THE GREAT PLEBEIAN COLLEGE

Don Pedro Reinoso Street, Poblacion, Alaminos City, Pangasinan

TEACHING ENGLISH
FOR ELEMENTARY
GRADES
Prepared by:

ARNOLD LEAND F. BATUL, MeD

College Instructor (Part-time)
Contact details: arnoldleand.batul@deped.gov.ph
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TO THE STUDENTS

The flow of this course uses a mix of modular, asynchronous (not live/own time), and
synchronous (live/real-time) learning activities. This course will have regular weekly assignments
due, scheduled live class sessions (via web conferencing), weekly text discussions via the course
discussion forums, as well as readings and course materials that each of student is required to keep
on top of each week. This is not a self-paced course. Each student must manage their own time each
week, to know when assignments are due, and any other weekly course obligations, and all students
move through the course together each week. This will involve regularly logging into the google
classroom to check forums, communications, monitor your email address, and virtually interact with
classmates, team members, instructors, and course materials.
Therefore, the teacher/instructor suggests that you do the following when you are studying this
module:
1. Go over the chapter outline and then read the preliminary pages
2. Study the lesson proper
3. Understand the illustrative examples
4. Perform and answer the assessments
5. Supplement your knowledge by referring to other materials, if needed.
6. Do not get your answers directly from the internet. Give yourself a chance to experience
independently the thrill of authentic learning.
7. Always read the directions carefully before doing any task.
8. For questions and clarifications email me: arnoldleand.batul@deped.gov.ph.Don`t forget to
greet and introduce yourself. God bless! More of this will be discussed on our first virtual
meeting.
9. Enjoy this module! Happy learning!

Always remember !
 If you encounter any difficulty in answering the activities in this module, do not hesitate
to consult your instructor or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not alone.
 We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and gain
deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

Know This !
This module will give you various topics which are made suitable to you as college learners. This
will help you gain competencies needed your field of specialization.
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COURSE OVERVIEW

The modern teacher is facing a lot of challenges in the modern classroom. The
teacher’s role has already changed dramatically in the last few years from being the sole
source of information to facilitator of learning. This becomes even more difficult for teachers
who are teaching English to elementary grades. This course aims to equip you with the
nature of K to 12 Curriculum in English to how to design assessments for learners. This
course will also give an emphasis to English as a second language with main focus on
language teaching methodologies to improve knowledge and fluency in the English
language in listening, reading, writing, speaking, and viewing. Use of content in the
structures of English and Children’s Literature in English will be included. Project-based,
task-based learning activities shall be considered.

Contents of the Module

MODULE 2
Cover Page 1
To the Students 2
Course Overview 3
Table of Contents 3
Learning objectives 4
Unit 1: The K to 12 English Curriculum 5
Unit 2: The Learners in the Eyes of K to 12 Curriculum 13
Unit 3: Goals of the K to 12 Curriculum 18
Unit 4: Components of the K to 12 English Curriculum 24
References 28
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MODULE 1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this learning module, you are expected to:

1. Discuss the rationale of English education in the Philippines;

2. develop your own understanding of teaching English in the elementary grades;
3. describe the characteristics of the target learners of the K to 12 Curriculum
4. reflect on the ways the learners could be taught in K to 12 Curriculum
5. explain the major goals of K to 12 English Curriculum
6. analyze the curricular goals;
7. identify strategies in order to attain the curricular goals;
8. enumerate the components of the K to 12 English Curriculum;
9. explain how each of these components to the overall framework of the curriculum; and
10. analyze each components’ implementation in the curriculum.
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UNIT 1: THE K to 12 ENGLISH CURRICULUM PHILOSOPHY,
FRAMEWORK AND RATIONALE

Republic Act 10533 entitled An Act Enhancing the Philippines Basic Education
System by Strengthening its Curriculum and Increasing the Number of Years for
Basic Education, Appropriating Funds Therefor and Other Purposes, also known as
the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, firmly grounds the implementation of the
K to 12 Curriculum in the Philippines. With it, came several changes in the way
teaching and learning are done in the country. The teaching of English is no
exception. The curriculum is an embodiment of how the nation wishes to address its
needs and achieve its aspirations through its people. In this lesson, you will learn
about the K to 12 English curriculum framework, the philosophy behind it, and its
rationale.

What made human civilization possible is language. As a tool, we use it to

express complex and abstract ideas in order for us to cooperate, create ideas, and
preserve them. The K to 12 English Curriculum or the Language Arts and
Multiliteracies Curriculum views language as the “primary instrument of thought
which we use to bring our ideas into the world around us and make meaning out of the
human experience.

