WORKSHOP III PARTIAL ORAL TEST 2024 sth permanent and here are fewer other clues to meaning.
sth permanent and here are fewer other clues to meaning. Reading and writing are
Contents:
- Characteristics of Young Learners :Wendy Scott, Shin and Crandall (Ch 2);
Curtain and Pessola.
- Krashen (The Input Hypothesis)
- Piaget (Stages of Cognitive development)
- Vygotsky (
- Kieran Egan and Layers of Development
- Storytelling. Shin and Crandall Ch 6; material in our drive folder.
- Teaching songs and Rhymes in the primary classroom
- Teaching new words (Lexis) Working with words (Gairns and Redman)
- Brain Based Research and Language teaching.
Contents:
Characteristics of Young Learners: Teaching English to
children- The young learner- ch 1 (Scott and Ytrberg)
●Five to seven years old:
they talk about what they are doing-tell about what they have done or
heard.-can plan activities, argue for sth and tell you why.-use logical reasoning and
their vivid imaginations.-can use a wide range of intonation patterns in their mother
tongue and understand direct human interaction.-know the world is governed by
rules which help to nurture a feeling of security.-use lg skills before they are aware of
them.-their understanding comes through hands and eyes and ears.-they are very
logical, and have a short attention and concentration span.-they are happy in
working alone but with the company of others.-they love to play, and learn best when
they are enjoying themselves.
● Eight to ten years old:
can tell the difference between fact and fiction.-ask questions and rely on the
spoken word as well as the physical world to convey and understand the meaning
of some decisions and begin to question the teacher’s decisions.-can work with
others. Language: they are competent users of their mother tongue and in this
connection, they are aware of the main rules of syntax in their lg. They can
UNDERSTAND ABSTRACTS, UNDERSTAND SYMBOLS AND GENERALISE
AND SYSTEMATISE. They have some sort of lg awareness and readiness which
they bring with them into the foreign lg classroom.
Teaching implications:
● Words are not enough: most acts should include movement and involve the
senses. Plenty of objects and pictures are needed. Demonstration is important.
● Playwiththelg: Makeuprhymes, sing songs, tell stories.
● Lg as lg: the spoken word is often accompanied by other clues to
meaning-facial expression, movement, etc. When sts start to read, the lg becomes
important for the child’s growing awareness of lg and for their growth in the lg.
● Variety in the classroom: As concentration and attention spans are short,
variety is a MUST-of act, pace, organisation, and voice.
● Routines: children benefit from knowing the rules and being familiar with the
situation. Have systems, have routines, organize and plan your lessons. Use
familiar situations, and familiar activities. Repeat stories, rhymes, etc.
● Cooperation not competition: avid rewards and prizes. Make room for
shared experiences, and create an atmosphere of involvement an togetherness.
● Grammar: children have an amazing ability to absorb lg through play and
other activities which they find enjoyable. As a T, you should note the structures,
functions and grammar items which you want your sts to learn as well as those they
already know. The best time to introduce some sort of grammar is either when a
pupil asks for explanation or when you think a pupil will benefit from learning some
grammar. Explanations should be kept as simple as possible.
● Assessment: it is always useful for the T to make regular notes about each
child’s progress. You should be talking to the children regularly about their work and
encouraging self-assessment.
Planning your work- ch 8 (Scott and Ytreberg)
Why planning?
● It makes life easier for you in the classroom.
● It saves time, which is valuable.
● It gives you security and confidence, which is passed on your sts.
● Allows you to use more of your energy and enthusiasm to enjoy what
you’re doing instead of worrying about what to do next.
● Stslike to have well-prepared lessons. We can divide the plan in three
stages:
● Long-term planning: -Discuss aims, methods and assessment. Ask what
they are interested in. Give them a choice. Decide what you want to cover this term
and how long it will take you for each unit/topic/lg item school, try to work with other
subject teachers as well. (cross-curriculum)
● Short-term planning Usually covers from three to ten lessons. Decide what
lg items you are going to teach. Make quite sure you know HOW the lg items are
used.-Decide roughly on the way you want to teach the unit, and find activities that
suit your topic.-Assessment is part of the teaching.
