English Language Teaching and Learning: A Number of Considerations Concerning Young Learners
Ashok K. Saini, Saudi Arabia
Dr. Ashok K. Saini is faculty in the Department of English Language & Literature, Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His large number of articles and research papers are published in different International journals and magazines besides this his dozens of books are published both in India and abroad as well. He is associated as board of editors with Indian Journal of Comparative Literature & Translation Studies, An International Journal of Literature, Culture & Translation, The Literary Herald, an International refereed e-journal of English language and literature and International Journal of Education, Psychology and Social Sciences, published in Zilina, Slovakia.
E-mail: wtite2saini@gmail.com
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Introduction
Objectives
Background to language learning
Activity one: True and false
National Curriculum Framework (NCF) – 2005
The objectives of language teaching
Let’s talk about some basic issues concerning teaching of English
Hearing comes first to any child in learning the language
Words and structures
From Hearing to Listening
Learners need exposure to lots of meaningful and understandable language
In the classroom
From ‘heard’ to ‘seen’ English
How to make use of word cards?
Using children’s previous knowledge
Task based language teaching
Activity: Conducting a survey - writing skill
Some activities and tasks
Conclusion
References
Language is not merely a resource of communication; this is besides a means in the course of which a large amount of our comprehension is attained. This is an organization that, to a large degree, structures the reality around us. Language acquirements involve practice of scientific enquiry such as scrutiny of statistics, taxonomy and cataloging, proposition configuration and its authentication. This research paper attempts to delineate and outline some of the deep-seated phases of language erudition and the beginner.
- To help the instructor and learner to understand the nature of language and learning a language.
- To acquaint the instructor and learner with the up to date trends in language education, particularly second language education and objectives of language teaching.
- To sensitise instructor and learner about whole language perspective using various strategies to language teaching and learning.
- To exemplify how English language classroom could integrate different skills.
As we know very well that children learn their mother tongue devoid of any severe endeavor to become skilled at it. They attain it in nature way, (not so consciously). Linguists call this innate Language Faculty. Children are born with inherent language ability. A lot of children become confident users of not just one nevertheless two or three languages by the time they are three or four years old. Not only this, they in addition know the language they should use in a given milieu. Mind-set and stimulus of learners often play a vital role in all language learning. Correspondingly, the attitudes of the teacher and parental back-up may contribute to triumphant language learning. Although learning a language as a second or third language is dissimilar from acquiring the mother tongue a) given ample experience, children will attain latest languages with ease; and (b) the focus in teaching should be more on meaning than grammar.
| Based on the above discussion say whether the following statements are true or false and also say why? |
- Language learning is not content learning.
- Children need exposure to language to learn or acquire it well.
- Given opportunity children can learn many languages with ease.
- One can enter into a meaningful conversation with a four year old child on the theme / idea of his / her contexts.
- While teaching-learning of a second language, the focus should be on meaning rather than form.
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NCF 2005 recommends a more holistic perspective on language proficiency. After all, when we are Speaking, we are also simultaneously Listening and when we are Writing, we are also Reading in a variety of ways. And then there are many situations (e.g. friends reading a play together and taking notes for its production) in which all the skills in conjunction with a variety of other cognitive abilities are used together.
These are:
- Competence to understand what they hear: They should be skilled at listening and understanding in a non-linear fashion by making connections and drawing inferences.
- Ability to read with comprehension: They should be able to construct meaning construct meaning by drawing inferences and relating the text with their previous knowledge. They must also develop the confidence of reading the text with a critical eye and posing questions while reading.
- Effortless expression: They should be able to employ their communicative skills in a variety of situations and they must be able to engage in a discussion in a logical, analytical and creative manner.
- Coherent writing: The learner should develop the confidence to express their thoughts effortlessly and in an organized manner. They should be able to use writing for a variety of purposes and in a variety of situations ranging from informal to very formal. This is possible only if the learners’ writings are seen as a process and not as a product. Children tend to improve their own output when they are given sufficient freedom and time to edit what they have written. Language teachers are encouraged to look at errors as stages in the process of learning.
- Creativity: In a language classroom, a student should get ample space to develop her imagination and creativity. Classroom ethos and teacher-student relationship build confidence in the latter to use her creativity in text transaction and activities uninhibitedly.
- Sensitivity: Language classroom and texts have a lot of scope to make students of make students sensitive towards their surroundings, their neighbours, and their nation.
How should we start our English language class with children who begin to learn the language?
