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INTERNATIONAL HOUSE
Young Learners Training Course


Teaching Young Learners
Lise Bell/Paula de Nagy
International House Lisbon





March 2001


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List of contents:


Title Page - Page 1
List of contents - Page 2
Main aims of the session / Session Outline - Page 3

Tutors Notes:
Stage 1: Warmer - Page 4
Stage 2: Discussion Activity - Page 5
Stage 3: Poster Activity - Page 6
Stage 4: Looking at Teachers Books - Page 7
Homework - Page 7

Bibliography - Page 8

Materials Pages Pages 9 - 22

Answer Keys Pages 23 - 26






















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Main aims of this session:

The session draws on participants awareness of how Adults learn and
encourages them to identify the key differences between teaching Adults
and Young Learners. By the end of the session, they should be familiar with
some of the implications of the above for the teaching of YLs. It is a
hands-on session consisting mainly of group and pair work and we hope it
will lead to quite a lot of reflection

Notes to tutor:

If running the session yourself:
Many of the stages of the session are designed to encourage trainees to
interact and share ideas. The initial warmer activity can be replaced with
any activity that is clearly designed for children rather than adults. The
session is based on materials from Teaching Children English and Teaching
English in the Primary Classroom (See Bibliography for full references). You
will find all you need in this pack except for the reading (Homework), which
comes from: Teaching English in the Primary Classroom (Pgs 3-8)

The whole session should take not much longer than 1h15 mins, with the
reading and homework taking up a further 15 minutes.

If you are not running the session for a group but guiding teachers through
self-study, you will find suggested procedures at the end of each stage.

Session Outline:

Stage Activity
Stage 1: Warmer Spider mobile
Stage 2: Discussion
Activity
Discussion using prompt cards
Main differences between YLs and Adults and
Implications/Comments
Stage 3: Poster Activity Poster presentation
YLs like
YLs are
YL can
Stage 4: Analysis of
Teachers Books
Ts evaluate how Teachers Books are adapted
for Yls
Homework: Reading and
note-taking
Reading Halliwell
Notes: differences between adults and YL


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Tutor Notes: Stage 1

Aim: Warmer and beginning of reflection
Handouts: Materials Page 1 (spider mobile) or a similar activity
Materials: card; crayons; string; scissors, straws; and glue
Time: +/- 15 minutes
Procedure:
1) Explain that they are about to do a fairly typical activity common in
YL classes
2) Set up small groups to make mobile as per Materials Page 1
3) Possible tasks to set for reflection either while they are making
mobiles or to discuss after activity (as in Vale and Feunteun: Focus
on instructional language).

For teachers who have never taught YLs before
What did you find easy, difficult?
Could you do this activity with your Adult students? Why? Why not?
What makes this activity particularly suitable for YLs?

For more experienced YL teachers
In addition to the above, they could also consider some additional
questions such as:
What language did you use during activity that could be taught to YLs?
What age groups could manage this kind of activity?
Would you make changes for these different groups?

If trainees are going to work through the session on their own, they could
do the activity with a colleague for added input or alternatively they could
simply read Materials Page 1 and the above questions and write their
answers down. A suggestion is that they write all their answers throughout
the course in a book which then becomes their reflection journal.

Whichever way they do it, it would be wise for them to come to you and
briefly discuss their answers before moving on.








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Tutor Notes: Stage 2

Aim: Discussion stage to encourage participants to draw some
conclusions from Stage 1 and other Adult/YL experience
they have had
Handouts: Materials Page 2 (grid)
Materials: Cards with prompts (Starting on Materials Pages 4)
Time: +/- 30 minutes
Procedure:
1) Divide prompt cards around the group. Encourage participants to
discuss each card in terms of three categories in grid (Materials
Page 2), i.e. Aspect, Main differences between YLs and Adults and
Implications/Comments
2) Feedback as a whole group (See Answer Key 1 for ideas for
completing grid)

If trainees are going to work through the session on their own, they could
simply be given the handout to brainstorm and then sit down with the tutor
for a short session where they discuss the answers (See Answer Key 1 for
some suggested answers)























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Tutor Notes: Stage 3

Aim: To encourage trainees to apply the above principles to
the YL language classroom and consider concrete
implications of same
Handouts: Materials Page 11 and 12
Materials: A3 paper and coloured pens, blutack
Time: +/- 15 mins
Procedure:

1) Trainees work in groups. Each group has an A3 sheet with one of the
following prompts:
Young Learners need...
Young Learners are...
Young Learners like...
Young Learners can...
See Materials Page 11 for an example
2) Groups spend +- 5/10 minutes brainstorming each category before
displaying them around the room, reading each others and adding
anything they feel their colleagues have left out
3) See Materials Page 12 for an alternative way of setting up the
brainstorm. This could be given to trainees as an alternative to doing
the above activity if you are short of time.
(This activity was originally seen in a session run by Janet Sinclair from IH
Braga)

If trainees are going to work through the session on their own, they can do
the activity on their own first before comparing it with Materials Page 12.