Rules of a language refer to the principles that govern word formation, syntax,
pronunciation, and several other features of the language. It may also refer to the
conventions facilitate the way language users construct meaningful utterances to
grammar or the so called “correct” or conventional forms of the language. These
convey ideas. These rules differ from one language to another as they are defined by
the people using the language, at the same time how the conventions change over
time. However, leaners of a second language need to familiarize themselves with
these conventions for them to converse in the language in meaningful ways.

As language is used by people to convey everyday ideas, it also carries with it

the culture of the people using it. Guessabi (2017) points out that “culture is a
language itself.” As such, meanings of a particular language carry with it the meaning
that refers to more than the language, but also to the culture that uses that language.
Learning a language therefore is not only to read, speak, and write in another
language, but to learn of another culture. This understanding of language also
consequently comes with the understanding of society. Through interaction with
members of the society, language evolves and

becomes richer. Learning another language enables one to take part as a member of a
larger speech community, creating a bigger world for the learner. Such understanding
in turn makes one understand ones’ self and establishes personal identity, wherein one
can have a better grasp of one’s role in the community and in the larger society.

This view establishes language as the “foundation of human relationships” from

which we draw meaning in life. The K to 12 English Curriculum recognizes this
power of language as to make people come together. Learning a language establishes
an understanding of the users of the language, opening the bigger world for the
leaners. Furthermore, greater understanding of the language also enables the learners
to be a functional contributor to the development of the community to which he or she
belongs.
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The following principles guide the K to 12 English Curriculum:

 All languages are interrelated and independent.

 Language acquisition and learning is an active process that begins at birth and
continues throughout life.
 Learning requires meaning.
 Learners learn about language and how to use it effectively through their
engagement with and study of texts.
 Successful language learning involves viewing, listening, reading, and writing
activities. Language learning involves recognizing, accepting, valuing, and
building on learners’ existing language competence, including the use of
nonstandard forms of the language, and extending the range of language
available to learners.

Below is the framework of the K to 12 English Curriculum

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ACTIVITY 1
Research and Experience: Search the DepEd website for a copy of the K to 12
English Curriculum (2016 version and 2020 version (Most Essential Learning
Competencies (MELCs)). Study the framework on the previous page and compare
it with the principles of an effective language arts and multiliteracies curriculum.
Explain how the principles were fit into the framework.

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Activity 2

Reflect on this: Do you agree with the K to 12 English Curriculum’s perception of an effective
language curriculum? Why or why not?

Note: Your answers will be shared during our online sessions.

UNIT 2: The Learners in the Eyes of the K to 12 Curriculum

Introduction:

We live in the so-called “digital age” where technology is a part of our

everyday It is hard to imagine life nowadays without our trusted electronics with us.
Our surrounded by our computers, mobile phones, and many other forms of
technology modern society has been brought about the digital revolution that started
between the 1950s to the 1970s as digital computers and other electronic media
proliferated, and began to permeate the lives of people.

As technology began to become a bigger part of our lives, more and more of
our learners are exposed to technology. It comes as no surprise that learners nowadays
are able to adapt to technology easier than ever before. Therefore, the K to 12
Curriculum takes into account the learner born in such a world. In order to become a
better teacher to these learners, we need to understand them and the world they live in.

Lesson Proper:

TYPES OF LEARNERS IN THE K to 12 CURRICULUM

The term “Generation Z” was popularized by William Strauss and Neil Howe in
their book Generations published in September 1992. The term describes a cohort of
people born after the year 1997. Learners born in this generation are generally
described as to have used technology and social media at a very young age. They are
comfortable in using these technologies compared with most of the members of other
Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades Page|8
generations. They can easily use emails, send text messages, and event adapt to new
and emerging technologies with little to no difficulty. Marc Wensky (2001) calls them
“digital natives” who have been exposed to technologies at a very young age and are
having a greater understanding of their basic concepts. From here stems one of the
more pressing problems in education in our time. More and more digital natives flock
our classrooms run by “digital immigrants”, those who were born before the digital
technologies have become mainstream to public.

As these Generation Z learners are more comfortable with the use of technology
in their everyday lives, they have adapted some practices and mindsets of their own.
These types of learners mostly think in a nonlinear way, preferring to take on tasks on
their own. They can also be multiprocessing and multitasking, and taking on several
tasks or activities at once. However, these multitasking practices may have led to
some bad habits to learners, including but not limited to shortened attention span and
lack of complete focus to tasks. This means they may be able to process complex
information but not for a very long time.