- We will begin with letters of the alphabet A/a, B/b, C/c, D/d, E/e…
- We will make children write first.
- We will show the letters first then…..
- We will find mother tongue equivalents to each letter of the alphabet.
Every teacher encounters such questions when s/he starts teaching children who enter school. There is a textbook and there are children. The teacher has to introduce the language to the new group of learners. How is it possible when no one has ever taught him/her the language? It is because:
- The child got him/herself familiarised with the language through oral means.
- No one introduced him/her to letters of the alphabet first then to words and then sentences…
- They heard people speaking, associated with something to understand and then attempted to speak. So...
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So let us ensure oral introduction to the language before they are made to read and write. Language is primarily a means of communication by speech, a means which is extended by reading and writing. The billion dollar question would be- How to begin orally? And how long this Oral Only Approach should go on?
Having agreed to introduce English orally first to our learners, you feel that the learners need to see the English language and speak. There is no time frame for how long the ‘Only Oral Exposure’ should continue, may be only for a short period, and may be for long.
Let’s reflect: How should I introduce English orally to my students?
- By introducing the letter of the alphabet
- Words
- A set of words / phrases
- Complete sentences
- Rhymes, songs, stories
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Teacher knows the familiar words of things, places and persons that children know in their contexts in their language from their life experiences. Teacher also knows what is foreign or strange that children cannot connect with their previous knowledge and experiences. Use (English) words of things, places, and persons from the life of children. The pictures of objects should be shown when the words are heard by children. Use concrete and countable things first, not abstract and uncountable nouns. Textbooks will have such things in the beginning.
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Ear training is an unconscious process going on in almost every moment of the lesson, but it needs a more conscious addition which can be given in this way. Let us see how this can be bilingual. The teacher says the words and phrases in English, the class listens and then given the mother tongue equivalent. Choose words, phrases or sentences very carefully.
(1) A box – books; a pen – a pin; my hand – your hand; my hand –your head;
In each pair of words, especially the first two pairs, the ability to distinguish by ear between the different sounds need patient training.
(2) A key - keys; a chair – two chairs; a watch – watches;
Here the purpose is to learn to distinguish between singular and plural.
Comprehensible input refers to meaningful oral and written language somewhat above the learners’ current level of mastery. Such input allows for the acquisition of grammar and vocabulary, which, in turn, makes exposure to additional input more comprehensible. Mere exposure to language is insufficient. Learners must take notice of key features in order for comprehensible input to be beneficial. Although such input is necessary, it is sufficient, as discussed in the next section on opportunities for interaction.
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Several classroom-teaching strategies derive from the idea of comprehensible input:
- Teachers should expose their students to listening and reading material that are somewhat above their current language proficiency levels.
- Students should be asked to understand the material, not merely to reproduce it.
- Teachers should focus the students’ attention on key grammar and vocabulary items.
- Students should be asked to guess the meaning of the input based on their prior knowledge of the topic, and on other known words and concepts within the text.
- Teachers should try to create situations within and outside the classroom that expose students to sources of comprehensible input. (Ellis, R. 1988; Krashen, S. 1982; Lightbown, P. & Spada, N., 1993)
We know very well that letters of the alphabet of our (Indian) languages are different from English. We need to familiarize our children with the appearance before they are taught the formation of the English letters. How should it be done? Do you have any guesses or clues? Let us discuss and do it:
| How can we familiarise our children with the appearance of the letters of alphabet of English? |
- By teaching them to write strokes first
- Then teaching the formation of a-A, b-B, c-C,
- _________________________________________
- _________________________________________
- _________________________________________
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When children begin to see English, it has to be those words that they are orally familiar with and those words of names that they know in their real life situations. So let children see the known words written on the blackboard by the teachers, words cards (either printed or drawn).
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The word cards contain pictures and the word is already heard by children. We need to be very careful when we introduce children to see English. Though we intend to introduce a particular word to children, say for example the word, a cat or a book, we actually say in a structure.
A Word Chart: When all the letters of the alphabet have been introduced in words, a chart can be made and displayed, containing words using the whole alphabet. Ensure that children know letters and learn to associate the sound with the corresponding letters.
An Alphabet Chart: Time has now come to systematise knowledge of the alphabet, so the word chart can be replaced by full-fledged alphabet chart. The alphabet chart is displayed with letters of the alphabet followed by the letter as used in a word. Let children have ample opportunities to see the letters and their use in words.
Structure Cards: Children have now been familiarised with the sounds of the letters (orally) and have seen them and are in a position to write. Let us spend some more time in introducing simple structures to children so that their familiarity with the language gets strengthened. Structure cards will be of much use for the purpose.
