners have been prepared by Mary Lou McCloskey (2002) as a guide for teachers.
• Offer learners enjoyable, active roles in the learning experience
For young children, active involvement in the construction of concepts is essential. Children must be provided input in child appropriate ways and be offered many opportunities to use language purposefully as language develops.
• Help students develop and practice language through collaboration.
Children are social learners. Teachers should not only supply learners with vocabulary and needed structures but also provide opportunities to communicate.
• Use multi-dimensional, thematically organized activities.
Thematic organization and multiple dimensions offer opportunities to cycle and recycle related language and concepts.
• Provide comprehensible input with scaffolding.
Provide rich yet comprehensible input with clues, offer tasks and concept that children can accomplish with little instruction or support.
• Integrate language with content.
Children in L2 (second-language) classrooms should encounter the same concepts that they do in L1 (first language) classrooms but with new labels, both reinforcing the content-area learning and facilitating the new language learning because it is based on what children already know.
• Validate and integrate home language and culture.
As language educators, teachers can help young learners use their knowledge and learning experiences of their home language to expand their learning in a second language.
• Provide clear goals and feedback on performance.
Teachers must establish clear language and content goals for learners and provide them with feedback on their progress toward those goals.
It is vital to understand children’s cognitive development and use the most appropriate teaching techniques in order to facilitate young learners’ acquisition and learning of the foreign language in the classroom environment.
Reference:
Scott W. A. and Ytreberg H. L. (1991) Teaching English to Children, London and New York:
Longman.
Shortall, T. (2001), Distinctions and Dichotomies: Artificial and Authentic. English Teaching
Professional,
Strevens, P. (1977 ), New orientations in the teaching of English. London: Oxford University
Press

Written by mgr Małgorzata Winciorek
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