Who are young learners?

may be anyone under the age of 18 using one term to cover such a diverse age range is unhelpful. between pre- and post-11 or 12 year olds huge differences in ‘physical, psychological, social, emotional, conceptual and cognitive development’ among children in these age groups, leading to very different approaches to teaching.

Children as language learners

Are already good at interpreting meaning without necessarily understanding the individual words; Already have great skill in using limited language creatively; Frequently learn indirectly rather than directly;

Take great pleasure in finding and creating fun in what they do; Have a ready imagination; Above all take great delight in talking!

Factors that affect children’s learning

Social Environmental Individual factors The quality of teaching in English language primary education

Social Factors : include such things as social class, which can affect children’s access to opportunities for learning, as well as the role of English in the learner’s society. Environmental factors : include the learner’s home background and aspects such as parents’ attitude to the language. Individual factors: include learners’ attitudes towards the language and their motivation to learn. the importance of age-appropriate teaching

TEACHERS

Teachers need a strong understanding of children’s social and cognitive development as well as a good understanding of theories of second language acquisition in order to teach effectively a child of three will be very different from a child of five or seven classroom approaches that are suitable for the latter will not be so for the former. Exm: teaching present perfect tense

Age- appropriate activities Make the lessons relaxed and fun Design creative lessons that get students moving around and speaking with one another (singing songs, active games) Provide lots of encouragement and positive feedback Create a safe, stress-free environment Keep exercises fun and short (students have short attention spans and are easily distracted)

Teach them to respond to basic classroom English phrases such as «please sit down.» Track individual and class progress Encourage students to try their best Create a constructive learning environment where students do not need to worry about making mistakes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pVkY5Ie-6I