● Lesson planning: -Decide what to do before every lesson.-When and how
to use group work.-Link this lesson with the previous one, and think about the
following one.-Indicate how much time each activity will take.-ALways have more
act than you think you will need.-Balance quiet/noisy acts, different skills, acts and
interactions.
Several things can go wrong:
● An external disturbance: either get rid of the disturbance or make use of it.
● An internal disturbance: take the pupils aside and give the others sth quick
and easy to do.
● The class is out of control: use a calming act like telling a story or filling in
the words in a text which you read to the whole class. EMERGENCY ACTS
 ● An act is taking too long: tell sts they are doing that ct so well you want to
move on, finish it as hw, you’ll come back another day, the act is so important that
you want to spend time on it.
● You have extra time: EMERGENCY ACTS, play a game or listen to a story,
or add to our rhyme book.
● Anactdoesn’twork:
● Anactistoodifficult: move on to an easy act that you know they can do
Basic principles of TEYL.(Teaching Young Learners English-
ch 2- Shin and Crandall)
Children ages 5-12 years are growing and developing rapidly, which means that
learning is dependent on the stage of a child’s physical, social, emotional and
mental maturity. This implies to work with their natural tendencies.
Characteristics of young language learners:
1. Energetic and physically active: teachers must incorporate kinesthetic
activities that encourage young learners to get up and move around. TPR activities
connect lg to movement.The T gives a command and sts follow them through
repetition. (Eg: Simon says).
2. Spontaneous and not afraid to speak out or participate: young learners are
more willing to participate, they are not inhibited and speak out in English without
feeling embarrassed. They are GOOD IMITATORS of lg because they’re not afraid
to repeat after the T or sing. Ts can use simple songs, rhymes, chants and
dialogues with kids bc they are ready to follow along. It’s a good idea if they
dramatize a simple dialogue in many different ways- by miming, mouthing the
words, and doing their role using different emotions. It gives learners a chance to
be expressive.
3. Curious and receptive to new ideas: Learners have natural curiosity. Ts should
prepare activities that arouse sts’ curiosity (eg: the mystery bag game). In addition,
teaching about new and interesting topics like exotic animals and plants that don’t
exist in their local environment can capture young learners’ attention. Cultural
topics that are particularly interesting for young learners are food, dress, music,
holidays, celebrations, greeting customs and folktales (cross-curricular content).
4. Imaginative and enjoy make-believe: young learners love activities that
encourage them to use their imagination such as role plays and drama games
which allow them to pretend they are sby or sth else. Ts can also use stories or
plays to create an imaginary world for sts.
5. Easily distracted and have short attention spans: activities should be fun and
interesting for them. Ts can capture their attention with brightly colored pictures,
photos and posters. Incorporating different audio-visual aids such as playing songs,
TV or movie clips or YouTube videos can help keep children’s interest and
attention. Ts could have sts take a break after concentrating very hard on an activity
that require sts to stand up and move their bodies around. (eg: “hand shakes”).
Young learners are still learning to write well, so they often hold their pens and
pencils too tightly and can use a physical as well as a mental break from the activity
(eg: “brain breaks”)
6. Egocentric and relate new ideas to themselves: they like to work together but
they cannot share others’ points of view. They connect new info and lg to
themselves. Activities should be about them to help to practice new vocabulary..
7. Social and are learning to relate to others: they like to talk to each other, play
games and do cooperative activities. The T should vary the kind of interaction from
activity to activity, like in real life.
How children learn:
1. By doing and interacting with their environment: Piaget emphasized that
children learn by exploring and interacting with the environment. According to him,
sts at primary school can be found in the Preoperational and Concrete Stages. Ts
should use realia for sts to interact with.
2. Children need support and scaffolding by the T: Vygotsky stated that children
learn through social interaction. Therefore, the adult’s role is very important in the
child’s learning process.Bruner studies how parents provided effective scaffolding:
● Create interest in the task: the task should cater to their sense of fun,
curiosity and imagination (eg: TPR, songs, rhymes,chants, stories, videos, games,
dramas and role plays). As children love socializing, tasks should entail talking or
cooperating with their peers. Ts can spark sts’ attention through the use of brightly
colored visuals and use of audio-visual aids.
● Simplify the task: tasks should consider sts’ level of English lg proficiency
and their cognitive development.
