Table of Contents

Module 3: Overview ....................................................................................................................... 2

Module 3: Task 1 – Video Lecture .................................................................................................. 4
Video 1 Script ............................................................................................................... 6
Video 2 Script ............................................................................................................... 8
Module 3: Task 2 – Read Articles ................................................................................................. 10
Article 1: Incorporating Opportunities for Interaction and Sharing ........................... 11
Article 2: Get Up and Sing! Get Up and Move! Using Songs and Movement with Young
Learners of English ..................................................................................................... 14
Module 3: Task 3 – Self-Assessment Quiz ................................................................................... 26
Module 3: Task 4 – Activity Share #1: Listening and Speaking Activites ...................................... 27
Module 3: Task 4 – Discussion Board ................................................................................ 28
Activity Share Template ............................................................................................. 31
Module 3: Task 5 – Module Reflection Quiz ................................................................................ 32
Module 3: Wrap-up ...................................................................................................................... 33

© 2019 by George Mason University. Module 3 Packet for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department
of State and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except
where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Module 3: Overview

Teaching Listening and Speaking

"A mouse saved her young from a ferocious cat by barking 'bow-wow.' After the cat ran away, the
mouse said to her offspring 'See, children, it pays to know a second language.'" - Efstathiadis

What a great story! It shows the power of being able to speak another language. Even if you only
know one word, you can achieve your goal if you speak that word correctly in the right context.
We want to inspire our young learners to build oral communication skills in English. We can start
with fun activities like storytelling and singing that will build their listening and speaking skills.
Eventually we want to encourage real communication. The goal is to help our young learners be
good listeners and speakers in English. Let's start Module 3!



"Untitled" by Tim Gouw via Unsplash licensed under CC0

The purpose of this module is to look at some basic principles behind the teaching of listening and
speaking as well as specific techniques and activities for young learners. You will explore activities
that provide a meaningful context in which new language, content, and culture can be taught,
including TPR, songs, rhymes, chants, and storytelling. You will also look at ways to make input
comprehensible and check comprehension. In addition, you will learn aspects of vocabulary
building and pronunciation work while building communicative abilities of students.

Module 3 Dates: April 29 - May 5, 2019

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Objectives:

By the end of the module, you will be able to

• describe the ways in which we communicate orally and the different skills involved with
speaking and listening
• discuss ways in which the teacher can make listening input comprehensible as well as how
to check comprehension through various techniques
• describe the rationale behind the use of songs, rhymes, chants, and storytelling to teach
listening and speaking to YLs
• share different listening and speaking activities/strategies that work well with young
learners
• develop effective activities for teaching vocabulary and pronunciation

Module 3 Task List:

The module should take 3.5-5 hours to complete. Do the following tasks in this order by the end
of the week:

Task 1: Watch Module 3: Video Lecture(30 minutes)

Task 2: Read two articles (1-2 hours)

Task 3: Take Self-Assessment Quiz (30 minutes)

Task 4: Submit Module 3: Assignment - Activity Share #2: Listening and Speaking Activities
(1-2 hours) (optional)

Task 5: Take Module Reflection Quiz (30 minutes)

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Module 3: Task 1 - Video Lecture (30 minutes)

The video lecture has been divided into 2 parts:

• Video 1: Keep Listening Active

This video will help you understand the listening process and importance of keeping listening
active. It will give you ideas for listening tasks to keep your young learners active while listening.

• Video 2: Get Young Learners Talking

This video will give you some useful suggestions for encouraging your young learners to talk more
in class. These include avoiding explicit error correction and teaching them to use classroom
language.

Video 1: Keep Listening Active

Link to YouTube

Click here for a PDF of the script for Video 1.

Video 2: Get Young Learners Talking

Link to YouTube

Click here for a PDF of the script for Video 2.

Additional video resources (optional):

These videos will provide you more teaching ideas for promoting listening and speaking in the
young learner classroom.
This content is copyrighted, and cannot be adapted in any way, or distributed after the end of this
course. It is not Public Domain or Creative Commons-licensed, and therefore not for public use.
Please do not save a copy for your personal use, and do not use it after the course ends.