A classroom can also have a multitude of learners. They can have very different
backgrounds, interests, preconceptions, and perspectives with them. They can have
very different styles of engagement and may have different takes on the tasks assigned
to them. Teachers in the modern age need to accede to the challenge of addressing
these in their practice. Bernice McCarthy proposes a model that describes four types
of learners that teachers may encounter in the classroom:

Type 1 learner is what she calls the imaginative learner. These types of
learner are more feeling and reflective, preferring to speak about their experiences,
listening to others, and responding to them. They work well with others discussing
ideas, brainstorming, and examining relationships. They focus more on finding out
“why” should this be learned.

Type 2 learner is the analytical learner. They prefer to reflect and to think.
They are knowledge-oriented, pondering over concepts and acquiring facts. They have
a knack for analyzing and organizing experiences into concepts and useful
information. They would prefer to be left alone to their own devices as they
objectively look though solving problems in a systematic manner. They would often
find it difficult to work with large groups or talk about their feelings. They favor quiet
environment to accomplish tasks.

Type 3 learner is referred to as the common-sense learner. They prefer to

think and learn by doing. The like to “get their hands dirty,” and dive into problems
head-on. As active problem-solvers, they love to manipulate stuff, experiment ways of
doing things, and share these through demonstrations. They often have difficulty in
verbal complexities and other abstract concepts that they cannot manipulate.

The last type, Type 4, is called the dynamic learner. They tend to favor
creating and acting as their way to learn. They do not simply like to learn for the sake
of learning, but rather find meaning in the experiences they have. They often look for
creative ways to tackle problems through trial and error and they believe they can
influence what happens. Many more literatures have made cases to other learning
styles and types of learners. What we need to understand is that there are as diverse
and varied learners as there are learners. Adapting to these learners is one of the
challenges teachers in the modern age is having.

Activity 3
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SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: What learning style/s do you think is more

representative of today’s learners? What behaviors would support your idea? Write
your explanation below

ACTIVITY 4

CHALLENGE: Given the kind of learners we have in our classrooms , what traits should teachers in
modern classroom have? Describe how each trait could help in the teaching and learning process.

Activity 5

Assess: Provided the current picture of our learners, what do you think are the
immediate challenges that the teaching-learning process could have? In what ways
could we possibly address these challenges? Write your explanation on the table
below.

CHALLENGES SOLUTION
Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 10

UNIT 3: Goals of K to 12 Curriculum

Introduction:

The primary goal of teaching is to ensure that knowledge is passed on to the

next generation of humans. Primarily, it is a reflection of what we value as a specie.
We teach our learners the skills and knowledge needed to function in our society. As
we progress as a specie, our means to communicate becomes more complex and thus,
require more and more complex sets of skills.

The challenge most teachers of language is facing is how to ensure that

communication skills are taught to learners. Teachers in the early grades are perhaps
more burdened with this task as learners in this level are in the formative years in their
lives. In this lesson, we shall look into the goals of language education of the K to 12
Curriculum and its perception of how competence could be taught.

THINK: The K to 12 English Curriculum and Its Desired Outcome

As a language curriculum, the K to 12 English Curriculum focuses on more than

just instilling the capacities to use language to the learners. Beyond teaching the
conventions, principles, or skills, it also looks into the needs of the learners of the
language. Being a learner-centered curriculum, it aims to create learners with skills in:

1. interpersonal communication;
2. understanding and learning content from other learning areas; and
3. academic independence.

In order to attain this, the curriculum focuses on two major concepts,

communicative competence and multiliteracies.

Learning a language is more than just simply having the knowledge of the
Oftentimes, when language teachers are asked what their goal in teaching is, their
common response is to impart the aforementioned skills to the learners. This in itself
is not wrong. Understanding what makes the language work and how to properly are
asked what their goal is in learning a language, one would hear them say “to construct
utterances is an important step in learning. However, when learners of teaching and
learning a language. Learners would want to learn a language in communicate in that
language.” This here is perhaps the most important aspect order to communicate to a
larger audience in this medium. This competence is called communicative
competence, coined by Dell Hymes in 1966. This does not only give emphasis to the
competence of the learner in the grammar and rules Strateg breakdo backgro would
Occur commur request facial of the language, but also to the social knowledge of the
use of these rules in communication.
Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 11
Communicative competence is composed of several other competencies
stipulated in the communicative competence framework from the work of Canale and
Swain in 1980.

Grammatical/Linguistic Competence. In order to meaningfully communicate

in a particular language, one must be able to understand the rules of the language.
Grammatical or linguistic competence refers to one’s understanding of the rules of
language. This refers to grammar, lexicon, phonology (sounds created to make
words), morphology (creation of smallest units of meaning), and syntax (combination
of words and phrases to form sentences), among others. This is commonly the focus
of many basic language classes whose main goal is to teach these skills to learners.