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Tutor Notes: Stage 4

Aim: Initial sensitisation to strengths and weaknesses of
coursebooks and the Teachers Book and encouraging
participants to start thinking about the implications for
planning of the principles discussed above
Handouts: None
Materials: Teachers Book for coursebooks that trainees are likely
to be using or are familiar with. It is probably
unrealistic to look at more than 2 coursebooks during
such a short slot
Time: +/- 15 mins
Procedure:

1) Trainees sit in pairs each pair has one of the Teachers Books for
the coursebooks they will be using in Teaching Practice
The task to set them is as follows:
Which of the principles in Stage 2 are catered for in the
Teachers Notes?
What else will you need to consider from the principles
weve discussed so far when working through the
coursebook?
Early finishers could be encouraged to start thinking about how they
might apply the principles.

Tutor Notes: Homework

Aim: Encourage trainees to reflect further on what was
covered in the session and to get them thinking about
why they are doing the training course
Handouts: Materials Page 13
Materials: Reading from Susan Halliwell, Teaching English in the
Primary Classrooom, pgs 3-8 (Longman) Not included
Time: +/- 15 mins
Procedure:

Trainees are given handout with blank grid and reading to do before the
next day of input. We suggest they first do the reading and then complete
the grid. See Answer Key 2 for suggested answers to the grid. Feedback
to this activity could be done at the start of the next day of input.



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Bibliography

Halliwell, Susan. 1992. Teaching English in the Primary Classroom. Harlow:
Longman
Vale, David and Feunteun, Anne. 1995. Teaching Children English: A training
course for teachers of English to children. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press
















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Materials Page 1


Page 139 of Teaching Children English by David Vale and
Anne Feunteun (Cambridge University Press).



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Materials Page 2

ASPECT MAIN DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN TEACHING ADULTS
AND YOUNGER LEARNERS
IMPLICATIONS
Behaviour







Requirements
of Learning
Environment




Ability to
Decipher
Meaning


Cognitive
Ability



Energy
Levels/Moods



Social Skills




Concentration
/ Attention
Span


Memory










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Materials Page 3

Motor Skills
Development



Importance
of Creativity
and
Imagination

Reading and
Writing



Direct vs.
Indirect
Learning


Motivation




Interests




Learning
Styles and
Expectations


Pronunciation




Attitude to
Error



Attitude to
Accuracy /
Fluency



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Materials Page 4


concentration/
attention span


13
Memory
Motor skills
development
cognitive ability


14
Energy levels/
moods
Social skills
Behaviour


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requirements of
learning
environment
ability to
decipher meaning
pronunciation


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Attitude to error
attitude to
accuracy/fluency
motivation


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Interests
learning styles
and expectations
importance of
creativity and
imagination


18
reading and
writing
direct v indirect
learning







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Materials Page 11









Young Learners
Need...




















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Materials Page 12
CHILDREN AS LANGUAGE LEARNERS

are... need... like... can...
-tactile and
energetic

-curious
-support and
encouragement

-as much
opportunity to use
L2 as possible
-to move about


-using their
imagination
-deal with chunks
of language
-get bored easily
-relatively
uninhibited

-sensitive to
peer pressure
-variety of pace,
focus, interaction
-to relate English
to their real lives
-being active


-a balance of
familiar &
unfamiliar
activities

-retain things
that are
memorable
-acquire language
we dont teach
them
-enthusiastic


-only able to
concentrate for
a short period of
time

-imaginative and
creative

-interested in
the product &
not always the
process
-to learn social
skills, e.g.
cooperation
-to be motivated



-to feel at ease in
the classroom
-games, chants,
rhymes, stories
and songs



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- concerned with
meaning








-not necessarily
self-motivated







-all different









The above handout was designed by Janet Sinclair by IH
Braga


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Materials Page 13

On the basis of what was said in the session and your
reading and experience, complete the following statements in
at least 5 different ways. Be prepared to justify your
answers.

Children learn English
because...
Adults learn English
because...
I (am going to) teach
English to children
because...

















































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Answer Key 1
MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADULT LEARNERS
AND YOUNGER LEARNERS

CONCENTRATION/ATTENTION SPAN
Adults have longer concentration spans than YLs who can be easily
distracted. However, YLs may be more willing than adults to concentrate
for longer periods of time with certain activities e.g. games. This is an issue
which needs to be addressed at the planning stage.

COGNITIVE ABILITY
Adults are better able to deal with abstract concepts regarding language
as they have a more developed sense of how their own language works. YLs
use their first language but may not be aware of the rules. This has
implications for the way we deal with language e.g. grammar in the lessons.

