Teaching Young Learners

INTRODUCTION

At the end of this unit you will be able to:

• analyse the differences between how adults and how children learn
• recognize the differences among the features of different stages of development of young learners
• use the classroom management strategies and teaching techniques and activities to make learning happen in your YL classroom

Who are the young learners?

We describe as ‘young learners’ children from pre-primary and primary school age and adolescents. Teaching English to young learners is a huge part of the TEFL profession due to a variety of reasons:

• English has developed into an international language and more and more parents all over the world see in their children’s learning of English better life opportunities for the future;
• There are many multilingual countries and English is a medium of instruction, as children are taught not only English but other subjects in English as preparation for examinations (for secondary schools or universities); eg the International Baccalaureate.
• In many mono-lingual countries we can notice an ever increasing number of bilingual schools where the instruction is carried out in both the students’ native tongue and a foreign language, especially English.

The age the children start learning English varies a lot. The starting age varies according to the countries’ educational systems and the ambitions of the children’s parents. In many countries of the world the obligatory starting age for learning English in state schools is seven or eight, but parents often request the private schools to organize lessons for learners of even younger ages. Nowadays, it is very usual to three or for year olds running in the hallways of private schools, singing and doing drama in English.

The researchers have not agreed yet on the optimal age for learning a foreign language: while some argue that the sooner the learner starts the better, others are of the opinion that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. Moreover, learners who start later soon catch up. However, many institutions, both public and private, will continue to provide English classes, often just for a few hours a week. Such classes demand a methodology that meets the special characteristics and needs of young learners.