Teaching English in Primary School

Ministerul Educaiei i Cercetrii
Str. Spiru Haret nr. 10-12, etaj 2,

sector 1, cod potal 010176,
Bucureti
Tel: 021 305 59 99
Fax: 021 305 59 89
http://rural.edu.ro
e-mail: office@ump.kappa.ro
Elena GRDESCU
Unitatea de Management a Proiectului pentru nvmntul Rural
ISBN 00 000-0-00000-0;
ISBN 00 000-000-0-00000-0.
TEACHING ENGLISH IN PRIMARY SCHOOL
Program postuniversitar de conversie profesional

pentru cadrele didactice din mediul rural
Specializarea LIMBA I LITERATURA ENGLEZ
Forma de nvmnt ID - semestrul IV
TEACHING ENGLISH
IN PRIMARY SCHOOL
Elena GRDESCU
Tu i poi ajuta!
Tu i poi ajuta!
Program cofinanat de Guvernul Romniei, Banca Mondial i comunitile rurale.
2007
Toi copiii din mediul rural

Toi
copiiisdin
mediulmai
rural
trebuie
mearg
departe!
trebuie s mearg mai departe!
2007

Proiectul pentru nvmntul Rural
LIMBA I LITERATURA ENGLEZ
Teaching English in primary school
Elena GRDESCU
2007
2007

Proiectul pentru nvmntul Rural
Nici o parte a acestei lucrri
nu poate fi reprodus fr
acordul scris al Ministerului Educaiei i Cercetrii
Language consultant: Dean Hufstetler, licensed teacher from California, USA.

Area coordinator: Anca Cehan
ISBN 978-973-0-04783-7
Table of contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................iv
Unit 1
The young language learner............................................................................................. 1
1.1. Cognitive psychology in support of foreign language learning...................................... 1
Unit objectives ..................................................................................................................... 2
1.2. The characteristics of young language learners .......................................................... 6
1.2.1. Childrens knowledge of the world ............................................................................ 6
1.2.2. Childrens abilities and skills ................................................................................... 10
1.2.3. Identifying priorities ................................................................................................. 12
1.3. Factors that influence foreign language learning ....................................................... 12
1.3.1. The value of personal experience ........................................................................... 13
1.3.2. Childrens expectations and motivation ................................................................... 14
1.3.3. The influence of the environment ............................................................................ 16
1.4. Foreign language learning and child education .......................................................... 16
Summary .......................................................................................................................... 18
Key concepts .................................................................................................................. 21
SAA No. 1 ........................................................................................................................ 21
Further reading ............................................................................................................... 22
Answers to learning tasks .............................................................................................. 22
Unit 2
Developing skills in primary school ............................................................................. 25
2.1. The National Curriculum ............................................................................................. 25
Unit objectives .................................................................................................................. 26
2.2. The importance of the four skills ................................................................................ 27
2.2.1. Listening ................................................................................................................. 28
2.2.2. Speaking ................................................................................................................. 33
2.2.3. Reading and writing ................................................................................................ 39
2.3. Vocabulary and grammar structures .......................................................................... 47
2.3.1. The advantages of topic-based work ....................................................................... 47
2.3.2. Presenting and practising vocabulary ...................................................................... 48
2.3.3. Teaching grammar structures ................................................................................. 49
Summary .......................................................................................................................... 50
Key concepts .................................................................................................................. 50
Further reading ............................................................................................................... 51
Unit 3
Lesson planning strategies ........................................................................................... 54
3.1. The importance of planning ....................................................................................... 54
Unit objectives ................................................................................................................... 55
3.2. Conditions for efficient activities ................................................................................ 56
3.2.1. Content ................................................................................................................... 57
3.2.2. Procedure ............................................................................................................... 60
3.3. Long-term planning .................................................................................................... 62
3.3.1. Year planning ......................................................................................................... 62
Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural
Table of contents
3.3.2. The learning unit .....................................................................................................64

3.4. Short-term planning ....................................................................................................66
3.4.1. The lesson plan .......................................................................................................68
3.4.2. The plan in action ....................................................................................................71
3.5. Optional course curricula ...........................................................................................73
Summary...........................................................................................................................75
Key concepts ...................................................................................................................75
SAA No. 2..........................................................................................................................75
Further reading ...............................................................................................................76
Answers to learning tasks...............................................................................................76
Appendix 1 A year planning model ................................................................................80
Appendix 2 A learning unit model ..................................................................................83
Appendix 3 A lesson plan model.....................................................................................84
Unit 4
Using and creating resources.........................................................................................86
4.1. The value of resources in primary school....................................................................86
Unit objectives....................................................................................................................87
4.1.1. A few principles of developing resources in primary school .....................................87
4.1.2. The efficient use of resources ..................................................................................90
4.2. Using already existing resources ...............................................................................91
4.2.1. The coursebook pack...............................................................................................91
4.2.2. The blackboard .......................................................................................................95
4.2.3. Visuals ....................................................................................................................98
4.2.4. Games ..................................................................................................................100
4.2.5. Authentic materials ................................................................................................103
4.2.6. The tape/CD/video player .....................................................................................105
4.2.7. Teaching with a minimum of resources .................................................................107
4.3. Creating resources ...................................................................................................110
4.3.1. Resources created by the teacher ........................................................................111
4.3.2. Resources created by the pupils ...........................................................................114
Summary.........................................................................................................................117
Key concepts .................................................................................................................118
Further reading .............................................................................................................118
Answers to learning tasks.............................................................................................118
Unit 5
Evaluation in primary school .......................................................................................139
Introduction .....................................................................................................................121
Unit objectives..................................................................................................................122
5.1. The need for evaluation ...........................................................................................123
5.1.1. Types of evaluation ...............................................................................................124
5.1.2. The features of evaluation in primary school .........................................................125
5.2. Evaluation targets ....................................................................................................129
5.2.1. Language skills, vocabulary and language ...........................................................130
5.2.2. Social skills ...........................................................................................................132
5.2.3. Attitude and behaviour ..........................................................................................132
5.3. Evaluation techniques ..............................................................................................133
5.3.1. Ongoing evaluation ...............................................................................................134
5.3.2. Tests .....................................................................................................................134
5.3.3. Portfolios and projects ...........................................................................................136
5.3.4. Student self assessment .......................................................................................138
ii
Table of contents
5.4. Evaluation and progress ........................................................................................... 140

5.4.1. Marking schemes ................................................................................................. 141
5.4.2. Giving feedback..................................................................................................... 145
Summary ........................................................................................................................ 146
Key concepts ................................................................................................................ 147
SAA No. 3 ....................................................................................................................... 147
Further reading ............................................................................................................. 147
Answers to learning tasks ............................................................................................ 147
Appendices .................................................................................................................... 151
Annexes ......................................................................................................................... 154
Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 167
Bibliography .................................................................................................................. 192
iii
Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Dear students,
We are pleased that you have chosen this distance training optional
course on EFL methodology in primary school. It deals with the
characteristics of teaching English in primary school. While the
approach on teaching English is similar to that in the general
methodology course, this optional course focuses on specific
problems of teaching English in primary school which derive from
the age level and the particular traits and demands of the learning
process in the case of young learners.
We hope that this course will meet your needs and interests in
primary school teaching, which is challenging and rewarding but
equally difficult. By recollecting your own early learning strategies
and reflecting upon both your previous and present teaching
experiences, you will be able to become a reflective teacher.
Reflection is a necessary practice that helps you to understand the
conditions for effective learning and also contributes to your
professional development. You can try new classroom ideas and
techniques and correlate them to the theoretical knowledge provided
by this course.
Course aims
One of the main guidelines of this course, which is also common to
the EFL Methodology course, is to keep the balance between
theoretical and practical knowledge. Your learning route will start
from your own experience and classroom practice through process
analysis and theory to practice again, as you will have to apply the
new ideas in your particular classroom context. The starting points
for each theoretical aspect are either the observation of classroom
activities, your own childhood learning experiences or case studies
and other examples. This will lead to the education of your empathic
capabilities and to the development of your ability to understand the
teaching and learning process from the childrens point of view by
becoming aware of their needs and abilities.
There is permanent reference to the use of the coursebooks and of
the national curriculum. We have tried to anticipate questions you
might ask yourselves while teaching primary school pupils and have
created the most relevant contexts in which you can discover the
answer through reflection and self-evaluation.
iv
Introduction
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
set up your own strategies for teaching in primary school,

basically through adjusting the communicative approach
requirements to the young learners needs
use the National Curriculum and the coursebook adequately
use the available resources in an efficient way and create
new ones
find out personalized solutions to classroom management
problems
adapt your assessment and evaluation strategies to the
requrements of primary school EFL teaching.
Course tasks
The course tasks require materials and resources that are available
to you. The tasks are interactive and also encourage reflection and
problem solving.
In order to anticipate and use your previous knowledge in a certain
area, there is a Think first! task, signalled by this icon:
Think first!
The following icon signals the learning tasks. The answers to these
tasks are provided at the end of each unit.
Learning task
At the end of units 1,3 and 5 you are asked to write a send-away
assignment (SAA) which helps you review the main points of the
unit. The answers to the SAAs will be sent to your tutor, either by
regular mail or by email. This will be decided during your first
meeting with your tutor.
Introduction
SAAs are signalled by this icon:
Send-away assignment
Both the Learning Tasks and the Send-away Assignments
encourage you to reflect upon your own teaching experiences and
find alternatives or explanations in the light of the theoretical input
that is offered in each unit.
The big issues of EFL methodology are largely dealt with in the EFL
Methodology I course. The present course tasks reiterate these
issues in the particular context of the primary classroom.
Course outline
Teachers of foreign languages dont have a special training for
working with primary school children. Experience has proved that
the younger the children are, the more difficult it is to adapt your
teaching style to the demands of their age.
The content and succession of the units in this course responds to a
logical sequence of questions:
Who am I going to teach?

What am I going to teach?
How am I going to organize my lesson?
What materials and resources can I use?
How do I know if I got the expected results?
Introduction
Unit 1
The Young Language Learner
Unit 2
Developing Skills in Primary School
Unit 3
Lesson Planning Strategies
Unit 4
Using and Creating Resources
Unit 5
Evaluation in Primary School
There is a list of key concepts at the end of each unit and a glossary
of new terms and theories at the end of the book. You might
encounter difficulties in finding the 3rd and 4th National Curricula in
the school library, so you can find them in the appendix at the end
of Unit 3.
vi
Introduction
Assessment and evaluation

1. Continuous assessment will be done during the semester (30% of
the final grade), taking into account the quality of your answers to
SAA no. 1 and 2. For SAA no. 1 you will get 10 points, while for SAA
no. 2 you will get 20 points.
The answers to Send Away Assignments (SAAs) will be evaluated
according to the following criteria:
The answers illustrate your understanding of the theoretical
input
The answers contain genuine examples of your classwork
Your solutions are realistic and clearly presented
2. Final Evaluation (70% of the final grade)
By the end of the semester you will also submit to your tutor a
portfolio containing:
a. A lesson plan, together with your own analysis of the way it
worked in class.
The lesson plan will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Both the general objectives and specific objectives are clearly

presented
The activities have clear tasks for the children
The choice of activities illustrates your understanding of the
general principles of teaching English in primary school (skill
development, guided and free practice, etc. )
The plan includes a form of evaluation of the childrens
performance
For the lesson plan you will get a maximum of 15 points.
The analysis of its efficiency in class will consist in:
Examples and evidence of the way in which the lesson
objectives were attained (e.g., 25% of my pupils were able to
perform the dialogue without my support)
Strong and weak points of the lesson plan (e.g. Could you do
all the activities? Which ones were successful? Which ones
didnt work? Why?)
An action plan in which you will state your decisions about
how you can improve your work in the future
For the lesson analysis you will get a maximum of 20 points.
b. SAA no. 3, which will be graded according to the following criteria:
The correspondence between the teaching objectives and the
evaluation items
Measurable and detailed descriptors
Realistic evaluation strategy.
For SAA no. 3 you will get a maximum of 35 points, as follows:
5 points for task 1
20 points for task 2
10 points for task 3.
vii
The young language learner
UNIT 1
THE YOUNG LANGUAGE LEARNER
Unit Outline
1.1. Cognitive psychology in support of foreign language learning...................................... 1
Unit objectives ..................................................................................................................... 2
1.2. The characteristics of young language learners .......................................................... 6
1.2.1. Childrens knowledge of the world ............................................................................ 6
1.2.2. Childrens abilities and skills ................................................................................... 10
1.2.3. Identifying priorities ................................................................................................. 12
1.3. Factors that influence foreign language learning ....................................................... 12
1.3.1. The value of personal experience ........................................................................... 13
1.3.2. Childrens expectations and motivation ................................................................... 14
1.3.3. The influence of the environment ............................................................................ 16
1.4. Foreign language learning and child education .......................................................... 16
Summary .......................................................................................................................... 18
Key concepts .................................................................................................................. 21
SAA No. 1 ........................................................................................................................ 21
Further reading ............................................................................................................... 22
Teaching English in primary school has its satisfactions and

demands. Some teachers are attracted in the beginning to teach at
this level. Later on, they might feel disappointed at the discrepancy
between the great amount of effort they put into preparing their
lesson and their students apparently slow progress.
In this unit and the next we will refer to both children aged 7 to 9 who
might study study English as an optional course and children aged
10 to 12 who will study English according to the National Curriculum.
They will be referred to as young learners.
This unit will help you to understand the most important
characteristics of young foreign language learners and will focus on
those who have a special relevance in terms of effective teaching.
There is a Send-away assignment (SAA) at the end of this unit that
you will have to send to your tutor.
There are also learning tasks for you to do. After you have done
them, you can check with the suggested answers at the end of this
unit.
Unit objectives
After you have completed the study of this unit, you should be able
to:
explain childrens behaviour in different situations
identify the childrens natural abilities and skills which can
support the learning of a foreign language
describe how certain factors can affect learning in a positive
or negative way
decide which are the most important aims in foreign
language lessons in primary school
identify the impact of foreign language learning on the
childs education.
1.1 Cognitive psychology in support of foreign language learning

There have been various appoaches of how a foreign language
should be taught and learnt. There is value in each of them, and it is
a matter of personal choice to favour one over another. On the other
hand, research in the field of cognitive psychology reveals many
practical ways* in which they can become valuable.(Kostenbauer,
Irena, English for Kids, Wien, 1999).
The power of
suggestion
Suggestopaedia is a method which is based on the application of

suggestion to education and learning. There are three basic
theoretical principles in Suggestopaedia that come from the mental
health field:
Learning should be characterized by joy and the

absence of tension
There is a unity between each individuals undermind
and conscience
Suggestion is the link to the reserves of the mind.
What the teacher says is important but how one says it, is crucial.
The teachers manner of speaking, eye contact, a smiling face, voice
and intonation are of utmost importance. According to some
researchers, the atitudes that the learners perceive are 7% verbal,
38% vocal intonation, 55% facial expression.
Learning task 1
Repeat the question Whats your name? in front of the mirror
using different intonations: kindly, angrily, loudly, softly, joyfully,
sadly. What might a child feel every time when he/she is asked
this question?
Write your answers in the space below.
You can find the answer to this question at the end of this unit.
Total physical
response (TPR)
According to this theory, children are encouraged to use gestures,

touch, feel and do. Therefore, if you teach adjectives such as soft,
cold, hard, hot, let the children feel the objects. If you teach them
verbs, let them jump, run, draw or mime these actions. Suspense is
created by asking them to close their eyes, touch the objects and
feel what they are.
Listening before
speaking
Alfred Tomatis was an ear specialist who put a great amount of

stress on the importance of the ear in language training. As a
result, he favoured listening before speaking. (Actually, this is also
true about a baby learning to speak.) In his opinion, no sound can
be reproduced properly if it hasnt been heard accurately several
times before.
The classroom is not the natural environment for second
language acquisition, so you need to have the children exposed to
the foreign language. Teachers should integrate their students into
the sound universe of the foreign language as much as possible.
This theory lies at the basis of the methods which encourage the
children to use the foreign language from the very first lesson.
Total immersion and

natural language
acquisition
It is very common to hear people say X can speak English

fluently, as he lived in England for a number of years, although X
never spoke English at home while living in England. However, the
surrounding world, the necessity to associate certain typical realities
to their corresponding words, the need to communicate, turned X
into a really good speaker of English.
Actually, in foreign language learning, constant exposure to the
foreign language is a condition for successful learning. There is a
limit, though. The classroom is an artificial environment, therefore
the difficulty of the language has to be adapted to the learnes age.
The children are aware that they can always rely on their mother
tongue when they dont understand something (except in the case
when a native speaker teaches them). The use of mother tongue is
a controversial matter, and it will be dealt with in one of the next
units.
You need to speak English as accurately as possible, as you are the
first model for the students. By maintaining the language at a
comprehensible level and using other ways to stimulate
understanding (pictures, mime), you can use the target language
from the beginning.
Another important aspect here is the creation of real communication

contexts that would motivate the child to communicate in a
meaningful way. For example, shopping would be the proper context
for practising such structures as How much is it? or Here you are
/ Thank you.
Words or full
messages?
Gestalt psychology stresses the importance of learning by wholes.

Actually, it is very common that the children should use patterns of
language that they repeat regularly and very often. Moreover, they
understand the situation very quickly, and they can easily remember
the language. This is the way children learn classroom laguage as
well as a number of phrases from cartoons and other sources.
Think first!
Before you go on reading this section, think about the way you learn.
What helps you learn more efficiently? Taking notes? Summarising?
Reading aloud?
Write your ideas in the space below (about 50 words).
You can find the answers in the text that follows.
Multiple
intelligences
Learning takes place in a different way with each individual person.

Some people can remember what they see (they are mostly visual),
while others need to hear (the auditory type), handle objects or
experience things (kinesthetic).
Gardner considers that the intelligence we are born with is not just
a single entity, but a number of entities, out of which one is
prevailing. (linguistic, logical-mathematic, musical, bodily kinesthetic,
spatial, interpersonal and intrapersonal). As far as education is
concerned, his conclusion is that seven kinds of intelligences would
allow seven ways to teach, rather than one.
Visual
Organized
Neat and orderly
Memorizes pictures
Is not distracted by
noise.
Has problems with
memorizing verbal
instructions.
Would rather read
Auditory
Talks to self
Easily distracted by
noise
Can repeat back
Spoken language
seems easy
Likes music
Can easily
reproduce tone,
Kinesthetic
Responds to
physical rewards
Moves a lot.
Learns by doing.
Points when reading
Responds physically
than be read to.
Needs an overall
view of the material
Is cautious until
mentally clear
Remembers what
was seen
Reading is a strong
area.
Writing is not.
voice and intonation

Memorizes by steps,
procedures and
sequence
Dialogues internally
and externally
Tries alternatives
verbally first
Remembers what
was discussed
Enjoys reading
aloud and listening
Tends to talk better
than write
Learns through
manipulating and
actually doing things
Remembers an
overall impression of
what was
experienced
Likes plot oriented
books, reflects
action of story with
body movements
Tense, thick
handwriting
While it is true that a pure type of intelligence is unlikely to find, it is

also true that this is just a brief translation of intelligences into
behaviours. Some children, for example, can be the visual type,
which enables them to associate pictures with words very easily. A
teacher needs, therefore, to use a wide range of stimuli that should
activate this potential and give each child an opportunity to learn.
Pictures, sounds, action games and rhymes are just a few
suggestions in this respect.
Learning task 2
Read about these children. Define each childs dominant type of
intelligence. What solutions would you choose as a teacher for each
of them?
In about 100 words, write your answers in the space below.
You can check with the answers at the end of this unit.
Maria talks too much! Whenever she has to do something, she
turns to her colleague and starts telling her what she has to do. She
talks while writing, drawing and playing. She is very good at roleplay,
though. She puts a lot of effort in acting out even the simplest
dialogues.
Luiza writes down everything I say. Sometimes she is so
deeply absorbed in keeping her notebook neat that she misses the
funny moments. She has a lot of felt tip pens and crayons, and she
uses them all the time. Quiet, she seldom offers to answer.
Bogdan is very naughty. He simply cant help fidgeting. I
hardly finish giving the task when he starts to wave hands and jump
out with excitement. He has attention difficulties, Im afraid. He can
only remember parts of what we are doing and only if he took part in
them himself.
1.2 The characteristics of young language learners

Think first!
Before you start reading this section, think about primary school
children. What do they like doing?
Write your ideas in the space below.
You can find the answers in the following section.
1.2.1. Childrens knowledge of the world

It is very important to take a closer look at what children know, what
they can do and cant do and then consider all these points from a
foreign language teachers perspective. There is not only a
difference among age groups in primary school, but also among
individuals. It is said, for example, that the British philosopher John
Stuart Mill started to learn Greek at the age of three. He was
definitely not an average child. However, there are more and more
children nowadays who can easily pick up and use expressions in a
foreign language. This is the result of their exposure to modern
means of communication.
The following characteristics belong to average eight to ten year old
children. It is important to think of them in terms of foreign language
learning. Direct class observation can provide other features as well.
Basic concepts
Children already have a few basic concepts when they come to
school. They have relatively well-formed views of the world. Not only
do they understand human relationships and the surrounding world,
but they can make moral judgements and find solutions. Ten-year
olds, for example, will talk about their home, family and pets very
6
easily, and they will be able to understand what is typical of an

English family.
Previous knowledge of the foreign language
Children nowadays pick up a lot of English words and phrases from
television and the computer. Some start English in kindergarten.
This knowledge needs to be used and shared, not neglected.
Moreover, there are a lot of words of English origin which have
already been absorbed into our language.
Learning task 3
Here are a few international words whose origin is English: blue
jeans, rock and roll, hot dog. Make a list of other such words. Think
of a situation in which you can use these words in the classroom.
In about 25 words, write your ideas in the space below.
You can find a few suggestions at the end of this unit.
Fact and fiction

Children can tell the difference between fact and fiction. However,
they enjoy living fiction, being a part of it. In one case, in order to
initiate the practice of the present continuous tense, the teacher
pretended to have hypnotic powers by which she could simply take
the children to other times and other places. One child was asked to
close his eyes and then tell everybody where he was what he could
see, who was there with him, the colours, the smells, what everyone
was doing. Not only did the child give a very accurate account of all
these details, but he also used the present continuous tense without
any errors.
Learning task 4
How can you explain the accurate use of the above-mentioned
grammatical form, even though the children had done few explicit
grammatical exercises?
In about 40 words write your ideas in the space below.
You can find the answers at the end of this unit.
The word and the physical reality

Primary school children rely both on the spoken word and on the
physical world to convey and understand meaning. This makes it
necessary for the teacher to use various ways to introduce
vocabulary, including synonyms and antonyms. At the same time,
teachers must not use words only. Looking back upon the ideas in
chapter 1.1, we see that the activities with young learners must
include the use of senses as well as that of of objects and pictures.
Playing with language is a natural thing to do at this age, even if it
means talking nonsense (e.g. Andy, Pandy, sugar candy) and it is
very efficient for practising pronunciation.
Categories
The basic thinking processes are in full development at this age. The
children are able to sort elements into categories, compare, analyse
and contrast them. Look at this dialogue between the teacher and a
2nd grade pupil
T: Whats this?
S: A doll.
T: And this?
S: A toy car.
T: What are they? (puts them next to each other)
P: Toys. Doll for girl, car for boy.
T: Big toys? (mimes big)
S: Big doll, but car, no.
Rules
The younger the students are, the stronger is their belief that the
world is governed by rules. The children may not always understand
the rules, but they know that they are there to be obeyed.
Respecting the rules creates a feeling of security and a safe
environment, which favours efficient learning.The teacher can
consult the students in making up a commonly shared set of rules
that can be respected by the whole class. Routines and repetitions,
familiar situations and recurrent stages in the lesson raise the
students self confidence and ensure successful class management
Learning task 5
What rules would you like to negotiate with your pupils? How are
you going to monitor the children?
In about 50 words, write your ideas in the space below.
You can find some answers at the end of this unit

8
Questions
The adults world and the childs world are not the same. Sometimes
the adults dont understand what the children mean. At the same
time, children do not always understand what the adults are talking
about. In order to make things clear, the adults ask questions, but
the children dont always do the same. They either pretend to
understand or they understand in their own way. As a result, they do
what they think the adults want them to do. Here is a joke that
illustrates this point:
Teacher: How many seconds are there in a year?
Pupils: ..?!
Tom: There are twelve, sir.
Teacher: How do you know?
Tom: Its simple, sir: January 2nd, February 2nd, March
2nd.
Fairness
Ever since primary school, children begin to prove their sense of
fairness, and they start to question the teachers decisions. Thats
why it is a good idea to make it clear for everybody why we are or
we arent doing certain things. For example, children get easily
disappointed if they dont take a turn in a game. When the teacher
stops the game, he/she does it in favour of other language activities
or in order to calm the children down. He can start the new activity
with the disappointed group.
Evaluation might also be a source of troubles. Thats why previously
agreed items of evaluation and comments on the childrens
performance will ensure an atmosphere of mutual respect. Being
aware of what he/she is expected to do, the child will more easily
accept failure and future support. On the other hand, parents want to
find out about their childs progress, so the teacher needs to take
notes and talk to the children regularly about their work.
Cooperation
Children are able to work with others and learn from others.
Grouping the children together as often as possible gives them a
chance to share experiences and practise language that they
wouldnt be able to work on otherwise. Working in groups also gives
the children a sense of belonging and achievement if the members
of the group have a common task.
However, teachers need to be very careful about the negative effect
of competition. In a competition there is always a winning team and
a losing team, a reward and a prize for the winners and
disappointment for those who lose. In order to create a safe learning
environment, the teacher should find other forms of encouragement
and create situations in which everyone can win.
Learning task 6
In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of
group work?
You can find some answers at the end of this unit.

1.2.2. Childrens abilities and skills
Besides the previously mentioned characteristics, young learners
have abilities and skills that enable them to learn a foreign language
quite easily.
Think first!
Can you see any danger in using a limited vocabulary creatively?
You can find some suggestions in the following section.
Children are able to understand a message even

though they cant understand each separate word.
This skill is fundamental to human communication. As teachers, we
use gestures, intonation, mimic, demonstration, action and body
movement to convey meaning. This has a lot to do with guessing
and anticipating. Children enjoy anticipating and guessing what is
going to happen in a story, what a person is going to say or what the
result of an action would be.
10
Even though their vocabulary is limited, children

can use language creatively.
This happens very much in the same way in which the mother
tongue is learnt. For a long period of time, the children use just a few
words to say what they want. Sometimes the communication context
is so demanding and requires such unpredictable vocabulary that
the child starts inventing words in the foreign language and therefore
makes mistakes (its the well known case of adding the suffix -ation
at the end of different words just to make them sound English).
Children often learn indirectly
Sometimes, the children use words and phrases that they know from
TV, from friends or from books. Guessing is a very powerful way of
learning phrases and structures.
Although the teacher tries hard to introduce new vocabulary and
practise it in various ways, there are instances when the children
focus their attention more on understanding the task than on
language acquisition. This is the case of guided language exercises
(e.g. fill in the correct form of the verb in brackets) which are totally
inefficient if the lesson does not also include real language tasks.
Children need fun and take great pleasure in

creating it
Children always find opportunities and resources for fun in what they
do. Sometimes this is enough to ruin a carefully prepared lesson!
Games and roleplay activities are a good choice in language
learning, as they give each individual a chance to live the language
they are using.
They have a rich and vivid imagination
Children like to discover how the real world really works. One way to
discover this is to imagine how it would be different. Playing during
the language lesson provides the children a good chance to use
their imagination. (While learning the parts of the body, for example,
the children can invent their own monster and give it a detailed
description.)
Children like talking
Young learners need to talk if we want them to become good at
speaking. Organizing pair work activities takes time and patience ,
but it is the only way we can have the whole class practise the same
structure at the same time. The teacher needs to provide regular
and well- planned situations in which the children can talk.
11
1.2.3. Identifying priorities

Think first!
Before you start reading this section, have a look at the Curriculum
for primary school. What will you have to teach?
Write your answers in the space below.
You can find the answers in the following section.

There are three basic questions a teacher needs to answer before
starting any lesson:
1. What am I going to teach?
2. Why am I going to teach that?
3. How am I going to do it?
In answering these questions, we are actually referring to three main
aspects: content, aims and activities. In this part of the unit you will
find out more about aims, while activities will be fully dealt with in
Unit 2. In primary school, the children need not only learn basic
vocabulary, but they also need to develop a motivation and a wish to
use the language. That will sustain further learning. Thats why in
planning the lesson at this level, the teacher needs to have both
content and attitude aims in mind.
Content aims
Basic knowledge of English for each level is provided for by the

National Curriculum and it consists of:
-
Attitude aims
Topics and situations (e.g. Family and home, Shopping)

Functions of the language (e.g.asking for and giving
personal information:What is your mothers name? , etc. )
Grammatical structures (e.g. the verb to be, the plural of
nouns )
Skills (listening comprehension, reading comprehension,
speaking, writing)
Cultural information (e.g. typical English names, eating
habits, customs and traditions)
Attitude is essential for a coherent and meaningful achievement of

content aims. Attitude aims are very important in primary school
because they refer to the type of learning experiences, the
relationships we are building in class and the atmosphere of the
foreign language lesson. Here are a few of them:
12
the pleasure and confidence in exploring and using the

foreign language
someones willingness to take part in communication
the courage and desire to communicate
the wish to use language for personal purposes
the wish to learn together with and from others
In primary school education, the balance between the content aims

and the attitude aims needs to be a permanent concern of the
teacher. Moreover, attitude aims are a priority at this stage, while in
the later stages of the childs education, content aims become a
priority.
Learning task 7
If you were in primary school again, what would encourage and
motivate you to communicate? How can you support the children in
this respect?
You can find some suggestions at the end of this unit.
1.3 Factors that influence foreign language learning

Think first!
Before you read this section, think back to your first foreign language
lesson. What do you remember? Write down everything you can
remember, whether feelings, smells or facts. Was it a good or a bad
experience?
You will find some examples in the following section.
13
1.3.1. The value of personal experience

Thinking about your first English lesson, you must have remembered
things connected with the teacher, the room, the sounds and smells
and eventually the content and the method.
Learning task 8
Read the following confessions about the very first lesson of English
and decide which of the following factors had the strongest impact:
The content (what was actually taught)
The classroom
The teacher
Others (what?)
Write your answers in the space below each confession.
You can find a few answers at the end of this unit.
1. I remember the teacher was a very strict man who started by
teaching us the phonetic transcription and then the rules of the
plural in English. It all seemed as difficult as Maths to me.
Besides, the teacher was wearing dark glasses and you never
knew which way he was looking. (Ioana, 18 years old)
2. I liked my first lesson because I knew from my sister it was

going to be easy and fun. I also knew a lot of words from her.
(Suzana, 13)
..
3. My first English lesson was in kindergarten. The teacher was
really nice, she never shouted and she had toys and all sorts of
surprises for us. It was a sunny day. I think this is when I started
to love English. (Delia, 12)
4. I dont remember one word from my first lesson. The teacher

gave us English names. I hated the name I was given Kevin.
All the children called me Kevin Costner and I hated it. (Valentin,
11)
5. My first lesson was in kindergarten. The teacher taught us the

colours and how to ask for different things. The room was large
and bright and the teacher was very kind. (Lucia, 10)
6. We had our first lesson in a dark room on the ground floor. It

was also cold and I was afraid of everything and everyone.
(Marius, 9)
.
7. At first, I didnt like English because the teacher called me
Sorina instead of Sabina. Whats more, the teacher was very
strict and she hardly ever smiled. (Sabina, 9)
14
Actually, the content is remembered if the learning atmosphere is

safe and nice (5) or if it was too difficult. (1) Some people give
details about the place as either threatening (6) or very nice and
comfortable (5).
There are many details about the teacher as either a very
mysterious person who taught a secret code (1), a very reserved
and strict person (7), or a kind, smiling person who inspired
confidence and love.
There are memories about places as as inspiring (5) or
discouraging and scary (6). It is interesting to see how poor
illumination of the room inspires not only the idea of cold but also of
fear.
There are memories connected with personal stories. I knew
from my sister, I hated the name, She called me X instead of Y.
All of them have to do with what happened before the lesson
(background) or during the lesson, and all of them are highly
personal.
In conclusion, whatever is personal remains. Having to go through
an experience is what people need in order to learn. If the
experience is challenging enough, it can create motivation for
learning (5).
Learning task 9
Write down a few reminders for you as a teacher taking into
account what has been pointed out before.
You can find a few suggestios at the end of this unit.
Start like this:
I need to:
learn the childrens first names
............................................................................................
..
15
1.3.2. Childrens expectations and motivation

Children start learning a foreign language with pleasure and
confidence. Here are a few reasons for these feelings:
A foreign language is like a secret code they can use.
It is the language of their favourite cartoons and of the
computer.
Other family members or friends find it enjoyable.
Parents say it will help them in the future.
Before their first English lesson the children feel interested and
confident. It only depends on the teacher to support the child and
sustain his/her motivation. Otherwise, motivation can decrease
dramatically until the child refuses to learn.
Step1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
I can do it. All my friends

can. Anyone can.
Doubt (after a bad mark or Can I do it?
after the teacher said
Wrong answer)
Lack of confidence
I cant do it.
Refusal
I wont do it.
Confidence
Wishing to communicate also means having a good reason to do it.

