PEDAGOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING YOUNG LEARNERS

RUBINI SELLAPPANUMA MAGESWARY BATHMANATHAN

Factors That Influence Learning For Young Learners

Factors That Motivate/ Demotivate Young Learners

OXFORD ADVANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY

Pedagogy =>The study of teaching methods

pedagogical =>Concerning teaching methods

http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/teacher/teac4.html

Content pedagogy refers to the pedagogical (teaching) skills teachers use to impart the

specialized knowledge/content of their subject area(s).

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE LEARNING OF YOUNG LEARNERS

TEACHERS’ ROLE As DIRECTOR AND MANAGER

• create a warm, stimulating atmosphere in which the students will feel secure and confident

• It is very IMPORTANT for learners to feel very much at home with both their teachers and fellow-learners

• choose a wide variety of materials and teaching techniques

• organize the class

COUNSELOR AND A LANGUAGE RESOURCE

• provide the learners with the necessary input in order to foster understanding of the relation between language and communication

• must modify and simplify her/ his language according to the needs arising in each communicative situation, and to the grammatical competence and language proficiency of the students.

• should resort to miming and facial expressions

• provide enough remedial work, in order to eradicate students' errors

• ENCOURAGE learners -to develop their own learning strategies and techniques-to discover the answers to their own questions.

A MODEL• should promote a wide range of

behaviours and psychological and social relationships such as solidarity and politeness

• the teacher should help learners to negotiate meaning in the target language through his own active participation in it

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BOOK

• The most difficult and most important part of teaching literature.

• "It is all very well to point out the advantages of teaching literature but the key to success in using literature depends primarily on the works selected." Radhika O'Sullivan (1991)

• If the selection is too easy - students will feel bored

• If the selection is too difficult - students will feel frustrated.

GUIDELINES• When evaluating potential books,

look at:

• The length and complexity of the story-Simple short stories with repetitive language

• Does the book look overwhelming? Type that is too small, or too many words on a page, can intimidate young students.

The level of vocabulary. - If students know less than 75% - 80% of the vocabulary, they may lose confidence in their ability to understand the story.

• Illustrations should be:- - interesting - help students to understand both the vocabulary and the story

• Finally, select a book that you think you will ENJOY.

PREPARATION TO TEACH

Lesson Planning

• Before you start designing worksheets and wordlists, make sure that you know where you're going.

• Think about the teaching objective• Consider how much time you have to

spend with the book • Create a plan so that you have a systematic

approach in mind as you design materials.

Allow Enough Time• Spending enough time with the book

is very important.• In order for young students to fully absorb an

English language book, they must interact with it extensively.

EXAMPLE:• Dr. Seuss's The Foot Book contains 131 words, 47

of which are the word feet or foot, yet spending five or six hours on a simple book like this is appropriate with young, beginning learners.

• More advanced young learners need plenty of time.

• They were never bored, in fact, their enthusiasm for the book seemed to increase in proportion to the time they spent studying it.

• “Many children are not tired of practicing a repetitive and rhythmic text several times a day.” (Sabrina Peck, 2003)

Use What You Find• Look for features of the book that you

can highlight in the classroom.

EXAMPLE:• We're Going on a Bear Hunt, is a

book based on a popular children's summer camp song

• Can be used to teach vocabulary -nature (forest, river, cave, mud, snowstorm) and - prepositions (over, under, through).

Workbook

• The workbook need be nothing more than a collection of papers stapled together

• On the first day of teaching a new book- allow students to illustrate the covers of their own workbooks

• This can provide a personal connection to the story at the outset of their study

• You can use the pages as a place for students to draw artistic responses to the story.

• For example, if they have learned "house, mouse, train, rain" in class

- the lesson wrap-up may include time for them to draw a picture featuring the vocabulary words and label them

Flashcards

• Assign different key vocabulary words to different students and have them help make flashcards.

• You can collect and laminate the drawings and use them for various activities in follow up lessons.

Cassette Tape/ CD

• Many books are available with a companion cassette tape, which often includes versions of the story set to music or with sound effects

• The story set to music is more entertaining for students

TEACHING IDEAS Sequencing Activities

• Young learners in particular need a very active classroom and variety of activities throughout the lesson.

• Ten minutes is probably the maximum length of time you can expect students of this age to focus their attention before you need to change gears.

• The following approach is one that works very well:

• Sing. -Students sing, recite, or read a passage from the story in teams.