● Keep children on task: being on task means that the learner is engaged in a
particular activity and working productively toward accomplishing a particular task.
Having a reason/purpose to accomplish a task will make sts focus less on learning
and more on using the lg to communicate sth real.
● Model the task,including different ways to do the task: if sts are not given
proper models to follow, it is not reasonable to expect them to perform at the
desired level. Sts learn in different ways and the T should consider different
learning styles and multiple intelligences (Gardner):
- Spatial-visual: they may think in pictures and images and are good at
drawing
- Bodily-kinesthetic: they learn through gestures and manipulatives and
enjoy activities that involve movement, dancing, running, jumping and
touching.
- Musical: they enjoy singing, chanting, tapping rhythms, and listening
activities.
- Linguistic: tend to think in words and enjoy reading, writing, discussions
and dialogues. Logical-mathematical: more analytical. They learn
through reasoning and enjoy puzzles and experiments.
- Interpersonal: children like interacting with people. They enjoy
discussing and socializing, and cooperative activities.
- Intrapersonal: the tendency to be self-reflective and work alone. They
may be more in touch with their emotions, feelings and abilities.
- Naturalistic: enjoy activities that take place outdoors in nature.
● Control children’s frustration during the task: take a closer look at what is
upsetting the child. Then, review your planning and see where your scaffolding may
need to be altered. Young learners usually respond well to attention,
encouragement, and praise.If sts need help, the T should give hints without
providing all the answers.
How children learn lg:
● Need a learning environment similar to first lg acquisition: success depends
on the characteristics of the classroom environment. Krashen makes a distinction
bw L1 acquisition and L2 learning. In L1 environment, the lg used is always
AUTHENTIC and CONTEXTUALIZED. Children are highly motivated to learn and
use the lg because it enables them to meet immediate needs and respond to their
surroundings. In contrast, in L2 environment, lg used and presented is artificial
because it is not based in real life. It tends to focus heavily on form and isolated
structures. If the lg used is not in context and not meaningful to young learners,
then it will be difficult to motivate them to participate. Children will be motivated if
there’s a real purpose of using the lg (eg: storytelling, singing, chanting, talking with
each other socially, letter writing, e-mailing, reading recipes, and watching plays,
TV shows and movies).
● Learn through lots of meaningful exposure and practice: In L1 environment,
children are surrounded by their native lg. This constant source of meaningful
exposure to lg in authentic contexts helps children acquire lg naturally and quickly.
To create an optimal environment for learning English, the input in the classroom
needs to be comprehensible and just above the sts’ current level of English
(Krashen- comprehensible input). Ts can support comprehension of input by using
lots of visuals, realia, gestures and caregiver speech.Give sts the opportunity to
produce meaningful and comprehensible input and negotiate meaning (Swain).
● Do not learn lg through explicit grammatical explanations: the approach of
teaching grammar should be “learning-centered” which is described as meaningful
and interesting, requires active participation from learners, and will work with how
children learn and what they are capable of learning. As children learn by doing,
they must experience the lg through lots of exposure. They will gain an
understanding of grammar implicitly through repetition and recycling of the lg in
different contexts. Recommendations for effective lg teaching practices.
● Usefunandengagingactivities:
● Stsareengagedinavariety of interactions: they need plenty of chances to
interact
● Catertodifferent learning styles and intelligences:
● Make lg learning meaningful and relevant: connect to real-life contexts so
they get the chance to personalize it
● Introduce learners to different cultures: as it is an international lg
● Use various teaching strategies that set up learners for success:
Curtain and Pessola.
Krashen (The Input Hypothesis)
Krashen’s theory:
● Acquisition vs Learning: there are two independent systems. The acquired
system is a subconscious process very similar to first lg acquisition. it requires
meaningful interaction in the target lg in which speakers are concentrated in the
communicative act. the learned system is the product of formal instruction and it
comprises a conscious process about lg, grammar rules.
● Natural Order Hypothesis: the structures of a lg will be acquired in approximately
the same order, regardless of what is being taught in a formal setting.
● Monitor Hypothesis: the monitor is a trigger in the brain that applies rules that
have been learnt in order to accurately produce or interpret a msg in the target lg.