Reading by Sight: Now we can introduce in a limited way the scene of words which have not been heard and whose meanings are not known. Since English is not a phonetic language, it will be of much use if preparatory training for reading is given to children. Minimal pairs and their associations could be established.
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Children know at least one language and already have their learning experiences (three to four years) as they enter the school. They speak a language and understand things, objects and persons around them. Second language learning, should use the learners’ previous knowledge and connect their life experiences with the learning of new language. It would be a natural process for effective learning.
It will be difficult for a child in Uttarakhand to understand the word ‘dessert’ and how a camel lives. But it is quite natural for same child to understand easily the words - ‘tea’ ‘rain’ ‘cow’ ‘buffalo’. Our lessons to beginners should use such words, phrases, names and experiences from the child’s environment.
In spite of concentrated efforts by language pedagogues and curriculum designers to design syllabus and teaching-learning materials process based, we still see much of the materials in English language teaching and classroom operations tend to be ‘form based’ where the Present- Practice – Produce (PPP) model is still very popular. The form-based approaches analyse the language into an inventory of forms, which can then be presented to the learner and practised as a series of discrete items. There is an assumption that there is a direction relationship between ‘input’ and ‘intake’ that what is presented can be mastered directly and will as a result of that master, become part of learner’s usable repertoire (Dave Willis and Jane Willis (2001). Let us now see an extrapolative activity.
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Step I: Study the following questionnaire and discuss the point in small groups.
| A Home is a place where | Yes | No | Don’t know |
| • You feel secure and happy | | | |
| • You can be alone | | | |
| • You can keep all your things | | | |
| • You can bring up a family | | | |
| • You can invite friends / relatives | | | |
| • You can make a noise if you want to | | | |
| • You can do whatever you like | | | |
| • You are at peace | | | |
| • You can look after your parents | | | |
| • You receive and give love | | | |
Step II: Collect information. Contact people in the school / you locality and put these questions to them. Tick mark (X) their answer in the relevant column.
Step III: Analyse the result in the group asking:
- How many people think that a home is a place where you feel secure and happy?
- How many people think that a home isn’t a place where you feel secure and happy?
- How many people don’t know about it?
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Step IV: Present a brief oral report on the result of the survey before writing the final report. Use phrases such as the following
- Most people think that …...……
- Few people think that….............
- Hardly anyone thinks that ...
- No one thinks that……..........….
The above task enables learners to initiate, manipulate, use and reuse, modify and correct language in an uncontrolled way. Learners are guided, not simply given to carry out activities. The focus is on ‘use’ of language not on the form as learners are enabled to use the language. Prabhu (1987) and Stern (1992) identify three board task types: information gap, reasoning gap and problem-solving. These include:
I. Give and follow instructions;
II. Gather and exchange information;
III. Solve problems;
IV. Give informal talks in the classroom;
V. Take part in role play and drama activities.
Thus task would enable learners to use the language in natural situations and contexts.
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- Keeping their diary every day. They may write in a notebook giving date and time. Teacher may help at the initial stage.
- A two minutes speech by students (on turn) every day to the whole class on the topic of relevance to the time and students. Reading out some headlines followed by a bit of information about the headlines in the assembly or in classroom.
- Interviewing classmates about their eating habits or favourite actor / person and writing a report.
- Playing the game of dump charade (one acts, others tell the class in English)
- Watching a play / an episode of a serial on TV and tell the class or write the summary of the same in English.
- Story telling with emotion- whole class story reading and choral reading.
- Playing roles in context / real life situation.
www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/chinese-new-year
Thus we can estimate that language is learnt as a whole, in natural settings and in a holistic manner. Expose the learners to listening and reading materials / text (somewhat above their current language proficiency level). Language learning is meaningful when the rules of the language are learnt not so consciously. Students should be asked to understand the material, not merely reproduce it. Ask students to guess the meaning of the text (input) based on their prior knowledge of the topic / idea, and on the other hand, words and concepts within the text. Connect the classroom with their daily life. Encourage your students to work in pairs and small groups, with the teacher serving as a facilitator, helping the child. Employ activities in which students have to solve problems and each child contributes information, ideas and language structures. Design tasks related to students’ needs and interest so as to motivate them and sustain their interest.
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Please check the Methodology & Language for Kindergarten Teachers course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Methodology & Language for Primary Teachers course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Creative Methodology for the Classroom course at Pilgrims website.
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