• Listen. -Students listen to the story from beginning to end.

• Dance.- Students get out of their chairs for some physical activity-acting out the actions from the story

• Draw. -Students illustrate new vocabulary

• Types of Activities

• Listen to the story and read along.• Listen to the story and put illustrations

depicting parts of the story in order.• Read the book silently.• Read the book to a partner, then switch.• Write a portion of the story in the

workbook.

• Answer (or practice asking) simple who, what, when, where, and why questions about the story.

• Speed reading game. – Call out a word from the text, then let students

race to find it. The first one to find it reads the sentence aloud.

• Have students display the flashcards they made, let them be the teacher and ask the class, "What is this?"

• Make up a dance or do actions to the words of the story.

• Do a verbal fill-in-the-blank exercise.- As you read, stop at random and have students shout out what word comes next.

• Recite what they have memorized in teams.

THE PUPILS

• LOCATION: URBAN/RURAL

Urban pupils- have more exposure to English- more opportunities to hear it being used and use it themselves

Rural pupils-limited exposure

• LEARNING ABILITY: ‘SLOW’, ‘AVERAGE’, ‘FAST’/ ‘HIGH-FLYERS’

‘SLOW LEARNERS’- lower intelligence scores- need more time in learning- need individual attention and assistance

‘AVERAGE PUPILS’

- form the majority in schools

- have no extraordinary talents or skills

- they are great individuals differences in their

needs, interests and experiences

- generally, classroom activities are designed for the

‘average’ as they make up the majority of the class

‘FAST LEARNERS’ or ‘HIGH-FLYERS’- intelligent and capable- obtain high scores in aptitude and intelligence - very motivated and creative

- awareness of the pupils’ background

- Cognitive and learning styles, already acquired through mother tongue, may influence foreign language learning.

CHILDREN’S WILL

• If children's will to learn English is STRONG - easy to teach them - the learning process will goes well - understand what we teach

• If children’s will to learn English is WEAK or DO NOT HAVE WILL to learn English

- difficult to teach them - children will hardly get and understand what we teach

PSYCHOLOGY CONDITIONS

• If children psychology conditions is GOOD or BETTER

- their learning process will be good- can learn English well - can get and understand what we teach

• In contrary, if their psychology conditions is NOT GOOD OR BAD

- their learning process will not goes well - will not understand what we teach to them - will ignore what we teach to them

FAMILY

• strong and important factor.• This factor also has strong relation with two factors

above (children’s will & psychological condition)• Family member who can understand English

and teach English, the learning process will going well. – They will be HELPED in learning process.

• When they go home after the school, they can ask and tell what they have learned and what they understand about English in school.

• The family member who has knowledge English also can ask them to practice what they have learned and teach them again about English.

• More than one family who can understand English and have knowledge of English, they will get more knowledge of English and their learning process will going better and may be they can make progress in learning.

ENVIRONMENT

• If they were born and raised in a conducive environment, they will learn English well.

• It is also good if the people of that environment have knowledge of English or the environment use English in communication. – It will help children in learning English.

• However, if they were born and raised in not a conducive environment, their learning process will not goes well and it can even be worse.

• It is good if they were born and raised in environment which people on them do not have English knowledge AS LONG AS that environment is a conducive environment.

• However, if the environment is not a conducive environment, it can affect children learning process and it can even be worse if they learn the negative side from the environment.

AFFECTIVE FACTORS• An atmosphere that fosters and promotes

confidence and emotional stability will produce better students.

• Harmony in the classroom helps relieve tension and keeps the door to language processing open.

• If the students feel rejected -will withdraw from the educational process

• "the content of materials for classroom use as well as classroom practices should be compatible with the affective variables influencing learners"

LEARNERS' NEEDS AND INTERESTS

• important role in language learning.