The monitor makes the speaker aware of the mistake or it triggers awareness of the
error in time to prevent making it. For it to work effectively, the speaker must know
the rule, have time to think of it and apply it.
● Input Hypothesis: the most important factor in the amount of lg acquired by a
learner is the amount of COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT to which that learner is
exposed. The learner can fully understand it, plus a little more i+1. The learners
must always be callenged, but never to the point of frustration. When sts are not
familiar with a word, input can be made comprehensible through the use of
gestures, examples, illustrations, experiences, and caretaker speech.
● Affective filter Hypothesis: sts are likely to resist learning when it is unpleasant,
painful.The filter goes up in the presence of anxiety or low self-confidence or in the
absence of motivation. The filter goes down and the input can come through when
motivation is high, when a student is self-confident, and when the learning takes
place in a relatively anxiety-free environment.
Piaget (Stages of Cognitive development)
We believe that we construct our cognitive abilities through self-motivated action in
the world, involving the environment. He proposed that cognitive development from
infant to young adult occurs in four universal and consecutive stages:
● Sensory-motor stage (0-2 years): explore the world through senses. The child
develops object permanence, i.e they understand that objects exist even if they are
not within the field of vision.They can reverse actions but not thinking. They show
intelligence through physical interactions and experience.
● Pre-operational stage (2-7 years): development of lg representation. Reasoning
is prelogical. The child has not yet mastered the ability of mental operations. The
child has not the ability to think through actions. The child is considered
egocentric,they talk but not with others. They have not developed reversible
thinking but develop memory and imagination.
● Concrete operations (7-11 years): sts learn best through hands-on discovery
learning. Reasoning processes also begins to take shape. The three basic are:
identity (person or object remains the same over time), compensation (one action
can cause changes in another) and reversibility. The child develops the ability to
apply logical thought to solve problems. Using lg to exchange information becomes
much more important.
● Formal operations (11-adulthood): child applies logical reasoning to all
problems, thinks abstractly and concludes using deductive reasoning..
As part of their cognitive development, children also develop schemes, which are
mental representations of people, objects and principles. These are assimilation
(information we already know) and accommodation (adapting one’s existing kn to
what is perceived)
Vygotsky
Vygotsky’s theories stress the important role of social interaction in the
development of cognition, as he believes strongly that the community plays a
central role in the process of “making meaning”. Social learning tends to precede
development (unlike Piaget’s theory). Vygotsky claims that infants are born with the
basic abilities (Elementary mental functions) for intellectual development, which,
through interaction with the socio-cultural environment, develop into more effective
mental processes (High mental functions) :
● Attention ● Sensation ● Perception ● Memory
Vygotsky refers to tools of intellectual adaptation that allow children to use the basic
mental functions more effectively and there are culturally determined. He sees
cognitive functions as affected by the beliefs, values and tools of intellectual
adaptation of the culture in which a person develops and therefore socio-culturally
determined.
He believes that young children are curious and actively involved in their own
learning and the discovery and development of new understandings/schema.
Learning occurs through social interaction with a SKILLFUL TUTOR. they may
model behaviours and provide verbal instructions for a child. Vygotsky refers to the
MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OTHER as sby who has a better understanding or a
higher ability level than the learner.
Vygotsky sees the Zone of Proximal Development as the area where the most
sensitive instruction or guidance should be given- allowing the child to develop
skills they will then use on their own-developing higher mental functions. He views
interaction with peers as an effective way of developings skills and strategies.
Scaffolding involves providing the learner with hints or clues for problem solving in
order to allow the student to better approach the problem in the future. He claims
that scaffolding is what the teacher provides to help to structure or arrange a task
so that a novice can work on it successfully.
LANGUAGE plays two critical roles in cognitive development: it’s the main means
by which adults transmit info to children and it becomes a powerful tool of
intellectual adaptation. Private speech refers to when people talk aloud to
themselves.Vygotsky sees it as a means for children to plan activities and
strategies and thinking/understanding. According to him, language develops from
social interactions for communication purposes
- Kieran Egan and Layers of Development
He describes development in terms of the characteristics that determine how the
learner gains access to the world. He thinks of educational development as a
process of accumulating and exercising layers of capacity for engaging with the
world. Each stage contributes to sth necessary to the adult’s ability to make sense
of the world.