This means creating a meaningful context and sharing new
information. Sometimes teachers ask questions which have a poor
or no logic in terms of communication.
Lets consider the following sequence of questions:
1. What is this? (shows a pen)
2. Is it a pen? (obviously)
3. Is it a pen or a pencil? (once it has been decided it is a pen,
theres no logic in asking this question. The only reason is the
necessity to practise the interrogative pattern of the verb to
be).
If the children are involved in a guessing game (new context), then
these questions have a different relevance. For example, the
teacher hides an object in a bag and the children have to guess
what it is by asking the question: Is it a..?
1.3.3. The influence of the environment
It is now clear that there is a variety of factors which can work in
favour of an efficient language learning. In this part of the unit we are
going to deal with the external ones, both human and material:
16
The school
The classroom
The community
The school is the big house of knowledge which acquires huge

proportions in the eyes of the little children. A bright, clean, warm
building is a welcoming place for them. If possible, try to arrange a
room in the school for the foreign language department. You can
organize your resources there and also bring children for some
video or project work.
oreign publishing houses always give free posters for the
presentation of different materials and, you can display them on the
walls. Some of them are really very good to use as teaching aids for
different topics. The English room must necessarily have:
One or two tape recorders

Cassettes and other auxiliary materials to go with the
textbooks in use.
A collection of documents: a copy of the National Curriculum
(Programe scolare pentru clasele a IIIa a VIIIa, Aria
curriculara Limba si comunicare, vol.2), Ghid metodologic
pentru aplicarea programei de limba engleza primar
gimnaziu, Criterii de evaluare si descriptori de performanta
pentru invatamantul primar si gimnazial). Ask your
headmaster for all these documents because they have been
distributed to all the schools in the country.
A Teachers guide for each of the textbooks in use in your
school (some publishing houses offer them free of charge).
Any other books or dictionaries you can find.
There should also be a photocopier in the English room as
well as a TV set and a video, a CD player, a computer and a
printer (preferably one with a scanner and photocopier
incorporated so that you can scan and multiply pictures and
photographs).
The classroom also needs to be a welcoming place. Group
activities or games cannot be well organized in small rooms.
Sometimes these activities can be performed in the open when the
weather is fine. In the beginning of this unit we mentioned the total
immersion concept. It involves a permanent contact with English,
speaking English all the time and also creating an English
environment (or little England) in the classroom. One way is to
create an English corner in the classroom where you can display
childrens work, projects, a calendar of special days and posters.
You can also encourage the children to bring posters and postcards
and tell a few words about them (e.g. This is a postcard from
London. I found it in a magazine).
The community is a decisive factor in the motivation and support of
foreign language learning. Parents and children, old and young
people in your area need to understand and need to learn how to
appreciate the value of learning other languages.
The local authorities need to understand why it is important to buy
modern equipment for the schools. Foreign languages can no longer
be taught with only a piece of chalk and the blackboard.
17
Fortunately, today there are more and more people who choose to
work abroad, so that they are the living proof of how important it is to
speak a foreign language. You can also invite them to talk to the
children about the realities of other countries and about customs and
traditions in other countries.
The community also means the parents to whom you need to
explain your methods and requirements, but also the practical
benefits of their children learning a different language.
1.4. Foreign language learning and child education

All teachers are educators, irrespective of the subject they teach.
They become models for their pupils even though they might not
realize it. In modelling little children, the teacher has to do as he/she
preaches. In this respect, you have already made the first step
when you have chosen to complete your education by taking this
course. You are, therefore, a model for your pupils of what
permanent education means.
The problem of education is very important nowadays, when school
is required to solve problems that some very busy parents do not
bother to care about. More and more children suffer from a lack of
attention and affection in their families, which results in disruptive
behaviour and poor learning results.
Lets see how you can help in this respect.
Think first!
Before you read this section, think about a teacher you admired.
What did you admire most in this person? How was he/she a
model for you? How did the teacher and the subject he/she taught
influence your life?
Write your ideas in the space below (about 50 words). You will find
other suggestions in the following section.
We will now have a look at what areas in foreign language teaching

can model childrens life and education. Many people say that the
lessons of English are different, and it is important that we should
become aware of what makes the difference.
What children get in school is not only knowledge on different
subjects but also attitudes, beliefs, certain views on life which are
different in different times and places. Some specialists call these
the hidden curriculum.
18
Social skills
In order to become able to fit into society, children need to learn

social behavoiur. They need to understand who they are and which
are their relationships to other people. They also need to learn how
to share and to cooperate with people around, to respect them and
demand respect from the others. They need to learn how to sustain
their point of view without becoming aggressive and to be flexible
enough to accept other peoples point of view. They need to learn
how to work in a team. In this way the children will see that good
results can more easily be obtained in a team. Teamwork is also a
good opportunity for each child to discover what he/she can do very
well (or less well) and what the others can do, too. In a game,
success actually depends on the cooperation among the members
of the team. If groups are reformed each time the game is played,
the children are given a chance to get to know their classmates
better and to discover their qualities in new situations.
During the English lessons, the children are asked to work in pairs
and to talk to each other. Its an artificial situation, actually, but the
children accept the convention easily. Giving an answer involves
active listening of the partner, and the children learn this step by
step.
Children are sometimes asked to illustrate and present their pieces
of work in English. If their projects are displayed on the walls, the
children will have a chance to learn about other childrens ideas and
improve their own. Besides, their sense of achievement and self
esteem will increase, which actually brings more motivation to work
in general.
Role play is a very effective kind of activity, as it means assuming a
different role and living it. Spoken language is assumed by the
actor along with the characters feelings, attitudes, behaviour and
even voice and intonation. Imagine a very simple dialogue:
A: B, do you want some chocolate?
B: No, thanks, I dont like chocolate.
A: What do you like?
B: I like biscuits.
A and B can be in turns a fox and a Teddy bear, Tom and Jerry, a
dog and a bird, etc. Children are delighted to assume a different
identity and sometimes they produce unexpected vocabulary. What
is the social value of this activity? It means the education of
emphatic abilities, the capacity to understand the world from
somebody elses point of view. As adults, we rarely do this and
prefer to make judgements upon others rather than try to understand
the situation from his/her point of view.
19
Cultural background
Any language carries a whole heritage of the people who speak it.
Language lessons are a good way to explore other peoples way of
life. Take any of the English textbooks which are currently in use for
primary school and look at the illustrations. You will find a lot of
details about life in England (the houses, the streets, typical food,
populationnames, different races, important days, traditions,
childrens games).
Learning task 10
Choose one textbook in use for the 3rd grade. Find out elements of
British culture and civilization in the first five units.
In about 40 words, write your notes in the space below.
Open mindedness
In primary school, children find it difficult to dissociate themselves

from the here and the now and enter into hypothetical or
imaginary worlds. It is also difficult for them to make connections
with knowledge from other subjects and apply certain experiences to
other situations. Project work activities , which mainly mean applying
knowledge from one field into a different context, help to enrich a
childs imagination and ability to acquire knowledge and skills.
Life long learning

skills
It is largely and increasingly recognized that children need to learn

how to learn. This means that their education goes far beyond the
limits of a certain textbook. The teachers duty is to open doors and
support the children so that they can find their own way in learning.
Actually, what the children need in order to make progress in
language learning is not a diet of oversimplified language fitted to
their level in order to make the message comprehensible. They need
to be exposed to language in a wider context and this becomes a
challenge for learning more, while the message remains
comprehensible. If there is no challenge, there is no learning.
Young learners of English need to become aware that
understanding a message does not mean understanding every
word. This will give them them the courage and desire to
communicate.
20
Summary
This unit reveals the psychological caharacteristics of young
learners as well as their implications in foreign language learning. As
a teacher, you need to know how children learn in order to adjust
your teaching strategies properly. Besides, there are a lot of other
internal and external factors that influence learning.
When they come to school, children already have some skills,
abilities and knowledge that you can turn something useful during
the foreign language lesson. This will help in building the childrens
self confidence and motivation.
In order to set up clear objectives for your activities, you also need to
identify your priorities. Since the affective component is very
important with young learners, attitude aims become very important.
As a teacher, you need to be aware of the childrens expectations as
well as their patterns of behaviour. You are not only a subject
teacher but also an educator, and your contribution to developing
the childrens social and learning skills is decisive.
Key concepts
the power of suggestion

total physical response
constant exposure to the foreign language
communication context
multiple intelligences
knowledge of the world
thinking processes
commonly shared set of rules
active listening
sense of achievement
commonly shared set of rules
indirect learning
content aims and attitude aims
the value of personal experience
Send-away assignment no. 1

1. Write (in about 100 words) what your own experience is in
teaching primary school children. Mention which are your main
real or anticipated problems.
2. Give at least three reasons why children in primary school get
easily bored during the lesson (at least 25 words).
3. Insert your answers to Learning task 10. Mention the name of
the textbook and the publishing house (about 40 words).
Send the answers to these questions to your tutor.
21
Further reading
1. Phillips Sarah, 1993, Young Learners, Oxford University Press, pp.
3-7
2. Halliwell, Susan, 1992,Teaching English in the Primary Classroom,
Longman, pp. 9-11
Answers to learning tasks

Should your answers to LTs 1 and 2 not be comparable to
those given below, please revise section 1.1.
LT 1
Kind tone - encouraged, supported, safe
Angry tone fearful, insecure
Loud voice dominated, fearful
Soft voice protected, safe
Joyful tone hopeful, happy, encouraged
Sad tone confused, sad
LT 2
General suggestions each child is a different type. Children need
to be praised for what they can do well but also encouraged to
respond to different stimuli.
Maria responds mostly to auditory stimuli and should always
be involved in dialogues and roleplaying. This will give her a
sense of achievement. However, she should also be
encouraged to work on written and illustrated tasks.
Luiza is the visual type. She works very well with the text and
pictures. She should be more involved in games, action
rhymes and roleplaying activities.
Bogdan learns by doing, and he will feel safe and happy if he
is asked to demonstrate actions. However, he needs to be
supported in both speaking and working on visual tasks. His
handwriting might be a problem, but if his answers are correct
he needs to be praised for that.
Should your answers to LTs 3 - 6 not be comparable to those
given below, please revise section 1.2.
LT 3
giving personal information (favourite clothes, food, music)
likes and dislikes
LT 4
The imaginary situation is vivid, attractive and motivating. The child
could easily take over the form of the verb from the question
because he was highly interested in the question (What are you
doing? What are they doing? Are you eating anything?) and
spontaneously gave the right answer: Im looking at the monster.
22
LT 5
It would be a good idea to negotiate class rules.
Put up your hand when you want to answer.

Keep quiet when somebody talks.
When the teacher puts up his/her right hand, the activity is
over.
During pair work, you have to speak English.
You mustnt laugh when someone makes a mistake, etc.
We can monitor the observance of class rules by a system of

rewards. Keep a record of what the children are doing in class on a
wall chart. Whoever has the most points can give the pictures, can
lead a game or can even make an exercise for his/her classmates.
Example:
Pupils
Hand up
Keep quiet
Anca
Dragos
Activity
over
X
Speak
English
LT 6
Advantages
Children learn how to cooperate.
They acquire team work spirit.
Low ability children can learn from the others.
Children get to know each other.
They can find solutions to different problems faster.
Imagination can be enriched by more ideas from group
members.
It is fun.
Disadvantages
It is difficult to organize
It is hard to monitor
The children are tempted to speak their native language
They might be very noisy
If the desks cannot be moved it is uncomfortable for the
children
Should your answers to LTs 7 9 not be comparable to those
LT 7
By creating a real context for communication
By correcting the childrens mistakes gently and carefully
By creating a safe atmosphere during the lesson
By giving simple, comprehensible tasks
By giving enough time for oral practice during each lesson.
23
LT 8
Each factor is important according to each childs personality and
affective response.
1. the teacher, content
2. previous knowledge
3. the teacher, environment
4. negative feelings created by the situation
5. content, teacher, environment
6. environment
7. negative feelings created by the situation, teacher.
LT 9
make sure there is enough light in the room and it is a warm,
welcoming place
learn the childrens names from the beginning
plan the content carefully, in an attractive manner
prepare yourself in order to create a non-threatening
atmosphere
make sure there is enough material for all the children.
observe childrens reactions and dont repeat activities they
dont like
24
Developing skills in primary school
UNIT 2
DEVELOPING SKILLS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL
Unit Outline
2.1. The National Curriculum ............................................................................................. 25
Unit objectives .................................................................................................................. 26
2.2. The importance of the four skills ................................................................................ 27
2.2.1. Listening ................................................................................................................. 28
2.2.2. Speaking ................................................................................................................. 33
2.2.3. Reading and writing ................................................................................................ 39
2.3. Vocabulary and grammar structures .......................................................................... 47
2.3.1. The advantages of topic-based work ....................................................................... 47
2.3.2. Presenting and practising vocabulary ...................................................................... 48
2.3.3. Teaching grammar structures ................................................................................. 49
Summary .......................................................................................................................... 50
Key concepts .................................................................................................................. 50
Further reading ............................................................................................................... 51
2.1. The National Curriculum

Teaching and learning English in primary school has its specific
requirements derived from the age of the learners. The
characteristics of the young learners have been dealt with in the first
unit.
Think first!
Before you go on reading this section, think about what language
skills, basic vocabulary and grammar you would teach a 9-year old
child.
Write your ideas in the space provided below (about 50 words).
You can find the answers in the following section and in the
Appendix at the end of this book.
25
Unit objectives
In this unit you will find out how important it is to set up your aims
before you do a class activity and how you can adjust the content
and procedures of the activity to these aims.
By the end of this unit you will have learnt
how to develop your own class activities starting from your
lesson aims.
how to adapt your activities to the requirements of the
National Curriculum
The objectives of teaching foreign languages as well as the
language you are supposed to teach are given by the National
Curriculum for each grade. The Curriculum is compulsory for all the
schools and teachers in the country. In Romania, learning the first
foreign language is compulsory starting with the 3rd grade, and the
study of the second foreign language starts in the 5th grade.
In the past, the strategy of the National Curriculum focused on the
content only. This meant that by the end of a certain grade, the
children had to know a number of words and phrases, along with
certain grammatical structures. Little importance was given to
production (what children could actually do with those words and
phrases).
The current strategy of the National Curriculum starts from the
objectives of foreign language learning. Its structure is the same for
all the foreign languages studied in our country and is generated by
the Communicative Approach. Therefore, the accent is on
communication and how you can use language in order to
communicate. What you can do with language is more important
than the amount of language you know. By the end of a certain
grade, the children have to be able to speak, understand, read or
write in a foreign language at a certain level. The content of the
lessons has to be very well selected according to the objectives.
ere are general and specific objectives in the Curriculum.
The Curriculum provides the general outlines of the content that has
to be taught (topics, grammar structures and language functions).
Think first!
What does a primary school child need to be able to do in a foreign
language?
Compare your answers with the suggestions that follow.
26
The general objective of foreign language learning is developing the

four
skills
(listening
comprehension,
speaking,
reading
comprehension and writing.) There is also a cultural objective
referring to the specific cultural background of the English language
(names, traditions, celebrations, famous places).
The specific objectives make it clear for the teachers exactly what
the pupils need to be able to do at certain stages in their
development. In the table below, the general objective 1 (the
development of listening comprehension), is the same for the 3rd and
4th grades, but the specific objectives are different. The objectives in
italics are not compulsory.
By the end of each of these grades, the children will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
3rd grade
recognize specific English
sounds
to distinguish words and
phrases in an oral message
to have a verbal/nonverbal
reaction to an oral message
*to understand the global
meaning of a simple
message they listen to
1.
2.
3.
4.
4th grade
identify basic oral
grammatical categories
to understand the global
meaning of a simple
message
to react properly to different
kinds of messages.
*to understand details from a
message they listen to
For each specific objective, the National Curriculum offers examples

of activities. All the textbooks are approved by the Ministry of
Education only if they meet all the requirements of the National
Curriculum, so you can expect to find these types of activities in the
textbooks you are going to work with. In Unit 3 we are going to
analyze the Curriculum in detail and see how you can plan your
activities in an efficient way.
Apart from the compulsory study of foreign languages, which starts
in the 3rd grade, the teacher can choose to do an optional course in
the 1st and 2nd grade. The objectives and structure of an optional
course curriculum are completely different from the National
Curriculum. You will find an example of an optional course
curriculum in Unit 3.
2.2 The importance of the four skills

Skills development is a very complex process.
In real communication (which lies at the basis of the communicative
approach) you tell somebody something having a purpose in mind.
For example, you ask: Can I use your pen, please? because you
havent got a pen. The answer you expect is: Yes, sure or Sorry, I
need it. Therefore you will not be able to answer if you dont listen
to what somebody is telling you. Speaking goes along with listening.
27
Here are a few principles concerning skill development that we need

to have in mind in the case of primary school children:
1. Skills cannot be developed separately.
In real life, when you speak, theres always someone who listens to
you. When you write a letter, you have in mind the person you are
writing to. Skill development is a long and complex process. In order
to acquire and improve these skills, children need constant exposure
to all kinds of experiences in which they have to use the language.
2. Reception and production go together.
Listening and reading are receptive skills. Speaking and writing are
productive skills. In real communication, you cannot produce an
answer before you understand the message clearly.
3. Reception skills need to be favoured.
In primary school, we need to tackle the problem of productive skills
with extreme caution. Its like trying to force a flower to bloom
prematurely. You need to allow the child enough time to acquire and
create a friendly and safe environment and then ask for an answer.
Thats why non verbal answers such as nodding heads, smiling or
clapping are accepted as good answers.
Think first!
When did you first hear the English language? Did you understand
anything? What did you do in order to understand?
Compare your answers with the suggestions that follow.
2.2.1. Listening
There are several reasons why listening tasks are basic in primary
school.
First, they provide the main source of the language stock from
which the children start to understand how the language works. You
cannot ask somebody to understand what swimming is if you keep
him/her away from water.
Then, there is no real communication without a purpose.
Efficient listening activities are always task-based. During the
listening activity, the children are asked to listen and do something
(listen and colour an image or listen and draw). With older pupils, the
task can be more complicated. For example: Listen to the tape and
tick the true sentences. This involves listening, understanding,
reading, comparing the oral message with the written one and
selecting the true sentences.
28
Thirdly. its training the ear for the sounds of the English language
that ensures effective understanding of the language. Developing a
skill is actually training. If you speak English all the time, you will
create a natural environment for the students to listen. This is what
Krashens natural approach sustains, namely that real
communication occurs when chunks of language, not separate
sounds or words are listened to and produced. You will find a
presentation of this theory in the Glossary at the end of this book.
Learning task 1
How would you explain the following situations?
In about 60 words, write your answers in the space provided below.
1. Children listen to you carefully for a few minutes, then they start
talking in Romanian.
2. Although you have explained the task in detail, very few pupils can
perform it.
3. Both children and parents complain that you speak only English
and the children dont understand you.
Compare your answers to those at the end of this unit.

Conditions for
efficient listening
activities
The practice of English language teaching has revealed a number of

rules that have to be respected during listening activities.
1. In order to understand a message, the listener needs to have
a purpose in mind and the message needs to be meaningful.
Example: Listen and colour the right object. (Tapescript: There are
two armchairs in the room: one is red and the other is blue. There is a
green vase on the table and there is a red flowerin it. There is a dog
on the mat in front of the door. It is black.) In this case, the purpose is
identifying names of colours and, the context is the description of a
room.
2. In order to motivate children to listen, the language has to be
a little above the pupils present level.
The vocabulary of a listening script neednt be restricted to what we
presume the pupils know very well. Developing their listening skill
means training them to select the relevant information from a longer
message and also understanding details from the context. In real life,
when we listen to the weather forecast or the news, for example, we
focus on a certain area or fact and not on all the details.
29
3. In order to solve the task, the children need to practise

constantly
Training pupils in solving listening tasks is a matter of practice. The
first step is understanding classroom language. You can start with
greetings (Hello! Good morning! How are you today?), commands
(Open your books, please! Come to the blackboard!) and phrases of
praising (Well done, Dan!). You can find this kind of language in the
Teachers guides. All you have to do is to use it constantly.
When the pupils dont understand the message on a cassete, the tape
has to be played several times. This establishes a certain routine for
the listening activities which helps the pupils feel secure and
motivated, thus the task is solved more easily.
4. There are different sources for listening: class cassettes, the
teacher, other colleagues, the TV.
The National Curriculum states that listening activities should be done
by using messages produced by a native speaker (recorded on
cassettes or CDs). There is a tendency to think that doing listening
means only using the cassette. Cassettes are useful for providing a
different voice and accent, but the teacher and the other colleagues
are also an important source of listening material. In this situation,
there is also a lot of body language and interaction that helps the
pupils understand the message. You should also encourage your
pupils to watch TV programmes in English.
5. Listening activities have to be preceded and followed by other
tasks.
Before you start a real listening task, you should do an activity which
reinforces or teaches the vocabulay which is essential for
understanding the message (pre-listening activity). A language game,
a brainstorming activity or the discussion of a picture can successfully
introduce the key vocabulary. After the task has been solved, the
content has to be further practised in a dialogue or exercise. These
are called post-listening exercises.
6. When you use a cassete, make sure that you know its
content. Make sure that it works and that the cassette player
is in good condition.
Sometimes you can choose to use a cassette reccommended by a
colleague or you dont have enough time to listen to it before the
lesson. Before you use it, make sure that you know what it contains.
Good teachers guides offer a tapescript of the recorded message, so
you wont risk misunderstanding it yourself!
You should also check if the cassette player works, if there is
electricity in the plugs and if the cassette is in good condition. These
may seem unimportant details, but one of them is enough to ruin a
carefully prepared activity.
30
Think first!
Can you remember a personal teaching experience of a listening
activity that didnt work? Can you remember why it didnt work? How
would you do it again?
Write your answers in the space provided below (about 50 words).
Check your answer against the suggestions mentioned above.
Examples of listening
activities
1. Picture dictation
Level: 4th grade (10 years old)
Topic: My room
Aims: a. giving pupils practice in listening for detail
b. reinforcing vocabulary on colours and furniture
c. practising the prepositions of place
I. Pre- listening activity: Game: Where is it?
One child goes out of the classroom. The teacher hides an object.
On his/her return, the child has to guess where it is by asking the
others questions like Is it in the pencilbox?
II. Listening activity
The pupils draw, following the teachers instructions.(Description:
There is a table in the middle of the room. There is a flower vase on
the table. The flower vase is blue. There is a red flower in the vase.
There is a bed on the right. There is a green ball under the bed.
There is a wardrobe on the left. There is a window between the
wardrobe and the bed. The curtains are yellow. ) When they have
finished, the teacher reveals the picture and reads the text again.
Then the pupils can evaluate their own drawings.
III. Post-listening activity
The pupils write four sentences to describe the picture using there is
and there are.
2. Whats your telephone number?
Level: 3rd grade (9 years old)
Topic: Numbers
Aims: a. giving pupils practive in listening
b. reinforcing the use of numbers in context (asking for/giving
information)
31
I. Pre-listening activity:
Repeat a counting rhyme (example: One is the sun/ Two is a shoe/
Three is a tree/ Four is the door, etc)
II. Listening activity:
Pupils receive worksheets. They have to listen to the tape and fill in
the correct telephone numbers.
Name
Janet
Kate
Steven
Patrick
Telephone number
Tapescript:
Situation1: Janet? Yes. Whats your telephone number?
384951
Situation 2: Can you give me your telephone number? Yes, its
497381.
Situation 3:Whats your telephone number, Stephen? Err my
phone number is oh, yes. Its 903705. Pardon? 903705.
Situation 4: My phone number is 307420. Thanks, Patrick.
(From Magic Time, Longman, 1995)
III. Post listening activity Speaking

Each child asks four colleagues what their names and telephone
numbers are and takes notes.
Name
Telephone number
Note the variety of phrases used for the same purpose and the real
life hesitations in the tapescript.
Learning task 2
Choose a listening task from a textbook in use. Define its aims.
Describe the activity (what the teacher does, what the pupils do).
Compare them with those given at the end of this unit.
32
2.2.2. Speaking
As we have seen in Unit 1, children like talking. If you want them to
speak English, they need to be offered the chance to do it in class
and to use as many varied activities as possible. Children love to
learn rhymes, songs, little dialogues and short phrases. They are
also very responsive to music, rhythm and roleplay and really are
willing to take a turn in a dialogue.
However, teachers find speaking a very difficult skill to teach. When
speaking, a child needs to master vocabulary, pronunciation,
structures, functions and interaction.
Besides, it is a fact that permanent correction from the teacher leads
to a negative result: the children no longer concentrate on the
meaning of what they are saying. Instead, they will try to be as
accurate as possible. Here is a teachers permanent dilemma at this
level: Should I focus on fluency or on accuracy? Is there a secret
recipe for both?
Think first!
How fluent are you in English at the moment? What helped you
improve your fluency?
Write your answers in the space provided below. Compare them
with the suggestions that follow.
Whatever your conclusions, it must have been the necessity to

communicate in repeated circumstances that helped you improve
your speaking skill. While personal effort is the key word in
developing speaking skills, speakers also need models to refer to. In
our case, you can be the model for your pupils by initiating the
dialogues, participating and role-playing yourself. However, in such
situations you should be careful that you dont participate too much
and draw all the attention to yourself.
Language functions
Vocabulary is the amount of words and phrases we learn in a foreign

language. But what do we do with them? In order to create real
communication, we need to make a selection of vocabulary
according to the aim of our message.
Language functions define the purpose of communication. People
talk to each other in order to give and receive information, to ask for
directions, to express an opinion or to apologize.
This is how a meaningful context is created. Before you decide
that your pupils should learn a dialogue, you have to establish the
right context.
33
Here is an example:
Topic: Shopping
Language
function
Greeting
Offering ( to help
or offering
somethig)
Asking for
(something/
price)
Vocabulary
Interaction
Hello! Good morning!

How may I help you?
Would you like a?
Here you are.
Can I have a ,
please?
How much is the,
please?
Thank you.
Can you tell me the
way to, please?
I like.I dont like
I loveI hate
Im really fond of..
I dont mind
Giving thanks
Asking for
directions
Expressing likes
Customer
Shop assistant
Pairs
Pairs
Learning task 3
Match these sentences or phrases with the functions they express.
Write your answers in the space provided below. Compare with the
answers at the end of this unit.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Can you tell me which is the way to the library, please?

Where do you live?
Im sorry, I didnt mean it.
Would you like another sandwich?
Good bye, Mr. Green!
May I come in, please?
a. Offering something
b. Greeting
c. Asking for directions
d. Asking for permission
e. Apologizing
f. Asking for information
1.
Roleplay
34
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
One of the most difficult problems is how you can get the students
remember the right replies in a situational dialogue. Do they have to
learn the dialogue by heart? Do they have to repeat it several times
with the teacher and then try to reproduce it? There is no magic
recipe for the success of this activity, but there are a few hints that
have proved efficient.
1. Pre-teach the vocabulary. Its absurd to have pupils perform a

dialogue they cant understand.
2. Use pairwork as often as possible. Children need to get used to
talking to each other. For control, you can ask one or two pairs to
act out dialogue in front of the class. Acting means using body
language, specific intonation, even different objects. Be an actor
yourself and encourage your pupils to be good actors.
3. Encourage your pupils to think in English and express their
own opinions. Look at this dialogue about food:
Do you want a biscuit?
No, thanks. I dont like biscuits.
Really? I like them a lot.
Children will use the expressions selectively if you encourage
them to say what is true about themselves and not repeat the
model dialogue. Whatever is personal, remains.
Personal experience also refers to the teacher. You need to try
several methods, but you will use those that you consider
efficient and you like. (For more details, go back to Unit 1, page
16.)
4. Remember that speaking is a productive skill which takes
time and practice to develop. Speaking activities need to take
place regularly and only as a natural result of previous activities.
5. Create situations and tasks which correspond to the
childrens abilities. While listening, which is a receptive skill,
involves a lot of anticipation and guessing, speaking doesnt.
When you speak, you need to have all the lexical material ready
to use. If the dialogue requires a lot of unknown vocabulary, it will
not work.
6. Do guided practice first, then free practice. Whatever you
learn, whether it is shoe making, cooking or teaching, there are a
few basic stages that a good tutor will guide you through.
a. This is what you have to do. This is how you do it. (Presentation)
b. Now lets do it together. (Guided practice)
c. Its your turn to try. If you cant, Ill be here to help you.
(Controlled practice)
d. All right. Now you will do it yourself. (Free practice)
In teaching dialogues, presentation is crucial. It can be a dialogue on
the tape, or it can be a dialogue the teacher acts out with two
puppets. Then, the pupils take one role, and the teacher assumes
the other. In the next stage, two children can act out the dialogue.
This needs to be followed by pairwork, with all the children acting.
35
Finally, you can ask one or two pairs to act out freely. Either you
give them freedom to invent or you can change the situation a bit.
Think first!
What materials can you use to facilitate roleplay?
Write your answers in the space provided below (about 40 words).
Compare them with the suggestions that follow.
Examples of oral
activities
Apart from dialogues, there are a variety of activities that you can do
in primary school. Young learners like having fun and create fun in
what they do. Some of the following examples are very easy,
entertaining and they dont need a lot of resources.
1. Simple speaking activities
a. Find your partner
Aims: to give pupils practice in speaking, to ask for/ give personal
information (Hello, whats your name? My name is)
Preparation: Write names of famous characters or TV stars on
cards. Each name is written on two cards, and each child receives a
card.
Procedure: The children have to ask each other questions until they
find their partners.
b. Which one is it?
Aims: to give pupils practice in speaking, to describe a person
Preparation: Cut out pictures of people from magazines, stick them
on cards and display them on the blackboard. The pupils give them
names.
Procedure: The pupils work in pairs: one child describes a picture
using such phrases such as: He/she is, He/she has got His
eyes are., etc.
(From Phillips Sarah, Young learners, OUP, 1993, p. 39)
36
2. Poems and rhymes

Aims: to practise the sounds, rhythms and stress patterns of English
or to practise a structure
Preparation: Learn the poem yourself and practise saying it with a
good beat. Add actions to make it more attractive. Draw simple
pictures to illustrate the poem.
Procedure:
a. Say the poem and demonstrate the actions.
b. Practise saying it with the whole class and gradually introduce the
pictures. Keep up a good rhythm.
c. Teach the children the actions.
d. Say the first word in the line. The children have to continue.
e. (optional) Write the words on the blackboard, explain or translate if
necessary. You can substitute the words with pictures.
Example:
Five little elephants
Standing in a row
Five little trunks
Waving hello
Oh said an elephant
Time to go
Four little elephants
Standing in a row.
(five children in a row)

(Wave arms as trunks)
(the first child looks at his watch in
surprise and hurries away)
(From Phillips Sarah, Young learners, OUP, 1993, p. 108)
The rhyme continues until there is no elephant left. Encourage the

children to replace the words (dogs/tails, birds/wings, etc.)
3. Songs and chants
Children love songs and rhythm.Its easier to remember words that
go with music and movement. A chant is like a song without music,
with a very marked rhythm. You can find songs and chants in
collections which are especially made for young learners, but you
can also adapt songs you know.
For example, the famous Frere Jacques was translated in English
as Brother Peter. The tune was adapted to the following rhymes
(each line is repeated) :
I love chocolate / How about you? / Do you like chocolate? / Yes, I
do.
Songs can be used at any time in the lesson: in the beginning (as a
warm-up activity), in the middle (to relax after a more difficult activity)
or in the end to round up a lesson.
Some songs can be adapted for other activities. Here is an example
of a song that exists in our language, too.
37
The farmers in his den

The farmers in his den, The farmers in his den,
E, I, O, U,
The farmers in his den.
The farmers got a wife/son/cat, etc.
Pupils sing and form a line moving around the class
In goups, pupils can draw a poster of the farmer and what he

has got (animals, family, transport)
4. Information gap activities
In such activities, two pupils (A and B) ask each other questions to
discover differences between two pictures or texts. Basically, A
knows something that B doesnt know and B asks for information.
Student A
Student B
Paul has a secret friend, ...

