PEN

Although I’m not a teacher of young learners, I am interested in how children learn languages, since my daughter is growing up in Japan. Last year, I interviewed a children’s EFL teacher and asked her a similar question. She replied that she uses phonics, a variety of materials, and doesn’t simplify her speech too much. You can read the interview Bilingual Babble from a Children’s EFL Teacher
Finally, congratulations on the progress you’re making on your blog!

MaryH

1. Toys!!!!! I bring lots of toys in the classroom, ask the children to choose one, give it a name and then go around the class with they soft toy and engage in conversation with the other toys!!! they have so much fun, especially when I tell them that the toys can only speak English! You should see how fluent they get out of the sudden!
2. Best Works Board – I have a board to post the students’ drwings, poems, toys, pictures, etc as “the bst of the week”! They are so proud to get to put something on that board! of course I have to make sure they all get the title of the best at least once amonth (it’s ok to cheat, right?)
3. Microphones!!! I bring in toy microphones and ask them to role play – they can be either journalists, or TV reporters from Nickolodeon , Cartoon Network, Disney, etc and get to interview other students or even teachers around school. try it – it will be so much fun!!!

Hi MaryH,

Thanks so much for the interview. I’ve absolutely enjoyed it and I’ve also took notes on parents involvement!

I believe there’s no reason to simplify L2 because children are excellent observers and mimics. Body language, intonation, gesture, facial expressions help children to convey meaning in their mother tongue.

Concerning your personal interest I’d like to add that I use drilling a lot! Children learn L1 by repetition and so must be done in L2, but in L2 teachers have to read children’s response to know when to stop.

Kind regards
Pat

Hi Daniela,

Thanks for sharing!

Love your microphone idea!
My kids usually enjoy role playing, but they’ve have never used a microphone… I guess we are missing a lot of fun.
we’ll surely give it a try!

Pat, thank you so much for your nice comment on the blog. And sorry for taking so long to answer… But yes, i’m also a PET teacher, and i also teach pre-schoolers… (3 to 10 year olds), in Lisbon. As for your 5 tips challenge, I’d like to add 2 to the growing list: lots and lots of TPR (i’m increasingly doing everything that relates to classroom management through TPR), and storytelling, which i think isone of the most sucessfull way of introducing new language to children: tell them stories and then act out the stories with them. What do you think?

Hi

You are absolutely right! TPR activities are essential and so are stories. It’s always a great way to engage them!