● The Mythic Layer (ages 4/5 to 9/10): the child begins to understand the world in
terms of their own vivid mental categories which are emotional and moral. Emotion
is important since children want to know HOW TOFEEL about whatever they are
learning, the binary opposites provide the easiest access towards the subject they
are learning (good/bad, love/hate) , the child interpretes the world in terms of
absolute categories, the story form is the most powerful vehicle for instruction (it’s
got a beginning, a middle and an end, binary oppositions, absolute meaning,
emotional and moral categories).
● The Romantic Layer (ages 8/9 to 14/15): the key is the search for the
transcendent within reality, the need to develop a sense of romance, wonder and
awe. Children develop the concept of OTHERNESS, the world is perceived as
threatening, they seek out the limits of the real world looking for the binary
opposites thus the learner is fascinated with extremes. Children prefer stories with
realistic details and heroes and heroines with whom the learner can identify.
● The Philosophic Layer (ages 14/15 to 19/20): the students develop the ability to
generalize and organize information, they begin to understand the world as a unit,
sts like to develop hierarchies as a means of gaining control over the threat of
diversity, they become confident that the know the meaning of everything.
● The Ironic Layer (ages 19-20 throughout adulthood): the major task is to
control the capacities of all previous layers, particular kn is dominant rather than the
general scheme.
Characteristics of elementary and middle school learners.
● Preschool sts (2-4): they are in a sensitive period for lg development. They
absorb lg effortlessly and are adept imitators of speech sounds. As they are
self-centered, they do not work very well in groups, and they respond to learning
situations related to their own interests and experiences. They have a short
attention span, but they have great patience for repetition of the same activity or
game.
● Primary sts (5-7): they learn best with concrete experiences and immediate
goals. They are still in the preoperational stage. Vocabulary is more meaningful if
presented as binary opposites. Children like to name objects, define words, and
learn about things in their own world, they also have vivid imagination. They learn
through oral lg; they are capable of developing good oral skills, pronunciation and
intonation when they have a good model. Bc of their attention span, they need to
have a variety of activities. Ts should give structured and specific directions and
build regular routines and patterns in the daily lesson plan.
● Intermediate sts (8-10): children are at a maximum of openness to people and
situations different from their own experience. Global emphasis is important. They
begin to understand cause and effect as they are in the concrete operational level.
They can begin a more systematic approach to lg learning, but they still need first
hand, concrete experiences.
● Preadolescent sts (11-14): they are undergoing dramatic body changes. A major
goal is the encouragement of positive relationships and a positive self-image. They
need the opportunity for broad exploration so to respond well to opportunities to
learn about subjects that interest them in exhaustive detail.

STORYTELLING- CH 6- Teaching Young learners English-

Shin and Crandall
● Storytelling is an exciting and authentic form of communication. It provides a
meaningful context in which the target lg is used and taught. It teaches valuable
lessons and literacy to children and lg is picked up easily because stories contain
repetition which makes linguistic input more noticeable.

● Storytelling introduces new cultures to children. It entertainingly teaches young

learners, without noticing the learning process and captures their imagination.
Stories help children learn the rhythm and sounds of the English lg and provide a
good basis for developing phonemic awareness while challenging them to learn
new lg or understand lg in a new context. They particularly cater to young learners
who have short attention span and learn best through play and entertainment.
● It helps develop critical thinking, listening and speaking skills. According to
Chance, critical thinking is the ability to analyze facts, generate and organize ideas,
defend opinions, make comparisons, draw inferences, evaluate arguments, and
solve problems. Ts can help students develop critical thinking skills by asking
questions that require sts to analyze and make inferences, and by encouraging sts
to compare themselves and their cultures to the stories they have heard.
How to choose the right story:
● it should be highly predictable
● be familiar to the home culture so as not to miss sth
● have a high percentage of known vocabulary
● include repetitive and predictable patterns (children can predict happy endings)
● provide opportunities to apply drama and TPR
● use realia and visual to make input comprehensible
Effective storytelling activities:
the T needs to prepare sts with the lg to understand the story. Acts to keep sts
active and engaged in class at every stage of the storytelling should all be planned.
