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Ten Helpful Ideas for Teaching English to Young Learners

            Teaching English to Young learners <TEYL> has become its own field of  study as the age of compulsory English education has become lower and lower in countries around the world. This article contains some helpful ideas to incorporate into TEYL classroom.

            The ideas given below can be applied to learners ranging from approximately 5 to 12 years old and can be used for various proficiency levels. There are 10 ideas:

1.      Supplement activities with visuals, realia, and movement. This popular method can be used as technique with storytelling and with songs that teach language related to any kind of movement or physical action. Children have fun with movement, and the move fun for students, the better they will remember the language learned.

2.      Involve students in making visuals and realia. One way to make the learning more fun is to involve students in the creation of the visual or realia.

3.      Move from activities to activity. For young students, from age 5 to 10 especially, it is a good idea to move quickly from activity to activity. Do not spend more time in any activity.

4.      Teach in theme. Teachers should teach students from their planning.

5.      Use stories and contexts familiar to students. The contexts that are use when teaching English, which may be a completely new and foreign language, should be contexts that are familiar to them.

6.      Establish classroom routines in English. Young learners function well within a structured environment and enjoy repetition of certain routines and activities.

7.      Use L1 as a resource when necessary.  Teachers these days are mostly encouraged to teach English through English. Sometimes students can express comprehension of English in their native language.

8.      Bring in helpers from community. Collaborate with others who are studying English, studying to be English teachers, or who speak English well in order to expand the English learning community. Using helpers means taking extra time to communicate your expectation with the guest and working this special event into your lesson plan.

9.      Collaborate with other teachers in your school. Collaborate with other teachers in your school to make the learning experience richer for your students. Connect your lesson to the topics, activities, and stories your students are learning in their native language.

10.  Communicate with other TEYL professionals. TEYL professionals help keep your classroom fresh with new ideas and collaboration can help to construct new ideas and solutions to the common problems that teachers face.

All of the ideas given above stood out as some of the more helpful ideas for teaching EFL to young learners. These activities should prove helpful to all teachers of English to young learners.