He is from another planet. He
comes to see Paul
every.....
.
Dixie is very small, as small as
a finger. His skin is , and
he has orange eyes.
Dixie likes .
He doesnt like milk. He is afraid
of... When he
sees Pauls dog, he always
hides away.
Paul has a secret friend, Dixie.

He is from ... He
comes to see Paul every
Sunday at 5 p.m.
Dixie is very small, as small as
a .. His skin is green, and
he has .. eyes.
Dixie likes bananas and apples.
He doesnt like.. He is
afraid of cats and dogs. When
he sees Pauls dog, he always
.
There are also procedures for oral work which should become a part
of everyday routine.
Describing pictures (either on a big card or pictures from the

textbook). You can start with very simple questions in the first lesson
(Whats this?) and gradually increase the difficulty up to How do you
know that?
Drills, which are exercises of guided repetition meant to help

students produce certain structures automatically. You start from a
sentence and gradually replace a part of it, asking the pupils to
repeat it in the new form.
Teacher: John is eating / we

Pupil(s): We are eating, etc.
38
Learning task 4
1. Choose one lesson from a textbook in use and list three activities
whose aim is practising oral language.
2. For one of the activities define the aims, the preparation and the
procedure.
Compare with the examples above.
2.2.3. Reading and writing

Reading and writing will not be dealt with in different sections
because their approach is different in primary school as compared to
secondary school.
In primary school, the pupils are already in the process of learning
reading and writing in their native language. That makes it difficult
for children to start reading and writing in another language.
The National Curriculum for 3rd and 4th grade establishes the aims of
reading and writing in primary school.
39
Learning task 5
List the reading and writing objectives in the National Curriculum for
the 3rd and 4th grade as follows.
Write your answers in the space provided below. Check with the
Reading
rd
3 grade
.
3rd grade
.
4th grade
...
Writing
4th grade
Reading is a receptive skill. Its main aim is to have children

understand the written text, just as we do in everyday life when we
read notes, articles, letters, etc.
In primary classes, children need to read different types of texts:
Textbook texts (short stories, descriptions, etc.)

Dialogues
Cartoon stories
Exercise tasks
Childrens own projects
Easy readers
Here are a few very important aspects which need to be taken into
account at this level:
1.
The pictures are very important.
Decoding the written text (making sense of what we read on the page)
is a very complex operation. Adults make use of all sorts of clues on
the written page: punctuation, paragraphing, key words, references to
things that have happened. In primary school, children are becoming
familiar with these in their own language, so they need a lot of visual
clues. At this age, illustrations matter as much as the words
themselves.
40
Thats why textbooks for young learners include a lot of illustrations

and very little text. In order to practise or remember vocabulary, you
can successfully use picture dictionaries or flashcards.
2.
Reading for meaning has to be encouraged.
There is a lot of discussion on whether the pupils should read silently
or aloud at this age. Reading aloud is for pronunciation and intonation,
while reading silently is mainly for meaning. Since both are equally
important, you have to give your pupils regular practice of both in the
classroom.
It is understanding the text that matters. Thats why checking
comprehension (through questions and answers, true false
exercises, matching picture and word, filling in gapped sentences) is
absolutely necessary. In reading aloud, intonation proves the
understanding of the text, too.
3.
Pre- and post-reading activities are very important.
Before we can exploit it in any way. the vocabulary in the written text
needs to be well understood (pre-reading activities). The texts have to
be based on the childs language. Thats why, if they contain new
vocabulary, it needs to be explained and practised in various ways.
Some teachers make excessive use of translation with the reading
texts. Translation in the childs mother tongue can help, but it destroys
the childs motivation to read in English. Its like instead of trying to
walk by himself/herself, the child will always have a crutch to lean
on.
When the pupils have proven they have a good comprehension of the
text, you can do activities which expand the ideas and appeal to the
childs personal experience in the matter (dialogues, information-gap
activities, projects, etc.). Textbooks also contain exercises focusing on
certain grammar structures in the text.
4.
The text has to be enjoyable.
The content of the texts needs to be attractive for the children and
should fit their interests. Children love stories and suspense, funny
characters and exotic places, but they are also interested in what
other children of the same age do or think. This is where special
attention needs to be given to the cultural aspect of learning a foreign
language (names, places, traditions). Encouraging the pupils to read
all sorts of texts will not only expand their reading for pleasure, but will
also enrich their imagination.
5.
A proper layout and the good quality of the
illustrations ensure efficient reading activities.
Children have a specific range of visual reception. Illustrations need to
be clear and the letters need to be big enough. Many textbooks use
speech bubbles for dialogues. Their position in the text has to be good
enough for the child to understand who is speaking.
41
Examples of
reading activities
My house
Level: 3rd grade
Aims: to give pupils practice in reading , to teach vocabulary on rooms
and furniture
Assumed knowledge: pupils should know the members of the family
and the rooms. They should also be familiar with verbs describing
daily routines.
1. Pre-reading activities:
a. You can use real doll furniture or flashcards to introduce the names
of the different pieces of furniture.
b. Picture discussion. Ask the children to look at the picture in the
book and answer the questions: Who are the people in the picture?
Where are they? Is there a Tv set in the room? Where are Paul
and his mother? , etc.
From M. Ralea, B. Popa I Am Special, EDP, 2002
3. Reading
At this level, you can follow this sequence:
Give a model reading of the text yourself
Use a cassette if there is any
Ask the pupils to read, listen and repeat the text (stop after
meaningful pieces of text, not after separate words)
Ask a few students to read the text aloud
Check understanding by a true-false exercise
42
4. Post-reading activity
Tick what is true about yourself:
I.
In the
bedroom
In the
living room
In the
kitchen
In the
classroom
write
eat
sleep
cook
play
Learning task 6
How important is reading for meaning from an early age ? Give your
opinion and reasons in about 50 words. Write your answers in the
space provided below. Compare them with the answers at the end of
this unit.
Writing
Writing is a productive skill. In primary school, pupils can encounter a

number of problems in regards with writing in English.
spelling problems
insufficient vocabulary
lack of ideas
accuracy in the way they express their ideas
Writing cannot start before the children have developed the skill of
writing in their own language because it is a very complex process.
Physically, the hand muscles have to be trained properly. Then, the
children need to be able to write such letters as w, y, q which are not
usually used in our language. Then, they need to become familiar with
the graphic form of the word and practise by reading it before they can
write it.
Think first!
Are there any dangers in asking children to write from their own
imagination from the beginning? What are they?
Write your answers in the space provided below. Compare them with
the suggestions that follow.
43
Experienced teachers have approached writing in primary school with

caution.
Although it is a difficult type of activity, there are many advantages in
writing:
It helps pupils consolidate learning in the other skill areas in a
balanced way. Listening tasks, for example, require taking
notes, while practice in speaking freely helps when doing free
writing activities. This is actually the natural order of things in
real communication.
As pupils progress in the language, writing activities allow for
the conscious development of language. When we speak, we
cant always have a good control over the language we have
produced, but when we write, we can always go back on what
we have written.
The sense of achievement writing gives is very valuable.
Writing is a very important individual study technique.
Here are a few guidelines for successful writing activities in the 3rd
and 4th grades.
1. Copying is a good start.
This is a very simple type of activity which is helpful not only for
spelling, but also for text comprehension.(e.g. Copy the sentence
about Toms pet.) It gives you the chance to reinforce language
which has been presented orally or through reading.
.
2. Controlled (and guided) writing activities must precede
free writing ones.
Like oral activities, writing activities go from being tightly controlled
to being completely free. Guided activities are done to practise the
language and the concentration is on language itself. Free activities
should allow for self expression (no matter how low the level) and
content is what matters most. Matching and putting words/sentences
in order are semi-controlled activities.
3. Projects are a good way to motivate children for writing.
Projects are texts produced and illustrated by children. They are
topic based (e.g. My favourite TV programme) and they are the
outcome of the childs imagination and personal experience.
It is a good idea to make a display of the childrens projects in the
44
classroom, as this gives them a sense of achievement. Besides, if

you want your pupils to produce good pieces of writing, you must
spend a lot of time on pre-writing work (talks, word webs, dialogues,
reading).
4. Homework is necessary, but it has to be given with care.
First, you must not set an exercise as homework without any
preparation. Secondly, you must not give the children exercises
which are beyond their learning capabilities.(such as compositions
on a given topic without any support words or ideas). It is very
important to set a routine of homework, but you should also carefully
choose the amount of homework you give.
5. Dealing with errors has to be gentle.
Just like speaking, writing is a productive skill. For the sake of
fluency, when we listen to children speak, we choose not to correct
all the mistakes. Accuracy comes with constant practice. You need
to decide which is the most important to correct grammar,
punctuation, spelling or content. If you try to make the childrens
writing meaningful from the beginning, with an emphasis on the
content, correct the other mistakes gently. If possible, the mistakes
should be corrected while the pupils are still working on a task.
Pupils should also be encouraged to rewrite the sentences.
Learning task 7
How do you explain the following problems? What solutions are
there?
Write your answers in the spaces provided below each problem.
Compare them with the answers at the end of this unit.
1. Some children finish very quickly, and they disturb the class.
2. The dictation you gave them yesterday was a disaster. They

write exactly what they can hear.
3. Although you correct all the mistakes in your pupils notebooks,

they still make a lot of spelling mistakes.
4. Your pupils only do a part of their homework.
5. The compositions you give them always consist of two or three

sentences.
45
Examples of writing
activities
1. Controlled practice activities

Filling in gaps (letters in a word, words in a sentence, phrases
and grammar structures in a text)
Multiple choice (e.g. Copy the right sentence that corresponds
to the picture)
Mixed up sentences (to be put in order)
Copying (new vocabulary, sentences, etc.)
Dictation
Writing letters, cards or other messages with given words or
following an example
2. Free practice activities
Writing dialogues (and illustrating them in the form of a cartoon)
Descriptions (e.g. My room, My mother, My pet, etc.)
Letters
Poems
Simple stories
Projects (e.g. My ideal town, An alien)
Learning task 8
Read the following text. Look back at section 2.2.3 and in about 60
words, suggest in the space below :
a.
b.
c.
a pre-reading activity
a task for the reading activity
a writing activity that can follow it.
All the activities should refer to this text:

My best friend
Sam is my best friend.
Sam is short, and hes got fair hair and brown eyes. He wears
glasses. In the morning we go to school together. On the way we
talk about our schoolmates, about music and about our pets.
We both like Maths, but we dont like Geography. Sam is very
good at P.E, but Im not. He can run a lot faster than me.
We sometimes do our homework together. On Saturday we go
swimming, but sometimes we stay at home and play chess or
computer games.
Compare your activities with those illustrated earlier in this section.

46
2.3. Vocabulary and grammar structures

Children are naturally active and inquisitive. They enjoy playing, being
creative and taking part in activities that are engaging and fun. These
are natural resources that should be used in classroom situations.
Therefore, the topic chosen should be approached through a
succession of activity types which are carefully matched to the childs
developmental level if they are to be challenging and motivating.
When we organize teaching around a theme (e.g. My house, My
family, Hobbies), we should also organize activities so as to maximize
opportunities for practising English as well as creating in this
language.
Think first!
In your opinion, does the textbook you are currently using offer
opportunities for topic-based work?
Write your answers (about 20 words) in the space provided below.
Check your answers against the suggestions that follow.
2.3.1. The advantages of topic-based work
In topic based work we are concerned with vocabulary and

structures focused on a theme.Therefore, content automatically
becomes more important than language, and it is easier for you
to relate to the pupils interests and experiences.
It can help learning processes in general. Association, for
example, is one of the most important learning processes.
Words are related to functions, to structures and situations. In
topic-based work, a context generates the use of certain
vocabulary and structures. Here is an example:
Topic
Food
Situation
At the
marketplace
Functions
Asking/offering for
something politely
Giving instructions
A recipe
Vocabulary
work
Brainstorming
Dialogue
Roleplay
Reading
Listening
Writing
It reveals the childrens interests, and it makes it easier for

you to make a choice of activities according to your
47
particular group of pupils and to your personality. The

textbook is just a resource that you can adapt and work on
selectively.
2.3.2. Presenting and practising vocabulary
The children are quick to learn words and slow to learn structures The
structures need to be reinforced in different contexts, with different
vocabulary. In good textbooks, structures are repeated systematically.
Vocabulary is best learnt when meaning is explained by pictures, and
it is integrated into a meaningful situation.
In the process of learning new vocabulary, we recognise and
Active and passive
understand more words than we actually use. Actually, our passive
vocabulary
(receptive) vocabulary exceeds our active (productive vocabulary). We
normally see or hear a word in different contexts before we begin to
use it, which means there is an incubation period.
Thats why it it essential to give young learners a limited active stock
quickly. From this, the pupils can build their vocabulary at a natural
speed. There are a few criteria we need to keep in mind when
selecting new vocabulary to teach:
Frequency (how often the word is used)
Range (The number of different contexts in which a word is
used)
Usefulness (considering the pupils needs)
There are different ways in which the meaning of new words can be
explained (presentation of vocabulary):
1. Saying the word clearly, writing it on the blackboard and having the
class repeat it chorally
2. Translating it
3. Drawing a picture or showing a flashcard
4. Giving an example in English to show what the word means
(placing it in context)
5. Asking questions which contain the new word
6. Showing an object (realia) to illustrate the word
7. Miming the meaning of the word
8. Looking it up in the dictionary
Learning the new word is a more difficult task. It means practising it.
Here are a few suggestions for helping the children learn new
vocabulary:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Dialogues/ role play based on support structures or visual materials

Gap filling exercises to check understanding
Information gap activities
Discussions about a theme
Comprehension questions in a text to focus on the meaning of new
vocabulary
6. Pupils own sentences including the new word
7. Personalisation (wherever possible, pupils own experience has to
be involved).
48
2.3.3. Teaching grammar structures

Think first!
What do you think about giving primary school pupils grammar rules to
apply in exercises (no more than 20 words)?
Write your answer in the space provided below. Compare it with the
suggestions given in this unit.
The National Curriculum sets a limited number of structures to be

taught in primary school. They are referred to as elemente de
constructie a comunicarii (communication building items), which
emphasizes once more that communication is the main concern.
In primary school, grammar is not taught explicitely. This is because
the pupils do not have knowledge of the concepts (tense, parts of
speech, etc.) in their native language. Secondly, the accent is on
fluency to a larger extent than on accuracy. Thats why it is not a good
idea to correct the child every time he/she makes a mistake.
However, when you want to have your pupils practise certain
structures (e.g. Continuous Present Tense), it is efficient to follow
these steps:
1. Highlight the structure you want to practise (select it from the text
and write it on the blackboard or draw the pupils attention to the
Laguage focus box in the textbook).
2. Do some oral drills using written or visual prompts.
Say the sentence Tom is eating now. Then show the children a
flashcard showing a child who is sleeping. They will have to produce a
new sentence: Tom is sleeping now.
In order to practise the Present Continuous verb forms, you can
suggest changing the subject (Tom is eating/ You / You are eating,
etc.)
3. Do some guided practice exercises based on a context (e.g. A
picture showing children in the park and a gapped text to be
completed with actions they are doing )
4. Do free practice exercises (e.g. A dialogue, sentences created by
children, language games, etc.)
5. Create new situations and contexts for the use of the new
structure whenever you can.
49
Learning task 9
Make a list of Dos and Donts for activities of teaching vocabulay
and grammar.
Compare your list to the suggested list at the end of this unit.
Do
..
..
Dont do
Summary
Setting up your teaching aims is a very important decision. The
National Curriculum is the document which outlines the whole
educational policy and gives you the necessary orientation in what you
will have to teach.
The main objective in primary school is developing skills. There are
specific requirements for skill development activities which take into
account the learnersage level as well as the communicative approach
basic principles. For each of the skills there are a number of illustrative
activities whose stages are described in detail. There is also a lot of
practical advice on specific teaching strategies which can help you
solve problems that usually occur in class.
Children learn words easily, but are slow at remembering structures.
Thats why introducing and practising vocabulary has to be done in
ways and contexts which should make communication activities
challenging and motivating for the children.
Key concepts
50
the National Curriculum

general and specific objectives
receptive and productive skills
language functions
task-based activities
fluency vs. accuracy
guided practice and free practice
topic-based work
active and passive vocabular
Further reading
1. Ministerul Educatiei si Cercetarii, Consiliul National pentru
Curriculum, anexa 3 la OMEC 5198/ 01.11.2004 (Programe scolare
pentru clasa a IIIa limba engleza )
Curriculum, anexa 2 la OMEC 3919/20.04 2005 (Programe scolare
pentru clasa a IV- a limba engleza)
3. Sarah Phillips, 1993, Young Learners, Oxford University Press , pp.
6-7, 17-38
4. Harmer J., 2001, The Practice of English Language Teaching,
Longman, part 6, pp. 199-282

those given below, please revise section 2.2.1.
LT 1
1. The tendency to slip into the use of native language is natural. The
children might want to find confirmation from their classmates that they
got the right message. They might also fail to understand what you are
saying and get bored.
2. The task might be too difficult and might involve too many processes
at the same time.
3. You need to explain to the parents that their children will get used to
the language only if they listen to it regularly. Besides, you need to
simplify your language and use other means to help your pupils
understand your message (mimic, pictures).
LT 2
1. Define the aims in point of vocabulary, skills and functions
2. In describing the steps, think about their logical sequence.
(For example: 1. The pupils read the sentences in the book. 2.The
teacher plays the cassette. 3. The pupils work individually to tick
the true sentences., etc.)
Should your answers to LT 3 not be comparable to those given
below, please revise section 2.2.2.
LT 3
1c 2f 3e 4a 5b 6d
Should your answers to LTs 5 to 8 not be comparable to those
given below, please revise section 2.2.3.
51
LT 5
Reading
(dezvoltarea capacitatii de receptare a mesajului scris)
3rd grade
4th grade
La sfarsitul clasei a III a elevul va La sfarsitul clasei a Iva elevul va
fi capabil :
fi capabil:
3.1. sa recunoasca litere/ grupuri 3.1 sa recunoasca semnele de
de litere in cuvinte si cuvintele in punctuatie si caracteristicile
spatiul grafic
ortografice ale limbii engleze
3.2. sa citeasca un text scurt cu
3.2. sa desprinda informatii
glas tare
particulare dintr-un text citit in
3.3. sa desprinda sensul global
gand
al unui text simplu, citit in gand
*3.3. sa citeasca fluent un scurt
* 3.4. sa sesizeze legatura dintre text cunoscut
text si imaginile care il insotesc
Writing
(dezvoltarea capacitatii de exprimare scrisa )
3rd grade
4th grade
La sfarsitul clasei a IIIa elevii vor La sfarsitul clasei a Iva elevul va
fi capabil:
fi capabili:
4.1. sa reproduca in scris litere,
4.1 sa reproduca litere/ grupuri
grupuri de litere, cuvinte,
de litere, cuvinte, sintagme,
sintagme, enunturi
enunturi
4.2. sa realizeze legatura intre
*4.2. sa realizeze legatura dintre
scriere si pronuntie la nivelul
rostire si scriere la nivelul unei
cuvantului si al grupului de
propozitii scurte
cuvinte
4.3. sa produca in scris scurte
4.3. sa scrie cuvinte, sintagme,
enunturi/ mesaje, pe baza unui
propozitii
suport verbal/ imagine
LT 6
1. it gives relevance to reading as a form of communication
2. it is a way of practising new vocabulary and structures
3. it can be a good start for speaking activities on a certain topic
4. it is an activity which keeps the children quiet
5. it develops thinking in English
6. It motivates the children to read in general.
52
LT 7
Nr.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explanation
a. Some children just hurry,
and they make mistakes
b. Some children are fast and
work well
The children are not familiar
with the written form of the
word.
Spelling is not a priority. You
have given the right amount
of time to skill development
a. The amount of homework
is too big. The pupils have a
lot to do for other subjects,
too.
b. It is too difficult.
Possible solution
a. correct their piece of work
and ask them to rewrite
b. have some extra exercises
in stock for them
- leave dictation for later.
- do some more simple guided
exercises
- focus on content rather than
on spelling.
- do more copying exercises
Select attentively the amount
and difficulty of the homework
you give.
Explain the task well.
Make sure the pupils know the
vocabulary.
a. the childrens vocabulary is Work more on the vocabulary
too poor
in different contexts.
b. you havent done enough
Exploit the reading texts in the
guided work
point of text organisation.
c. the children lack ideas.

below, please revise section 2.3
LT 9
DO
Practise the same set of words in
different contexts
DONT DO
Introduce a large amount of
new vocabulary every lesson
Practise a limited vocabulary

stock every time you have a
chance
Introduce new situations

without ever practising them
later
Explain new vocabulary in

different ways
Translate new vocabulary all

the time
Refer to the childrens own

experience
Ask the children to write

everything they do
Show how a grammar rule works

without giving theoretical
explanations.
Correct grammar mistakes all

the time (especially in
speaking)
Expect the children to learn the
rules and apply them
immediately.
53
Lesson planning strategies
UNIT 3
LESSON PLANNING STRATEGIES
Unit Outline
3.1. The importance of planning ........................................................................................54
Unit objectives....................................................................................................................55
3.2. Conditions for efficient activities .................................................................................56
3.2.1. Content ...................................................................................................................57
3.2.2. Procedure ...............................................................................................................60
3.3. Long-term planning ....................................................................................................62
3.3.1. Year planning ..........................................................................................................62
3.3.2. The learning unit .....................................................................................................64
3.4. Short-term planning ....................................................................................................66
3.4.1. The lesson plan .......................................................................................................68
3.4.2. The plan in action ....................................................................................................71
3.5. Optional course curricula ...........................................................................................73
Summary...........................................................................................................................75
Key concepts ...................................................................................................................75
SAA No. 2..........................................................................................................................75
Further reading ...............................................................................................................76
Answers to learning tasks...............................................................................................76
Appendix 1 A year planning model ................................................................................80
Appendix 2 A learning unit model ..................................................................................83
Appendix 3 A lesson plan model.....................................................................................84
3.1. The importance of planning

Think first!
Have you ever achieved something successfully after careful
planning? How did previous planning help?
Write your ideas in the space below (about 20 words)
You can find suggestions in the text following this task.
54
Good organization of whatever we do is the key to success. Whether

you want to organize a party, a trip or a lesson, you need to take into
account a number of factors: what you want to achieve, what
resources you can use and which resources you need, when to take
action and how you will do it. Planning helps you work in a coherent
way and to be prepared to cope with unexpected situations. It also
gives you the feeling that you have things under control.
Now that you have seen who the young learners are and what they
have to learn, its time you start thinking about how you are going to
work with them.
Unit objectives
In this unit you are going to learn:

how to make a year planning
how to plan a learning unit
how to make a lesson plan.
Planning has to respect certain coordinates given by official
documents and methodology. However, the way you anticipate and
devise your activities in class is highly personal. You have to feel
comfortable with what you do, otherwise it doesnt work. Recipes are
good, but they can be improved. When cooking, we use a recipe
creatively, adding or giving up certain ingredients according to our
taste.
Therefore you can choose to try activities you have seen, heard of or
read about, but you need to take into account certain aspects.
The class (the childrens level, what they are responsive to,
previous successful activities with a particular group of
children)
The resources (you shouldnt plan a lesson based on a
video if you havent got one, no matter how attractive it
seems)
Your own abilities (if you cant draw, make sure you have
flashcards; if you cant sing, make sure you have a tape to
use)
Appropriacy (some themes and activities do not fit into the
realities of our world e.g. birdwatching, which is a popular
hobby with British children). In other cases, the children dont
have the previous knowledge to understand the content (see
How a camera works, Islands in the South Pacific in
Splash!: Manual pentru clasa a IV-a)
Preparation (Have the pupils done this before? If so, did it
work? If not, how much response and involvement do you
anticipate?)
Planning is one of the strategies that supports proffessional

development. The teachers knowledge exceeds what he/ she has to
teach in class. The selection of content and techiques is a matter of
experience and a result of training. To sum up, a good teacher is not
55
only one who knows the subject very well, but also one who is able
to organize and adapt the content and his/ her methods to the
requirements mentioned above.
Learning task 1
How can planning improve the teachers behaviour? How does it
influence the pupils?
In about 40 words, write your ideas in the space below. Compare
them with the answers at the end of this unit.
3.2 . Conditions for efficient activities

The word efficient is defined as productive of desired effects. An
efficient language activity is one that leads to the learning of
vocabulary and to enhancing pupils autonomy in using it. Good
learning is measured through the development of skills and the
attainment of the Curriculum targets.
Think first!
Have you ever observed a lesson taught by a more experienced
teacher? What kind of activities did he/she do? How did the children
respond? Was there anything special in the teachers behaviour?
There are a few suggestions in the text that follows.

Experienced teachers seem to have no difficulty in organizing their
activities and the children respond adequately all throughout the
lesson. This is actually the result of long-practised similar activities
and of the objective self-evaluation of their own performance. There
are also training courses that gives quality to their lessons as well as
a permanent concern for developing the pupils learning skills.
The lesson consists of a number of sequences having a common
aim. These sequences need to flow smoothly in a relaxed
atmosphere. In primary school, the affective element is very
56
important. If the children like what they are doing, they do it well.
Somebody once remarked about learning at this age: They think
they are playing. I know they are learning.
In order to achieve a good learning atmosphere, you need to create
certain conditions. Some of them refer to the content of your
activities, some to the procedure. Here are a few suggestions:
3.2.1. Content
1. Be careful with the way you check comprehension
When you listen to a message in a foreign language, you cant
understand everything. You do your best to make sense of the bits
you understand and guess at those you dont. Sometimes you
translate in your mother tongue. Sometimes you ask questions or
use body language. This is normal with all speakers of foreign
languages, whether children or adults. During the lesson, the
teacher wants to make sure the children understand the whole
message and in this way make the children feel secure and
confident. If you check constantly by asking Do you understand?,
they will think you expect them to understand every single word, and
they will soon feel unable to do it!
The fact is that even in our mother tongue, we use whole messages
and not separate words. Therefore, the accent is on whole
messages in a foreign language, too. If you insist on separate
words, the meaning is lost.
Learning task 2
How do each of these methods of checking comprehension help?
In about 120 words, write your answers in the spaces provided
below.
Check with the answers at the end of this unit.
1. Translating each instruction into the native language
2. Pointing to things, using pictures, mimicking.
3. Encouraging the children to demonstrate, point to things, act out
57
4. Using the new vocabulary in other contexts, paraphrasing
5. Observing the childrens non-verbal reactions (a puzzled face, a

smile, enthusiasm or complete silence)
6. Asking children if they have understood
Which of these do you usually use?
2.
Do constant recycling
Whenever you have the chance, bring into discussion vocabulary or
structures that you have already taught. For example, if the topic of
your lesson is Buying clothes, you can recycle vocabulary on
colours and numbers (for price), adjectives, expressing likes/
dislikes, asking for information, etc. Language acquisition requires
time and is stimulated by regular revision. When you learn to ride a
bike, regular practice and revision are also important.
On the other hand, revising material which they have already learnt,
gives the children a chance to demonstrate their capabilities. This
strengthens the childrens self-confidence and increases their
motivation.
3.
Create meaningful contexts
Communication means a real exchange of ideas, opinions,
questions and answers. The context needs to make sense for both
the speaker and the listener.
Situation 1
A.:Can you tell me the way to the hospital, please?
B: You are here. This is the hospital.
Situation 2
A: Is this a hospital?
B: No, it isnt. Its a church.
In situation 1 there is a real language exchange based on asking for
/ giving information.
In situation 2, even if we think about possible circumstances in which
A cannot see the specific signs which indicate a hospital, we still
cant understand what created the confusion. We can only presume
that the teacher wanted the pupils to practise the interrogative
structure Is this a? Yes, it is / No, it isnt.
58
4.
Encourage the childrens creativity
Children like to do the same thing (singing a song, playing a game or
watching a video) over and over again. Repetition and imitation are
important means of learning at this age. At the same time, children
can combine a relatively restricted vocabulary in a large number of
ways. Actually, success in a foreign language depends to a large
degree on the learners ability to use language creatively. Moreover,
stimulating creativity helps the development of imagination and other
mental abilities and processes needed in foregn language learning.
Here are a few suggestions for developing creativity:
Ask the children to make rhymes/ new lyrics for songs they
know
Ask them to draw and describe their imaginary classroom/
house, a monster, etc.
Start projects from very simple stories (e.g. TheTthree Little
Pigs: the portrait of the wolf, the description of the little pigs
house, a dialogue between the pigs and their mother).
Get your pupils to act dialogues, sketches, stories. Encourage
them to modify these dialogues by using words, phrases and
sentences of their own choice whenever possible.
Alternate activities that get the children to think about

activities that keep them busy
Imagine a very simple game in which you stick five pictures
representing fruit on the board. The children look at them for a few
seconds, then you ask them to close their eyes. You pick up one
card and then ask the children to open their eyes and say which one
is missing. First, they need to remember the names of fruit. Then,
the order in which they are placed on the board and finally say which
one is missing. These activities involve thinking. Colouring the fruit
does not.
In primary school children have a short attention span, and they
need simple activities in order to give the brain time to relax. When
they are tired, they become noisy and they cant concentrate any
more.
Here are a few examples of such activities:
Get pupils to think by.
Information-gap activities
Puzzles
Games
Competitions
Talking about
themselves
Following oral or written
instructions
Projects
Keep them busy by
Colouring
Joining dots
Copying
Reading aloud
Singing
Repeating after the
model
Writing after the model
59
3.2.2. Procedure
It is very important to select the topics and the language you are
going to teach, but it is equally important to teach all these in an
appropriate way. Here are a few rules that must be observed:
1.
Ensure variety in your activities
The younger the pupils, the more varied the lessons need to be.
Practising the new vocabulary has to be done in several steps, from
guided to free practice. Each time you decide to get your pupils to
practise the same structure, you can either create a new context or a
different kind of activity. In primary school, you need various
techniques and procedures within restricted vocabulary and
structures.
This is the real skill of the primary school teacher: to keep
vocabulary to a minimum and at the same time use a great variety of
techniques to teach it.
2.
Create routines
It seems rather contradictory to create variety and routines in the
same lesson. However, these two requirements need to coexist
during the lesson. Doing certain things at certain times, using
classroom language all the time will help you not only to achieve
your aims, but also to keep the class under control. The sense of
anticipation is also something that has to be educated. When the
children become familiar with different stages of the lesson and
different procedures, they can anticipate what comes next in the
lesson, and they feel secure and confident.
Learning task 3
Write a few phrases you use as classroom language. Use the space
provided below.
You can find more suggestions at the end of this unit.
3.
Give coherence to your lessons
You should plan only as many activites as you know you can do in
one lesson. Here are a few tips which will help you:
60
When you plan your lesson, you must always refer back to your
general aims in order to give coherence to your plan.
You should also pay attention to timing, by trying to anticipate
how much time you need for each activity.
Dont forget that its the pupils talking time that matters, not the
teachers talking time. Give them as many opportunities to use
the language as you can. They will learn mostly from what they
do, not from what you tell them to do.
Make sure you have one or two activities in stock in case the
ones you have planned finish earlier.
Think first!
Before you read this section, make a list of the activities which
create noise and disorder in the classroom. Which are the activities
which keep the children calm and quiet?
Write your answers in the space provided below.
Compare your answers with the suggestions given in the next
paragraph.
Here are two examples:
Stirring activities
Competitions
Settling activities
Copying
..
..
.
..
4.
Stirring and settling activities
You will find that some activities stir the children in a positive way
they become enthusiastic, talkative and they feel stimulated.
However, over-excitement might affect learning negatively, and the
pupils will be hard to monitor during oral work, competitions, games,
pairwork and action rhymes.
Other activities settle them down and get them to work in silence
(e.g. listening, copying, reading, colouring). That doesnt mean that
stirring activities involve thinking, while settling ones dont.
Usually, you should take care to combine the two kinds in a
balanced way.
5.
Treat mistakes carefully
This aspect has already been dealt with in Unit 2 (Writing).
However, youll need to take into account two more aspects:
Real communication demands risk taking. Trying out

knowledge which is not well acquired is the basis of all
learning, so mistakes are inherent. In class we only simulate
real life situations in which we expect to use the language.
The classroom should be a safe environment where all the
pupils can be allowed to make mistakes in order to learn.
The ultimate attitude goal for the teachers is to achieve their
pupils autonomy. The moment your students will be able to
express themselves freely in English is the ideal one, but it
takes a lot of trial-and-error practice.
61
3.3 Long-term planning