Sociolinguistic Competence. As a language speaker, one can understand that it

is not enough to simply have the understanding of the grammatical rules and structure
of language. To be a more effective communicator, one has to have knowledge of the
sociocultural use of language. Sociolinguistic competence refers to the knowledge of
the appropriateness of the language to be used in particular situations (formal,
friendly, courteous, sarcastic, etc.), and the appropriate responses to these situations.
Knowing what the taboos are, what is rude or what is polite, must be taken into
account as one engages in communication.

Discourse Competence. Being able to comprehend and produce oral and/or

written texts in various modes of communication (speaking/listening and reading/
writing) is the focus of discourse competence. This means that one must be able to
combine and organize words, phrases, and sentences in order to create conversations,
talks, speeches, literature, text messages, emails, articles, and other forms of
communication. This skill enables the communicator to become more eloquent in
his/her engagement in the use of language.

Strategic Competence. There will be times when the line of communication

would breakdown. This could be caused by a number of factors including distractions,
background noise, and interruptions among others. An effective communicator would
be able to determine these breakdowns before, during, or even after they occur in the
situation. Strategic competence enables a speaker to keep the communication channel
open through the use of various strategies including requests for clarification,
repetition, slowing down of speech, or the use of hand or facial gestures.
Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 12

Language teaching in the K to 12 Curriculum does not only focus on the

development of communicative competence, but also on the improvement of
multiliteracy in the learners. Multiliteracy is a term coined in the 1990s by the New
London Group, referring to an approach to literacy pedagogy. This is in response to
the ever-growing paradigm shift of the education, encompassing multiple channels of
communication and media, and the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity. The
approach takes in to account multiple modalities to enable learners to learn and
understand from a variety of sources. As the 21st Century learner is bombarded with a
lot of information from a plethora of sources, the idea becomes more relevant today.

LITERACY ELEMENTS FROM COMMENTARY ON MULTILITERACIES

Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 13

ACTIVITY 7

HARNESS YOUR LEARNING: Using multiliteracy approach, think about activities

to teach each of the competencies below.

Linguistic Competence:

Sociolinguistic Competence:

Strategic Competence:

Discourse Competence:
Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 14

Activity 8

Extra Challenge: Reflect about the challenges we have in teaching communicative

competence. How could you improve on the ways we teach English to our learners to
achieve communicative competence?

CHALLENGES POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS

Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 15

UNIT 4: Components of the K to 12 English Curriculum

Let us have another look at the framework of K to 12 English Curriculum

Notice that at the core of the framework is “making meaning through language,
which highlights the main goal of the curriculum. In a world where knowledge and
information could be acquired though a simple click or tap of a button. The attainment
of this ultimate goal comes by the harmonious interaction of the following
components:
1. Language learning process
2. Effective language use
3. Making meaning through language
4. Holistic assessment

LANGUAGE LEARNING PROCESS

Understanding of the language learning process is important in order for teachers to
teach language to young learners. The following principles espoused by the K to 12
Curriculum guide this language learning process:

1. Spiral progression. Based on the work of Bruner (1960) on the spiral

curriculum following the hypothesis that even complex topics can be taught to
learners at any stage of development when structures are presented in an
organized manner. Key features of this approach include: the student revisits a
topic, theme, or subject several times throughout their school career; b. the
complexity of the topic or theme increases with each revisit; and new learning
has a relationship with old learning and is put in context with the old
information.
Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 16
2. Interaction. As language is used in various forms of communication (oral and
written), activities promoting interaction among learners solidifies concepts
learned. These could be more effective when activities are framed to emulate
real-life situations with real-life language demands such as purpose, topics, and
audiences, which place the learners in communicative situations using authentic
socialization skills.

3. Integration. Creating authentic class activities in the teaching of language

skills could be more effective if they are integrated with other skills and values.
Furthermore, integrating language lessons with other concepts from other
learning areas and discipline also help learners in creating meaning.

4. Learner-centeredness. As the curriculum focuses on the learner, teachers

would be able to engage them with the use of differentiated instruction. This
should be based on the learners’ needs, skills, abilities, and interests.

5. Contextualization. As mentioned, language learning is more effective if

activities are designed around the appropriate contexts. Lessons could be
planned around learning outcomes, themes, or an appropriate text. Context
makes learners think about language use to suit the audience, the situation,
culture, or purpose. Construction. As the core of the curriculum is meaning-
making, learning tasks and activities designed around self-reflection, critical
thinking, and creation should take place in language lessons.

EFFECTIVE LANGUAGE USE

Applications of the language macroskills focus on understanding cultures,

understanding language, and processes and strategies. The use of language under these
areas describe how the language learners could demonstrate their skills.

