WORKING WITH YOUNG LANGUAGE LEARNERS
Teaching young learners requires knowledge of the child development. A primary teacher is now viewed as a highly-skilled professional who has the knowledge, skills, flexibility and sensitivities of a teacher both of children and of language, and one who is able to balance and combine the two successfully (Gail Ellis). Most problems encountered by teachers are due to a lack of understanding of children development and of the appropriate classroom management skills to deal with them. According to Halliwell (2004), there are six aspects that a teacher must consider. They are:
a) Children’s ability to grasp meaning
b) Children’s creative use of limited language resources
c) Children’s capacity for indirect learning
d) Children’s instinct for play and fun
e) The role of imagination
f) The instinct for interaction and talk
A) Children's ability to grasp meaning
Children are able to understand what is being said to them even before they understand the individual words. They are able to use intonation, gestures, facial expression to help unravel unknown words or phrase. Teacher could help to polish this ability by emphasizing on the importance of focusing on the nonverbal communication skill.
B) Children's creative use of limited language resources
Children have the ability to use creative forms of language to express themselves due to the limited knowledge and vocabulary that they have. Using games in classroom will exploit this skill and creativity especially games that focuses on the need for communication.
C) Children's capacity for indirect learning
Acquisition of language takes place best when it is unconscious and indirect. Once again using games in classroom ensures that children will not be intimidated with the learning but rather focused on winning the game and solving the problem in hand, this make sure that learning takes place in an effective yet subtle manner.
D) Children's instinct for play and fun
Creating a fun based classroom with lots of games and play and not forgetting the learning content would work miracle in boosting children’s learning. This also means that children are learning indirectly and unconsciously.
E) The role of imagination
Language teaching should be concerned with real life. But it would be a great pity if we were so concerned to promote reality in the classroom that we forgot that reality for children includes imagination and fantasy. They are able to relive the reality in a fantasy world. Thus using stories such as fairy tales would bring their learning the world they are familiar with.
F) The instinct for interaction and talk
This is the most important attributes among others. Language learning is all based on the ability to interact. It is the most powerful and obvious means of applying the language. It is also the best way in receiving feedback and assessing children's ability.
Recognizing that children have different needs has led to the development of effective teaching methodologies which take into account children's creativity, love of play, songs, rhymes and role play. These methodologies also take account of children's limitations; short attention span, cognitive development, learning styles and their own special areas of interest. Thus classrooms have become more learner-centered and child friendly.