Think first!
Before you go on reading this section think about the moment
when you decided to become a teacher. What plans did you
have in mind? What steps did you follow to achieve your aims?
Compare your ideas with the suggestions given below.
When you need to make a major decision in life, long-term planning

is what you do in order to define your aims and to decide upon
what exactly you will do, when and how you will do everything.
Then you break up the whole action into smaller steps. You also ask
yourself a number of questions: Where do I start? How do I start?
What instruments can I use ? Who can I ask for support?
In this section you are going to work on long-term planning having in
mind what you will do during a year, during a semester and during a
limited number of lessons.
3.3.1. Year planning
Year planning is a compulsory document for every teacher. You will
have to do it every year, for each level you will have to teach. It
contains certain allocations of time in which you have to attain the
objectives set by the National Curriculum and also teach the
vocabulary, functions and structures provided by the same
document. A well-made year planning will include all the obligatory
objectives and topics included in the National Curriculum for a
certain level. Lets start by answering a few questions:
1.
Where do I start?
The first step for you is to read the National Curriculum carefully.
Then you need to look for the topics, functions and structures to be
taught in the textbook you will use. If you find out that some of them
are missing, you will have to look for them in different other sources
(alternative textbooks are a good choice). In terms of skill
development, you need to check if the textbook has regular
exercises for practising the four language skills. You will also include
the current and end of term revision periods as well as the test
papers.
2.
How do I start?
Look at the number of weeks in the schoolyear. Make a rough
division of the topics in the textbook so as to cover all of the lessons.
Some of the topics will need more time to teach, some will need
62
less. Its up to you to decide how many hours you will allow for each
of them, according to the level of your pupils and the difficulty of the
chapter/unit. One such division is called a learning unit and it will
be dealt with later in this section.
3.
What instruments do I use?
You have to use documents (the National Curriculum), textbooks
and you can use models from other sources (such as Ghidul
metodologic pentru aplicarea programei de limba engleza or the
year plannings of more experienced teachers.) But take care! These
models are just for your orientation, so dont copy them just because
someone told you they are good. You have to think for yourself and
personalize your year planning if you want to work efficiently.
4.
Who will tell me if my planning is good?
In every school there is a senior teacher you can ask. In your
particular case, you can also ask your tutor. They can only give you
an opinion, but what counts more is that you really work with the
planning and adjust it according to your own observations.
5.
What does year planning look like? Is there a preestablished format?
Unless it has been decided otherwise by the staff in your school or
region, the year planning format should be the following:
School.
Subject
Teacher
Grade ..Nr. lessons per week
Year .
YEAR PLANNING
Learning
unit
Specific
objectives
1.
2.
Topics
Functions
Structures
3.
Nr. of
lessons
Week
Remarks
4.
5.
6.
In this table, we indicate the learning units (1) by titles (topics), for
example Weather and Seasons. (2) and (3) are indicated in the
National Curriculum. (4) is the number of lessons you allow per unit.
(5) is actually the week in the calendar, while (6) is there for you to
write down if there was a change (for example you needed more
lessons on this topic) or if something didnt work. You will find a year
planning model in Appendix 1 at the end of this unit .
6.
Can I change anything in the planning if I see it
doesnt work?
Year planning is just for your orientation during a school year. You
can change the number of hours if there are not enough or too
many, but you cant change the objectives or the topics in the
National Curriculum. You will see how important this idea is in the
point of evaluation, because there are National Evaluation
Standards at the end of primary school. It means that all the children
in this country have to learn the same thing at the same time, but not
necessarily in the same way.
63
Learning task 4
Tick the following sentences if you think they are true and cross
those which are false.
Check your answers with those at the end of this unit.
1. Year planning contains of all the titles of the lessons in the
textbook.
2. The number of hours I allow for each topic is different.
3. Revision is done only at the end of term.
4. I can adapt the textbook to meet the Curriculum requirements.
5. A learning unit is a part of yearly planning.
6. I can adapt the Curriculum according to my pupils level.
7. If I teach two different grades (3rd and 4th ), I can use the same
yearly planning.
8. I have to follow my year planning closely, but I can make some
changes if necessay.
9. My yearly planning includes all my lesson plans.
10. Specific objectives refer to listening comprehension, speaking,
reading comprehension and writing.
3.3.2. The learning unit
The learning unit is the main component of the year planning. It
contains a detailed planning of the vocabulary / structures / functions
as well as the necessary learning activities and resources.
Evaluation will also be included in the learning unit.
A learning unit contains several lessons on the same topic. As in the
case of the year planning, there are a few questions you might ask :
1. Why do I need another form of planning before I do the
lesson planning ?
Planning a learning unit is actually breaking the big thing into
pieces. The year planning is very general, and it does not contain
details. The lesson plan is the most detailed form of planning.
2. What are the advantages of planning learning units?
Before you start a new unit (chapter), you need to know precisely
what you have to teach, how you will do it and what resources you
need to prepare. This will make it a lot easier for you when you think
of details in the lesson plan.
3. What is the connection between the learning unit and the
lesson plan?
In the past, teachers planned the lessons only. What they lacked
was an overall picture of the lesson as a part of a unit. You cant
teach something today and forget about it tomorrow. Teaching
needs coherence, and the pupils need to start thinking coherently.
4. Do I have to plan all the learning units from the
beginning of the schoolyear? Wont I spend too much time
on paperwork?
You neednt plan all the learning units from the beginning.You can
do that in time. One learning unit can extend on for two or three
weeks, so there wont be too much paperwork at the beginning.
64
Besides, it is worth spending time planning your units, as you can

use the same units the following year at the same level.
5. How do I start planning a unit?
Planning a learning unit, as well as planning a lesson, starts from a
strategy which you can apply to any step in your teaching career:
The steps of the strategy are in the cases above, the actual actions
are in the cases below.
Why am I
doing this?
What am I
going to do?
Identifying
objectives
Selecting the
content
What am I
going to
use?
Selecting
resources
How am I
going to do
it?
Choosing the
activities
How much
of it did I
achieve?
Selecting
evaluation
instruments
6. Is there a format of the learning unit?

Here is a suggested format of the learning unit. You will find a
learning unit model in Appendix 2 at the end of this unit.
Unit title: .
Nr. of lessons: ..
Content
Date
(vocabulary,
structures,
functions )
Activities
Grade: .
Resources
Evaluation
In planning the learning unit, you can use any resources you can
find or you may create some (flashcards, posters, story books,
collections of language exercises, other textbooks). The main
condition is that these resources should fit the childrens level. In
conclusion, giving the students as many opportunities to use the
language in a coherent manner is the main focus of the lesson.
Learning task 5
Read the learning unit model in Appendix 2 and answer the
following questions. In about 40 words, write your answers in the
spaces provided below.
Compare your answers with the answers at the end of this unit.
1. Which activities are meant for speaking practice?
2. What resources for introducing vocabulary are suggested?
3. Which grammar structures are practised in this unit?

65
4. What types of classroom interaction can you identify?
5. What kind of supplementary sources are mentioned?
3.4 Short-term planning

Think first!
Here are a few factors for you to observe in lesson planning. Number
them in the order of their importance for you. For me, the most
important is clear lesson objectives (no. 1 below).
Compare your answers with the suggestions given later in this unit.
the number of activities
specific objectives for each activity
the variety of tasks
1 clear lesson objectives
the length of activities
the alternation of stirring and settling activities
timing
realistic and concise activity description
creating opportunities to practise the four skills
different forms of interaction (individual, pairwork, group work)
creating fun during the lesson
alternatives to activities which might not work
the teachers guide
alternating mentally engaging with actually occupying activities
creating real communication contexts
anticipating problems that might occur
freedom to use the textbook creatively
What is a lesson
plan?
66
You might very well ask yourself what a lesson plan is - a script
which is going to be followed slavishly or proposals for action
whether detailed or in the form of notes?
We are now going to organize the above-mentioned factors
according to a number of very important criteria. The main dilemma
in lesson planning is whether we should start from activities or from
the objectives.
In his book The Practice of English Language Teaching, Jeremy
Harmer suggests considering four main planning elements.
Activities
This is what pupils will be doing in the classroom according to their
level and their particular group features. Actually, you can see the
lesson as a sequence of balanced activities in which the pupils
interact and use the language in different ways.
Skills
Before we start planning the lesson we need to decide what skills we
want our pupils to practise. Skills are provided by the curriculum and
all coursebooks approved by the Ministry contain skill-based
activities.
Language
It is very important to know precisely what language we need our
pupils to learn and to create appropriate contexts for that. For
example, if you decide to teach body parts, Doing gymnastics is a
good context.
Content
When planning a lesson, you should try to select content which can
create interest and involvement. For example, talking about toys in
primary school is a very attractive content, while environment is not.
Another perspective on lesson plannig is suggested in 3.3.2. It starts
from objectives (Why am I doing this?) and continues with the
consequent choice of content and procedures.
In making your plans, you should adopt the style you feel the most
comfortable with. Remember that your plans are meant to help you
identify your aims and anticipate potential problems rather than help
you become an actor on the stage. Plans are proposals of action for
you during the lesson, therefore you can take the decision to
change the action every time it proves inefficient.
Think first!
Before you go on reading this section, answer the following
questions. Write down your answers in the spaces provided below.
Check your answers against the suggestions given in this section.
1. What is the first thing you do when you start making your plan?
2. What resources (other coursebooks, for example) do you usually

use?
..
3. Do you use a certain format? How did you come to use it?
4. Do you write a detailed description of your activities or just notes?
5. Have you ever change the plan during the lesson? If so, why?
6. How do you decide that your plan is good or not?
7. Which, in your opinion, is the advantage of using a lesson plan?
.
67
3.4.1 The lesson plan

Jeremy Harmer (2001, pg. 302) suggests three steps a teacher needs
to go through from pre-planning to a final plan.
The pre-planning background
The pre-planning decisions
The plan
Pre-planning
background
We are going to exemplify these stages with lesson 2 (Shopping)

from the learning unit model in Appendix 2.
For this lesson here are some of the facts that you need to
remember about the class you are currently teaching. For example:
Pre-planning
decisions
The class is at the beginner level, between 9 and 10 years

old. They are enthusiastic. They love talking but get easily
out of control with too many oral/ stirring activities.
The pupils need waking up at the beginning of the lesson.
They are familiar with roleplaying, and they like creative
activities.
They have already learnt and practised vocabulary on food
The topic of the lesson involves asking for/giving information
(shopping for food is the best context), quantifiers and
numbers 1-20.
The pupils have already done guided practice on the topic,
so they need free practice activities.
These decisions make the rough outline of your plan. For example:
The lesson should include a warm-up activity
There should be several speaking activities, including roleplay
There should be both stirring and settling activities
The main focus is on the shopping dialogue
The quantifiers need a better context to be practised (e.g.
recipes)
The plan
Keeping in mind the decisions above, here is a possible sequencing

of the lesson. (You will find the detailed lesson plan in Appendix 3 at
the end of this unit.)
1. A warm up activity (game) to help pupils remember the
vocabulary on food
2. Introducing quantifiers (a bag of sugar, a loaf of bread, a
bottle of Coke)
3. Guided speaking practice (dialogues in the book)
4. Free practice (pairwork)
5. Individual practice (writing)
6. A language game (the recipe game).
Lesson aims
A lesson normally has more than one aim. There are skill aims,
content aims and attitude aims. Here are a few examples in our
particular case:
68
To give pupils practice in speaking (skill aim)

The lesson plan

format
To enable pupils to ask for/offer something politely (content

aim - function)
To encourage the pupils to interact in pairs and groups
(attitude aim).
If we think about the aims in terms of what pupils should be able to

do by the end of the lesson (e.g. ask for a specific quantity of food),
the aim is specific and has a measurable outcome. At the end of the
lesson, you can say how many pupils can do it and how many cant.
Aims should reflect what we hope the pupils will be able to do, not
what you as a teacher are going to do.
Organizing your ideas is the most important step in writing the
lesson plan. You can choose the form which is the most convenient
for you to use during the lesson and for evaluation after the lesson.
There is an example of a complete lesson plan in Appendix 3 at the
end of this unit.
Here is a possible outline of a lesson plan:
LESSON PLAN
Grade: ...
Unit: ..
Title of the lesson:.
Lesson aims: 1...
2. ..
3. ..
Materials:
Anticipated problems: ..
Activity 1
Aim:
Procedure
1.
2.
3.
Interaction
Timing
Activity 2, etc.
Homework: ..
The anticipated problems the situations which might prove
troublesome in your lesson (e.g. the pupils are not familiar with pair
work, which means you need more time to organize it).
Procedure the actual activities in the lesson (e.g. The teacher
points to different pictures of clothes. The pupils repeat the word
chorally.)
Interaction the actual form of cooperation and response during
the lesson (individual, teacher - pupil, pair work, group work).
Timing - the allocation of time for each activity during the lesson.
69
Learning task 6
Read section 3.2 again. Then look at the lesson plan model in
Appendix 3 and answer the following questions (in about 50 words):
1. Which skill is mainly practised in the lesson?
..
2. What are the stirring activities?
3. Is there any listening comprehension activity?
4. Which activities are settling?
5. Which activities focus on the guided use of the new vocabulary?
6. Which activities focus on the free use of language?
7. What instructions does the teacher give for activity 5?
8. What previous knowledge of English do the pupils need?
9. Is childrens creativity encouraged in any way? How?
10. Which activities get the pupils to think and which keep them
busy?
Compare your answers with those at the end of this unit.
70
3.4.2. The plan in action

Lesson planning is not an easy job to do, but it is a lot easier than
applying it in class. Some see the plan as a script the teacher has to
follow. Others consider it is a simple proposal of action which needs
to be modified if it doesnt work. If we see the plan as a script, what
are we going to do about the unexpected situations in class?
Think first!
What unforeseen problems can appear during the lesson?
Take your answers to the next tutorial to discuss them with your
classmates and your tutor.
However well we think out the lesson the plan is only a suggestion of
what we can do in class. But how can we say when a plan is good?
Basically it all depends on how the pupils respond and relate to the
teachers proposals of action. As Jim Scrivener shows in his book
Learning Teaching, as a teacher you need to prepare thoroughly.
But in class, teach the learners not the plan.
Here are a few suggestions which can help you to plan a successful
lesson.
1. Heterogeneity means supplying various types of activities in the
lesson. It is a very important feature of practice progress. Good
practice can be achieved through exercises that are adequate to
several levels and possibly can be answered according to the
students language level. In this situation the lower level students will
provide simplified answers, while the higher level students will
provide more complex sentences.
2. Flexibility involves adapting the plan to a certain situation or to a
particular group. It also means adapting the textbook to the
necessities of the teacher and the learners. Sometimes an activity
works so well and the atmosphere is just perfect, so you can choose
to continue, although there is something different in the plan.
3. Coherence means following a thematic thread with a number of
lessons so that you can use the same language in different contexts
for some time. On the other hand, coherence involves offering your
pupils as many recycling opportunities as possible so that they can
use language in productive skill work. For example, we can revise
body parts in topics such as Health or Animals or colours in
Clothes, Toys, Seasons.
4. Balance refers to many aspects of teaching. First, it means a
realistic combination of skill-focused activities. Even though the
children love to role play and it works well, it is unwise to do
71
roleplaying all the time. On the other hand, balance is also needed
among stirring and settling activities, mentally engaging and actually
occupying ones. The balance between the presentation, guided
practice and free practice activities is also very important. (For more
details look for Jim Scriveners theory in the Glossay at the end of
this book.)
5. Feedback means looking for proofs of success but also critically
accepting to find solutions for what didnt work. Written plans are not
only proposals of action, but also records of what has taken place. It
is a good idea to use plans as record and research tools. On one
hand, you can keep a record of how successful certain activities
were. On the other hand, troublesome situations can be the starting
point for study, in your own attempt to find out the causes of failure.
Learning task 7
For each of these situations that might appear during the lesson,
provide : a) a possible explanation b) a possible solution.
In about 150 words, write your answers in the space provided below:
You can find some suggestions at the end of this unit.
1. You planned an interesting activity, but the pupils found it boring.
a)
b)
.
2. The activities in the plan finished too quickly.
a)
b)
.
3. Some pupils work faster than others and they get bored.
a)
b)
.
4. Although the pupils have listened to and repeated the new words
several times, they cant match objects with words, so you think they
are not attentive.
a)
b)
5. In spite of all practice, pupils repeatedly use Simple Present

instead of Continuous Present.
a)
b)
.
72
3.5 Optional course curricula

Apart from the compulsory study of foreign languages starting from
the 3rd grade, in primary school you can choose to teach English in
an optional course. Optional course policy is a school decision so
dont be surprised if children in one school study English in the 1st
and 2nd grade, while others dont.
Suppose that you really like teaching songs and rhymes, and you
have discovered that you havent got enough time for that during the
lessons. In this case you can take a course called Teaching English
through songs. You can develop your own optional course or you
can do a cross-curricular one together with the class teacher (for
example English and Craft.)
You need to make your own curriculum for this optional course. The
structure of this curriculum and your objectives will be totally
different from the National Curriculum - it wouldnt make sense to do
the same thing in the 1st grade and then repeat it in the 3rd!
This is a possible structure for an optional curriculum:
Argument (in which you sustain your reasons for this optional
course)
Specific objectives (which will define what the pupils are
supposed to do)
Learning activities (types of activities the students will
actually do in class)
Topics (the information that pupils will acquire and use during
your particular optional course)
Evaluation suggestions (the types of evaluation which are
going to be used such as oral, written, projects, etc.)
Bibliography
Here is an example of an optional course for the 1st grade, Learning

English with Tilly and Fogg. The title of the course is the title of the
coursebook used by the teacher, and it is taught 1 lesson per week.
Argument
This course is meant to bridge the gap between studying
English in kindergarten and resuming it again in the 3rd grade.
The course facilitates the correct acquisition of the sounds of
English through a longer period of listening activities
It aims at building a positive attitude mostly by creating the
childrens pleasure of using English in games and songs.
Through action rhymes, language games, chants and other
activities, it helps teach children how to work and enjoy
themselves together (social integration).
The course helps the children get used to the British cultural
background gradually (school life, popular games with British
children, typical nursery rhymes).
73
Specific objectives
Throughout this course, the
children will
1. interact in pairs and groups
2. act as cartoon or fairy tale
characters
3. illustrate messages in English
by their own drawings or
collages
4. match song, rhythm and
movement
Learning activities
- action games, competitions

- roleplay
- picture dictation, collage
- nursery / action rhymes, jazz
chants, TPR activities
Topics
1. Games and toys
2. British nursery rhymes and festivals
3. Cartoon and fairy tale characters
Evaluation will be done according to the following criteria:
1. The childs response and involvement in the activities
2. Picture dictation
3. Singing a song or a jazz chant.
Bibliography
1. Gardescu, E. and Vasile C., 1998, Tilly and Fogg, Editura ALL,
Bucureti
2. Gardescu, E., Vasile C., 1998, Tilly and Fogg: Ghidul
profesorului, Editura ALL, Bucureti
3. Gardescu, E. 2004, Tilly and Fogg: Caietul elevului, Editura ALL,
Bucureti
4. Phillips, S., 1993, Young Learners, OUP
5. Cant, A. and Superfine, W., 1997, Developing Resources for
Primary, Richmond Publishing
Learning task 8
Compare the optional course curriculum above with the 3rd grade
National Curriculum. In about 60 words, write what you found out:
1. Differences of objectives
2. Common topics
3. Common procedures
4. Differences of evaluation
74
Summary
Planning is a key stage of efficient learning. It gives coherence to
your performance, and it strenghtens your self-confidence and your
pupils esteem. If you know what you are doing, the children will
sense it immediately, and they will confidently follow you. If you
dont, you might easily lose control over the class from the beginning
of the lesson. By planning your lessons, you can adapt the content
and teaching techniques to a particular class and to your personal
teaching style.
Planning is necessary on three levels: long-term planning (year
planning and the learning units), short-term planning (the lesson
plan) and optional course curricula. For each level, this unit offers
models and suggestions that you can try out and improve.
Year planning and lesson plans are the most important documents
that a teacher has to devise. They may be different from one teacher
to another and from one class to another. Through a sustained
exercise of realistic self-evaluation of your plans at the end of each
lesson, you can become a reflective teacher, and you will constantly
improve and refine your methods.
Key concepts
Eficient learning
Meaningful contexts
Constant recycling
Strirring and settling activities
Learner autonomy
Year planning
Learning unit
Lesson plan
Optional course curricula

Send your tutor the following:
1. A copy of your year planning for a primary class. If you dont
teach primary, choose one textbook, which is in use in your school
and make a sketch of a year planning without writing the dates.
2. One learning unit from the same year planning.
3. A lesson plan from the chosen learning unit.
4. For the lesson plan above, make a list of resources:
- you already have in school
- you can get from different sources (specify them)
- you can make yourself.
75
Further reading
1. Harmer, J., The Practice of English Language Teaching, 2001,
Longman, pp. 308-320
2. Halliwell, Susan, Teaching English in the Primary Classroom,
1992, Longman, pp. 11- 15, 20-21
3. Gardescu, E., Vasile C., 1998, Tilly and Fogg: Ghidul
profesorului, Editura ALL, Bucuresti, pp. 5-7, 66-67

Should your Answers to LTs not be comparable to those given
below, please revise the following sections: for LTs 1
section 3.1, for LTs 2 and 3 section 3.2, for LTs 4 and 5
section 3.3, for LT 6 sections 3.2 and 3.3, for LT 7 sectio 3.4
and for LT 8 sections 2.1 and 3.5 .
Should your answer to LT1 not be comparable to that given
below, please revise section 3.1.
LT 1
It increases your confidence in what you do during the lesson.
It helps you understand concepts in methodology better.
It creates a routine of the lesson stages, which helps the
children understand its logic.
It gives the students the feeling that the teacher is leading them
on the right track.
It gives you a starting point for evaluating your own strong and
weak points.
You are never at a loss for ideas.
By doing it over and over again you feel secure in case your
lesson is observed by anyone.
Once you have become acquainted with the basic steps, you
can try new ideas.
LT 2
Translating all the instructions into the native language : it
doesnt help much, as it destroys the natural environment for
learning English , which is English itself. The children will not be
encouraged to trust their ability to guess meaning and will never
get the feeling that they are using English for real. As soon as
the children see that every instruction is translated for them,
they will hardly bother to listen to the instructions any longer.
Pointing to things, using pictures, mimicking supports
understanding through non-verbal means, as it sometimes
happens in real life. When you talk to a baby, you show the
object or make faces to make yourself understood.
Encouraging the children to demonstrate, point to things,
act out : Its one of the procedures used in the Total Physical
76
Response activities (see Unit 1). It gives you an immediate

feedback on how much of the message the child understood.
Using the new vocabulary in other contexts, paraphrasing ,
asking questions
It is very efficient with children who already have some
knowledge of English, there are many such exercises in
textbooks.
Observing the childrens non-verbal reactions (a puzzled
face, a smile, enthusiasm or complete silence): this is the
simplest way to see what has been understood.
o a puzzled face = what do you mean?
o a smile = OK, Ive got it!
o enthusiasm = I know what you want me to do, and I like
it!
o complete silence= I dont understand, so I cant answer.
Asking children Do you understand? is a very inefficient
way. None of the children will say yes lest the others should
disregard him/her. Besides, the children will believe you expect
them to understand everything.
Normally, a teacher uses a combination of all these.
LT 3
General instructions
Lets start.
Listen.
Come here, please.
Go to the door/ window /
blackboard.
Open your books, please.
Pay attention.
Copy the sentence.
Repeat after me.
Giving praise:
Well done.
Yes, thats right.
Good work.
Very nice.
Other situations:
I dont understand.
Repeat, please.
Lets work in pairs.

LT 4
1. Year planning contains all the titles of the lessons in the textbook.FALSE
You can include several textbook titles under one topic. For example,
the topic Animals can include lesson 1 Animals at the zoo, lesson 3
My pet, Lesson 5 The little frog, etc.
2. The number of hours I allow for each topic is different. - TRUE
You decide how much time you need to teach different topics properly.
3. Revision is done only at the end of term. FALSE
There are current revision lessons every three or four units.
4. I can adapt the textbook to meet the Curriculum requirements. TRUE
77
The National Curriculum is a state document which must be

respected. Textbooks are just tools you can use. There are alternative
textbooks for every subject and every level. You can choose one
according to your style or to your pupils level.
5. A learning unit is a part of year planning. TRUE
A learning unit includes several lessons on the same topic.
6. I can adapt the Curriculum according to my pupils level. FALSE
The Curriculum is compulsory for all the pupils in the country.
7. If I teach two different grades (3rd and 4th ), I can use the same year
planning. - FALSE
You need two different year plannings, but you can use the same
planning in the following year for the same grade.
8. I have to follow my year planning closely, but I can make some
changes if necessay. TRUE
Changes are allowed, and they will be marked in the Remarks section.
9. My year planning includes all my lesson plans. - FALSE
Year planning is done for your orientation; the lesson plans are
detailed plans of the learning units.
10. Specific objectives refer to listening comprehension, speaking,
reading comprehension and writing. - TRUE
LT 5
1. Dialogues, reading aloud, warm-up discussion of pictures and
the trolley game, role play (shopping)
2. Posters, flashcards, real objects, cut-outs from brochures
3. Quantifiers, indefinite articles a/an, numbers, plurals
4. Class interaction:
Teacher student (vocabulary presentation, model reading)
student- student (dialogue, group project)
individual (comprehension checking, activity book exercises,
individual project)
whole class (grammar rhythm)
5. Pictures, objects, activity book, practice books, other courses
(e.g. Magic Time).
below, please revise sections 3.2 and 3.3.
LT6
1. Speaking
2. Activities 1, 5, 6
3. Activity 2 step 4, additional activity (picture dictation )
4. Activities 2, 3, 4
5. Activities 3,4
6. Activities 5,6
7. 1.Now get into groups of three. Use the words in your notebook
78
(act. 4) to make a shopping list. Here is an example: three bottles of

milk/ one packet of biscuits 2. Look at the pictures. This is a shop.
Who wants to be the shop keeper? Im the customer (model dialogue).
3. In your groups, one is the shopkeeper, two are the customers.
Come here. Talk. (If you give the customers a bag, the message will
be clear.)
8. Ive got, the plural of nouns, numbers 1-20, there is/ there are
9. In activity 5 (the shopping list and the dialogue), in activity 6
10. Activities that keep them busy: Activity 2/2, 3/2, 4. All the other
activities get the pupils to think.
Should your Answers to LT 7 not be comparable to those given
LT 7
1. a) Either the topic is not fit for the childrens age or the procedure is
too difficult. b) Dont insist on carrying it out to the end or you will lose
the childrens attention. If you cant adapt it on the spot, give it up or try
it another time.
2. a) They were too simple, too few or you didnt allow enough time for
practice. b) Try one that you can manage easily or give the children
some independent work to do. In the future make sure you have one
or two activities in stock for such cases.
3. a) Its a normal situation with different ability children. b) provide a
variety of exercises or complicate the task for the higher level.
4. a) There was an error in the presentation stage for example you
didnt show pictures or objects when introducing the new words.
Besides, there was little or no guided practice of the new vocabulary.
b) Listen and repeat the new words is just for pronunciation. The
pupils need to use the new words in familiar contexts within various
practice activities before they can remember them.
5. a) This is because there is no such difference in the pupils native
language. b) In primary school, it doesnt help to insist on rules.
It will take a longer time and a lot of context-based practice for the
children to use the two tenses correctly. In time, the acqisition of the
two forms will show in the unconscious use of the correct form.
below, please revise sections 2.1 and 3.5 .
LT 8
1. National Curriculum:
four main objectives, corresponding to the four skills
specific objectives for both receptive and productive skills
accent on content aims
objectives attained through language functions
Optional Curriculum
listening is favoured
accent on attitude aims
focus on complementary learning activities (drawing, collages,
action rhymes).
2. Games and toys, songs and poems
79
3. Roleplay, singing , telling poems , pairwork, Total Physical

Response activities
4. National Curriculum - written, oral, portfolios
Optional Curriculum - Attitude / involvement, participation
Appendix 1 A year planning model

