ITRODUCTION
In order to teach a
foreign language to young learners who are at the age of 10 to 14, an
appropriate classroom environment which gives the students a remarkable comfort
and a desire to learn is the first step to
keep an eye on.
The researcher summarizes
this thought nicely:
Imagine a clasroom which is designed properly
according to the children’s visual,auditory and other senses that address to
their attention to learn not in a strict learning environment in which language
is overgeneralized,forms are taken into consideration too much and prescriptive
expressions are oftenly used,but to learn in an appropriate developmental
practice which gives children automaticity,meaningful learning,self confidence
and intrinsic motivation to keep the dynamics of the classroom with the
activities which are also relevant to children’s previous knowledge.This is the
environment in which children especialy at the age of 10 to14 are capable of
learning and even acquiring a foreign language.
David Nunan(1991,p.228)
stated that “…the focus in recent years has been on the development of
classroom tasks and activities which are consonant with what we know about
second language acquisition,and which are also in keeping with the dynamics of
the classroom itself” which means that rote learning is not a successful
language learning principle to be applied.
Appropriate developmental
practice or as the most commonly used,”developmentally appropriate practice”
means that the teaching strategies used and classroom activities planned for
young children match their developmental needs and characteristics.Chidren
should have experiences that allow them to feel competent as learners and these
activities and experiences must be challenging enough to ensure that they are
learning.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Planning to meet
children’s needs requires information about them which means teachers and
especially the ELT students(as the main part of the study) should know their
students just like they know their own children.If you are working in a
kindergarten setting as a language teacher,you know that most five year olds
are curious,active,social,spontaneous and egocentric.When you plan for
kindergartens,organize language activities that keeps them busy,spark their
creativity and cognitive minds and you shoud also provide social experiences which are utmost important during children’s
second language acquisition.This lesson planning stage is also important for
teachers as well as it is important for students.Richards(1998) suggests that lesson
plans help the teacher think about the lesson in advance to “resolve problems
and difficulties,to provide a structure for lesson,to provide a map for the
teacher to follow,and to provide a record of what has been taught”(p.103).Beyond
that,you need to know individual children.For example,Martin is six,but he may
be shy,reversed,quiet,intelligent in his approach to second language
learning,quite unlike his peers.As Martin’s teacher,you plan activities to
enhance his capacity for learning.When you plan for children,look at all
aspects of children’s development,taking into account individual differences.Once
the classroom is arranged and planned according to the way they learn, individual
differences and the barriers which impede children’s learning process will be
dissolved.
PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The purpose of this study is to reveal in what rate ELT students know about
arranging the classroom for children’s(10-14 years old) needs for foreign
language teaching.The study also aims at seeing that what the particular ELT
students think about children’s needs for foreign language teaching,and it also
gives importance to the new ideas and thoughts of these particular ELT
students.
Research
Questions
- What are the best ways of planning for childrens needs
according to the knowledge and ideas of successful students of ELT?
- What are the best practices in classrooms according to the
knowledge and ideas of successful students of ELT?
- In what ways should the classroom environment be planned
according to the knowledge and ideas of successful students of ELT?
METHOD
Materials
A questionnaire which consists 30
questions about particular areas of language learning will be given or posted
to the most successful students in ELT department of AIBU and some other
universities. As another part of the study,some successful ELT students will be
interviewed and their explanations about what the role of the language
teachers should be will be recorded and evaluated.
THE RESULT OF THE STUDY
The result of the study that is gained
according to the procedures above are evaluated in three headlines below:Planning
for Childrens needs,Practices in Classrooms,Planning the Classroom Environment.Each
headline is subdivided into different subheadings.
A. PlannIng for ChIldren’s Needs
Planning for children’s
needs means focusing on all developmental domains,including physical(classroom
which gives the children the opportunity to learn second language with movement
and physical activities),social and emotional(classroom in which interaction
with others takes place),intellectual or cognitive(being challenged to
learn),and creative(self expression).