Before storytelling acts are designed to aid comprehension, create interest and
enjoyment, make the storytelling more meaningful and encourage critical thinking.
Examples:
● Capture their attention: use pictures or realia, use the cover of the storybook
to capture the attention, make finger puppets and introduce them to the class, make
a background on poster paper.
● Connect to prior kn and experiences: introducing the main ideas, concepts
or characters to the students.
● Reviewlgstshave learnt:
● Pre-teach new vocabulary and expressions: key words that are necessary
and cannot be inferred from the context.
● Askststopredict what will happen in the story:
● Give sts a purpose for listening: this help them stay engaged and make
them more active listeners

Prepare to tell a story:

Sts need to feel involved and relate the story to aspects of their own life. TALK
STORY is a form of oral history found in Hawaiian culture. It is the way Hawaiian
people converse and share stories, a style that emphasizes collaboration and
cooperation. The human connection bw the storyteller and the audience is KEY for
holding the audience’s attention.
To make your storytelling engaging, prepare these four elements: theatrics, props,
script and rehearsals
Acts during storytelling are usually used to check comprehension.
They can also be used to keep sts’ interest and allow sts the chance to
interact and practice using English.
Examples:
● Questionsandanswers: characters, setting and plot or to predict what
comes next.
● Repetition
● TPR: this appeals to kinesthetic learners and makes the experience
more active and fun. It also supports comprehension of the story.
 ● Createyourownending: Ts can tell story up to the climax and ask sts
to predict the ending. Acts after storytelling to check comprehension. They
should also give learners practice using the newlg structures and vocabulary.
● Check predictions: sts explain what happened in the story as they
reflect on whether their predictions were correct.
● Groupretelling:
● Games: retell with mistakes, put pictures out of order or change
characters’ actions.
● Mini-books
● Personalized or parallel story: make sts write a similar story but with
details from their own experiences, culture and imagination.
● Projects like creating story maps, exploring the context or performing
a play
How can the teacher improve her storytelling skills
● Have some rituals and keep sts’ closed.
● Read SLOWLY and CLEARLY.
● Give sts time to look at the pictures, think and make comments
● Encouraging sts to take part in the storytelling by repeating key
vocabulary/phrases.
● Use gestures, mime, facil expressions
● Set a specific listening task
● Create an atmosphere of expectancy
● Elicit retelling Storytelling plan:
1. LEAD-IN: activation of vocabulary and characters, setting presentation,
setting a purpose for listening, analysis of paratext.
2. READING:
3. CREATING AN EFFECTIVE CONNECTION WITH THE STORY: did you
like the story? which was your favourite part? Favourite character?
4. CHECKING COMPREHENSION:checkthepurpose for listening, put the
story in order, remove extra actions, tell what comes next, teacher retelling
with mistakes, coral telling (repetitive phrases).
5. FOLLOW-UP: provide enjoyment and satisfaction that allow sts to work in
English. Creativity should be encouraged by drawing or illustrating.
USING SONGS AND RHYMES IN THE CLASSROOMby Annie
Hughes (May 1992)
Songs and rhymes can be used to give learners indirect and less stressful ways of
practising, saying out loud, using and enjoying English.
They offer a wonderful opportunity for class, group or individual activities which are
fun but which can also be used to introduce lexis, structures,rhythm and
pronunciation.
We can use songs and rhymes to:
● build in repetition of new language
● change the pace of the lesson and create a balance between activities
● practice all 4 skills ( reading, for information gap activity, listen for specific
information, etc)
● Reinforce the rhythm of the English language.
● encourage a feeling of achievement and success and thus, build children’s
confidence in
English.
● support and extend vocabulary (up to about 6 new words)
● encourage children to enjoy English and take it outside the classroom.
● create a relaxed and enjoyable environment in the classroom.
● begin, extend or end a topic.
● encourage class and group identity (you can use different group dynamics:
singing in groups, asking and answering, etc)
● practise pronunciation
● introduce new language in context.
● practise/ revise new language
● aid children’s memories
How to select songs?
1) They must be suitable for your learner’s age group.
2) They must reflect your learnre’s interests.
3) They must match your learner’s level of English
4) The melody must not be too difficult for your learners.
5) Don’t introduce too many new items of vocabulary (6 at a time is enough)
6) If you’re using a recorded song it must be clear for your students to understand.