School: School 149, sector 3, Bucharest
Teacher: Ioana Voinea
Subject : English
Grade: 3rd
Textbook: Ralea, Monica and Popa Bianca, I am special, 2002, EDP,
Bucureti
Nr. lessons per week: 3
Year : 2004- 2005
No.
Learning unit
Objecti
ves*
Topics
Functions
Structures*
No.
less
ons
Week
Remarks
1ST SEMESTER
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Whats this?
What colour is
the sea?
- School objects
- Greeting
- Identifying things
1.1,
1.2, 2.2
- Colours
- Describing people,
animals, places
1.1,
1.2, 2.2
- Furniture
- Numbers
- Saying where
people and things
are
-The verb to be
- Names
- Age
- Numbers
- Family members
- Introducing yourself
and somebody else
- Asking for/giving
information
As before
Where is it?
The childs
world (lessons
4, 5, 6)
1.2,
1.3,
2.2,
2.3, 3.1
Revision 1
All
At the circus
1.1,2
2.1,2
3.1,2
6.
80
1.1,
2.1, 2.2
- Animals
- Leisure
- There is / are
15-17
Sept.
20- 24
Sept. (1h)
20-24
Sept.(2h)
27 1
Oct. (1h )
27-1 Oct.
(2h)
4-8 Oct.
(1h)
4- 8 Oct.
(2h)
11-15 Oct
3
3
18-22 Oct
(1h)
18- 29
Oct.
25- 29
Oct.(2h)
4.1, 2
7.
Have you got a

pet?
8.
Whats the
weather like?
9.
10.
11.
1.3,
2.3,
3.2, 4.2
5.1
2.2,
3.2,3
4.2
Can you draw a

lion?
1.3
2.2, 3
3.2, 3
4.2, 3
Merry
Christmas!
2.2, 3
3.2, 3
4.2, 3
5.1
Revision 2
All
- Saying where
people/things are
- Animals, pets
- Have got
- asking/giving info
- expressing
possession
- weather
- seasons
- giving /asking for
info
- Parts of the body
- Animals
- Can/cant
- describing animals
- expressing mental
and physical ability
- Holidays
- Have got
- expressing likes
and dislikes
-expressing ability
As before
8-12 Nov.
(1h)
8-12 nov.
(2h)
15- 19
Nov. (1h)
15- 19
Nov. (2h)
22-26
Nov. (1h)
22-28 nov
29 3
Dec. (1h )
29 3
Dec (2h)
6- 10 Dec
(1h)
6- 21 Dec.
2ND SEMESTER
12.
Wintertime
13.
My house
14.
Can you play

after lunch?
15.
What is your
hobby?
16.
17.
I cant find my T
shirt
Revision 3
1.3
2.2, 3
3.2, 3
4.2, 3
1.2
2.1, 3
3.3
4.3
5.1
1.2
2.1,3
3.3
4.3
2.3
3.2
4.2
1.3, 2.3
3.3, 4.1
All
1.2, 4
- Activities
- Continuous
Present
- talking about
present activities
- Rooms and
furniture
- Simple Present
- talking about
present activities
- Daily activities
- Numbers
- Telling the time
- asking / giving info
- Hobbies
- likes and dislikes
- Clothes
- Continuous Present
- describing people,
talking about present
activities
As before
- Groceries
10- 21
January
24 Jan.
4 Feb.
7-11 Feb.
14 25
Feb.
21- 25
Feb (1h)
28 Feb.- 4
March
7 18 Mar
14 Mar
81
18.
19
20.
Lets make a pie
2.3
3.2, 3
4.2
- asking for
something, offering
- Giving suggestions
- giving thanks
- Buildings
- The days of the
week
- identifying things
and their position
- Holidays
- Plural of nouns
- describing traditions
1.2, 2.2
3.2, 4.3
- Fruit, vegetables
- Farm animals
- Describing places,
present activities
3 - 13
May
1.2,
2.2,
3.2, 4.3
- Seaside activities
- present activities
All
As before
All skills All previous topics
3
6
16 27
May
30 May
3 June
6- 17 June
1.2
2.1, 3
3.3
4.3
5.1
1.3
2.2, 3
3.4
5.1
My street
Easter time
21.
I love the
country
22.
Going on
holiday
23.
24.
Revision 4
Final Revision
15 Apr.
11- 15
April
18- 22
Apr.
18 Apr.
5 May
*Cf. Curriculum National
82
Appendix 2 A learning unit model

Unit 18 Lets make a pie
Grade 3rd
No. of lessons 6
Textbook: Ralea, Monica, Popa Bianca, I am special, 2002, EDP,
Bucureti
Content (vocabulary,
structures, functions )
Date
FOOD
Food vocabulary
Reading practice
April
4th
LETS GO SHOPPING
Shopping dialogue
Quantifiers: a box
of, a bag of, etc.
Numbers
Need
April
6th
1. Present quantifiers
2. Read dialogues
3. Practice on
quantifiers
4. The recipe game
SWEETS
Flavours, sweets
Shopping dialogue
A, an
Plurals (revision)
Offering,
accepting/refusing
April
8th
1. Vocabulary practice
2. Grammar rhythm
3. Speaking practice
role play
4. Writing practice
sentences
STONE SOUP
Revision of previous
items
Reading practice
Revision of
quantifiers and plurals
April
11th
GROUP PROJECT
THE SUPERMARKET
Revising food items
and shopping dialogues
April
13th
TEST PAPER
April
15th
Activities
1. Warm-up (discuss
pictures in the book)
2. Introduce vocabulary
on food
3. Read dialogues and
act out
4. Activity book
exercises
1. The trolley game

2. Model reading by the
teacher
3. Exercises to check
comprehension
4. Project: My special
soup
1. Make 4 groups
2. Students make group
posters (different
supermarkets)
3. Customers in one
group go shopping
shopping list
Test 4 from the
textbook, page 59
Resources
Evaluation
Oral
Textbook
Poster
Flashcards
Objects
V. Evans
Roundup
Sweets
Cassette
player
Tape
Magic Time
p. 15
Gardescu
E.,
English
Practice
book 1, p.
50
Oral
Written
Oral
dialogues
Oral
Written
Large
Oral
sheets of
paper
Cut-outs
from
supermarket
brochures
Glue
Individual
Written
copies
83
Appendix 3 A lesson plan model

For reasons of space, we have used the following symbols: T= teacher, P= pupil,
PP= pupils, PW= pair work, GW= group work, IW= individual work
Grade: 3rd
Unit: 18 Lets make a pie
Title of the lesson: Lets go shopping
Textbook: Ralea, Monica and Popa Bianca, I am special, 2002, EDP, Bucureti
Lesson aims:
1. To allow pupils to practise speaking by asking and offering something politely
2. To give pupils practice in using quantifiers in the context of shopping
Materials: textbook, monster poster, food containers, flashcards, worksheets
Anticipated problems:
Pupils might find it difficult to remember the dialogue replies.
Possible solution a competition or a language game to motivate them.
Activity 1 Warm up (The Monster game )
Aim: revising names of different food items
InterProcedure
1. T draws or shows a poster with a monster having a very large action
mouth and a very large stomach.
T-P
2. Each child receives a flashcard with a different food item.
3. PP have to feed the monster sticking the cards in its mouth. If
they say the correct word, the food goes to the monsters
stomach. If not, it stays in its mouth.
Timing
10 min
Activity 2 Introducing the new vocabulary

Aim: presentation of vocabulary on quantifiers, revising numbers
Procedure
Inter1. T shows the containers and tells the corresponding words (a action
bottle of water, a box of candy, a packet of biscuits, a bag of
sugar)
T - PP
2. PP listen and repeat.
3. The same procedure for a loaf of bread, a kilo of cheese
4. T asks questions about the picture in the textbook (e.g. Where
are the children? How many bottles of ketchup are there? How
many eggs are there in the box? How many bags of sugar are
there? What do the children buy? )
84
Timing
10 min
Activity 3 Speaking practice

Aim: guided practice of quantifiers
Procedure
1. T gives a model reading of the first dialogue (or uses a
cassete player)
2. PP listen and repeat
3. A few pairs of pupils read the dialogue taking up Marys and
the shopkeepers roles
4. In pairs, all PP read the dialogue
Interaction
Timing
10 min
T-PP
PW
Activity 4 Writing practice

Aim: to practise spelling of the new vocabulary
Procedure
1. PP solve the exercise in the textbook (e.g.2/pg.45)
2. The answers are checked in class
Interaction
Timing
6 min
IW, TPP
Activity 5 Speaking practice
Aim: to practise asking for something/offering politely
Procedure
Inter1. In groups of three, PP make a shopping list
action
2. T sticks flashcards on the blackboard, putting up a shop. T
is the shop keeper in a model dialogue.
GW
3. In groups of 3 (1 shop keeper, 2 customers), PP go
shopping for the items on their list
Timing
10 min
Activity 6 - Speaking practice The basket game

Aim: to practise the new vocabulary in a different context
Procedure
InterOne P starts the game by saying Ive got a bottle of milk in my action
basket. The next in the row continues: Ive got a bottle of milk
and two bags of sugar. The game goes on until the chain of P-P
words is interrupted.
Timing
4 min
Activities in stock:
Picture dictation T gives PP a worksheet with a simple drawing such as a table
with an empty plate and asks the children to draw and colour as follows:
There is a loaf of bread on the table. There are three apples on the plate one is
red and two are yellow. There is a cup of coffee near the plate and a bag of sugar
next to the cup. There is a bottle of milk on the right and a box of candy on the left.
There is a basket under the table. Ther are two loaves of bread and a bottle of Coke
in the basket.
Homework : Make up a similar dialogue using the words in exercise 2.
85
Using and creating resources
UNIT 4
USING AND CREATING RESOURCES
Unit Outline
4.1. The value of resources in primary school....................................................................86
Unit objectives....................................................................................................................87
4.1.1. A few principles of developing resources in primary school .....................................87
4.1.2. The efficient use of resources ..................................................................................90
4.2. Using already existing resources ...............................................................................91
4.2.1. The coursebook pack...............................................................................................91
4.2.2. The blackboard .......................................................................................................95
4.2.3. Visuals ....................................................................................................................98
4.2.4. Games ..................................................................................................................100
4.2.5. Authentic materials ................................................................................................103
4.2.6. The tape/CD/video player .....................................................................................105
4.2.7. Teaching with a minimum of resources .................................................................107
4.3. Creating resources ...................................................................................................110
4.3.1. Resources created by the teacher ........................................................................111
4.3.2. Resources created by the pupils ...........................................................................114
Summary.........................................................................................................................117
Key concepts .................................................................................................................118
Further reading .............................................................................................................118
Answers to learning tasks.............................................................................................118
4.1. The value of resources in primary school

Think first!
Before starting to read this unit, make a list of the resources you
currently use in your lessons.
Add this list to your portfolio and take it to your next tutorial to
discuss it with your classmates and tutor.
86
In daily practice, teachers follow published coursebooks but there

are instances when teachers need other materials, too.These
materials are called teaching aids or resources. However, the term
resources includes other things as well.
First, time can be considered a resource. The way you distribute
your topics in time within your year planning or your activities within
the lesson plan is very important.
Then, its the space you use. In Unit 1 (1.3.3.- The influence of the
environment) we showed how important it is for primary school
children to learn a language in a friendly classroom and how you can
organize your own materials and resources.
Last, but not least, its the variety of resource books for teachers,
such as those mentioned in the bibliography of this course. You can
find out where some of them are available by contacting the local
inspector. If you have Internet access, you can join forums on
proffessional organization sites or find a lot of ideas and
downloadable resources.
Unit
objectives
In this unit you will learn:

how to use different resources in the lesson in an efficient way
how to create your own resources
how you can teach with a minimum of resources.
Here are a few examples of such resources:
very common and simple teaching aids such as real objects,

the blackboard, coursebooks, dictionaries, visuals
modern audio-video technologies
aids created by the teacher or the pupils.
We are going to include all of them under the generic name

resources.
Language teachers use a variety of aids to explain meaning and
structures, to engage students in oral work or to illustrate a topic. In
this unit you will learn how different teaching aids can be used in the
classroom efficiently. You will find examples of activities in which
different types of resources are used, and you will learn how to build
your own activities. The examples are as different as possible (e.g.
vocabulary presentation, information- gap activity, etc.) in order to
illustrate various teaching situations.
4.1.1 A few principles of developing resources in primary school
Think first!
Before you go on reading this section, go back to Unit 1, section 1.2,
The characteristics of young language learners. How do each of
these characteistics influence the choice of resources in primary
school?
Write your opinions in the space below in no more than 150 words.
87
Take your answers to the next tutorial to discuss them with your
tutor and classmates.
Here are a few principles that need to be taken into account when
using and making resources. Some of these principles focus on
content, others on form. According to these, resources have to be:
1. Easy to make, easy to handle
Many of the materials you use during the lesson take a lot of time
and effort to make. There are ways to avoid this. For example, you
can save a lot of time by using cut-outs from magazines or leaflets to
illustrate vocabulary instead of trying to draw or paint them or paying
a lot of money for coloured copying. You can keep these materials in
order acording to the topic (in a resource box or bank of ideas)
and have access to these resources without complicated
preparation.
2. Large and clear enough to be seen by everybody
In order to ensure a good understanding of the task, the materials
you use have to be visible from any part of the classroom. This also
refers to audio/video equipment. During listening activities, the
position of the the cassette player has to be good enough for
everybody to hear, while the screen of the TV set has to be large
enough for everybody to watch.
3. Attractive and adapted to age
Children enjoy colours and suggestive images. The topic of these
resources also needs to be appealing to the childrens interest level.
You must pay special attention to the coursebooks you choose and
to their illustrations and layout. We shall discuss this in detail in a
special section.
4. Simple
Wallcharts/ posters have to contain a minimum of elements with a
clear outline which doesnt create confusion regarding colour or
shape. Flashcards can be simple sketches suggesting human
actions or objects. The idea they convey is important, not the artistic
achievement.
5. Easy to integrate into the activity
In order to use resources efficiently, it is very important to do this as
naturally as possible. For example, when introducing new
vocabulary, you can use a wallchart/poster or a pack of flashcards
and tell the children: These are fruit. Look at the pictures, listen and
88
repeat: apple pear plum.They might have the same images in

their coursebooks, but these pictures are too small and they cant
concentrate as easily as they would do with big ones.
6. Engaging
Children learn best by doing things. If they handle the puppets in a
dialogue, they will perform better. If they listen and choose the right
picture, they make a selection and exercise their memory, too. The
resources are not only for the teacher to display; they are for the
children to use.
7. Varied
Children learn in different ways (see Unit 1, section 1.1) and with
different purposes (e.g. developing skills). The more the senses are
stimulated, the more successful learning is taking place. The
children need to hear, touch, see, handle, draw, illustrate or make
things themselves. That is why you will have to use as many types
of resources as possible.
8. Ways of creating a positive class atmosphere
When learning is facilitatd by teaching aids, the children have a
feeling of satisfaction and their motivation increases. You must have
experienced the situation when pupils fight over being the first to
throw the ball or handle the puppet. On the other hand, materials
can be exhibited on the walls and thus they will become a good
reminder of newly-learnt vocabulary.
9. Multifunctional
English can be used in exploring broader themes such as crosscultural issues, tolerance, traditions and social behaviour. In this
respect, childrens own projects can be used as resources
themselves.
Learning task 1
What are the advantages of using resources in primary school?
Compare your answers with the suggestions at the end of this unit.
89
4.1.2 The efficient use of resources

Using resources makes learning easier for the pupils if the effort of
teaching is pupil-oriented. The teaching aids that you use during the
lesson do not have to be only nice or attractive or create fun.
They have to be used with a certain purpose. The question that you
need to ask yourself all the time when deciding to use a certain
picture or object is: How does this help my pupils to understand or
practice the language better?
Here are a number of criteria for the efficient use of resources:
1. The appropriate placement within an activity.
The teacher has to say the word and show the image at the same
time. Otherwise, it doesnt make sense, and the children will not be
able to figure out which object the word refers to.
2. The use of any resource requires a task for the children.
For example, when you play a cassette record, the pupils have to fill
in a gapped text or solve a multiple-choice exercise.
3. Simple resources can be used in an unlimited number of
ways.
Lets think of a simple set of images representing toys.They can be
used to teach different structures:
This is my (e.g. ball).
Have you got a?
I like playing with the..
Lets play with the .
Can I borrow your , please?
How much does this cost?
Where is my ?, etc
In the following grid you can find examples of how you can use the
same set of cards in order to support the pupils practice of different
skills.
Skill
Listening
Speaking
Writing
90
Learning
activity
Discriminating
words
Procedure
T displays the cards in a column on the board and says
the words randomly. A pupil ticks the right image.
PP stand in a line holding a card each. T calls out different

objects (e.g. doll, bike). The pupil who has the image
makes a step forward. If T calls:Toyshelf! all PP have to
step to the front.
Repeating after
T holds up one image and says: Ive got a doll. PP repeat
the model (drills) and when the image is changed, the sentence is changed,
too, e.g.Ive got a bike.
Simple
In pairs, PP practise a dialogue using cards selected from
dialogues
the blackboard.(e.g. A: Have you got a bike/ball? B: Yes, I
have. Have you? A: Yes, I have./No, I havent)
From the two choices on the board, PP copy only the word
Spelling
that corresponds to the image shown by T.
exercises
The children copy a text in which certain words are
replaced by pictures.
4. The use of resources facilitates personalized learning

and the development of creativity.
As we have shown in Unit 1, learning is complete when the pupils
can express their personal opinions, feelings, experiences even with
a restricted vocabulary. Projects, for example, are created and
illustrated by children themselves. When they are displayed in the
classroom, projects become a good resource for the pupils to share
the same vocabulary in their personal vision.
4.2. Using already existing resources

There are a lot of resources that you can choose. Some of them are
already available, but the problem is how to use them efficiently.
Here are a few of them:
The coursebook
The blackboard
Flashcards
Wallcharts/wallpictures/posters
Games
Authentic materials: real objects,
newspapers and magazines
Dictionaries
Workbooks /practice books
leaflets,
postcards,
Technical equipment:
The cassette/CD player
The video player
In the following sections, you are going to see how you can use
these resources in different types of activities.
4.2.1 The coursebook pack
Think first!
Which coursebooks are currently being used in your school for the
3rd and 4th grades? What do you like about them? What dont you
like? What other materials are there in your coursebook pack?
Then compare them with the suggestions given in the following
section.
91
English coursebooks for primary school are very attractive. They

have brightly coloured pictures and funny characters. The topics and
activities are varied and engaging. However, they have few texts for
practicing reading and few exercises for language practice.
Speaking and listening are favoured in some, while reading and
writing are favoured in others.
As we have mentioned before, you can choose a coursebook for a
certain level from a list approved by the Ministry of Education. How
do you make your decision? How do you know if you have made the
right decision?
Choosing a coursebook is a major decision. You will use the
coursebook in the next few years, so you will probably need some
guidelines to make your decision.
Each coursebook has a syllabus (a particular conception of
organizing the language materials). Some coursebooks are topicbased (the lexical material and structures are organized around
several themes: Family, Home, Weather, etc.), others are taskbased (the same vocabulary area is practised within increasingly
difficult tasks) or combined (grammar, functions, lexis, situations
and skills are all combined). There is a map of the book at the
beginning of each coursebook that you can consult to see if it meets
the requirements of the National Curriculum.
Learning task 2
Study the map of the textbook in use for the 3rd grade in your
school.
In about 60 words, write down if it fits the National Curriculum from
the following points of view :
1. Regular opportunities of practising the four skills
2. The vocabulary areas for the 3rd grade
3. The language functions for this level
4. The grammar structures for this level
5. Cultural aspects (general objective 5 )
92
Write your conclusions in the space below.
Answers will vary but take them to your next tutorial to discuss them
with your classmates and tutor.
What does the
coursebook pack
contain?
A good coursebook is a part of a pack of materials including:
The coursebook
The Teachers Guide
Cassettes /CDs
Pupils Workbook
Some primary school packs also provide posters and flashcards and
more recently, software containing language computer games.
The coursebook is free, and some publishing houses offer the
Teachers Guide free of charge, too. However, you will have to buy
the cassettes (for listening comprehension activities) and eventually
the Pupils Workbook (if you consider that the coursebook does not
offer enough material for practice in class and for homework).
Here is a checklist that can help you and your colleagues decide
upon a coursebook:
1. Does it meet the requirements of the National Curriculum?
2. Does it provide regular opportunities for the pupils to practise the
four skills?
3. Are there clear tasks for language practice?
4. Are the instructions clear and easy to read?
5. Are the topics of interest to the pupils?
6. Are the lesson sequences logical and easy to follow?
7. Is the letter type big and clear enough?
8. Are the illustrations attractive and appropriate for the age group?
The Teachers Guides/Books are separate books which contain
suggestions or ideas for teaching different activities in the
coursebook or even detailed lesson plans. Some of them also
contain the courseebook page, so you can always have it at hand.
The Teachers Guide is a very useful resource, as it contains :
93
Working with a
coursebook
The basic principles (syllabus)

Vocabulary and structures to be taught
Lesson aims
Stages of the lesson (in detail)
Suggestions for optional activities
Answers to the coursebook/ Pupils Book exercises
Tapescripts of the listening comprehension exercises
Good coursebooks offer a coherent syllabus plus motivating and

well-structured language activities. Pupils like the ideas and
illustrations in the coursebook, and they get a feeling of personal
achievement and progress while units are completed.
However, some of the activities may not fit your particular pupils
interests, and you might find out that you dont feel comfortable with
some procedures suggested in the teachers guide.
What are your options then?
a) Omit and replace some of the activities or the whole lesson if in
your opinion, they are either just time-consuming or they dont teach
anything fundamental. This has to be done carefully, because the
pupils might feel frustrated to just skip over a number of activities or
you might lose the coherence of the unit.
b) Adapt some of the activities. You can choose, for example, to
add something to the lesson, as for instance a role-play or extra
situations for language practice. You can also choose to re-order the
activities in a lesson or even to re-order lessons in a unit. This is
important for your development as teachers if you can make a
critical analysis of the results. At the same time, this line of action
gives you a chance to do it your way (the personalized use of the
materials that we mentioned in Unit 3).
Learning task 3
What knowledge do you need in order to adapt a coursebook lesson
properly?
In about 40 words, write your ideas in the space provided below.
Compare them with the suggestions given at the end of this unit.
94
4.2.2 The blackboard

It seems that anybody can work with the blackboard. For
generations, pupils and teachers have been used to consider the
blackboard and the piece of chalk as their main tools.
Think first!
What do you remember about the way your teacher used the
blackboard when you were in primary school?
Compare your ideas with the sugestions given in the following

section.
Here are a few dos and donts for an efficient use of the blackboard:
Use clear writing
In primary school, the pupils are learning to write, so you will have to
adjust the way you write the letters to the way they do it. The letters
have to be large enough for everybody to see. Dont use any
shortened forms of the words and dont use capitals instead of
cursive writing.
Organize your message
Start writing on the left and use the blackboard space in an
organized way. The way you write on the blackboard mirrors your
logical organization of the knowledge, and it will look exactly the
same in your pupils notebooks.
If you choose to draw something yourself, do it together with the
children and explain what you are doing. Make sure that the drawing
and text match.
Create a routine
Teach your pupils to write the date and title of the lesson regularly.
They will be able to follow the logical sequence of the lesson, and
their parents will see what they have done every time.
Dont use the blackboard in excess
Some teachers think that writing everything on the blackboard will
help the pupils to remember everything. Actually, the pupils will feel
that they have to write everything in their notebooks, too. This takes
time, and you might also lose control of the class.
Here are a few suggestions for how you can use the blackboard:
95
Uses of the
blackboard
Activity
Look and
say/read/write
1. Display board
In primary school, the children learn how to focus their attention on
what the teacher says, so whole - classroom activities are more
predominant than independent activities, therefore the pupils need
an area of display in front of their eyes.
You can display your flashcards/pictures or wallcharts on the
blackboard any time you introduce new vocabulary or you need to
work with new vocabulary. The pictures on the board can also be the
starting point for a language game or for creative writing.
The following ideas illustrate this way of using the board:
Procedure
What the teacher says:
a) The pictures are displayed in a vertical Look at the pictures. Listen
row. The teacher says the word and and repeat.
Apple (points to picture)
points to each image. The pupils repeat.
Pear.., etc.
b) The teacher writes a number next to
each image, then calls out the number Number 1- apple.
Number 2 pearetc.
and the pupils have to say the word.
What is number 1? (pupils
c) The teacher writes the corresponding answer apple)
word next to each picture. The pupils
read and repeat.
Listen, read and repeat.
d) One child is standing next to the
blackboard (blackboard behind). The
teacher removes a picture. The child tries What is it?
to guess by asking: Is it the?. The You ask him.
pupils answer Yes, it is. No, it isnt.
Mihai, please.
Ok, go to your place.
e) The teacher writes the first letter of Well done!
each word next to the picture. The
children copy and complete. Then, they
check with the correct answer.
Look at the pictures.
Write the words in
notebooks.
Describe the
image
your
a) The picture/poster is placed in the Whats this?

middle of the blackboard. The teacher Where are the children?
points to different parts and asks What is the girl doing?
questions.
b) The teacher places small numbered What is number 5?
labels on the poster. The pupils name the What number is the tree?
items.
Find the
difference
96
c) The teacher reads a sentence out

loud. One pupil points to one part of the
picture.
Two posters or two groups of pictures are
placed at a certain distance. The teacher
and one pupil (and then two pupils)
describe the pictures, saying what is
different in each of them.
There is an apple in the

basket.
My picture looks nearly the
same as yours, but some
things are different. For
example, the bird in my
picture is blue. What colour is
the bird in your picture?
2. Space for writing

In primary school, visual memory is very important in learning.
Select the items you want to write on the blackboard carefully
respecting the rules given before. Focus the childrens attention by
means of coloured chalk, frames and underlining.
3. Screen / stage
You can use the blackboard to project slides. You can also ask the
children to roleplay their dialogues in front of it.
Roleplaying is best played in front of the classroom. The children
really enjoy being the actors on the stage. You can draw some of
the scenery on the blackboard.
You can also use some curtains to cover anything you want to write
on the blackboard and reveal it gradually during the lesson.
4. Competition area
The blackboard can be used in an interactive way. You can initiate
many competitions on the blackboard. You can also write the rules
and keep the score on it. Here are two examples:
Activity
Word
families
Group
drawings
Aim
Revising
vocabulary,
developing group
work skills.
Giving practice in
reading and
speaking
Developing group
skills
Procedure
The pupils are divided in three groups. Each
group is given a slot on the blackboard. The
teacher gives each group a key word (e.g. fruit,
clothes, breakfast), and they write as many
words as they can within a time limit. The
group who writes the most words is the winner.
In groups, the children read a text and then
they illustrate it on the blackboard (each
member of the group can choose to draw a
small part of it). The members of the other
groups try describe the picture. In the end, the
text is read. The best description wins.
Learning task 4
Suppose that you are a pupil in your own class. What suggestions
would you give your teacher concerning blackboard use?
Compare with the ideas at the end of this unit.

97
4.2.3. Visuals
The generic term visuals includes flashcards, cue cards,
wallpictures, posters, photographs or cut-outs from magazines,
newspapers or other sources. They can be drawn or taken from
books or from the Interne, and they are all used to facilitate learning.
Wall pictures are images large enough for everybody to see. They
usually represent scenes which create a context for new vocabulary.
Flashcards are pictures of separate items that the teacher holds up
for the pupils to see.
Cue cards (promptcards) are small cards that the pupils use in pair
or group work.
Pictures can be used in many ways. Here are a few examples:
1. Vocabulary presentation and practice
This is how you can use these flashcards to introduce and practice
vocabulary and structures:
a) Hold the cards up one by one. Say the word and ask the pupils to
repeat.
b) Number the cards, then call out a number. The pupils have to say
the word.
c) Hold up one card and say I like milk. Then hold up another one
and nominate a pupil to give a response (e.g. I like tea).
d) Give one pupil the cards. He/she has to hold them so that the
others cannott see which card is at the top of the pile. Start
guessing: Do you want some tea?
The rest of the pupils join in the guessing. When someone guesses
correctly, another child chooses a card.
2. Grammar practice
a) Some, any, no
98
Ask each child to choose two cards and make a sentence (e.g. I
have some bread, but I have no milk.)
b) Going to future
In pairs, the children make dialogues based on the cards:
A: What are you going to have for breakfast?
B: Im going to have a sandwich and some milk.
3. Speaking practice
Create contexts for practising different structures (e.g. At the shops,
Breakfast). You can practice the following structures: How much
is..?, Can you pass me the ?, Do you want some?
4. Listening practice
Each pair of pupils has the five cards. Ask them to draw a square on
their notebooks, which will be the table. Then tell them how to place
the cards: The milk bottle is in the middle of the table. The teapot is
on the right. There is a loaf of bread between the teapot and the milk
bottle, etc.
5. Guided writing
Give the pupils a short text and ask them to rewrite the text replacing
the underlined words with the words suggested by the pictures.
Example:
Tommy is my dog. Hes a strange dog. He eats only potatoes, and
he drinks only orange juice. Sometimes he eats my biscuits, and I
dont like it.
6. Creative writing
Ask your pupils to find rhyming words and then have them make
their own poem. Example: tea/me/ see/three
Come with me! / have some tea / and then count / One, two, three.
These are just a few examples of how you can use visuals in a
simple and effective way. It is your decision when and how you
introduce them into the lesson, but you must always have in mind
the activity aim.
99
Learning task 5
Think of three activities in which you can use a wall picture. Describe
them briefly as in the examples above.
You can find some more suggestions at the end of this unit.
4.2.4. Games
Think first!
Before you go on reading this section, think about the games you
liked to play when you were in primary school. Which was your
favourite? Why did you like playing it?
Add your ideas to your portfolio and discuss with your tutor as to
how you can adapt these games in your lessons.
Games are a very enjoyable and rewarding way to teach a foreign
language. In primary school games are a necessity, as children
learn by playing. They can be used in different moments of the
lesson:
at the beginning of the lesson (warm-up games)

to consolidate lesson activities and provide revision
opportunities
between two more demading activities (filler games)
to end a lesson in an enjoyable way
It is very important to choose the most appropriate game for one of

these moments, taking into account the length of time it takes and
also the pupils level.
100
Real games always have rules and winners.

This is what gives the children a sense of achievement and selfawareness of their limits. They know that in order to win, they have
to put more effort in what they do (learn the vocabulary, improve
their pronunciation or spelling, etc.)
Language games need to have an aim and a meaningful context
Games have a repetitive pattern and develop an effective learning
environment and conditions for exploring social behaviour.
During the English lesson, games can be played by the whole class,
by pairs or groups. Some children finish their tasks faster, so they
can play a game until the others finish theirs.Some games are static
while others involve movement (action games). Games can also
focus on vocabulary or on skill development (e. g. speaking or
writing games).
It is important to play games in class, but it is even more important to
use them efficiently. Thats why you need to:
1. learn new games and try them in class
2. learn how to adapt games children already know to fit other aims
3. develop familiar games for other levels
4. exploit the lexical material in other ways starting from the game
Here are a few examples of simple language games and ideas and
ways you can use and adapt them.
1. Chain games
Aim
Procedure
Adapting the game
Exploiting the
lexical material
revising lexical sets, practising language patterns

You say: Ive got a ball. Choose a more confident child to
continue: Ive got a ball and a bike. The third child has to
repeat and add another toy. The game stops when one child
cannot remember the sequence.
You can add other prompts such as:
alphabet (an apple, a bike, a car, etc)
numbers (one ball, two bikes, etc.)
adjectives (a blue ball, a new bike, etc. )
verb forms (At the weekend I play/ play and go to the
cinema, etc.)
In groups, the pupils write down all the words in the chain.
The group with the most correctly spelt words wins.
(from Cant A., Superfine W., Developing Resources for Primary, Richmond Publishing, 1997, p. 10)
101
2. Crossword puzzles
Aim
Procedure
Adapting the
game
Exploiting the
lexical material
Revising lexical sets and structures , asking questions

The children read definitions of words and complete in the
numbered squares .
Information gap activities
The crossword puzzle is prepared in two copies per pair. Half
of the words are already written in one square and half in the
other. (see example below.) In order to define a word on
his/her version, one child uses language, mime or picture.
The other child has to guess.
Children can make their own puzzles that they can present at
the end of a unit.
Example:
A P P L E
T R E E
E
A
P
E
A
R E D
C A R
3. Who am I?
Aim
Procedure
Adapting the
game
Exploiting the
lexical material
Asking for/giving information

Write the names of famous people on sheets of paper. Pin one
sheet on the back of every pupil in class. Each pupil asks
questions to find out who he/she is.
Write names of animals, objects, fruit
When a pupil finds out his/her name, you can organize a press
conference and everybody can ask questions.
3. Running dictation
Aim
Procedure
Adapting the
game
Exploiting the
lexical material
102
Listening comprehension, pronunciation, reading, spelling

Choose three simple texts and display them on the wall at the
back of the classroom. Divide the pupils into three groups.
Each group member runs to the wall, reads one sentence and
quickly dictates it to the members in his/her group. The most
correct text wins.
The three texts are incomplete, and the teams have to
complete them as they wish. The fastest team wins.
The text can be a description, a poem or a dialogue. The game
can be the starting point of a creative writing activity.
Learning task 6
What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing such games
in the classroom?
4.2.5. Authentic materials
During the lesson you may choose to use different objects which you
consider suggestive and helpful. Children are very responsive to real
objects they can handle and are also very happy to bring their own
things in class when asked by the teacher. There are a lot of
authentic materials that you can use in class. In this section you can
find a few examples of how you can use them.
Real objects
(realia)
When you want a pupil to give an answer, you can throw a softball
or give him/her a cuddly toy. When you introduce new vocabulary,
you can show real fruit or sweets that you can later offer as prizes in
a contest. The only problem with the objects you use during the
lesson is their size and the way you handle them.
Here is an example of what you can do wiith a hat and a stick:
Aim: to get the pupils to practise the affirmative, negative and
interrogative form of the Continuous Present Tense
Procedure: The teacher puts on the hat and pretends to have magic
powers. With the help of the magic wand, one child is taken to
another place (given to the child on a promptcard) and he/she has to
answer questions. First, the teacher asks the questions, then
another pupil is asked to do it.
T: Where are you?
P: In the kitchen.
T: What are you doing?
P: Im eating.
T: What is your mum doing?
P: Shes drinking her coffee, etc.
Children assume different roles very easily, and the border between
103
the real and the fantastic world disappears when the language they
have to produce refers to their own experience.
Childrens own toys
and things
If you announce them in time, the children will be happy to bring

their own toys to school. This is how you can practise vocabulary on
a pupils objects (pen, book, eraser), using the childrens own things:
Aim: a warm-up activity to revise vocabulary
Procedure: The teacher secretly puts different objects in a soft bag
and asks the children to feel it and try to guess what they are. The
pupils are divided in small teams. The number of guesses is limited.
The team who gives the most right guesses wins.
Bits and pieces
You can use an old shoe box to store diferent things you will use in
your lesson : string, pins, markers, glue, paper clips, white and
coloured paper, postcards, stickers or anything else you think
necessary. This is how you can work with a string in different ways:
1. Use a string to display the childrens projects like you put clothes
on a line. (with clips).
2. Cut several pieces of string and hold them like this:
(from Phillips S., Young Learners, OUP 1993, p. 85)
Each pupil gets hold of an end. When you release the strings, two
children will be holding the opposite ends of the same string. This is
how you can organize pairs.
3. You can use strings and pins to organize networks. In the bubbles
you can write words, stick pictures and even organize a display with
your pupils photographs.
Puppets
Puppets are also very successful with young learners, especially

when they can handle the puppet themselves. Roleplay activities
and simple dialogues become more lively in this way.
Authentic materials are available all around. Sometimes, the
simplest things can be used in a very creative way if you decide to
use your own imagination. You can also rely on your students for
ideas or use the suggestions given in the resource books.
104
4.2.6. The tape / CD / video player

Tapes and CDs
Tapes and CDs are a normal component of the coursebook packs.