MEMORY
Younger Learners are learning a lot about the world and as a result tend to
learn more quickly but also forget quickly. Adults may have more developed
memory skills and learning strategies at their disposal. The implications of
this are that we need to make language memorable e.g. By using pictures,
movement and we need to constantly recycle language and build this into
our lessons as a regular feature.

MOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
YLs are in the process of learning skills e.g. motor skills, reading skills
which Adult learners have already developed. The implication of this is that
we cant expect them to cope with doing a lot of copying/writing. We can
also use activities which help students to develop motor skills e.g. cutting,
sticking.

LEARNING STYLES
The learning styles of YLs are quite different from adults. They learn by
doing or experiencing and this needs to be catered for in our teaching.
Some ways of catering for this are to incorporate lots of activities with
movement or involving touching etc. We can also base our lessons on
learning about other subjects.



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SOCIAL SKILLS
YL also need to learn skills which are non-linguistic, such as behaviour and
socialization which adults have already acquired and this means that there
is a higher educational responsibility involved in the teaching of YLs.

Activities should foster co-operation as well as competition and we should
consider other skills apart from linguistic skills when planning.

BEHAVIOUR
YLs are used to being told how to behave and having rules set and will
expect the teacher to enforce discipline in class. The implications of this
are that we need to establish good classroom management and routines
from the outset and make students aware of this.

REQUIREMENTS OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Having a learning environment which is both secure and familiar is essential
with YLs whereas for adults it is a contributing factor and as a teacher we
need to take the responsibility for this.

ENERGY LEVELS/MOODS
YLs have varying energy levels and moods and this is a fundamental feature
of the YL classroom. We need to consider how to address this at a planning
level and channel this energy for a positive effect. It also means we need
to be much more flexible when planning lessons.

ABILITY TO DECIPHER MEANING
YLs tend to be more holistic as learners and more tolerant of ambiguity.
This means that we can expose them to lots of language so long as the input
is comprehensible. However, unlike adult learners, they are less likely to
question if meaning is not clear so it is essential that meaning is made
crystal clear and checked constantly. It should always be related to their
realm of experience.

PRONUNCIATION
YLs tend to be good at mimicking and often have good pronunciation
whereas adult learners may find it difficult to identify and produce sounds
which do not exist in their first language. This has both advantages and
disadvantages they can pronounce things well but may not necessarily
understand what they say so we need to be sure that meaning is constantly
reinforced.



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ATTITUDE TO ERROR
YLs are often less inhibited than adult learners and are less worried about
making mistakes and this may make learning more stressful for adults. Its
essential therefore that we encourage risk taking and experimenting in L2
and dont over- correct.

ATTITUDE TO ACCURACY/FLUENCY
YLs tend to value communication over accuracy whereas adults may be more
aware of the importance of accuracy and therefore put more effort into
achieving this goal. The implication of this is that we need to create a
reason or motivation for being accurate e.g. giving points. However,
communication should be encouraged whenever possible.

MOTIVATION
Adults motivation and purpose for learning English is usually tangible and
personally imposed whereas with YLs the decision to study English is
externally imposed and as a result they may need to be motivated by the
learning experience itself. The implication of this is that we need to make
learning fun and enjoyable.

INTERESTS
YLs have very different interests to adults and very different
expectations of learning and classroom atmosphere (though this may
change as the YLs get older) and we should cater for this in our selection
of topics, activities, materials. YLs respond well when learning is made fun,
physical and visual.

IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION
These play a large role in YLs lives and overall development and should be
stimulated in the language classroom, both as part of this development and
as a way of making lessons more motivating. Activities such as creating
stories, animals etc work well here.

READING AND WRITING
These are skills which an adult learner has already developed and as
language teachers our main aim is to encourage transference of existing
strategies. Depending of the age and stage of development of the YL these
skills may or may not have already been acquired. It is essential that we are
aware of the stage at which our learners are at in their first language so
that we dont interfere with the teaching of these skills. We also need to


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take this into consideration when selecting/devising tasks so that we select
within students capabilities.


DIRECT vs. INDIRECT LEARNING
In general, Adults tend to want to understand how language works and
enjoy/expect to learn through formal explanation or study. They actively
set about learning a language and are able to use the cognitive strategies
at their disposal. YLs on the other hand tend to acquire language more
unconsciously or indirectly through exposure. Ideally, a blend of both
styles is required (both for adults and YLs) but this may only be possible as
the child develops the necessary skills for direct learning. These are
generally undeveloped in primary school children.

















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Answer Key 2

The following notes could form part of feedback to the
homework activity

Why do children learn English?
- Curiosity inspired by the media and friends
- Parental pressure
- Pleasure of playing with new sounds
- School pressure
- Challenge of a new way of speaking

Why do adults learn English?
- For work
- For love
- For a hobby
- For travel
- For promotion

Why do you/will you teach English to children?
- Decision from above
- I like English
- A plus for my career
- I like children
- I can get a better school
- I could use my English


The above are Vale & Feunteuns suggested answers but they
could easily be added to.