Using Puppets with Very Young Learners

Strategies: Encouraging speaking and interaction with very young learners.
Link to YouTube

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The Peanut Butter and Jelly Song
Strategies: Teaching vocabulary with realia, singing with movement, American culture
Link to YouTube

The Weather Song

Strategies: Singing with movement, practice vocabulary through meaningful repetition
Link to YouTube

Tips for Using Songs to Teach English

This webinar provides many tips for using songs to teach English, such as using recyclable
materials to make instruments and using gestures effectively to teach the language in songs.
Link to YouTube

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 Module 3: Task 1 – Video 1 Script
Video 1 – Keep Listening Active

Hi, English Teachers! Let’s talk about teaching listening. Before we begin, let’s warm up our minds
and think about how much listening we do. Do you think you listen more than you speak? Do you
listen more than you read or write? What do you think?

According to Morley, “On average, we can expect to listen twice as much as we speak, four times
more than we read, and five times more than we write.” In our lives, listening is an important skill
that we need to focus on.

In English classes for young learners there is an enormous amount of listening. It is the main
source of communication for instruction between teacher and young learners. In fact, the main
source of listening input is the teacher with instructions and demonstrations. Therefore, teachers
of young learners have to be very conscious about their approach to giving students listening
input.

Also keep in mind, children are not only learning to listen but also listening to learn. Not only do
they need to prepare for the listening activities in the book or materials they use in class. They
have to prepare all the language they will use. This means classroom language.

We do not always take the time to prepare our classroom language carefully. We should prepare
our speech very carefully for our young learners. Prepare your instructions or explanations in
short, understandable language. Use simple words and phrases, and always be ready to repeat
and rephrase when needed.

Sometimes people think listening is a passive skill. You can’t see if someone is listening by looking
at them. However, there is nothing passive about listening! It is an interpretive skill. As language
teachers, we have to find ways to make listening active in the classroom and be sure our students
understand what they are listening to and find ways to check their comprehension.

So, how can we make children’s listening more active? One way is to check comprehension with a
variety of response types.

Let’s brainstorm! Get a piece of paper and a pen to write down your ideas. So, what can young
learners do to show their comprehension during or after listening? I’ll give you 10 seconds to
write some ideas down.

Time’s up! If you want more time, just pause the video. Here is what I wrote down.

Listen and…
• point
• move
• raise your hand
• perform actions
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 • color
• draw
• make

For example, you are teaching the parts of the body. Students can listen and point to a body part.
“Point to your feet, Point to your eyes. Point to your head.” Sometimes you can make it more fun
by giving students a partner, and they can point to their partner’s body parts. “Point to your
friend’s head. Point to your friend’s feet!” You could also have students listen and draw a crazy
animal. You can say “Draw a small square body. Draw a big round head. Draw one big eye. Draw
two big arms. Draw 4 small legs. Draw one small mouth.” Then have students show you their
picture. It’s a fun way to make listening active.

Remember: Always give your young learners a listening task. Every listening activity should give
young learners a purpose for listening and better yet, a task to complete. All too often teachers
will say “Listen to this,” and then sing a song or play a tape without giving learners a task or a
reason to listen. Young learners have short attention spans and can’t always focus themselves on
a learning activity. Instead teachers should say “Listen and …” then fill in the blank with an
appropriate task.

For example, a teacher could ask students to listen, then point to the correct picture with three
pictures of different contexts to choose from. If the students know they must point to the correct
picture after listening, then they will pay attention to the listening in order to figure out which
picture is right. It will focus them on the listening and make them more active in the listening
process.
Now you know how to keep listening active. Always give your young learners a task. Remember
to tell them to listen and… do something to show they understand. And don’t forget, prepare
your classroom language carefully. Your students are not just learning to listen. They are listening
to learn.

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 Module 3: Task 1 – Video 2 Script
Video 2 – Get Young Learners Talking

Hi, English Teachers! Do you want your students to talk more in English? They have to feel
comfortable and confident first. If not, it will be very difficult to encourage them to speak out.
The key is to make your classroom atmosphere fun, interesting, and motivating for them. For very
young learners under 7 years old, you can use songs, chants, and simple games to encourage
them to practice speaking. As young learners get older, you may have to help them become more
confident to use English in the classroom.