They contain tapescripts which are either meant for listening practice
or for fun (songs and poems).
The advantages of using an audio tape/CD are obvious:
the voice on the tape/CD is that of a native speaker

the real sound of language, genuine pronunciation and verbal
interaction of the native speakers are a part of the cultural
component of language learning
there is a real sound background which makes the context
complete (e.g. if the dialogue takes place in the street, there
will be street noises going around)
the sound quality is better than that of the individual teacher
in the classroom
listening practice is an activity that children enjoy
you can replay the tape as many times as required, especilly
with CDs, which have a quick replay button
The listening activities have a certain type of tasks and procedures

which have been described in the chapters dealing with skill
development. The audio equipment can also be used to play music
for the children and to develop song-based activities.
Think first!
Can you think of a few benefits music can add to your lesson?
Compare your ideas with the suggestions given in the following

section.
Songs are excellent learning tools, but teachers often stop after
playing a song several times, not knowing what to do next. By using
songs in the classroom, you can engage the pupils and create an
exciting and active learning atmosphere. Here are a few
suggestions:
105
Video and television
expanding language: categories of vocabulary (food, the

human body, etc.), expressions and phrases that stem from
the lyrics, sentence patterns, etc.
following instructions
making projects based on a song (e.g. One day in Brother
Peters life)
singing the song in a different way each time
mime, simulations, music performances, songwriting, creative
writing, dramatizations.
Video and television bear an important impact on childrens lives

nowadays and can also be used efficiently in the language
classroom. While television is available in almost every home and
the children choose to watch their favourite programmes for
relaxation, videos are resources that the teacher uses as a part of
task-based activities. A video offers a complete context (sound and
image) for such activities as:
presentation of vocabulary
structure and function practice
speaking activities
Videos can be recordings from television or videos that have been

specially designed for children learning English. The preparation of
video-based activities is very important. Using a video does not
mean spending a whole lesson passively watching a film. Here are a
few guidelines for using a video (from Phillips, Sarah, 1993, Young
learners, Oxford University Press).
Guidelines for using
a video
1. Set up a clear aim for your activity. Example:

to develop listening skills
to present and practice new vocabulary
to develop awareness of non-linguistic communication (facial
expression, gestures, body language).
2. Start with easy tasks to give the children a basic understanding
of the video. Example:
Watch the video and find out where the characters are
Cover the screen and get the children listen to the
soundtrack. Then ask them to guess where the story takes
place.
3. Continue with more demanding tasks that provide new language
or opportunities for language practice. Example:
Answer true/false questions on the story
Order jumbled sentences telling the story
Find the mistakes in the story summary and correct them
Select a language point in the video and give the pupils
practice worksheets on them.
106
4. Create a follow up-task Example:

Select a language point and ask the pupils to decide the
context in which it was used. In pairs/individually, ask them to
produce similar examples.
Organize a dramatization of the video
Expand the content of the video in a project.
Learning task 7
Anticipate a few problems that might occur in using audio/video
equipment. Give a solution for each of them.
Compare your ideas with the suggestions at the end of this unit.
4.2.7 Teaching with a minimum of resources
Sometimes you are in a hurry, and you cant find time to select and
prepare your resources properly. As in survival games, you need to
be prepared to teach using nothing but the coursebook and a piece
of chalk. Experience has shown that there are successful activities
which require no materials at all.
Think first!
Did it ever happen to you not to have any materials ready before the
lesson started? What did you do?
Compare with the suggestions given in the following section.

You may often have little material to use other than the coursebook.
Before you find some time to find or create your resources, here are
a few ideas of making your coursebooks more interesting or simply
providing variety.
1. Punctuate that!
107
Choose a short text (or part) from the coursebook. Write it on the
board but leave out the punctuation and capital letters. Pupils have
to copy the text, putting in punctuation and capital letters. Finally,
they are asked to check with the original in the coursebook.
This activity can also be used as a team race.
2. Middle box
a) Before you teach a new text, you can make a copy and delete the
middle. Give each pupil a copy of the incomplete text and ask them
to invent the middle part of the text. Compare with the original.
b) Use a small piece of paper which covers the middle of the printed
text, leaving the first and the last word in each line. Ask the pupils to
complete the text in pairs.
(Activities 1 and 2 are taken from Tips and ideas for teaching
English vocabulary with minimal resources, Adrian Tennant and
Lindsay Clanfield at www.onestopenglish.com)
In oral activities, the focus is on fluency. Fluency can only be arrived
at by enough repetition of the task. Teachers are sometimes
reluctant to setting out role plays because they think they will have to
provide elaborate resources such as role cards, or introductory
reading, in advance. However, many successful fluency activities
draw on the learners own experience, knowledge and imagination.
The next activity illustrates this opinion:
3. Choose a holiday
The idea is to set up a situation whereby pupils in pairs shop around.
They may be shopping for services, and the class will be divided in
two (e.g. a package holiday shoppers and agents) or for a new
school (parents and headteachers). These two groups will again
be divided into pairs. Each pair of agents will put together an
attractive offer, while the pairs of shoppers will prepare their
questions. Then, each pair of shoppers will visit the agencies in turn.
The challenge of this roleplay format is that there is built-in repetition
of the task by the shoppers, but unexpected interaction with a new
agent every time.
108
Learning task 8
Read the following story told by a teacher for an ELT Anecdote
Competition. What is stress caused by in this situation? How can
you manage stress?
In about 75 words, write your answer in the space provided below.
Stress
Sometimes its hard not to get stressed-out from teaching.I
remember one particular day: not long ago, a colleague walked into
the teachers room and saw me madly dashing about trying to make
phoyocopies, cue a tape and looking through some resource books
for a good warm-up.I must have looked very stressed because she
asked me what was going on. I breathlessly explained that I was
trying to get ahead with my lesson planning because someone was
going to sub for me the next day. Are you sick? she asked
worriedly. No, no, nothing like that, I answered while still having my
nose in a book, turning off the photocopier and rewinding a tape. Ive
been asked to give a presentation. On what?, she said. Stress
management, I replied. At that moment, there was complete silence
as we both just looked at each other for a few seconds and then
burst out laughing.
Linda Bawcom, Spain
Compare your ideas with the suggestions given at the end of this
unit.
109
4.3. Creating resources

Think first!
What reasons could you have to make your own resources instead
of using already existing ones?
Write your answer in the space provided below (about 50 words).
Compare your ideas with the suggestions given in the next section.
Do-it-yourself
We often get enthusiastic about an activity, and we would like to try

it in class by all means when we are not satisfied with the
coursebook. In this section you will find a few examples of how to
develop simple, inexpensive and attractive resources and then how
to use them in class.Homegrown materials range from worksheets
and flashcards to selections of texts and objects to use in class.
Particularly in primary school, you will have to exploit your own
talents, abilities and imagination in order to create your own
materials. For example, creating new lyrics for a tune you already
know is a simple resource you can create yourself.
On the other hand, many of the materials can be made by the pupils
themselves. They gladly do things or projects at home or in the
classroom, and they take real pride in presenting them or using them
in their activities. In this section you will find ideas on the use of
projects, scrapbooks, personal dictionaries and toys the children can
make in the classroom.
Jeremy Harmer suggests five steps in making our own materials ,
having taken care that our materials are legible, clear, attractive and
durable so that we can use them more than once.
110
Planning (the content of the materials needs to serve the aim

of the activities we thought of doing )
Trialling (trying our material before we take it to class- ideally

by a colleague, friend or another pupil)
Evaluating (while using the material in the lesson, we should

see if it is appropriate and decide what changes we need to
make in the future)
Classifying (storing the material after it has been used, by

topic, grammar point or any other criteria )
Record-keeping (what material we have used with certain

groups and how well it worked in this way we will not use
the same material twice with the same class)
4.3.1 Resources created by the teacher

As we have shown before, there are moments in a lesson when
children need some settling activities, and worksheets are a
good idea. If your pupils cant afford a workbook, then you can
make your own worksheets.
Worksheets
Learning task 9
Study the worksheet below. In about 25 words, write:
a) the main aims of the lesson
b) which exercise can develop into speaking practice
c) when is it the best time for the pupils to do exercise 3
Compare your answers with the suggestions at the end of this

unit.
1. Look and write:
Milk
TERRY
TOM
JENNY
+
+
Bread and
butter
+
+
-
Ham and
eggs
+
-
Jam
+
Terry likes milk and..He doesnt like

Tom.....................................................
Jenny
2. Complete the rhyme!
jam
honey
Breakfast is
For little Teddy.
Butter and
For little Danny.
cofee
ready
.and cheese
All that you please.
Milk and .
For brother Sam.
111
3. What do you like? (Stick or draw!)

(From Gardescu Elena, Tilly and Fogg: Caietul elevului, ALL, 2004)
Flashcards
You have to decide in advance what flashcards you need

normally before you start a topic with your class. The way you
can use flashcars has been illustrated in the section Visuals
earlier in this unit. Here are a few suggestions of how you can
make them yourself:
Use cardboard pieces of the same size.
Make sure the images are clear, unambiguous and
simple. Detailed pictures are less clear to see.
Write the name of each focus word on the back of the
flashcard, so that you know what it is without turning it
round.
If you cant draw, use large pictures from magazines,
brochures and catalogues.
Store the flashcards by topic, and each year
supplemment the set with new ones.
Class notice boards
A noticeboard is a way of bringing English into the area of the

childrens own lives and experience. It can reflect the interests of
the class as the schoolyear progresses. In order to become a
resource and not just a simple class decoration, the noticeboard
has to be placed at the eye level of the children and include a
number of things that have visual appeal.
This is what you can display on the noticeboard:
Birthdays
Childrens responsibilities in class (who cleans the
blackboard, etc.)
Pieces of work done by individual children
Special days and festivals
News (what has recently happened in class,
achievements, etc)
Units you are studying (e.g. Were studying Unit )
New vocabulary or English words that exist in our
language (from wrappers, games, advertisements, signs,
TV)
Here is an example of a class noticeboard:
(From Cant A., Superfine W., 1997, Developing Resources for Primary,
Richmond Publishing )
112
You can change information on the noticeboard at regular

intervals or assign a group of children to take care of it. In this
way the use of the noticeboard acquires educational values such
as cooperation, finding out and recording information, learner
autonomy and classroom organization, group identity
Puppets
Puppets can be used in introducing vocabulary, dialogues,

roleplaying and songs.
Think first!
Read the following story. What advantages of using puppets are
mentioned in the story?
Write your answers in the space provided below.
I taught kindergarten for a while and started using puppets during
lessons. I bought a purpose-made duck, but anything can be
adapted to make a puppet, like an old sock with buttons for eyes or
even a sponge. Dont forget to give it a name!
The puppet was introduced as being a new classmate to the
children, and I used it to participate in lessons when I taught new
vocabulary or simple grammar. I would make the puppet give wrong
answers and encourage the children to correct it by saying Is that
tight? Is the answer? When the children knew the target
language, they desperately wanted the puppet, too and would shout
out the answers to help the puppet. Even though the puppet was at
the end of my hand and it was obvious that I was providing the voice
the voice, the children still went along with the idea and enjoyed
helping their new classmate!
Steffie Cavanagh, Bangkok, Thailand
Compare your answers with the suggestions given at the end of this
unit.
This is how you can make a puppet from a wooden spoon.
113
You can also make puppets from empty yoghurt pots,old socks,
paper bags or simply by drawing faces on a piece of card and
attaching it to your fingers.
The use of puppets with children is sustained by both
pedagogical and linguistic aims:
Talking to the puppet is an excuse for some shy children

not to speak to the teacher or one colleague directly
For the sake of talking to the puppet or handling it,
children will do their best to build a coherent message
In order to understand what the puppet wants, does or
says, the children will listen with a purpose
Having and creating fun is typical of children.
4.3.2. Resources created by the pupils

Children like making their own materials, and they feel rewarded
when they can present their creations in class. Some of the
materials can be made in the classroom while others can be
done as homework.
There are many things children can do in the classroom:
projects, scrapbooks, dictionaries, and they can also be involved
in making flashcards or posters. Definitely they can contribute to
class noticeboards and class decorations.
Projects
Projects are illustrated pieces of extended work pupils can do

starting from a topic. In their projects pupils express their own
opinions, knowledge and experience according to their
imagination.
Projects can be done in groups or individually. In either situation,
it is very important that the project should be presented to class.
This is a chance for the children to contribute new ideas to the
topic and also develop their presentation skills.
114
Projects are free practice activities They come at the end of one
unit, after the children have practised the vocabulary and
structures linked to the topic. A project actually consists in
creating an end-product (a poster,a letter, a toy, a survey, a
guide, etc.) meant to enable the use of pupils knowledge and
language in a new, meaningful context.
This is what a project looks like.
(From Hutchinson, Tom, 1985, Project English 1, Oxford University Press)
This is a simple project based on minimal research. You can also

ask your pupils to draw and write about their pet or a monster or
to imagine the daily programme of an elephant at the zoo. They
will create different projects, and they will use different
(sometimes unexpected) language as required by the topic.
Advantages of project
work
There are many advantages of using project work in the primary

classes:
A project is very personal. The children can write what

they know or imagine about a topic and illustrate it as
they wish.
In doing projects, the children learn by doing.
Projects stimulate the development of research skills,
editing and presentation skills as well as social skills
(cooperating for a common aim, accepting and sharing
ideas).
Projects are motivating, and they give the children a sense
of achievement.
Projects bridge the gap between language learning and
language use.
Projects promote educational values such as tolerance for
diversity, care and respect for the end product.
Projects enable children to explore other spheres of
knowledge and write about things which are important in
their lives.
115
Scrapbooks
Scrapbooks are personal books in which the children record

information as well as their simple creations starting from a topic
(short illustrated poems, letters, diary entries, anything which the
child considers worth recording).
Here is an example of how to create new contexts for the
language you teach in class:
Topic: Weather
Language: Days of the week, months of the year, its
hot/cols/sunny, etc.
New contexts: this weeks weather chart as in the
example below
Personal scrapbooks provide you with an excellent opportunity to

see how the child has progressed throughout the year. It reflects
the way the children have acquired new language items and how
they have used them in new contexts. You can also decide which
areas of language need further practicing.
Dictionaries
Picture dictionaries can contain lexical sets connected to a topic

(e.g. food, animals, home) or words in alphabetical order. Many
coursebooks contain picture dictionaries which can serve as a
model. You can do regular dictionary work by asking your pupils
to illustrate (by drawing or collage) the most important words they
have learnt within a learning unit.
Learning task 10
These concepts are closely linked with the use of resources in
primary school. Match the concepts marked 1 to 7 to their
descriptions marked a) to g).
1. Autonomy
2. Progress and
achievement
3.Creativity
4. Diversity
5. Contextual learning
6. Information / evaluation
7. Positive attitudes
a) Vocabulary and structures are integrated in different situations

that can occur in real life or in the imaginary world. These
situations provide an aim and a purpose for communication.
116
b) The pupils have the opportunity to prove the acquisition of new

language, and this gives them a feeling of satisfaction
c) The pupils are encouraged to appreciate different perspectives
on the same idea/topic and promote their personal ideads and
values
d) The pupils have a chance to perform a task, individually taking
responsibility for the way they organize and present the results
e) Resources created by pupils are a source of information for
you when you want to evaluate a childs progress
f) The children are encouraged to illustrate and write about
certain topics in their own way
g) The pupils become more confident, and they learn how to
produce and present good and neat pieces of work
1 2 3. 4
6 7
Compare your answers with the answers at the end of this unit.
Summary
In a broader sense, resources include time and space as well as
everything you can use during a lesson (resource books and training
courses included). In a restricted sense, resources are the teaching
aids supporting learning.
Using resources is a basic requirement in primary school owing to
the particular features of the childrens learning processes. In order
to learn, children need to see, hear and handle things. Most of all
they need meaningful and logical contexts and a positive class
atmosphere.
You can use already existing resources, or you can make them
yourself. In either case, teaching aids need to be easy to make and
to use and also attractive for the children. Using resources in a wise
and efficient way doesnt necessarily mean having new material for
each and every lesson. Efficiency means using the same set of
resources in many different ways as well as giving your pupils clear
tasks and feedback on their performance.
There is a wide range of resources nowadays, including multimedia
products and rich coursebook packs. However, we shouldnt neglect
very simple resources, and we should avoid the dangers of using
complicated ones. In each section of this unit you can find examples
of activities in which different kinds of resources are integrated. Each
of these activities can be adapted and personalized according to
your interests and talents.
117
Key concepts
Teaching aids
Visuals
Audio-video equipment
Authentic materials
Task based syllabus
Topic-based syllabus
The coursebook pack
Creativity
Learner autonomy
Contextual learning
Project work
Further reading
Longman, pp. 134-136, 137-139, 282-286
2. Halliwell, S., Teaching English in the Primary Classroom, 1992,
Longman, pp. 27-29, 114-117
3. Scott, W. and Ytreberg, L., Teaching English to Children, 1990,
Longman, pp. 7-9, 49-53

below, please revise sections 1.2 and 4.1.
LT1
Advantages of using resources in primary school:
a) They facilitate learning by sustaining the learning processes. At
this age, the children cant learn without an illustrated support.
b) By handling the materials, children are involved in their own
learning.
c) They support understanding and increase motivation.
d) They create fun and a pleasant atmosphere in the classroom.
Good organization of whatever we do is the key to success. Now
that you have seen who the young learners are and what they have
to learn, its time you start thinking about how you are going to work
with them.
below, please revise section 4.2.1, for LT4- section 4.2.2.
LT 3
1. Good knowledge of the particular group of students you are
teaching and of their response to different types of tasks.
2. Suitability to the requirements of the National Curriculum.
118
3. The clear aims of the lesson.

4. The expected results of changing one or more activities.
5. The logic in the sequence of activities and the way it would be
affected by the change.
LT 4
Teacher, please.
write more clearly.
use bigger letters.
clean the blackboard very well before writing.I cant see
anything because of the chalk dust.
I would like to be called to the blackboard, too.
dont write here and there; be more organized.
dont ask me to write as fast as you. I cant.
you forgot to write the date and the title
below, please revise sections 4.2.2 and 4.2.3.
LT 5
1. Describe the picture by using questions and answers
2. Label the picture stick number labels on different elements in
the picture
3. Guessing games
LT 6
Advantages:
enjoyable atmosphere
a new way to practise / revise content
all students are involved
facilitate informal interaction
motivating
can be used at all levels
Disadvantages:
noise and loss of control over the class
some pupils might use their native language
it takes time to prepare the necessary materials
losing teams or individuals might feel disappointed
119

LT 7
Problem
Sound / image
problems
Solution
Before the lesson check the quality of
the tape and the equipment. Be
prepared to replace the activity.
The equipment doesnt

work
Check the plug and the cable(s) before

the lesson
If there is a temporary power cut,
replace the activity
The pupils dont

cooperate
Make sure the language doesnt exceed

their level
Try the task with a colleague before you
give it in class
You want to replay, but

you cant find the right
section on the tape
Make sure you know the buttons well

Practise replaying before you actually
do it
Write down the timing on the
audio/video display

LT 8
Stress comes from trying to do too many things at the same time.
Besides, Linda was trying to leave everything in perfect order for the
supply teacher. She could have thought of some activities with very
simple resources or just talk to the supply teacher and announce the
topic and the aims of the lesson and let the teacher decide on the
procedure. It is also a good idea that pupils should experience
different teaching styles.
Should your answers to LT 9 and 10 not be comparable to
LT 9
a) Teaching vocabulary on food (breakfast), expressing likes and
dislikes, practising Simple Present , 3rd person singular
b) Exercise 1 can be adapted as pairwork: What do you like,
Terry?/ I like bread and butter, but I dont like jam.
c) As homework or as a settling activity in class
LT 10
1d 2b 3f 4c 5a 6e 7g
120
Evaluation in primary school
UNIT 5
EVALUATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOL
Unit Outline
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 121
Unit objectives ................................................................................................................. 122
5.1. The need for evaluation ........................................................................................... 123
5.1.1. Types of evaluation ............................................................................................... 124
5.1.2. The features of evaluation in primary school ........................................................ 125
5.2. Evaluation targets .................................................................................................... 129
5.2.1. Language skills, vocabulary and language ........................................................... 130
5.2.2. Social skills ........................................................................................................... 132
5.2.3. Attitude and behaviour .......................................................................................... 132
5.3. Evaluation techniques .............................................................................................. 133
5.3.1. Ongoing evaluation ............................................................................................... 134
5.3.2. Tests ..................................................................................................................... 134
5.3.3. Portfolios and projects .......................................................................................... 136
5.3.4. Student self assessment ....................................................................................... 138
5.4. Evaluation and progress ........................................................................................... 140
5.4.1. Marking schemes ................................................................................................. 141
5.4.2. Giving feedback..................................................................................................... 145
Summary ........................................................................................................................ 146
Key concepts ................................................................................................................ 147
SAA No. 3 ....................................................................................................................... 147
Further reading ............................................................................................................. 147
Answers to learning tasks ............................................................................................ 147
Appendices .................................................................................................................... 151
Introduction
The processes of teaching and learning involve a very important
step that of stopping and checking the level, extent and quality of
your pupils acquisitions.
This process is often referred to as evaluation or assessment and
is defined as the act of placing value on the nature/quality of
something (Webster Dictionary). In this unit we are going to use
both terms, each of them with particular reference to certain aspects
of the process.
1. Assessment as observing, recording and gathering
information about childrens development and learning. Teachers
obtain useful information about childrens knowledge, skills and
progress by observing, documenting and reviewing childrens work
over time. Ongoing assessment that occurs in the context of the
classroom activities can provide an accurate, fair and representative
121
picture of childrens abilities and progress. (Dodge, Jablon &

Bickart, 1994, p. 181)
2. Evaluation as weighing of assessment information against
some standard, such as a curriculum learning objective in order to
make a judgement or take a decision. Decisions then are followed
by action from student, teacher, parents or school authorities.
In order to evaluate the pupils, the teachers use various techniques.
The most common of them is testing.
Testing is one of the procedures that can be used to assess a
childs performance. A test has certain objectives, for example to
see if a child understands a written text. The test then checks
whether the child has achieved this objective. Testing uses tasks or
exercises and assigns marks or grades based on quantifiable
results.
To sum up, the teachers make judgements about their pupils
progress based on the information collected through assessment
techniques. Teachers are required to mark and make judgements on
their pupils work all the time.
The ideal evaluation is as objective as possible and it can be arrived
at by using criteria, standards and descriptors. However, in primary
school you will need to take into account other factors such as
motivation, involvement, interaction, turn-taking, which cannot be
strictly measured. Thats why you need to know very clearly:
Unit objectives
what you want your pupils to achieve

how much of it they have really achieved
what you will do with the results of your assessment.
By the end of this unit you will have learnt:
which are the evaluation targets in primary school

how to build an effective evaluation strategy
how to use different evaluation tools
how to give and use feedback.
You will find out why evaluation is a basic stage of learning and
teaching and how it can ensure constant progress.
You will also find out about the specific features of evaluation with
primary school pupils. You will explore different strategies of
evaluation and decide which is the most effective way in which you
can assess your own pupils. In your learning tasks you will have to
make your own evaluation tools such as worsheets, tests,
evaluation records, marking schemes.
122
Think first!
Think about how you got your grades when you were a pupil. How
did your teacher decide upon the grades? How did you feel about it?
Write your opinions in the space below(about 50 words).
Compare your answers with the suggestions given later in this unit.
5.1. The need for evaluation

The evaluation of the learners results as well as of the teachers
effectiveness are essential for progress. If you know your strengths
and weaknesses you can take responsible decisions for future
action.
Think first!
Before reading on, say what are the following peoples opinions
about evaluation? Write what you think in the space below.
1. The teachers
2. The pupils
3. The parents
Now compare your answers to mine, given in the paragraphs below.

It is very important to see who receives the evaluation results and
how they use them.
The pupils need to know how they are doing in order to

continue or improve their work. Evaluation results provide the pupils
123
with tangible evidence of their progress. Short term goals (for

example, learning numbers from 1 to 20) are just stages of language
learning, which is a long process. Giving the pupils evidence of their
progress after they have completed a unit increases their motivation
and encourages them to persist in their efforts.
The teachers need to know how they are doing in their effort to
make their teaching effective. The information provided by
assessment is very valuable for appraising your own work. In this
way you can make the necessary adjustments and choices of
methods and materials. Using assessment data regularly and being
open and fair with your successful or unsuccessful activities will help
you to become a reflective teacher, responsive to your own needs
as well as to the childrens needs.
The parents need to know how their children are doing in order
to understand and support the teachers and their work towards an
effective result. When they understand the method and the results,
as well as the evaluation criteria, they become more willing to
cooperate with the school educators in meeting their childrens
needs.
The school administration needs to know how effective the

teachers are in order to decide upon the best educational policy.
Evaluation practice is also very important for your own position as a
teacher: you are asked to evaluate your own activity each year and
to provide evidence in support of your self- evaluation.
The school authorities can use the results of assessment to

make decisions concerning curriculum and examinations.
5.1.1. Types of evaluation
Pupils are evaluated for different puposes. Various techniques are
used to collect information for each type of evaluation.
Formative evaluation is an ongoing classroom process that

keeps pupils and teachers informed of the pupils progress towards
curriculum objectives. Its main purpose is to improve instruction and
learning, and to help teachers adjust their own approaches.This type
of evaluation helps teachers understand the degree to which the
pupils are learning the course material and the extent to which their
knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes are developing.
Summative evaluation is usually done at the end of a unit. It is

meant to help the teacher determine what has been learnt over a
period of time, to summarize the pupils progress and report it to the
pupils, parents and school administration.
Diagnostic evaluation usually occurs at the beginning of a

unit/module or at the beginning of the year. It helps you to identify
the pupils who lack prerequisite knowledge and skills as well as the
gifted pupils. In this way, the teaching process can be tuned to the
pupils interests and needs, both collective and individual.
124
Learning task 1
Read these comments and decide what kind of evaluation has been
done and to whom the comments are addressed.
Write your answers in the spaces provided. Compare them with the
answers at the end of this section.
1. 25 percent of the pupils in class 4C cannot read a simple text.
Sustained reading aloud exercises need to be done this year.
2. 12 out of 27 pupils in my class cannot sustain a free dialogue on a

given topic. I need to allow more time for speaking practice.
3. Typical mistakes in the test: ommission of s in the 3rd person

singular and of do/does in the interrogative. Recycling the Simple
Present Tense forms absolutely necessary.
...
4. Very good description of your room. Well done, Peter.
5. John needs to do homework regularly. It is a very good way for

him to practise what he has done in class. Please check if he has
done it.
During the course of a school year/semester, you will conduct all

three types of evaluation in different forms. Diagnostic evaluation
offers you the necessary information to set up objectives for a longer
period of time. When you take over a new group of pupils, this kind
of evaluation is very important.
Summative evaluation gives you feedback on the efficiency of your
own work within a certain period of time and enables you to adjust
your style accordingly.
In the particular case of young learners, formative evaluation is a
valuable way of measuring how children work. In order to evaluate
the development of the listening skill, for example, you will check if
the children can select certain information from an oral message and
if they respond to the task properly. In this particular case, you will
not focus on correct spelling or grammar.
5.1.2 The features of evaluation in primary school
Children have special needs and limitations: the need to play, a
short attention span, specific areas of interest. They have to be
observed if we want to make an appropriate evaluation.
125
Think first!
As a pupil, how did you feel before a test paper or before an oral
examination? How do you explain these feelings?
Now, find explanations for your answers in the text below.