1. Understanding cultures. Learning another language gives one another

perspective of the world. One gets to view the things around from the lens of
another culture through literature and communication. As such, sociolinguistic
skill, the ability to use language appropriately, is one of the main focus of the
curriculum. This could be expressed in the learners’ capacity to apply language
in a plethora of complex social situations, and to aptly respond to these
situations using varied strategies including verbal and nonverbal means.

2. Understanding language. In order to create meaning, learners need to

understand the intricacies of the language. This involves understanding of how
words are formed, the structure of sentences, and how the little nuances in
language use, accompanied by nonverbal gestures contribute to meaning.
Learners can also use their understanding of their mother tongue in order to
learn a new language.

3. Process and strategies. As learner get to be exposed to the more opportunities

to use language, they get use a number of processes and strategies to adapt to
situations depending to audience, context, and purpose. They may come up with
novel ways to solve problems and adjust to difficulties. They may experiment
on various ways to find answers such as asking questions, reading, or searching
the internet. They may engage in discussions and brainstorming with others
through conversations or technologies like chat or SMS. They may then use
strategies to assess the validity of the information they get, and evaluate how
this information could be useful in their endeavors. They could then combine
Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 17
and synthesize the information and present them in a multitude of ways like
graphic organizers, charts, or even essays to get their ideas into the world.

Making Meaning through Language

As language is the major tool for communication, teachers should ensure
that activities presented to learners should engage them to use language in
varied purposes and topics. As such, every opportunity must be given to the
learners to use language in contexts, in which they could practice developing
their own understanding and sharing them with others using the five sub-strands
of the curriculum namely listening, reading, speaking, writing, and viewing

Holistic Assessment

Assessment is an important part of the teaching and learning process. It helps

the teachers gauge the learners’ progress and development. Furthermore, when done
right, assessment results could provide teachers some feedback to adjust their teaching
to suit the needs of the learners. The K to 12 Curriculum describes the following
characteristics of effective assessment:

4. Proximity to actual language use and performance. As described before,

activities in the classroom should consider authentic contexts of language use.
Assessments in classroom should also help learners apply their understanding
of language in situations mirroring real-life exercise e of language.

2. Holistic view of language. As language skills (listening, speaking, reading,

and writing) are not used purely in isolation, assessment strategies should reflect their
integrative nature. These approaches should also take into consideration the holistic
nature of the learners as well in terms of their academic, social, and physical contexts.
Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 18
3. Integrative view of learning. Assessment should not only look into the
academic performance of learner. Since language is taken as in such an integrative
approach, learning it should also consider the multitude of ways learners learn.
Assessment should attempt to capture the different skills and abilities of the learners,
and at the same time help them express themselves in the best ways they can.

5. Developmental appropriateness. Steps must also be taken to ensure that

assessment activities are appropriate to the learners’ cognitive, social, and
academic abilities with their level.

6. Multiple referencing. Lastly, assessments developed for the leaner should have
been designed based on various information about the learners. Again, the
assessments should be based on understanding the learners’ needs and abilities.

ACTIVITY 9
EXPERIENCE: You have learned that making meaning is the primary goal of the K
12 English Curriculum. Looking into the components of the curriculum, what do you
think are some of the challenges to this goal?

COMPONENTS CHALLENGES
Language learning
process

Effective language
use

Making meaning
through language

Holistic assessment
Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 19

ACTIVITY 10

IN A NUT SHELL: Write your reflection and conclusion about this module.

NOTE: All quizzes will be done online!

Eng 101 Teaching English in the Elementary Grades P a g e | 20

REFERENCES

 Buchanan, K. (2005). “School administrators’ guide to ESL standards.” This is published

by the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) association.
Available directly at: http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/bin.asp?
CID=112&DID=2040&DOC=FILE.PDF.
 Day, R., & Bamford, J. (2002). Top ten principles for teaching extensive reading.
Reading in a Foreign Language, 14 (2). Available at: http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/
 Godwin-Jones, R. (2005). Emerging technologies: messaging, gaming, peer-to-peer
sharing: Language learning strategies & tools for the millennial generation. Language
Learning and Technology, 9 (1), 17-22. Available at: http://llt.msu.edu
 Poole, A. (2005). Focus on Form Instruction: Foundations, Applications, and Criticisms. The
Reading Matrix: An International Journal Online Journal, 5 (1). Available at
http://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/poole/article.pdf
 Reyes, R & Pawilen, G. (2021). A Course Module for Teaching English in the Elementary
Grades (Language Arts). Rex Publication. Quezon City, Philippines