7) You should like the song!
WHAT ARE NURSERY RHYMES?
They are an age old literary genre that have been used to pass popular
knowledge and beliefs, funny stories, action games, ways of counting,
etc., from generation to generation.
Rhymes have also been used in kindergarten and primary schools as
tools for learning and socialising; for improving language and motor
coordination; for stimulating creativity and imagination.
WHY USE RHYMES IN CLASS?
Mainly for the same reasons we use songs.
We can warm up or close a lesson by using a rhyme, introduce a new topic or
activity, make children familiar with the sounds of the English language in a relaxing
and enjoyable way. Children like rhymes and they like listening to them over and
over again. Teachers may also ask sts to write their own rhymes based on some
familiar ones or as parallel
writing.
EX: Sts can be asked to change some lines / words of a rhyme:
Rain on the green grass,
And rain on the tree,
Rain on the house - top,
But not on me.
So...
WHY ARE WE GOING TO USE SONGS RHYMES, CHANTS IN CLASS?
Because...
● They encourage a feeling of achievement and success and thus build
confidence in English.
● They encourage the children to take their English outside the classroom.
● They encourage children to enjoy English by creating a relaxed and
enjoyable
environment in the classroom.
● They encourage class and group identity through singing and reciting
(repeating a
rhyme is not only a social activity that makes children feel part of a group.
● They give teachers the chance to ask for silence, call your students’
attention, make them join you in a lesson in a challenging and appealing way.
PRESENTING A SONG IS AS COMPLEX AS PRESENTING A DIALOGUE
Tips
● Do not think that students will be able to sing it and understand the
lyrics/song just
because you are playing the song track /CD. Provide activities to enhance
comprehension.
● do not think that your students will sing the song just because you have
done the previous warming up activity.
● a song is to be heard, touched, felt, smelled, etc... All five senses must be
involved. in it.
● Songs are not meant to be sung without engaging the whole body in it.
Rhythm must be felt.
● Songs are meant to be enjoyed and sung several classes. Not only one.
The more the students sing, the more they will remember phrases, intonation, etc.
● A song that is well taught can be said with the body, without speaking or
singing.
Possible procedures
- Contextualize.
- Make sure you play with the main words for some time. AIM: introduce the visual
aids
that will accompany the song.
- First work on recognition
- TPR: point to, give me, touch, look at, stand next to...
- Next, work on production
- Guessing games: draw a number on my back and guess. Draw in the air and
guess,
flashing pictures, etc...
- Set a task for sts to listen to the song and recognise the main words. AIM:
Check listening comprehension by involving the students in tasks such as
sequencing, grouping, matching, note taking or the like.
- which of all these numbers, animals, etc can you hear in the song?
- Now that you know which numbers, animals, etc are in the song, listen to it again
and tell
me the order in which they appear.
- Start helping the students to learn the song
1- The teacher says a line and makes gestures with the body. Always repeat it with
the rhythm it
has in the song!
2- Teacher repeats the same line inviting the students to make the gestures (do this
several
times)
3- The teacher will invite the students to make gestures and repeat.
4- Again but stopping to correct pronunciation.
5- The teacher makes gestures and the students repeat the line. This continues till
the whole song is learned.
- Games:
As the song will have to be sung on different classes it can be accompanied with
other activities, e.g..
- distribute pictures. The students will have to stand up when their words are
mentioned.
- half of the group sings a part, the other half the rest.
- follow the song with gestures, without singing and then singing.
- the sts may have the written lines of the lyrics and while singing they will
have to stand on a line in the order they appear in the song.
IMPORTANT!
Do not spend the whole class doing pre- listening activities. The focus should be on
PRESENTATION and singing a n° of times and in different ways until the song can
be
remembered.
THE WHEELS ON THE BUS LYRICS.
https://www.considerable.com/entertainment/songs/the-wheels-on-the-bus/
The Wheels on the Bus Song
 The Weather Song
Maroon5 - Sunday Morning - Lyrics
- Teaching new words (Lexis) Working with words (Gairns and
Redman)
(en carperta, leer y resumir)
Decisions about content.
Different factors influence the teacher’s selection and organization of lexical items for the
classroom, and also the role that the learner can and does play in making some of those
decisions.
