The fifth lesson

SPEAKING MORE FREELY

 In this unit we learn how teachers can help children to speak for a longer time. 

 Firstly, when we work in a second language with very young learners we have to keep in mind the Cognitive development and language learning and for that it is necessary to choose a suitable topic which can be familiar or interesting to them, for example about festivals or cartoons. If it is the first time we can work with this theme we will introduce it with pictures or realia. On the contrary if they already know some things about it we explain two or three more. In any case we will begin with basic contents and step by step we will add others more complex.

 We can make different kinds of activities in order to develop the English oral skills, for example listing, rdering and sorting, matching, comparing, predicting and problem-solving, sharing personal experiences or creative works.

 As has been said in the above posts, if we want to get an effective learning in pupils we have to speak in English slowly, to repeat a lot, to listen them carefully, to reinforce their contributions, and also to provide them attractive activities which motivate them and where they learn something useful in their daily life.

 In addition in the second part Starting to speak freely-eliciting personal talk, they tell us that it is pretty positive talking about their families and personal life, because they love it and everyone wants to participate. To give an example if you talk about the family you can ask them about the brother or sisters which have each one and later introducing vocabulary about this topic (mother, father, grandparents,...) or if they have already acquired that contents you can compare or make a list about the differences between one and another.

 Furthermore, we can use Speaking games where children learn while they are playing, in this way they practice vocabulary, verbs or expressions about many different topics. We have a lot of things to carry out them (flashcards, balls, realia, ...) In these kinds of games, in which the whole class participates, we promote cooperative work and the knowledge of their peers.

  In nursery education we can make mime games about simple actions or vocabulary for instance imitating how walks a grandfather or actions like eat, sleep,...

  To end, in the last point Children speaking in groups they explain that not all children like speaking in public or in front of a big group, because they are shy. So we can provide them activities in smalls group or in pairs in order to benefit to the all children, and thus they get more confident and they will be at ease with the English. In this way the students have more opportunities to practice and there are many sorts of dynamics to do, for example looking for the differences between two pictures, imitating to somebody or something,...

 In my opinion, the methods and tips I have learnt in this unit are very useful for our future as teachers because they have shown us how pupils learn and many activities to meet the need and requirements of them. I think we can use them in primary and also in nursery education because they propose a methodology based in the learning in a funny and attractive way.


 See you on the next post!
  M.R.M.

The second lesson and my own flashcards.

                                                     LISTEN AND DO

 Good afternoon to everybody!

 This time, I'm going to tell you about the second lesson. In it, we´ve learnt how use "Listening and do". So we can give instructions in English to children like sit down, move around or stand up. Maybe at first they don´t understand us so much, thus It´s really important helping of our body language with gestures, for example.

 On other hand we could work "Listening and identifying", where pupils had to recognize and point several objects, clothes, colours, classroom furniture, and so forth, which teacher has mentioned.

 This is so positive, because they practise listening, improve vocabulary and they associate sound with the meaning itself. In addition, you can encourage good behaviour and introduce grammatical notions teaching them the singular and plural or the gender, for example with simple sentences: I have one pencil, María has two pencils.

 Furthermore, in nursery education we can´t forget Total Physical Response through "Listening and doing". Children must follow instructions are given by the teacher, so they love it because it´s like a game and they´re enjoying with that. 

 It's easy to understand for the reason that movement and language go together. You can choose between many kind of activities and use them in different situations: To follow the leader, to make a break, to work routines, to arrange the class, to work vocabulary,...

 Besides, we can work the mime, with Listening and performing/ miming  activities, for example using a topic that children know really well. So we will give them some instructions, depending on the progress or the level they will be more complex or easier, and then they must mime those actions. We can choose many real situations like a typical morning routine, songs, stories, chants, ...

 Or the Listening and responding games, where pupils need to pay attention while teacher is explaining and telling them they must do. For example games like "Simon says" or to identify if a thing is wrong or right.

 To end, in our lessons it is pretty important we speak slowly to children and repeat a lot, so they get understand all much better. And the other hand we must bear in mind that we can use the mother tongue in specifics situations when we need to explain an activity or to comfort a child, for example.

 In addition, i want to show you the flashcards i use in classroom in order to work and improve the pronunciation. Children can use and touch them, so I have decided to laminate the flashcards in order to avoid they can break them. So in this way I will be able to use them for a long time.

                                                   

  

 See you!

 M.R.M.

The First lesson and my English Icon.

   TEACHING YOUNG LEARNERS

Hi everyone!

   
  I'm Mariló and I'm studying Nursery Education at the University of Extremadura. 
  I've chosen to specialize in teaching English to very young learners.
  In this blog I'm going to tell you about a really good book which we are using in our classes and with it we are learning many things related with the teaching in the early childhood. 

  To begin, we´re working with the book "English for Primary Teachers", whose authors are Mary Slattery and Jane Willis.

In the first lesson, they tell us how is the learning in childhood and how we have to keep this in mind to teach and to improve the English in the pupils.

In addition the authors teach us greetings to Start our sessions in English and for that we can use routines about the weather, the date or to check the roll too. 

Also some forms of addressing them and several ideas to end our classes like singing a song because the learning will take place in a more natural, fun and effective way!

To organize the classroom for example giving some instructions in the same way that we make in our mother tongue and to asking permission when they need to go to the toilet.

As i have said before, to End the lessons we can put a song in the interactive display but also we can use some phrases to tell them that the class has ended, for instance, phrases with else (something else?) or with expressions like "That´s all for today" "Ok, now stop",....

Moreover they highlight the differences between teaching to Young Learners and Very Young Learners, being that we must speak pretty slowly and repeat a lot when we work in nursery education. And it is useful providing them fun activities where they have to touch and to feel the materials, because they will learn while they are playing.

And if we are beginning the course we can make dynamics where they introduce themselves to encourage the confidence and to know their peers.

By last, I want to show to you the icon which I use to work English in my classroom. It is a pink of England flag and when I wear it everyone has to speak in English.

See you round here soon!

 M.R.M.