1. The way you assess your pupils should reflect as closely as
possible what you want them to learn. If you want to check
whether they have acquired content knowledge, you use
something like a pencil and paper test that requires them to
display that knowledge. But if you want to see if they can build a
dialogue, you have to use an assessment technique that allows
them to demonstrate the speaking skill.
2. Under the stress of certain exams, the teachers train the
students so that they can get the best results in the exam. In this
way, they neglect methodologies which are appropriate to
children.
You cannot assess children in the same way as you assess
older learners. You will need to match your evaluation
techniques to your teaching techniques, so that they will not
affect the children in a negative way. An assessment activity can
be motivating for the children if it suits their level. If it is designed
for a different level, it may be quite damaging.
3. You need to evaluate attitudes, too. Fostering a positive
attitude towards language is a priority because childhood is the
best time when positive attitudes can be formed towards learning
in general and towards learning a foreign language and its
culture in our case. But how can you assess attitude?
Observation is a good way to assess attitudes. However, it is not
possible to award objective marks for attitudes, motivation,
pleasure in learning and interest in the target culture. You should
keep a clear record of attitudes and encourage the participation
of shy or lower-ability pupils.
4. The children need to be familiar with the evaluation tasks
and criteria. You mustnt give chldren tasks that they have never
solved in class before. The assessment tasks need to be
cloosely linked with the classroom practices so that the children
dont see them as something different or alien, which might
create feelings of anxiety or fear. On the contrary, they should
create encouraging positive attitudes which should lead to
confidence-building attitudes.
126
Discussing evaluating criteria before the actual testing is

important for the childrens expectations towards their own
performance.
5. Express assessment tasks as actions through which the
children can demonstrate their knowledge, skill or ability.
The best way for children to learn is by doing things.
Consequently, each assessment task needs to specify (by
certain criteria) what the children need to do in order to
demonstrate their knowledge of a certain area, skill or ability.
Area / skill
Knowledge of
vocabulary
Task
Criteria
Match the word with its Understanding of
definition
meaning
Speaking
Look at the two pictures and Describing a picture

say what is different
Reading
Read the text and answer Reading for detail

the questions
6. Use various assessment tasks and activities. Having in mind

the need of having a complete picture of the childrens
achievements you need to evaluate the children in more than
one way. Many teachers choose test papers as the main
evaluation tool. You should also consider homework, portfolios,
and projects.
7. Evaluate your pupils regularly. Many teachers choose to give
their pupils tests at certain periods of time and mark them
accordingly. Some forms of evaluation can be announced in
advance, some should take place on a regular basis (homework,
skill development). This is how you can get a complete picture of
the childrens level of achievement On the other hand, the
children themselves can get a fair and coherent feedback on
what they can do and improve their performance.
8. Keep a record of your pupils results. There are official
regulations concerning the system of marking and evaluation.
According to them, you must grade your pupils after several
evaluations. This allows for an estimation of the childs average
performance. Thats why it is necessary to keep a record of the
childrens grades and achievements accompanied by your
comments. Thus, you can also give parents a fair feedback on
their childrens achievements and areas for improvement.
9. Give feedback regularly. You should be fair to your pupils and
always tell them how they have done and what they need to
improve. It will help them to understand their strengths and
weaknesses and it will educate them in the spirit of fairness
towards the others and towards themselves.
127
Learning task 2
For each of the following common practices write the positive or
negative consequences that might appear.
1. Evaluation consists in written tests only.
2. You appreciate a childs progress rather than his/her actual

performance...
3. When a child disturbs the lesson, he gets a bad mark. When a

class is noisy, you decide to calm them down by a test paper.
..
4. You tell your pupils their results only at the end of term. 5. After a
test paper, you analyze typical, not individual mistakes
..
6. You mark the children for oral work without telling them your
criteria
.
7. The main criterion in the evaluation of written tests is the number

and gravity of language mistakes
128
5.2. Evaluation targets

Think first!
Which of these aspects do you evaluate in your lessons? Which
dont you take into account? Write Yes or No next to each of them.
Add others which are not mentioned.
How the children read aloud .
How they use new vocabulary .
Pronunciation .
Participation in classroom activities
Homework .
How much language they understand ..
Turn taking and interaction in dialogues
.
How much language they can produce
Their neat classwork /project
Spelling
Behaviour .
Original ideas ..
Promptness of response .
How correctly they solve exercises in class
How they work in a pair or in teams
.
As we have shown before, you will need to define precisely what you
want to evaluate and that will be in close connection with what you
have already taught. There are several aspects that need to be
evaluated in primary school:
Knowledge of vocabulary and language structures

Language skills
Social skills
Attitudes and behaviour
129
In daily practice, teachers tend to confine themselves to the first of

these aspects because the level of knowledge can be evaluated in
an objective manner, by means of clear criteria, descriptors and
marking schemes, while the others cant. How can you grade
interest and pleasure in learning about the culture of the target
language? The answer lies in offering the children opportunities to
demonstrate what they can do. In the following sections, you will see
examples of activities by which you can evaluate different aspects
as well as the corresponding evaluation criteria.
5.2.1. Language skills, vocabulary and language structures
You can assess the childrens knowledge of vocabulary and
language structures if you ask your pupils to use the language in a
certain context. The more meaningful the context is, the more
chances of producing relevant language there are.
In primary school, you cant assess the skill without assessing the
language the child uses. You might want to see the childs progress
in a certain skill, but you also assess the language the child uses.
Besides, the receptive skills (listening and reading) and productive
skills (speaking and writing) are integrated in real life and rarely used
in isolation. Here are a few examples of what you can focus on if you
want to assess the above mentioned aspects separately.
Listening and
reading (receptive
skills)
Speaking
Writing
Vocabulary
Structures
Inferring meaning from content and

context
Understanding of the global message
Understanding of detailed information
Pronunciation
Intonation
Turn taking
The promptness of response
Spelling
Basic sentence formation
Simple text writing (e.g. description)
The adequate use of vocabulary
according to context
The extent of the oral or written message
The adequate use of syntax and grammar
according to context
Here is an example of a reading activity and its assessment criteria :

Messages on the fridge (from Georgiou and Pavlou, Assessing
Young Learners, OUP, 2005, pp. 62-63). See the worksheet in the
Appendix at the end of this unit.
130
LEVEL:
AGE GROUP
TIME
DESCRIPTION:
LANGUAGE:
SKILLS
ASSESSMENT
CRITERIA:
MATERIALS
PREPARATION
IN CLASS
FEEDBACK
FOLLOW- UP
VARIATION 1
VARIATION 2
ASSESSMENT
OF OUTCOME
Beginners
6 and above
10 minutes
The children match instructions with pictures
Giving instructions: use of imperatives
Reading: comprehending reading instructions
The children should be able to understand written
instructions
Worksheet 4.3, small pieces of paper for each child
Photocopy worksheet 4.3 for each child
1. Give out worksheet 4.3. for each child
2. Tell the children that they go home and there is
nobody there. They find a lot of messages on the
fridge. They manage to do everything, so a friend
draws pictures of what they have done to show their
parents. They have to match each message with the
right picture.
3. Collect the worksheets for checking.
1. Call out the number alongside one of the pictures.
Ask a volunteer to come out and mime what is
happenning in the picture. The rest have to guess
which message it is and say it out loud.
2. Write it up on the board and put the right picture
number next to it.
1. Give out a piece of paper to each child.
2. The children write an instruction, for example
Drink your milk! Help them where necessary.
3. They fold the piece of paper and hand it to you.
Mix all the papers up.
4. The children take turns to come out and pick one
of the papers. They read their papers silently, then
mime carrying out the instruction. The rest of the
class have to guess the instruction and say it out
loud.
5. For very young children who are not able to write
yet, prepare a set of instructions and put them in a
hat. The children can then pick papers out of the hat,
read them and mime the instructions.
If you would like other children to contribute towards
their assessment, ask them to write an instruction
each. You can then select five or ten and prepare a
worksheet to assess those.
If you want the children to assess the imperative, you
could erase the messages on the fridge and ask the
children to come and write out the missing
messages.
Use a discrete-point marking scheme. Assign two
points out of ten for each correct match.
131
5.2.2. Social skills

Communication is human, interpersonal and social. In language
learning, the child can achieve some things individually (e.g.
reading) and some things together with others (e.g. speaking).
Learning a language is therefore a complex social process which
involves both human interaction and autonomous learning as well as
expressing identity in various ways. In a given context, the children
assume different identities (e.g. customer shopkeeper) and
consequently they use different vocabulary and registers.
Becoming a good team member, being polite, being sensitive to
others feelings and being appreciative of their efforts are some of
the qualities you should also promote and assess.
5.2.3. Attitude and behaviour
Fostering positive attitudes towards the English language and
culture is a priority in primary school. Through permanent
observation, you will be able to describe the childrens attitudes and
find the most appropriate ways in which you can improve negative
ones. It is obviously impossible to award objective marks for attitude
and motivation, but it is also very damaging to neglect them.
A positive attitude means interest towards new language and facts,
motivation to learn, pleasure to take part in activities and a wish to
continue in spite of temporary failure or poor results.
Objective 5 in the National Curriculum refers to the development of
the pupils interest in the study of the English language and of the
Anglo-Saxon heritage. But are interest and curiosity measurable?
We cant say how interested a child is in a topic, but we can
definitely say when the child is interested and offer him/her
opportunities to find out more.
Learning task 3
How important is feedback on childrens attitude for pupils, teachers,
parents and school authorities?
In about 40 words, write your opinions in the space below. Compare
them with the suggestions given at the end of this unit.
The childrens attitudes are reflected in their behaviour. The children

show their emotions openly and instantly. The way your pupils
behave during the lesson is the direct result of your effective or noneffective teaching but also of your own attitude.
132
As a teacher, you should respect your pupils and be realistic about

what they can manage at an individual level. Then, your
expectations will be realistic, too. You should also appear to like all
your pupils equally, irrespective of their abilities and performance.
Young children need to know that the teacher likes them and is fair
to them.
5.3 Evaluation techniques

This section will deal with how you are supposed to evaluate
children in primary school.
According to some researchers, there are four stages of the
evaluation process:
1. The preparation phase.
During this phase, you will decide what you want to evaluate, the
type of evaluation to be used (formative, summative or diagnostic),
the criteria against which the pupils outcomes will be judged and
the most appropriate techniques with which to gather information
on the pupils progress.
2. The assessment phase
During this phase, you will decide upon strategies, select
instruments, administer them to the pupils and collect the
information on their progress.
3. The evaluation phase
During this phase, you will interpret the collected information
according to the established criteria and make judgements about
your pupils progress. Based on these judgements, you will have to
make decisions about your pupils learning programme and report
on the progress to the pupils, parents and school authorities.
4. The reflection phase
During this phase, you will have to consider the utility and
appropriateness of the assessment techniques used. Your
conclusions will also help you to improve or change your teaching
and evaluation style.
Think first!
How do you currently evaluate your pupils? What instruments do
you use?
Compare your answers to the ideas given in the following sections .
133
5.3.1. Ongoing evaluation

If teaching is to take place as a continuous process, so is evaluation.
There are times when we plan to test children for different reasons,
but we collect information and make judgements about their
performance all the time. Besides, the system of grading the
students in our country provides clear specifications concerning the
way we should mark pupils work after several evaluations, on a
combination of assignments. It is not an easy job to do, as you have
to see progress in content learning and skill development at the
same time.
It is very important to maintain a positive atmosphere towards
learning English. Assessment can damage this atmosphere by the
feelings of fear and frustration that it can create. In order to prevent
this, it needs to be done smoothly and in various ways. Here are a
few suggestions:
Tests
Structured assessment tasks (oral and written class work)
Homework
Portfolios
Observation
Systematic record keeping of learners during everyday
normal learning activities
Pencil and paper tests have to become temporary events in primary

school which should be carefully prepared so as not to create fear
that might alter the pupils results in a negative way.
In order to find fair solutions to evaluation, you need to respect two
basic principles:
Report to criteria and objectives in order to achieve a fair
evaluation. Evaluating a childs progress in comparison to
another child is unfair and irrelevant. Allow for the childs best
performance to become possible.
Keep a clear record of the childrens progress in a special
evaluation book before you mark the results in the register.
There is no given format for an evaluation record. It all depends on
what you decide to observe systematically throughout the year. All
the teachers have difficulty in applying standars and descriptors,
especially in oral work. You will find out more about this in the
section about criteria and descriptors.
5.3.2. Tests
Tests are the most common form of evaluation used by teachers.
There are many good reasons for including a test in your language
practice. Here are a few of them:
134
Testing can as much be an assessment of learning as of

teaching. The results of a test can show you how your pupils
have progressed, but also how effective your teaching
methods were.
Tests at the end of units give the pupils a sense of

accomplishment and progress. They provide information on
what they know and what they need to review.
Tests encourage pupils to review material covered on the
course. Havent you ever learned the most before an exam
yourself?
Tests are also a learning opportunity after they have been
taken. After the test, the children often understand things they
couldnt do during the test.
Learning task 4
Here is the story of a teacher who clearly remembers his feelings
towards tests, which many of you might have experienced:
I will always remember the horror of receiving my chemistry results
when I was thirteen years old. I knew it wasnt going to be high, but
to come bottom of the class was very upsetting. It was all made
worse by the fact that the chemistry teacher read the results to the
whole class, from first to last place. My humiliation was complete.
(Richard Frost, Testing and Assessment)
What other disadvantages of tests can you think of? How can you
minimise the negative effects of the tests? In about 100 words, write
your opinions in the space below. Compare your answers with the
suggestions given at the end of this section.
Here is a selection of testing techniques as shown by Penny Ur:

questions and answers, true/false, multiple choice, gap-filling and
completion, matching, dictation, transformation, rewriting. Penny Ur
also mentions a number of aspects a teacher needs to be aware of
when preparing a test:
Validity (if the test really evaluates what is intended)

Clarity (instructions have to be clear, and if necessary, the
test should provide a model)
Suitability / moderation (neither too easy, nor too difficult)
Heterogeneity (the same test needs to contain both easy
and different questions).
135
Learning task 5
Look at the test in the Appendix at the end of this unit.
Write the answers to the questions below in the space provided..
Compare them with the answers at the end of this unit (about 50
words)
1. Which are the test objectives?
2. Does it respect the above-mentioned requirements? If so, give
reasons.
5.3.3. Portfolios and projects

Portfolios have become important evaluation tools in modern
teaching. The most important contribution of a portfolio is that it
encourages pupils to be active learners. Portfolios are a collection
of pupils work produced over a period of time. These pieces of work
can be put together in a folder. A portfolio can contain:
Samples of written classwork
Samples of homework
Song lyrics or poems
Picture dictionaries drawn by children
Test results
Self-evaluation sheets
Individual projects
Organizing a portfolio is not a simple thing to do. First, you need to
decide together with the pupils what the portfolio will contain. You
can grade your pupils for their classwork, for their homework or for
the projects. Portfolios can provide information on the childs
evolution and therefore sustain your decision to improve the childs
grades at certain times. Here are a few advantages of portfolios:
136
Being highly personal, portfolios give the pupils a sense of

ownership and increase self esteem. They also encourage
their creativity.
They are a contribution to autonomous learning (learning how
to learn skills) as the children assume responsibility towards
what the portfolio contains and how it is organized.
Portfolios educate discipline, accuracy and can be used to
develop presentation skills.
They are an instrument for the teachers self-evaluation.

They offer parents a picture of what the children are doing in
the classroom.
How do we evaluate pupils portfolios?

Many teachers tend to evaluate a portfolio as very good for
completeness, nice presentation and accuracy. These are valid
criteria, but they dont measure the results of teaching and learning.
Moreover, parents can sometimes help the child to produce a very
good portfolio and the evaluation is therefore unrealistic.
The solution is to design a portfolio assessment sheet. Here are a
few aspects that need to be taken into consideration:
What aspects of teaching and learning do you want to
evaluate?
What exactly will you look for? What tasks will you give the
children?
How will you and your pupils decide what to include in the
portfolio?
How long will the pupils work on the portfolio?
Where will you store the portfolios?
Here is an example of a portfolio assessment sheet that you can use
and adapt. It is very important to present it to your pupils and use it
regularly.
Evaluation
Portfolio
contents
Language
use
Cultural
information
and projects
Presentation
Very good
Contains all
agreed
samples of
work
Written
pieces of
work in
correct
English
All the agreed
projects**
and personal
contributions
are relevant.
Neat and
organized
portfolio
Good
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Some*
samples
missing /
not
relevant
Half of the
agreed
content
Content too
poor to
assess
Few
mistakes
Frequent
mistakes
Incomprehen
sible pieces
of work
A few of the
projects are
relevant
Irrelevant
projects
Some
projects do
not contain
relevant
cultural
information
A few
messy or
careless
pieces of
work
Many
Disorganized
careless or
and messy
messy pieces portfolio
of work
137
*1-5 pieces: 20 %, as agreed by teacher and pupils together

**Examples: Shops, An English nursery rhyme. School
subjects in Britain , etc.
Learning task 6
What criteria for evaluating a project can you think of?
Compare your answers with the suggestions given at the end of this
unit.
5.3.4. Student self-assessment

It is proven that self assessment and reflection are the way to
progress. If pupils learn how to appreciate their results fairly, they
will also become able to reflect on their strengths and weaknessess
and to set their own personal goals.
Children can use criteria to assess themselves, but they may need
more time and guidance than adults. If you apply self-assessment
instruments in a persistent manner, they will get the feeling that they
have a say in their own evaluation and this gives them a sense of
empowerment.
Think first!
Look at 1 - 12 below. Tick three points which you have thought
about and put a cross next to those you have never considered.
1. your performance in another language in a particular situation
(e.g. speaking to someone at a party)
2. the fact that on some days you can communicate well and on
other days you cant say anything
3. why you can understand people in some situations but not in
others (e.g. you can understand people when you are talking face to
face but not on the telephone)
4. why some people are easy for you to understand and others
arent
5. which common mistakes you keep on making
6. which sounds are difficult for you to say
7. which grammatical area is difficult for you
8. what new words would be useful for you to learn
138
9. how much you have learnt in a lesson or over a week

10. which of these areas you need to improve on most: listening,
speaking, reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation
11. how you can practise and improve on your own
(from Michael Harris and Paul Mc Cann, Assessment, Mac Millan Heinemann,
1994)
You can find an interpretation of your answers in the following

paragraph.
If you have placed a tick next to most of the questions, you have
been thinking about your learning and assessing yourself. You
probably did this on your own, outside the language class.
Sometimes it would probably have been helpful to have had
guidance and encouragement in assessing yourself.
The pupils are waiting for the teacher to tell them if they have done
well or not all the time. This is only one part of the process as
learning also means learning from our own mistakes, as the
proverb says, but also reflecting upon them. Self assessment helps
learners to think about their own progress and then find ways of
changing, adapting and improving.
Learning task 7
What do your pupils do when you return their corrected tests or
compositions? What can you do to encourage their self
assessment?
In about 40 words, write your answers in the space below. Compare
them with the suggestions given at the end of this unit.
In the particular case of young learners, self assessment can be

done in a variety of ways:
Test yourself or Self check activities (answers are given at

the end of the activity). In order to create an efficient activity
of this kind, make a list of the most common mistakes the
children make and then ask them to correct the mistakes.
Learner diaries
Progress charts (see the example in the Appendix )
139
Self assessment has to be followed by discussions, and the

collected data should lead to the adjustment of your teaching style
and of the childs learning style. Self-assessment should become a
regular exercise with older pupils, as the ability to carry it should be
a long term educational objective.
5.4 Evaluation and progress

In the beginning of this unit we clarified the nature of assessment
(recording information in order to measure the performance of our
pupils and to diagnose the problems they have in order to provide
them with useful feedback) and evaluation (weighing assessment
information against some standard in order to make a judgement or
take a decision). This section deals with specific evaluation
techniques and marking schemes and with the way we give
feedback.
Think first!
Both teachers and pupils have negative feelings
assessment and evaluation. How can you explain this?
towards
Write your opinions in the space below. You can find a few
suggestions in the following section.
Many of these negative attitudes come from the general feeling of a

divorce between learning and teaching on the one hand and
assessment and evaluation on the other. The fundamental reason
for this is that assessment does not feed back into the learning and
teaching process. (Harris & Mc Cann, Assessment, MacMillan
Heinemann, 1994)
Here are a few common spread prejudices about assessment and
evaluation as identified by Harris and Mc Cann:
140
Assessment is seen as synonymous with testing. Testing or

formal assessment is an important tool, but informal
assesment (of attitudes, for example) and self assessment
are equally important.
Assessment and evaluation are seen as something that
comes after learning has finished, rather than during the
learning process. Tests are given at the end of term or at the
end of the year, and the results come too late to be formative
and to feed into their own learning.
Feedback is often expressed only by a grade or mark. The

grade classifies pupils, but it doesnt give them suggestions of
how to overcome their problems.
Assessment often concentrates only on one part of what has
been done in the classroom (e.g. grammar). It is easier to test
knowledge of grammar and vocabulary than skills and
attitudes. The danger is the message to the pupils: that they
have been wasting their time trying to communicate in class
because what matters is grammar.
Assessment is not constructive. It generally focuses on
failure, not on achievement. You should allow your pupils to
demonstrate what they know rather than trying to catch them
out.
In the particular case of young learners, it is very important that the
teacher should foster a positive attitude towards assessment and
evaluation. This attitude sustains motivation, a sense of fairness and
the pupils feel that they are contributing to their own learning.
5.4.1. Marking schemes
Finding fair solutions to assessing and evaluating young learners is
by no means easy. Finding solutions that positively affect childrens
motivation is vital. How can you say if a childs performance is good
or not? This is the question to which this section is trying to answer.
Think first!
Look at the criteria below and tick those you consider a good
result. For each of them, write down the effects of such evaluations
on children.
Write your answers in the spaces underneath each idea.
1. Good for a particular child compared with the childs previous
performance or perceived ability.
2. Good because the child has met the required criteria / curriculum
objectives / standards.
3. Good because the childs performance is better than that of other

children.
4. Good in parts. Some areas are strong, others are weak.
5. Good because you liked the answer and you think it is original.
141
In situation (1), one childs good may be the same as another

childs excellent. It may be seen as unfair that a high achieving
child is marked down compared with another who may achieve less
but is trying harder. In situation (2), children are not put in
competition with one another. In theory, all the children are good if
they meet the criteria. In situation (3), children are definitely put in
competition with one another, and the results are not reported to
objective standards. In situation (4), the aim is formative, to help the
learner adjust his or her actions. In situation (5), the children will be
in competition and might neglect the common task for the sake of
being original. Besides, this kind of evaluation is highly subjective.
In order to provide a fair and efficient evaluation, we need to
consider the following aspects (cf. Assessing Young Learners, OUP,
2004):
Aims. Evaluation aims to check childrens language-learning

progress. The assesment tasks need to be constructed in
such a way that the area to be assessed is clearly defined
and isolated from other areas. If you want to assess and
evaluate speaking, you mustnt ask the children to write or
read.
Measurable results. You need evidence of each childs
language development (e.g. Maria can read a text and
answer questions.)
Criteria. The assesssment criteria must be expressed as
actions through which the children demonstrate their ability /
development (see specific objectives in the National
Curriculum).
Timing. Assessment tasks are set at specific times, usually at
the end of a unit. However, ongoing evaluation will provide
regular data about your pupils performance all throughout the
year.
Childrens participation. Children have to take part in
assessment tasks regularly. You can decide to assess a
limited number of children and focus your attention on them,
while the whole class is doing the same task.
Record keeping. Childrens assessment on a task must be
recorded and kept on file. You can also make notes which are
relevant to the childs performance. This will keep you
organized and well informed.
Marking schemes are a way of indicating the level to which a pupil

has achieved the aims of the assessment task. Marking schemes
are usually associated with a number or a mark. In primary school,
according to the actual evaluation system, we use qualifiers (very
good / good / satisfactory / unsatisfactory).
142
Whatever the marking scheme, it has to be very specific as to what

we want to measure. If you want to evaluate reading, you will not
give marks for grammatical accuracy. The main advantage of using
a marking scheme over impressionistic evaluation is that it helps you
to make sure you use the same criteria for all your pupils. Besides,
you can report the childs progress according to the same criteria
you applied during assessment.
Here is an example of a marking scheme for reading:
Points/ Qualifier
9-10 Very good
7-8 Good
6- 5 Satisfactory
4 (or less)
Unsatisfactory
Criterion: Detailed comprehension of written

text (4th grade )
The child can answer all the four questions
correctly.
One of the answers is ambiguous or
incomplete .
Two missing or incomplete answers, two
correct answers.
No correct answers or all incomprehensible
answers.
Learning task 8
If you were to apply this marking scheme, which of the following
aspects shouldnt be taken into account and why?
Write your answers in the space below. Check them with the
a. if the child can read the text aloud with good intonation
b. if the answer contains evidence from the text
c. if the answers are grammatically correct
d. if spelling is correct (in case of written answers)
e. if the child can provide personal information connected with the
theme of the text
f. if pronunciation is clear and correct (for oral answers)
143
It is very difficult to say what is good or satisfactory. Evaluation,

especially in the case of a foreign language, cannot be reduced to
numbers and figures. In order to make it as objective as possible
and give a fair chance to each child in evaluation, we need
descriptors for different criteria. Descriptors illustrate the detailed
types of performance we expect from the children. Here is an
example of descriptors for assessing speaking:
Criterion
Very good
All messages
Pronunciation are clear.
Satisfactory
Most
messages are
clear
Correct use of Some errors of
Grammar and target
vocabulary
vocabulary
vocabulary and and structures
structures
Takes turns and Few instances
Participation
participates in a of turn taking
dialogue
Unsatisfactory
Incomprehensible
Few
comprehensible
structures
Doesnt
participate in the
dialogue
Such marking schemes can apply to definite objectives, but how can
we evaluate attitudes? We have mentioned before that informal
assessment of non-linguistic factors is very important with young
learners, as it encourages personal effort and increases motivation.
On the other hand, systematic observation of the pupils provides
valuable evidence for you concerning the effectiveness of your
teaching style.
Learning task 9
Look at these two pupil profiles. Which pupil is better? How can you
decide?
In about 50 words, write your answers in the space below. Compare
them with the suggestions at the end of this unit.
Pupil A
This pupil appears in the classroom to be very passive. He offers no
answers or opinions. He appears to be uninterested in what is going
on, bored and does not cooperate with his coleagues. In pair work,
he either insists that his answer is the right one or he gives no
answer.
Pupil B
This pupil is always actively involved in class activities. She always
has an answer or an opinion. She appears interested and always
cooperates with the teacher and the rest of the class. She is a good
listener and takes turns in dialogue by accepting her partners
viewpoints and giving her own at the right time.
(adapted from Harris & Mc Cann, Assessment, Heinemann, 1994)
144
5.4.2 Giving feedback

The assessment and evaluation process doesnt end as soon as you
give the children their results. Offering feedback is an important
stage, and it should follow as soon as possible after the task is
completed. The later you offer feedback, the less meaningful and
useful it becomes.
There are several ways in which you can offer feedback: individually,
to each child or to the whole class by discussing typical mistakes.
Feedback helps the children to discover their strengths and
weaknessess and to become aware of the areas that need
improving.
There are also different forms of feedback according to the type of
assessment task the pupils have to carry out. Harmer points out that
decisions about how to react to performance will depend upon the
stage of the lesson, the activity, the type of mistake made and the
particular pupil who is making this mistake.
It is also important to give specific feedback on oral and written work
as well as on fluency and accuracy work. Besides, owing to the way
we normally give feedback (e.g. That was really good. Well done!),
our pupils generally receive it in terms of praise or criticism. While it
is true that praise is encouraging, it is also true that excessive praise
or permanent criticism are counter-productive. Therefore,
assessment and feedback have to be carefully handled and to refer
to very specific areas.
There are several ways in which you can give feedback :
Marks / qualifiers
Comments
Reports
Marks are a clear indication that the pupils have done well or badly.
When we decide to grade a piece of work (either homework or
classwork), we need to make the criteria clear to the pupils. It is
easier with such tasks as fill-in or multiple choice exercises, but it is
more difficult with creative activities such as or projects.
145
Comments are made at various stages during the lesson. And they
indicate positive or negative evaluation. They can be oral and written
(Very well!, Thats not quite right, You have written an interesting
composition, but you havent respected all the points in the plan.)
Reports at the end of term or year on your pupils performance give
both the pupils and their parents a clear picture of the childs
performance throughout a period of time. In order to give relevant
feedback in this way, you need to keep a record of your pupils
performance according to the criteria you have established. Here is
an example of record book rubrics that you can adapt according to
your priorities:
Name
Oral work
Maria
Ionescu
FB/ 12.03
Written Projects
work
B/ 15.02 B/ 16.04
Comments
Maria is fluent and takes part in
classwork regularly but makes
frequent spelling and grammar
mistakes
Summary
Evaluation is a key stage in the learning and teaching process. Both
the teacher and the pupils need to know how they are doing and
what their strengths and weaknesses are. Evaluation is also
important for parents, for the school and for the school authorities
who need to adopt the future appropriate strategies.
While assessment is mainly observing, recording and gathering
information about a pupils performance, evaluation means weighing
the collected information against some standard and finally making a
judgement. In the current system of evaluation, marking cosists of
qualifiers (e.g. Very good) for primary school children and grades
(e.g. 8) for older pupils.
Ideally, evaluation should be objective, but practically, it is very
difficult to make an objective evaluation, especially in primary
school. However, clear standards, criteria and descriptors give
pupils equal chances in the evaluation process. The main condition
is that the teachers should assess and evaluate what they have
taught, in the way they taught it.
This unit illustrates how evaluation should refer to the two main
types of teaching aims: content and attitude aims. Thats why the
variety of evaluation tasks needs to match the variety of teaching
techniques.
Learning is complex and flexible, therefore evaluation has to be
complex and flexible. Teachers should be open to combining
traditional evaluation techniques (tests) with alternative ones
(portfolios, projects and self - assessment).
146
Key concepts
assessment
evaluation (formative, summative, diagnostic)
ongoing evaluation
feedback
formal assessment
informal assessment
self - assessment
marking scheme

1. Give five arguments based on the performance of your pupils to
prove that your teaching style is efficient (about 50 words).
2. Choose one unit in the 4th grade textbook. Write an end-of-unit
test and provide the criteria and descriptors to grade it.
3. Write an action plan for your future evaluation strategy taking
into account the following aspects:
a. Which forms of formal assessment are you going to use? How
often are you going to use them?
b. How are you going to assess non-linguistic factors?
c. What marking scheme are you going to use?
d. How are you going to give feedback?
Include your answers in the portfolio that you are going to present
to your tutor for the final evaluation. .
Further reading
Longman, pp. 321-331
2. Ioannou Georgiou, S. and Pavlou P., Assessing Young
Learners, 2005, Oxford University Press, Introduction, pp. 3-17

Should your answers to LTs 1 and 2 not be comparable to those
LT 1
1. diagnostic evaluation/ teachers own action plan for the next year
2. formative evaluation / teachers own action plan for the next period
3. summative evaluation after teaching the Simple Present / personal
or staff report addessed to senior teacher or to school administration
4. summative evaluation / addressed to particular pupil
5. formative evaluation / addressed to parents.
147
LT2
1. The development of oral skills is not encouraged. Your evaluation is
incomplete, and you dont evaluate as you teach. Some of the children
dont do very well in writing, but they are very good speakers.
2. It increases the childs motivation and positive attitude to language
learning. It shouldnt be an evaluation criterion in itself, because it is
not objective.
3. The children will lose the motivation lo learn. Your duty is to
evaluate your pupils for what they know. Behaviour mirrors the
childs interest in your lesson. In this case, evaluation becomes a
punishment instead of a normal stage in learning.
4. It is not fair, and it is not an efficient system. Your pupils will never
become aware of what they need to improve or work on more, and
they will be confused. The evaluation results have to be
communicated immediately to the children and to their parents.
5. It gives the children the feeling that making mistakes is a normal
stage in the learning process, and you can work on the items which
are not very well understood.
6. The children will lack confidence, and they will not be able to
understand their strong and weak points. They wont become aware of
the progress expected of them in a given time frame, so they wont be
motivated to try harder to achieve this goal.
7. The children will not focus on authentic language production, and
they will be more preoccupied to apply grammar rules than to actually
use language for communication. You should remember that accuracy
is not your main priority in primary school.
Should your answer to LT 3 not be comparable to those given
LT3
For teachers, childrens attitude is an indicator of their effectiveness in
class. You can use attitude arguments to support your choice of
methods and types of activities.
Parents will become aware of the causes of good or poor performance
and can support their children accordingly.
The school authorities can make decisions concerning the schools
policy in the foreign language field (e.g. optional courses, an increase
in the number of classes per week).
given below, please revise section 5.3.2.
LT 4
Negative effects:
Nervousness - some pupils become so nervous that they cant
concentrate.
Superficiality - some pupils can do well just with last minute
learning.
Short term acquisitions - once the test has finished, pupils can
easily forget what they learned.
148
Irrelevant outcomes pupils become focused on passing tests

rather than learning to improve their language skills.
Minimising effects:
Make sure the children are familiar with the tasks
Explain the purpose of the test
Give the pupils plenty of notice and teach revision classes in
advance
Tell the pupils that there will be other forms of assessment, too
(projects, portfolios, etc. )
Discuss typical mistakes, not individual results
Suggests pupils to compare their tests with their own previous
ones, not with their colleagues.
LT 5
1. Checking knowledge on vocabulary (places in town), language
structures (Simple Present Tense, the interrogative form), the reading
skill (e.g. 3), writing (making simple sentences).
2. Yes, it respects requirements. It is valid (it evaluates both content
knowledge and skills), the instructions are clear (in order to avoid
confusion, they are even translated), it is suitable (it can be solved by
medium-level pupils) and it is heterogeneous (the exercises are
increasingly difficult), it contains different types of tasks.
Should your answers to LT 6 and 7 not be comparable to those
LT 6
Criteria
Does the child use the
new vocabulary in a
personal context?
Is the language used
grammatically correct?
Is the project neat and
organized?
Can the child present
its content in front of
the class?
Yes
Partially
No
LT 7
Pupils usually just look at the mark and do not really read the
feedback.
If pupils are encouraged to assess and evaluate their own work, they
think about their own mistakes and they will try to correct them. They
are no longer passive, and they are more likely to improve than when
only the teacher assesses and corrects.
149

