INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING ENGLISH FOR YOUNG

LEARNERS

FRANSISKA D. LURUK SERAN,S.PD.,M.HUM

 Who are Young Language
Learners

Young learners are defined as children between age 5 and 12 years

old.
.

young learners are children who are in primary or

elementary school. In terms of age, young learners are
between the ages of approximately five and twelve.
 Characteristics of Young Language Learners:

Younger learners(Vygotsky:

• They have lower levels of awareness about

themselves as language learners as well as about
process of learning.
• They have limited reading & writing skills even in
their first language.
• Generally, they are more concerned about themselves
than others.
• They have a limited knowledge about the world.
• They enjoy fantasy, imagination, & movement.
• have a short attention span.
• are very active (kinesthetic).
Characteristic of young learners
1. Very receptive
2. Curious
3. Motivated
Apart from the characteristics stated above, it is also very important to remember that children:

• All kinds of activities and materials such as arts and crafts,

“making” things, etc. must be part of our teaching
Learn by • . For example it would be wrong to devote an important part
doing of the teaching time to drawing, cutting out, etc. if no
language or only very little language is involved in the
activity.

Can’t • The materials presented have to be varied and they

concentrate for must be changed often within one class. Otherwise the
a long time
children will get tired and will not be able to follow.
Don’t
analyze • materials focusing on the analysis of the language have few
the
possibilities of succeeding in a class of young learners
languag
e
Apart from the characteristics stated above, it is also very important to
remember that children:

• The teacher must cater for those differences and

Are happier with different preferences and present the language in a variety
materials depending on the of ways, using different materials,
natural baggage they have • Visuals, audio material, etc. will help different
on the different children to understand and use the language
intelligences presented much more easily.

Can’t • the materials used in class must reuse the language

remember
things for a in different situations at short intervals.
long time if • The same language used in that topic should be
they are not
recycled used again in the near future in a different situation
 For the Teacher
The materials chosen for a particular lesson, unit, term or school year must
be
• varied,
• Attractive
• interesting
• accessible
• challenging
• encouraging
• surprising and ideally.
They must lead the children to achieve some kind of outcome
 Conclusion
• Any materials can be used successfully in class as
long as they are carefully chosen and used with a
clear purpose. Among the most successful materials
and activities with young learners we should
mention: Total Physical Response activities, stories,
games, songs, chants, rhymes and poems, puppets,
arts and crafts, computers, magic, drama activities,
puzzles and problem solving activities, and any other
material that at a certain stage can make the learning
of English a motivating memorable experience.
 Different Types of
Language Learners and
How to Teach Them
As every child is different, teachers need to learn this
difference for then determine which appropriate approach or
method used in teaching them.

When we are teaching English to kids, as teachers we need to be

aware of the differences in learning styles of our students so that we
can incorporate all of these learning styles into our lessons
 Below are the 6 different learner types and details on
different activities to suit their learning styles.

1. Visual Learners
 Visual learners learn best by looking. The enjoy reading (and often prefer to see the words
they are learning) and seeing pictures.

Visual learners respond well to:

 Information on the whiteboard

 Flashcards  cartoons
 colorful pictures  posters
 Videos  board games
 story books with pictures  worksheets
 computer graphics  puzzles
 maps (e.g. treasure maps)
 charts
Below are the 6 different learner types and details on
different activities to suit their learning styles.

2. Auditory Learners
Auditory learners learn best by listening. They work well with spoken instructions
and learn quickly by listening to stories and songs. They will not need to see
written words to learn.

Auditory learners respond well to:

 Songs
 listening to stories
 poems and riddles
 verbal instructions and explanations
 listening activities
 participating in oral activities
 Below are the 6 different learner types and details on
different activities to suit their learning styles.

1. Tactile Learners
 Tactile learners learn physically by touching and manipulating

3. Kinesthetic
Learner Tactile learners respond well to:
4. Analytic  Drawing
Learners  songs with gestures
5. Global Learners  playing board games
 making models (e.g. with play doh or
lego)
 craft activities
 feeling in the bag activities
 following instructions to make things
 THANKS
AND
GOD BLESS