How does vocabulary reach the classroom? Four main sources
1. Through the course book: Includes written and spoken texts, activities for the
presentation and practice of grammatical structures, testing exercises, and so on.
Even the instructions are a source of new vocabulary.
2. Through supplementary materials. provided by the educational institution or selected
by the teacher himself.
3. Through the students. A wide range of unanticipated and unpredictable items will
inevitably surface.
4. Through specific vocabulary activities designed by the teacher for this particular
group of students.
Brain-Based Research and Language teaching
Brain-based research and Language Teaching- Christison It is important to know
about this research because it helps teachers to understand how the brain learns
best and how they can take advantage of this kn to help their sts learn as quickly and
efficiently as possible.
Until recently, the only way information could be acquired about how the brain works
was from autopsy studies but these have provided only limited information about the
functions of the living human brain.
The blood in the brain carries oxygen and nutrients such as glucose. The Positron
Emission Tomography (PET) shows the amount of glucose utilization in the brain as
the person engages in certain mental tasks. The part of the brain used for a given
task requires the most glucose and has the most radioactive particles.The parts of
the brain are:
● Brain stem, responsible for regulating essential automated functions in the body
and the production of important chemicals.
● Cerebellum, responsible for maintaining one’s balance, posture and some motor
movements.-the long-term memory is located there.
● Cerebrum,thecentre of thought divided into two hemispheres.
● Corpus callosum, contains the nerves that connect the left and the right
hemispheres and allow them to exchange information.
● Neocortex, thin layer that cover the brain.
● Limbic system, in the middle of the brain with two important structures, the
amygdala which is the seat of emotion and the hippocampus which involved learning
and memory.
MEMORY is a process with several key steps. First, there must be a SENSORY
REGISTER for conscious and nonconscious stimuli. Second, short-term memory
occurs. Next, ACTIVE PROCESSING AND THINKING must take place. Finally,
information can pass into the long.term memory. There are four different ways
through which we can retrieve information:
● PROCEDURAL,forrepeated actions that become automatic.
● EMOTION,isahookthathelps us remember events.
● SEMANTIC MEMORY, when Ts ask sts to learn new vocabulary items,
memorize grammar rules.
● SENSORY RECEPTORS
Principles that can provide a general guideline for selecting classroom
strategies, materials and methodologies.
● Principle 1: the brain is a parallel processor: the brain is capable of doing
many different tasks at one time providing one of them is unconscious, automatised
or proceduralized. Ts whoactively involve their learners in a variety of activities in the
classroom and who consider ing styles and multiple intelligence theory in their lesson
planning are creating classrooms that take advantage of the brain’s parallel
processing abilities. Proceduralization: first, I have to pay attention, make an effort,
then, practice and need time. Although it can be done unconsciously, the focus of
attention can change (central or peripheral- McLaughlin). It is automatic because the
same neurons are engaged and it is easy to retrieve information.
● Principle 2: the brain downshifts under threat: when sts feel threatened, the
brain does not get the sufficient glucose for cognitive functions. Downshifting
suggests that emotions and cognition cannot be separated. ts must understand that
sts’ feelings and emotions can determine the effectiveness of their learning and our
teaching. Emotions are crucial to memory because they facilitate the storage and
recall of information. (Krashen- affective filter)
● Principle 3: the search for meaning occurs through patterning: patterning is
the meaningful categorization and organization of information. So Ts should organize
and present material in a way that allows the brain to create meaningful and relevant
connections to extract the patterns. The mind needs to find meaning in whatever it
encounters.
● Principle 4: the brain is meaning-driven: the brain makes meaningful sense
out of countless pieces of data. Each pattern that the brain discovers can de added
to the learner’s perceptual maps. The T should create activities and materials that
are meaningful.
 ● Principle 5: each brain is unique: every brain processes information
differently because of the different learning styles. Ts must be open to different
interpretations and different ways of seeing information. Ts can address learner
uniqueness and diversity by allowing learners to work together in groups to assess
and evaluate their own learning.
● Principle 6: movement and exercise improve brain functioning: when we
move, our blood moves and gets more oxygen improving our learning and thinking.
● Principle 7: brain growth is enriched by continued learning