• Depends on the methods and techniques that teachers use in class

EXTRINSIC FACTORS

• Infrastructure and limited school budgets

EXAMPLE:the school has no lighting or heatingclassrooms are packed with a great

number of studentslimited or no access to school

libraries

• Seating arrangements in the classroomEXAMPLE :Desks are arranged in such a way that

students look towards the teacher rather than their classmates- learners and teachers are unable to interact through role-play and other activities

inhibits conversation between students

• Desks are arranged in a circle or in groups or pairs- learners are provided with the opportunity to develop warm and constructive interpersonal relationships

• "semi-circle" layout-encourages individual participation

-better than rows

• "committee table" setting-emphasized the group over individuals by bringing all people together

• Other types of table setting

FACTORS THAT MOTIVATE YOUNG LEARNERS

Creative teaching approach and suitable supplemental activities

• PICTURE BOOKS

- the pictures offer the students a way to understand what the teacher is reading

- Understand other cultures

- Pictures can elicit students' interest, excitement and discussion

- It help students master the vocabulary and grammar as well as the four language skills:

:- reading

:- writing

:- listening

:- speaking

• Folktales: Repetitive Sentence Patterns, Rhythmic Refrains, and Predictable

- folktales usually contain repetitive language patterns, phrases, or questions, refrains, strong rhythm and rhyme

For example:

- repetitive patterns

- can be the schema for students'comprehension of the

children's stories

- predict the actions in the plot (ending)

- easy for students to remember the vocabulary and

grammatical structures contained in them

- help them be familiar with sound patterns

- increase their listening ability

• The repetitive pattern in The Gingerbread Man:

I've run away from a little old woman, a little old man, and a cow...

I've run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, and a horse.

• Three Little Pigs:Little Pig, Little Pig, let me come in! Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!

• The Three Billy Goats Gruff Trip, trap;Trip, trap;Trip, trap," went Little Billy Goat Gruff's hooves on the bridge.

• Teaching Three Little Pigs by Using Multiple Techniques

presenting the picture bookusing flash cards showing sentence stripesplaying puppets for story drama, playing the

chosen story CD reading aloud role play choral speaking/chanting, and singing songs with

action

The Folktale: Three Little PigsExcerpt One:

One, two, three, the three little pigs.One, two, three, the three little pigs.House, house, a new house,I want to build a new house.Straw, straw,Dog has some straw.Straw, straw,Please give me some straw.I want to build a house of straw.

Excerpt Two:

One, two, three, the three little pigs.One, two, three, the three little pigs.House, house, a new house,I want to build a new house.Sticks, sticks,Goat has some sticks.Sticks, sticks,Please give me some sticks.I want to build a house of sticks.

• Excerpt Three: One, two, three, the three little pigs.One, two, three, the three little pigs.House, house, a new house,I want to build a new house.Bricks, bricks,Bear has some bricks,Bricks, bricks,Please give me some bricks.I want to build a house of bricks.

TEACHERS’ ROLE

• Select activities and materials that are relevant and interesting to the students

• Motivating students by setting a variety of suitable and interesting task

• The personality, attitude, and teaching styles of a teacher can increase or diminish students’ interest

• The teacher plays a supportive role

• Gives information and imparting knowledge

• Providing guidance and helping students

• Encouraging students by giving praise(‘that’s a good answer’, ‘very interesting’)

- This give students satisfaction

- Consistently receive feedback (about their progress as well as their performance in classroom activities)

- students who experience success and receive

praise will be more motivated to participate in the activities that are carried out in the classroom

FACTORS THAT DEMOTIVATE

YOUNG LEARNERS

TEACHERS’ AUTHORITY

• keeps on blaming the students for their aberrant behaviour and "unsatisfactory" performance

• hardly ever bothers to make a probe of the students' cognitive, emotional and psychological background

• paralinguistic features as facial expressions and bodily position in the classroom -may exert an immensely negative influence on the student's cognition

• Experiments have proved that four bodily positions of the teacher :-

- left /right, front / back, elevated / non-elevated, and standing / seated, have each been associated with a certain degree of social dominance

EXAMPLE:

• a teacher who, most of the time in class, is standing, elevated and occupies the foreground on the right side-is perceived to be dominant

• The data indicated that 75% of the time the elevated person was perceived as dominant and only 29% of the time the non-elevated person was considered so.

• Similarly 61% of the time the standing person was perceived as dominant (Schwartz, Tesser and Powel, 1981)

REFERENCES

• http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Wu-TeachingFolktales.html • http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Brown-ChildrensLit.html• http://www.englishclub.com/tefl-articles/classroom.htm• http://funwithyounglearners.blogspot.com/2011/06/fact

ors-which-influence-children.html• http://

www.change.freeuk.com/learning/howteach/brief2.html• Nesamalar Chitravelu,Saratha Sithamparam, The Soo

Choon (2005) ELT Methodology Principles and Practice, Oxford Fajar

THANK YOU…&

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