As you plan for
children’s second language learning,consider all aspects of children’s
developments,including:
Ø
Providing
activities that promote success in the classroom
Ø
Encouraging
important social and emotional skills which are essential to lifelong physical
and mental health (in order to teach communicative goals which are achieved by
giving due attention.)
Ø
Developing
age appropriate expressive experiences(Students who are at the age of 10 to 14
are to be thought the second language according to their age.In this stage the
vocabulary they know in their native language and the grammatical usages they
apply in their daily native language should be taken into consideration)
Ø
Allowing
exploration and discovery to ensure that learning is meaningful,long term and
relevant as Richards&Renandya states”Meaningful learning will lead toward
better long term retention”(p.12).
Create diverse lesson
plans that meet many of the children’s needs,interest and abilities.While reading
an unreadable part of a book may not hold the interest of all the
children,reading about lions(or any other animal that the children are
interested in),then roaring like a lion and imitating the other moves of that
animal keep the lesson alive and the children engaged.An observant teacher
should know what children need and what your plan needs accordingly.
B. Best PractIces In CLASSROOMS
The principles that guide
best practices include:
Ø
Developing
topics of study that are relevant to the children you teach
Ø
Allowing them
choices as much as possible
Ø
Limiting
large group experiences
Ø
Providing
activities that meet childrens developmental needs
Ø
Using centers
and center play for child directed play and instructional purposes
Ø
Developing
hands-on activities that allow children to work directly with objects and
materials in their environment.
Ø
Utilizing
individualized instruction as often as possibe
Ø
Planning
activities that offer multi level challenges for children.Some children may
learn later than other,so in order to keep the classroom together the
difficulty of the topics can be lowered for these children while the children
who have no difficulty can do the exercises in the original form.There are two
ways available fort his:Tiered and Bias Task.(check appendix A to see the
examples)
Strategies to use in a young learners classroom are mentioned below.
B.1 Center Choices
Children need opportunities for making choices every day.Decision making
skills are developed as children decide which center to visit.That means
learning to select activities and staying with a choice offer important
lessons.Center Choices also include ‘Learner styles’.The term ‘learning style’
is used to describe a learner’s natural,habitual,and preferred way of
absorbing,processing,and retaining new information and skills(Reid 1995)In
other words,young learners of a foreign language must be able to decide which
activity is more useful to them according to their level.For instance:If a 10
year old child cannot memorise and call out the new words of a foreign language
by reading the vocabulary list he/she must come to a level that he/she is able
to divert the activity into a matching exercise so that the student can see the
the foreign vocabulary and notice their native language equivalents and match
them in order to learn in a more efficient way.As a second example which
supports the idea that the teacher is also responsible for this action:If a 12
year old student who is in the 6th grade can learn new vocabulary only kinesthetically
and visually,the lesson plan which aims at teaching abstract words can be
diverted the way this kind of students can learn.In order to do that the second
language word “justice” can be written on a piece of paper and a scale of law
can be drawn to represent the word so that the student can hold the piece of
paper,see the spelling and the picture and then learn it according to his/her
own learning preference.
B.2 Instructional Centers
While centers provide opportunities for child directed play,some may be
designed for specific instructional purposes.For example,while reading a
beginner exercise book children should be thought how to obey the instructions
because of the fact that it is not an oral activity to be told with movement or
gestures in the first stage.
B.3 Discovery Centers
Set up special tables in the classroom to display
materials that attract children to the topics thay might be otherwise overlooked.For
example,placing animals on one table and asking children to put them on
different tables by calling their names in the target language according to
their kinds allows children to observe and find out the animals and understand
their names in the target language on their own.
B.4
Group (or Circle) Times
Limit large group time.Presenting lessons early in
the morning when children are fresh allows them to absorb information more
easily.Keeping activities within lessons short(about 20 minutes) and to the
point helps children gain maximum knowledge in a minimum of
time.Overall,lessons should take no longer than 20-30 minutes.Vary activities
within the lesson to accomodate children’s needs across developmental domains.