LT 8
c. grammatical accuracy proves good mastery of structures, and this is
another aim
e. personal information involves expansion on the topic another aim
f. This has to do with speaking skills, while correct intonation can
indicate that the child understands the text
LT 9
You should identify a few areas as possible criteria for assessment,
such as:
Is passive / is active
Offers answers and opinions / doesnt offer answers and
opinions
Shows interest / does not show interest
Co-operates / doesnt cooperate
Accepts opinions / does not accept opinions
We can also consider other areas of interest such as: regular
homework, class work, etc.
You can rate attitude at regular intervals and then analyze the reasons
so that you can give your children useful feedback on that.
It is a mistake to rank one of the students as the best, as they are
very young and attitudes can be improved and educated. If you rank a
child as the best or the worst, he/she will act accordingly, which
might have negative effects.
150
Appendices
Appendix
Worksheet 4.3. Messages on the fridge
(From Ioannou Georgiou S. and Pavlou P., Assessing Young Learners, OUP, 2005)
151
Appendices
Test 4
(from Popa B. and Ralea M., 2002, I Am Special, EDP)
Octopus progress chart

(From Cant S. and Superfine W., 1997, Developing Resources for Primary, p. 89)
My progress chart
152
Appendices
1. say the numbers 1-20

2. say the days of the week
3. talk about my family
4. say the colours
5. say how old I am
6. say how old I am
Complete this at the end of the term.
I am good at
I am not good at
I am going to
I have learned:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Put the numbers on the octopuss legs.
153
Annexes
Anexa nr. 3 la Ordinul ministrului educaiei i cercetrii nr. 5198 / 01.11.2004

MINISTERUL EDUCAIEI I CERCETRII
CONSILIUL NAIONAL PENTRU CURRICULUM
PROGRAME COLARE PENTRU CLASA A III-A

LIMBA ENGLEZ
[LIMBA MODERN 1]
Aprobat prin ordin al ministrului
Nr. 5198 / 01.11.2004
Bucureti, 2004
154
Annexes
NOT DE PREZENTARE
Revizuirea curriculum-ului de limba englez pentru nvmntul primar a pornit de la
urmtoarele premise:
-
introducerea noului plan-cadru de nvmnt;
dezvoltarea unei strategii didactice pornind de la obiective;
necesitatea proiectrii unui set unitar de obiective cadru i de referin pentru toate
limbile moderne studiate n coala romneasc, din perspectiva modelului
comunicativ-funcional de predare / nvare a acestora;
necesitatea proiectrii coninuturilor predrii n funcie de nevoile de comunicare ale

celui care nva;
racordarea treptat, chiar de la nceputul studierii limbii engleze, la nivelurile de

performan prevzute de Cadrul European Comun de Referin
asigurarea continuitii i a progresiei de la o clas la alta, innd cont de obiectivele

ciclurilor curriculare.
n acest context, structura actualului curriculum cuprinde: obiectivele cadru, pentru

parcursul nvmntului primar, unde limba englez se studiaz numai ca limba modern
1, (i care vor fi aceleai i pentru limba 1 studiat pe parcursul nvmntului gimnazial);
obiective de referin, exemple de activiti de nvare i coninuturi (acestea din urm
sub-mprite pe teme, funcii comunicative i elemente de construcie a comunicrii)
proiectate pentru fiecare clas; standarde curriculare de performan pentru finele clasei a
IV-a.
Dat fiind plaja orar (2-3 ore) prevzut n planul cadru pentru limba modern 1,
curriculum-ul conine att obiective de referin i coninuturi obligatorii, ct i altele, la
decizia colii (care devin obligatorii cnd se opteaz pentru curriculum extins 3 ore pe
sptmn la o anumit clas). Acestea din urm sunt marcate cu asterisc i scrise cu
litere italice.
La finele nvmntului primar, elevii vor atinge un nivel comparabil cu nivelul A1 din
Cadrul European Comun de Referin.
OBIECTIVE CADRU
1. Dezvoltarea capacitii de receptare a mesajului oral

2. Dezvoltarea capacitii de exprimare oral
3. Dezvoltarea capacitii de receptare a mesajului scris
4. Dezvoltarea capacitii de exprimare n scris
5. Dezvoltarea unor reprezentri culturale i a interesului pentru studiul
limbii engleze i al civilizaiei spaiului cultural anglofon.
155
Annexes
CLASA A III-A
1
OBIECTIVE DE REFERIN I EXEMPLE DE ACTIVITI DE NVARE

1.1
1.2
.
1.3
1.4
Obiective de referin
La sfritul clasei a III-a elevul
va fi capabil:
s recunoasc sunete
specifice limbii engleze
s disting cuvinte i sintagme
n fluxul verbal
s reacioneze verbal/
nonverbal la un mesaj audiat
care s ofere modele de limb
autentice (produse de nativi) i
variate2
s desprind sensul unui enun
simplu
Exemple de activiti de nvare

Pe parcursul clasei a III-a se recomand
urmtoarele activiti:
- exerciii de identificare;
-
exerciii de discriminare;
exerciii de rspuns la comenzi/ ntrebri

exersarea unor formule simple de
comunicare n societate;
rspunsuri la ntrebri de control;

exerciii de tip adevrat/ fals;
exerciii de confirmare a nelegerii sensului
global al unui enun simplu, prin ndeplinirea
unei sarcini simple.

va fi capabil:
2.1 s articuleze sunete, izolat i n
cuvnt / grupuri de cuvinte,
respectnd accentul i intonaia,
specifice limbii engleze
2.2 s reproduc enunuri simple /
pri ale unui enun
2.3 s produc enunuri simple,
adecvate unor situaii de
comunicare uzual
2.4 s participe la dialoguri simple
n situaii de comunicare
uzuale

- exerciii de pronunie i intonaie;
exerciii de repetare dup model a unor

cuvinte, sintagme, propoziii;
recitare de poezii, interpretare de cntece;
activiti n perechi (dialoguri simple);
joc de rol;
dialoguri dirijate;
jocuri didactice.
Obiectivele de referin marcate prin asterisc i caractere italice nu sunt obligatorii. Ele pot intra n
curriculum-ul la decizia colii.
2
Avnd n vedere c la aceast vrst modelele de limb sunt eseniale pentru nsuirea unei pronunii i
intonaii corecte se va lucra cu material audio.
156
Annexes
3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
*3.4
La sfritul clasei a III-a
elevul va fi capabil:
s recunoasc litere / grupuri
de litere n cuvinte i cuvintele
n spaiul grafic
s citeasc un scurt text
cunoscut, cu voce tare, cu
intonaie adecvat sensului
textului
s desprind sensul global al
unui text simplu, citit n gnd
s sesizeze legtura dintre un
text i imaginile care l
nsoesc

- exerciii de identificare: a unor litere/ grupuri de
litere n cuvinte, a unor cuvinte, sintagme,
enunuri scrise;
- exerciii de citire cu voce tare, cu / fr
model;
-
exerciii de tip adevrat/ fals;

exerciii de alegere (din soluii multiple);
ntrebri i rspunsuri pe marginea textului i
a imaginilor;
exerciii de potrivire a imaginii cu textul.

va fi capabil:
4.1. s reproduc n scris litere,
grupuri de litere, cuvinte,
sintagme, enunuri
4.2. s realizeze legtura ntre
scriere i pronunie la nivelul
cuvntului i al grupului de
cuvinte
4.3. s scrie cuvinte, sintagme,
propoziii scurte
*4.4 s produc n scris mesaje
scurte, pe baza unui suport
verbal/ imagine

- exerciii de copiere, de completare de spaii;
copiere selectiv;
-
exerciii de scriere dup dictare;
exerciii de completare pe baza unui suport

vizual;
exerciii de redactare de propoziii
jocuri didactice (rebus, gril etc.).
exerciii de completare, jocuri didactice;
exerciii de redactare (mesaje scurte).
5. Dezvoltarea unor reprezentri culturale i a interesului pentru studiul limbii

engleze i al civilizaiei spaiului cultural anglofon
va fi capabil:
5.1 s manifeste curiozitate pentru
. descoperirea unor aspecte
legate de viaa copiilor din
spaiul cultural anglo-saxon

- colecii de obiecte culturale (insigne, timbre,
vederi, ambalaje, etc.),
- realizarea unui album / panou / portofoliu cu
imagini etc.
157
Annexes
CONINUTURI3
ORGANIZARE TEMATIC4
-
Copilul despre sine: nume, sex, vrst, nsuiri fizice i morale, prile corpului,
mbrcminte, culori, jucrii i jocuri
Familia: membrii familiei, *ocupaii, *srbtori n familie
Casa: ncperi, mobil
coala: obiecte colare, activiti specifice
Animale: denumire
Vremea: *anotimpuri; *caracteristici climatice
Copilul i lumea nconjurtoare: *oraul/ satul (cldiri)
Activiti: activiti curente, *activiti pentru timpul liber, *momentele zilei,
Cultur i civilizaie: nume i prenume tipice, cntece i poezii
n atenia autorilor de manual: temele i subtemele nu constituie capitole i lecii de manual.

Ele vor fi tratate transversal, n cadrul unor uniti elaborate din perspectiva scenariului
proiectat de autori
FUNCII COMUNICATIVE5
1. a saluta i a rspunde la salut
2. a se prezenta i a prezenta pe cineva
3. a identifica elemente din universul familiar
4. *a descrie persoane, animale, locuri
5. a cere i a da informaii (de ordin personal, despre mediul nconjurtor)
6. a localiza persoane, obiecte, aciuni
7. a mulumi i a rspunde la mulumiri
8. a propune i a cere cuiva s fac ceva6
9. a relata activiti (la prezent)
10. a exprima ceea ce i place i *ceea ce nu i place
11. a exprima capacitatea mental i fizic
Funciile comunicative propuse vor fi regrupate pe baza tematicii abordate, dezvoltate
progresiv, concentric, n funcie de nivelul acumulrii lexico-gramaticale. Ele nu vor constitui
obiectul unei tratri explicite, ci vor fi prezente n contextele situaionale.
ELEMENTE DE CONSTRUCIE A COMUNICRII
I. Gramatic
Substantivul
numrul singular/ plural
3
Coninuturile marcate prin asterisc i caractere italice nu sunt obligatorii. Ele vor intra n curriculum-ul la decizia
colii, n cazul n care se opteaz pentru curriculum extins.
4
Unele subteme, notate cu asterisc n clasa a III-a, devin obligatorii n anii urmtori de studiu. n acest caz,
subtemele propuse pentru un an de studiu pot fi reluate i, eventual, mbogite, ca arie lexical, n anul de studiu
ulterior.
5
Funciile comunicative propuse vor fi regrupate pe baza tematicii abordate, dezvoltate progresiv,
concentric, n funcie de nivelul acumulrii lexico-gramaticale. Ele nu vor constitui obiectul unei tratri
explicite, ci vor fi prezente n contextele situaionale.
6
Prin structuri foarte simple de tipul Lets.
158
Annexes
Articolul
a/ an; the
Pronumele
personal n nominativ
Adjectivul
calificativ
posesiv singular/ *plural
demonstrativ singular/ *plural
Numeralul
cardinal (1-12)
Verbul
to be, timpul prezent (afirmativ, negativ, interogativ)
to have, timpul prezent (afirmativ, negativ, interogativ)
can
structuri specifice: there is/ there are
imperativul
timpul prezent simplu (forma afirmativ)
timpul prezent continuu (forma afirmativ), *(interogativ, negativ)
Adverbe
de timp (now, every day)
Prepoziii
de loc (in, on, near, under, to)
Conjuncii
uzuale (and, *but, *or)
Categoriile gramaticale enumerate mai sus aparin metalimbajului de specialitate.
Terminologia NU va face subiectul unei nvri explicite. Nu se va face apel la
conceptualizarea unitilor lingvistice, utilizate n situaiile de comunicare.
Structurile gramaticale de mare dificultate, dar necesare pentru realizarea unor acte
de vorbire, nu vor fi tratate izolat i analitic, ci vor fi abordate n cadrul achiziiei
globale. Elementele de gramatic se vor doza progresiv, conform dificultilor i
nevoilor de comunicare, fr a se urmri epuizarea tuturor realizrilor lingvistice ale
categoriilor gramaticale enumerate mai sus
II. Lexic
150 *200 uniti lexicale (cuvinte, sintagme corespunztoare realizrii funciilor
comunicative, n cadrul ariilor tematice specificate mai sus).
159
Annexes
Anexa nr. 2 la Ordinul ministrului educaiei i cercetrii nr. 3919 / 20.04.2005

MINISTERUL EDUCAIEI I CERCETRII
CONSILIUL NAIONAL PENTRU CURRICULUM
PROGRAME COLARE PENTRU CLASA A IV-A

LIMBA ENGLEZ
[LIMBA MODERN 1]
Aprobat prin ordin al ministrului
Nr. 3919 / 20.04.2005
Bucureti, 2005
160
Annexes
NOT DE PREZENTARE
Revizuirea curriculumului de Limba englez pentru nvmntul primar a pornit de
la urmtoarele premise:
- introducerea noului plan-cadru de nvmnt;
- dezvoltarea unei strategii didactice pornind de la obiective;
- necesitatea proiectrii unui set unitar de obiective cadru i de referin pentru toate
limbile moderne studiate n coala romneasc, din perspectiva modelului
comunicativ-funcional de predare / nvare a acestora;
- necesitatea proiectrii coninuturilor predrii n funcie de nevoile de comunicare ale
celui care nva;
- racordarea treptat, chiar de la nceputul studierii limbii engleze, la nivelurile de
performan prevzute de Cadrul European Comun de Referin
- asigurarea continuitii i a progresiei de la o clas la alta, innd cont de obiectivele
ciclurilor curriculare.
n acest context, program colar de Limba englez pentru clasa a IV-a are
urmtoarea structur:
obiectivele cadru: urmrite pe ntreg parcursul nvmntului primar, unde

limba englez se studiaz ca limba modern 1;
obiective de referin i exemple de activiti de nvare;
coninuturi; submprite pe teme, funcii comunicative i elemente de
construcie a comunicrii;
standardele curriculare de performan pentru finele clasei a IV-a.
Dat fiind plaja orar (2 - 3 ore) prevzut n planul cadru pentru limba modern 1,
curriculumul conine:
-
obiective de referin i coninuturi obligatorii: pentru cele 2 ore din trunchiul comun;
obiective de referin i coninuturi la decizia colii (marcate n text prin asterisc i
corp de liter italic): obligatorii numai n situaia cnd, la o anumit clas, se opteaz
pentru curriculum extins (3 ore pe sptmn).
La finele nvmntului primar, elevii vor atinge un nivel comparabil cu nivelul A1
din Cadrul European Comun de Referin.

OBIECTIVE CADRU

10. Dezvoltarea unor reprezentri culturale i a interesului pentru studiul
limbii engleze i al civilizaiei spaiului cultural anglofon
161
Appendix
OBIECTIVE DE REFERIN7 I EXEMPLE DE ACTIVITI DE NVARE

La sfritul clasei a IV-a elevul va fi
capabil:
1.1 s identifice semnificaia unor
enunuri simple, referitoare la
universul imediat
1.2 s desprind sensul global din
scurte mesaje audiate (mini-dialog,
descrieri de persoane/ obiecte/
aciuni)8
1.3 s reacioneze adecvat la diferite
tipuri de mesaje orale
*1.4 s desprind informaii punctuale
dintr-un mesaj audiat

Pe parcursul clasei a IV-a se recomand
- exerciii de corelare;
- rspunsuri la ntrebri de control;
- exerciii de confirmare a nelegerii
globale a unui text audiat, prin
ndeplinirea unei sarcini simple (de e.g.
bifeaz,
ncercuiete,
mimeaz,
deseneaz etc.);
- exerciii de rspuns la comenzi / ntrebri
/ formule de comunicare n societate;
- activiti de confirmare a receptrii
(realizarea unui desen, aranjarea unor
obiecte, notarea / alegerea unor date/detalii
dintr-un text audiat etc.).

capabil:
2.1 s reproduc scurte mesaje / pri
ale unui mesaj

- exerciii de repetare dup model;
- exerciii de corectare a pronuniei i
intonaiei.
2.2 s integreze cuvinte noi n enunuri

proprii
- alctuire de enunuri cu elementele de

vocabular i structurile noi;
- joc-concurs
pentru
alctuirea
de
propoziii coerente coninnd mai multe
cuvinte noi;
2.3 s produc rspunsuri scurte i

ntrebri simple n situaii simple de
interaciune, n contexte familiare
sau de necesitate imediat
- dialoguri, conversaii;
- joc de rol;
- activiti de simulare;
*2.4 s vorbeasc despre sine/ despre

persoane/ despre activiti din
universul imediat
- descrieri simple, cu suport verbal

(ntrebri, cuvinte de sprijin) i vizual
(imagini).
Obiectivele de referin pentru clasa a IV-a se bazeaz pe obiectivele de referin pentru clasa a III-a, pe care
le integreaz i le dezvolt. Obiectivele de referin marcate prin asterisc i caractere italice nu fac parte din
programa de trunchi comun (2 ore/ sptmn). Ele intr n curriculumul la decizia colii, n cazul n care se
opteaz pentru curriculum extins.
8
Se vor folosi materiale audio care ofer modele de limb autentice, adecvate.
162
Appendix

capabil:
3.1 s identifice semnificaia unor
cuvinte / propoziii simple, n texte
autentice comune (etichete,
anunuri, afie)
3.2 s desprind informaii particulare
dintr-un text citit n gnd
*3.3 s citeasc fluent un scurt text
cunoscut, cu intonaie adecvat
semnificaiei textului

- exerciii de tip adevrat/ fals;
- exerciii de alegere (din soluii multiple);
- potrivire imagine text;
- rspunsuri la ntrebri de control;
- exerciii de completare de informaii;
- exerciii de citire cu voce tare (pe roluri,
n grup, individual).

capabil:
4.1 s reproduc, n scris, cuvinte,
sintagme, enunuri
*4.2 s realizeze legtura dintre rostire
i scriere, la nivelul unei propoziii
scurte
4.3 s produc n scris scurte enunuri /
mesaje, pe baza unui suport verbal
/ imagine

- exerciii de copiere;
- completare de text lacunar;
- exerciii de scriere dup dictare;
- exerciii de completare, jocuri (rebus, gril

etc.);
- exerciii de redactare (scurte descrieri,
formule de felicitare).
5. Dezvoltarea unor reprezentri culturale i a interesului pentru studiul limbii

engleze i al civilizaiei spaiului cultural anglofon
capabil:
5.1 s demonstreze interes pentru
cunoaterea unor orae / *zone din
spaiul cultural anglofon

- colecii de cri potale, prospecte
turistice, *hri i planuri, etc.;
- realizarea unui plan al unei strzi / ora
etc.
- proiecte.
163
Appendix
CONINUTURI9
ORGANIZARE TEMATIC10
Copilul despre sine: nume, sex (actualizare), vrst (actualizare), adres, nsuiri fizice
i morale (actualizare), prile corpului (actualizare i extindere), mbrcminte, culori
(actualizare i extindere), jocuri i jucrii (actualizare)
Familia: *membrii familiei, ocupaii, srbtori n familie, *hrana
Casa: ncperi (actualizare), mobil (actualizare i extindere), coala, obiecte colare
(actualizare), activiti specifice (actualizare i extindere)
Animale: denumire, caracteristici
Vremea: anotimpuri, caracteristici climatice
*Lumea fantastic: personaje de basm, desen animat, film
Copilul i lumea nconjurtoare: oraul/ satul (cldiri), *coresponden, cumprturi
Activiti: momentele zilei, zilele sptmnii, *lunile anului, activiti curente, activiti
pentru timpul liber
Cultur i civilizaie: nume i prenume tipice (actualizare), *nume de monumente,
cntece i poezii, *nume de orae
n atenia autorilor de manual: temele i subtemele nu constituie capitole i lecii n
manual. Ele vor fi tratate transversal n cadrul unor uniti elaborate din perspectiva
scenariului proiectat de autori.
FUNCII COMUNICATIVE11
1. a saluta i a rspunde la salut (reluare i mbogire)
2. a se prezenta i a prezenta pe cineva (reluare i mbogire)
3. a angaja i a ncheia un schimb verbal
4. a identifica elemente din universul familiar (reluare i mbogire)
5. a descrie persoane, animale, locuri
6. a cere i a da informaii (de ordin personal, despre mediul nconjurtor)
7. a localiza persoane, obiecte, aciuni (reluare i mbogire)
8. a exprima o dorin
9. a face o urare, a felicita
10. a se scuza i a rspunde la scuze
11. a propune i a cere cuiva s fac ceva
12. a relata activiti: la prezent (reluare i mbogire)
13. *a relata activiti: la viitor
14. *a exprima o stare fizic
15. *a formula i a accepta o invitaie
16. a exprima ceea ce i place sau ceea ce nu i place
Coninuturile marcate prin asterisc i corp de liter italic nu fac parte din programa de trunchi comun (2 ore /
sptmn) . Ele intr n curriculumul la decizia colii, n cazul n care se opteaz pentru curriculum extins.
10
Unele subteme, notate cu asterisc n clasa a IV-a, devin obligatorii n anii urmtori de studiu. n acest caz,
subtemele propuse pentru un an de studiu pot fi reluate i, eventual, mbogite, ca arie lexical, n anul de studiu
ulterior.
11
Funciile comunicative propuse vor fi regrupate pe baza tematicii abordate, dezvoltate progresiv,
concentric, n funcie de nivelul acumulrii lexico-gramaticale. Ele nu vor constitui obiectul unei tratri
explicite, ci vor fi prezente n contextele situaionale.
164
Appendix
Funciile comunicative propuse vor fi regrupate pe baza tematicii abordate, dezvoltate

progresiv, concentric, n funcie de nivelul acumulrii lexico-gramaticale. Ele nu vor
constitui obiectul unei tratri explicite, ci vor fi prezente n contextele situaionale.
ELEMENTE DE CONSTRUCIE A COMUNICRII

I*. Alfabetul (spelling)
II. Gramatic
Substantivul
numrul plural
*plurale neregulate
Numeralul
cardinal (13 - 20)
Adjectivul
demonstrativ (singular i plural)
posesiv (singular i plural)
Verbul
timpul prezent continuu (afirmativ, negativ, interogativ)
timpul prezent simplu (afirmativ, negativ, interogativ)
*timpul viitor (cu will)
may
must
*adverbe de timp (tomorrow)
Prepoziia
de loc (*between, over, across, above, at, in, on)
Elementele noi enumerate mai sus vor fi prezentate alturi de elementele nsuite n
clasa a III-a. Categoriile gramaticale enumerate aparin metalimbajului de
specialitate. Terminologia NU va face subiectul unei nvri explicite. Nu se va
face apel la conceptualizarea unitilor lingvistice, utilizate n situaiile de
comunicare. Structurile gramaticale de mare dificultate, dar necesare pentru
realizarea unor acte de vorbire, nu vor fi tratate izolat i analitic, ci vor fi abordate n
cadrul achiziiei globale. Elementele de gramatic se vor doza progresiv, conform
dificultilor i nevoilor de comunicare, fr a se urmri epuizarea tuturor realizrilor
lingvistice ale categoriilor gramaticale enumerate mai sus.
III. Lexic
200 *250 uniti lexicale (cuvinte, sintagme corespunztoare realizrii funciilor
comunicative, n cadrul ariilor tematice specificate mai sus).
165
Appendix
STANDARDE CURRICULARE DE PERFORMAN

(pentru finele nvmntului primar)
OBIECTIV CADRU
1.
Dezvoltarea capacitii de
receptare a mesajului oral
STANDARD
S1. Desprinderea sensului global al unui
scurt mesaj audiat

Identificarea, n mesaje scurte audiate, a
semnificaiei unor cuvinte i propoziii
simple referitoare la universul imediat
2.
exprimare oral
S2. Reproducerea unor mesaje orale scurte

S3. Producerea unui mesaj simplu i scurt
despre persoane i activiti din universul

apropiat
Participarea cu ntrebri simple i
rspunsuri scurte la interaciuni verbale
simple (dialoguri), n contexte familiare
sau de necesitate imediat
3.
receptare a mesajului scris
S4. Identificarea semnificaiei unor cuvinte i
propoziii simple, n texte autentice

comune (etichete, anunuri, afie)
Desprinderea sensului global al unui
scurt text citit n gnd
4.
166
exprimare n scris
S5. Redactarea unui enun scurt / mesaj, pe
baza unui suport verbal / a unei imagini.
Glossary
Glossary
Krashen, Stephen
Stephen Krashen (University of Southern California) is an expert in
the field of linguistics, specialising in theories of language acquisition
and development.
In 1983 Krashen and Terrels Natural Approach to foreign language
learning revolutionised the methodology of second language
acquisition. It consisted mainly of five hypotheses:
1.
The Acquisition Learning Hypothesis
According to it, acquisition means developing competence by using
language for real communication. Learning means knowing about
or formal knowledge of language. Acquisition is subconscious, while
learning is conscious.
2.
The Natural Order Hypothesis
The result of providing acquirers with comprehensible input
(messages they can understand) is the emergence of grammatical
structures in a predictable way. Krashen noticed striking similarities
in the order in which children acquire certain grammatical
morphemes in their first language and in the second language.
According to his theory, the teacher should create a natural
environment for the learner.
3.
The Monitor Hypothesis
When somebody produces a message in a foreign language (output),
the message is checked and repaired after it has been produced.
This can be done with the help of the explicit knowledge the learner
has gained through grammatical study.
4.
The Input Hypothesis
This hypothesis explains how successful acquisition occurs. The
learners have to understand input which is a little beyond their
present level. Krashen defined the present level as i and the ideal
level of input as i+1. According to this, in the development of oral
fluency, unknown words and grammatical structures are deduced
through the use of context (both situational and discursive), rather
than through direct instructions. As a result, good teachers should
tune their speech to the pupils level and gradually add to the
difficulty of the message.
5.
The Affective Filter Hypothesis
Krashen shows that attitudinal variables relate directly to language
acquisition, but not language learning. This theory is sustained by
the obvious effects of self-confidence and motivation.
167
Glossary
Another aspect of this hypothesis is allowing for errors, while at the

same time providing correct input, which can help students in their
acquisition of language. This dialogue provides an example:
Teacher: What are the children doing in this picture?
Student: Run.
Teacher: Yes, thats right. They are running.
Krashen summarises these hypotheses like this: The best methods
are therefore those that supply comprehensible input in low anxiety
situations containing messages that students really want to hear.
Scrivener, Jim
Author of a highly appreciated book Learning to Teach, Jim
Scrivener developed the ARC theory on lesson planning. According
to this theory, the lesson is divided into 3 clear stages. Each stage
responds to a common-sense question:
How can students know what they are supposed to practice if they
havent been shown what to do? How can students do an exercise if
they cannot understand the grammar structures or vocabulary that
you want them to practice during the exercise?
1. Clarification & Focus stage, in which the teacher demonstrates,
explains and illustrates, pre-teaches the necessary new vocabulary.
This stage is needed more than once during a lesson.
How can a student openly communicate with another student using
newly taught English if they have not had the chance to practice the
new structures beforehand?
2. Restrictive exercise stage in which the students do an exercise
to practice grammar structure and form, increase their English
accuracy and test and demonstrate their ability on a given language
point.
Why would a student be interested in practising English structures
and being tested on a grammar point if they didnt know such
phrases, vocabulary, etc. This could be used effectively in real life
situations in English speaking countries?
3. Authentic Exercise stage in which students do an exercise that
involves communication with language, fluency practice that relates
to real life and is meaningful. Such activities are normally enjoyable
as they are flexible and allow the students to decide what to do/say
for themselves.
For a lesson to be balanced, you need to have all the 3 stages
above. This will ensure the logic of the learning process. A typical
lesson might run something like CRCAC.
168
Bibliography
Bibliography
1. Cant, Amanda and Superfine, Wendy, Developing Resources for
Primary, Richmond Publishing, 1997
2. Grdescu, Elena and Vasile Cristina, Tilly and Fogg, Manual de
limba engleza pentru clasele I-II, ALL Educational, 1999
3. Grdescu, Elena and Vasile C., Tilly and Fogg, Ghidul
profesorului, ALL Educational, 1999
4. Ioannou Georgiou S. and Pavlou, P., Assessing Young Learners,
Oxford University Press, 2005
5. Halliwell, Susan, Teaching English in the Primary Classroom,
Longman, 1992
6. Harmer, J., The Practice of English Language Teaching,
Longman, 2001
7. Harris, M. and Mc Cann, P., Assessment, Mac Millan Heinemann,
1994
Curriculum, Ghid metodologic pentru aplicarea programei de
limba engleza primar gimnazial , Bucuresti, 2001
9. Ministerul Educatiei si Cercetrii, Consiliul National pentru
Curriculum, Anexa 3 la OMEC 5198/1.11.2004 (Programe scolare
pentru clasa a IIIa, Limba englez)
Curriculum, Anexa2 la OMEC 3919/2004 (Programe scolare
pentru clasa a IVa, Limba englez)
11. Phillips, Sarah, Young Learners, Oxford University Press, 1993
12. Popa B., Ralea M., I Am Special, Manual de limba englez pentru
clasa a IIIa, Editura Didactica si Pedagogica R.A., Bucureti,
2002
13. Davis Robin, Gerngross G., Holzmann C., Puchta H., Magic
Time, Longman, 1998
14. Scott, Wendy and Ytreberg, Lisbeth, Teaching English to
Children, Longman, 1990
15. Wright, Andrew, 1000 Pictures for Teachers to Copy, Collins ELT,
1984
Useful web sites

1. www.onestopenglish.com (professional support, methodology,
case studies, teachers anecdotes, lesson plans and worksheets)
2. www.songsforteaching.com (different kinds of songs, songbooks
and sheet music, teaching tips)
3. www.sasked.gov.sk.ca (evaluation and assessment models of
evaluation criteria)
4. www.eltforum.com (for the assessment of young learners, in
Amazing Young Minds, Session papers, Cambridge 2004)
5. www.oup.com (for resources and assessment)
6. www.teachingenglish.org.uk (methodology, test writing, case
studies, project work, different approaches to ELT)
169

Teaching English in Primary School

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Ministerul Educaiei i Cercetrii

Str. Spiru Haret nr. 10-12, etaj 2,

Unitatea de Management a Proiectului pentru nvmntul Rural

TEACHING ENGLISH IN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Program postuniversitar de conversie profesional

Program cofinanat de Guvernul Romniei, Banca Mondial i comunitile rurale.

Toi copiii din mediul rural

Ministerul Educaiei i Cercetrii

LIMBA I LITERATURA ENGLEZ

Teaching English in primary school

Ministerul Educaiei i Cercetrii

Language consultant: Dean Hufstetler, licensed teacher from California, USA.

3.3.2. The learning unit .....................................................................................................64

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

5.4. Evaluation and progress ........................................................................................... 140

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

set up your own strategies for teaching in primary school,

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

SAAs are signalled by this icon:

Who am I going to teach?

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

Assessment and evaluation

Both the general objectives and specific objectives are clearly

The young language learner

Teaching English in primary school has its satisfactions and

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

The young language learner

1.1 Cognitive psychology in support of foreign language learning

Suggestopaedia is a method which is based on the application of

Learning should be characterized by joy and the

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

The young language learner

According to this theory, children are encouraged to use gestures,

Alfred Tomatis was an ear specialist who put a great amount of

Total immersion and

It is very common to hear people say X can speak English

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

The young language learner

Another important aspect here is the creation of real communication

Gestalt psychology stresses the importance of learning by wholes.

Learning takes place in a different way with each individual person.

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

The young language learner

than be read to.

voice and intonation

While it is true that a pure type of intelligence is unlikely to find, it is

The young language learner

1.2 The characteristics of young language learners

1.2.1. Childrens knowledge of the world

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

The young language learner

easily, and they will be able to understand what is typical of an

Fact and fiction

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

The young language learner

The word and the physical reality

You can find some answers at the end of this unit

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

The young language learner

Proiectul pentru Invmntul Rural

The young language learner

You can find some answers at the end of this unit.