Here is a question for you about promoting good oral communication. True or False: Teachers
should correct students’ errors explicitly. For example, a student says: “Yesterday I goed to the
zoo.” You correct him by saying, “Not goed! Went! Repeat after me: Yesterday I went to the zoo.”
So True or False? Teachers should correct students’ errors explicitly.

It's false! It is not good to correct individual young learners explicitly. It can be embarrassing, and
it is not effective if you want to promote more speaking in class. Speaking activities should be
meaning-focused, and teachers should create a comfortable atmosphere that encourages
students to speak out. One useful tip is: Don’t correct students’ errors explicitly.

Another tip is to promote student use of classroom language. You can teach students useful
chunks of language that they can use often in class. For example,

• I don’t understand.
• Can you repeat that?
• What page is it?
• I have a question.
• I need help, please.
• What does that mean?
• How do you say ____ in English?

In order to encourage students to use more classroom language, you can make posters with the
expressions you want them to use. Then when the situation comes up in class, you can point to
the poster and show them the phrase.

For example, maybe the students asked you to repeat the instructions in your native language.
You can say, “Please ask me in English.” Then point to the poster. You can say, “Can you repeat
that please?” Or maybe a student wants to know how to say a word in English. Maybe they want
to know the English word for “Por favor.” Then say, You can ask How do you say “Por favor” in
English?

Teaching classroom language will help your students talk more in English. You can make a few
posters and put them on your classroom wall. If you don’t have you own classroom, you can put
them up at the beginning of class and then take them down at the end.

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These two tips can help you make a comfortable English speaking environment in your classroom.
Don’t correct errors explicitly and teach your students to use classroom language. Your young
learners will become more confident to speak out. Try it, and you’ll see!

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Module 3: Task 2 - Read Articles (1-2 hours)

"Woman with blue nails reading ipad" by Anna Demianenko is licensed under CC0

Read two articles published by American English:

Article 1: Incorporating Opportunities for Interaction and Sharing

The attention span of young learners is a lot shorter than that of older students. Young learners
need frequent opportunities to move around, take breaks, and interact. They also love to share
information about their lives and experiences. This article introduces simple ways to incorporate
interaction to your young learner lesson. The strategies described are Turn and Talk, Think-Pair-
Share, and Stand Up/Sit Down. They keep young learners moving and talking!
Source: Incorporating Opportunities for Interaction and Sharing. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2017,
from https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/sept_week_3_interaction_and_sharing_final.pdf

Article 2: Get Up and Sing! Get Up and Move! Using Songs and Movement with Young Learners
of English by Joan Kang Shin
Children love singing songs. They love saying chants in rhythm. They enjoy repeating phrases that
rhyme. They enjoy moving to the rhythm, clapping their hands, tapping their feet, and dancing to
the beat. Music and movement naturally connect to children's hearts, minds, and bodies.
Source: Shin, J. K. (2017). Get up and sing! Get up and move!: Using songs and movement with young learners of
English. English Teaching Forum, 55(2), 14-25. Retrieved July 27, 2017,
from https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/etf_55_2_p14-25.pdf

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Module 3: Task 3 – Self-Assessment Quiz (30 minutes)
This Self-Assessment Quiz is a great way to review what you have learned in Tasks 1 and 2. You
will be asked questions about the video(s) you watched as well as the readings. You can take
the quiz as many times as you want. Don't worry if you do not get a perfect score the first time.
You can just take it again! The goal is to help you review some of the important points from the
video(s) and readings.

You must earn 7 out of 10 points to unlock the next page in the module.

Note: The Self-Assessment Quiz can only be completed in Canvas. Please log in and answer the
questions there.

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Module 3: Task 4 - Activity Share #2: Listening and Speaking Activities
(1-1.5 hours) (optional)
Module 3 Assignment Topic: "Listening and Speaking Activities"

Once you have explored Tasks 1-3, you are ready to participate in an optional discussion board
activity. We have created four different discussion boards for you to select from based on
the primary grade level that you teach. You will post on only one discussion board. To start,
please click on the link below that matches your grade level and carefully read/follow
the directions on that discussion board.

• Click here if you primarily teach grades PK-K

• Click here if you primarily teach grades 1-2
• Click here if you primarily teach grades 3-4
• Click here if you primarily teach grades 5-6

This assignment will not appear in your grade records.

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Module 3: Task 4 – Discussion Board
Choose one discussion board to post: Grades PK-K, 1-2, 3-4, or 5-6

An "Activity Share" is an opportunity to share activities with your colleagues in this course. The
purpose is to share one idea and receive many others that you can use in the classroom.
Hopefully everyone will be able to learn new teaching ideas from each other and improve their
classroom practice.

"Group Discussion" by Ricinator via Pixabay is licensed under CC0

In this MOOC, unlimited participants will share a number of ideas in discussion boards. In order
to help everyone access relevant activities, you must code your MOOC discussion board posts.

When you post about your activity:

Provide information about your students’ grade and classroom size. Use these codes to help
your colleagues find your activity easily on the discussion board and vice versa.

Grade

GPK, GK, G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6

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Class Size

Small Class: 15 or less students

Medium Class: 16-30 students

Large Class: 31 or more students

Instructions:

1. Write a 200-500 word activity description:

Activity Share #2 Title: "My Favorite Listening Activity" or

"My Favorite Speaking Activity"

• Choose your favorite listening and/or speaking activity.

• It should exemplify the important aspects of teaching listening and speaking learned in
this module.
• Be sure you include the following:

Name:
Country:
Grade(s):
Class Size:

Activity Name:

Activity Description (200-500 words):

This activity is effective because...

Here are some steps to help you use this activity in your classroom:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

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Use the template to write your activity description:
Activity Share Template (PDF)
Activity Share Template (docx)

2. Post your listening and/or speaking activity. You can either attach the file you created using
the template or copy and paste what you have written directly into the discussion post. If you
attach the file, you will need to copy and paste your header (with the codes) into the discussion
post itself. If possible, post pictures or videos that go with your activity.

3. Search the discussion boards to learn about the listening and/or speaking activities of your
classmates. You can search by country or by grade level to find teachers who have things in
common with you. Please note: You will use what you find in Task 5 for your module reflection
quiz.

Click here for a PDF of the Coding and Searching Posts instructions.

A Word About Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is using someone else’s words instead of your own. In this course, you are expected
to use your own words and ideas, and to acknowledge any sources you use to gather ideas. You
must document all of your source material. If you take any text from somebody else, you must
make it clear the text is being quoted and where the text comes from. You must also cite any
sources from which you obtain numbers, ideas, or other material.

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 Module 3: Task 4 – Activity Share Template

Name:
Country:
Grade(s):
Class Size:

Activity Name:

Activity Description (200-500 words):

This activity is effective because…

Here are some steps to help you use this activity in your classroom:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

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Module 3: Task 5 – Module Reflection Quiz (30 minutes)
Write a one paragraph reflection on Module 3 (150-200 words). Read through some posts in
the Module 3: Task 4 Activity Share. Choose your favorite activity that you would like to use in
your classroom. Write one paragraph about the activity and why you would like to use it.

You will receive 10 points for successful completion and submission of this module reflection
quiz.

Note: The Module Reflection Quiz can only be completed in Canvas. Please log in and answer
the questions there.

Write a one paragraph reflection on Module 3 (150-200 words). Use the following as a template
and fill in the blanks. You can copy and paste the template into the text box below.

I found one new activity in Module 3 that I will use in my class. It is called (activity title)

______________. This activity was posted by (classmate’s name) __________ from (classmate’s

country) _________. This activity is designed for children in grade(s) ________. I like it because

(apply Module 3 content) ________________________________________________________.

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Module 3: Wrap-up
This is the end of Module 3! I hope that you learned some basic principles behind the teaching
of listening and speaking as well as specific techniques and activities for young learners. Look at
the checklist below, and make sure you completed all of the assignments for this week.

Checklist:

I watched two videos.

I read two articles.
I took the Self-Assessment Quiz.
I submitted my assignment called "Listening and Speaking Activities." (optional)
I took the Module Reflection Quiz.

In Module 4, you will learn about teaching reading and writing. Let’s move on! Get ready for
another exciting module!

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