B.5
Hands-On Experiences
Focus on hands-on
activities that allow children to safely touch,taste,smell,and look closely at
objects that are topics of classroom discussions.”Hands-on Experiences are defined as any activities that allow the student to handle, manipulate
or observe their process" (Lumpe & Oliver, 1991, p. 345).For example,if the fruits are the topic,try to bring some fruits to the
class for children to touch and smell.Cutting and tasting the fruits while
repeatin their names in the target language is more fun and engaging for
children than simply looking at a pictures of them.Hands-on experiences offer
powerful learning opportunities. Lumpe&Oliver(1991)
also state that Hands-on teaching can be differentiated from lectures and
demonstrations by the central criterion that students interact with materials
to make observations, but the approach involves more than mere activity and the
assumption is that direct experiences with natural phenomena will provoke
curiosity and thinking.
After children process
in terms of second anguage learning with Hands-On Experiences “students probe,
collect, and analyze data; draw conclusions; and ask new questions"
(Bruder, 1993, p.
23).
(For more information
about Hands-On Experiences,see Appendix B)
B.6
Projects
Projects typically require several days or even
weeks to complete.They of course accompany and relate to a topic and to
childrens interests.Examples include building a fire truck during a
transportation theme,constructing a farm
in the sandbox when learning about live-stock.
B.7 Word
Walls
Word walls are permanent collections of second language
vocabulary items and grammatical rules that are meaningful to children.Word
walls may be on chalkboard,on charts or on large pieces of paper.As themes are
introduced to children,write down words that accompany the themes to help
children understand the meanings.Diane-Larsen Freeman(1986)stated that “Posters
displaying grammatical information about the target language are hung around
the room in order to take advantage of student’s peripheral learning”
B.8 Big Books
Big boks are oversized children’s books that are
designed for use with groups of children.The pages,pictures and the prints are
large.When you use big books,run your hands under the print to hep children use
specific words and understand the meaning.Because of the fact that young
learners are not familiar with standard books which are full of small
print,they have to be given the opportunity to start from big books whose print
is larger than normal in order to get used to learning the second language from
ordinary books.
B.9
Individualized Instruction
Working one-on-one with children in various
centers is the best way to approach and support their second language
learning.Individualized instruction is as simple as helping a child put a
puzzle together or sitting nearby an responding to children’s questions on how
to form a word in the target language.In inclusive classrooms,the need for
individualized instruction is critical.For instance,the teacher can show
children some cards on which letters are printed and then ask the students to
call out a word beginning with these letters.If some of them have difficulty of
finding a word beginning with ‘w’ the teacher can show the watch on his/her
wrist and help the students remember the word.
C. PlannIng the Classroom EnvIronment
The classroom environment is the child’s home away
from as well as the learning environment.The classroom must be warm and
inviting and packed with learning opportunities for the children as they learn
new concepts and practice developing ones.Set up classroom that:
Ø are visually appealing
Ø offer choices to all children
Ø have logically arranged centers
Ø are safe places to learn
C.1 Visual Appeal
Every classroom should offer an appealing work environment for you and an
enticing learning environment for children.Use natural light from windows as
much as possible and reduce the overhead lights.Lively colors within the
classromms will add a warm healty glow to your classroom.Add
decorations,including children’s work and charts around the classroom for
display and to reinforce skills.Remember to place these displays at the
childrens eye level.You may need to change the light bulbs in you classroom if
the glare interferes with children’s learning.
Walk around your classroom on your knees to see what children see.You may
be surprised that they have a different view of the room.You also want the
classroom to be pleasant to other adults,hang it at a level appropriate for them.Hanging
things from the ceiling can be eye appeaing to children as they scan the total
environment,but it is out of their line of sights as they work in the
classroom.Hang appropriate items from the ceiling such as rules and directions.
C.2 Offer a Choice to All Children
In planning the layout of the classroom it is important to designate palces
for large,small and individual activities.The area for large group gatherings
may include a cart or shelf.This is where you can keep your daily and weekly
plans,folders for observational notes,and materials for the group lesson.The
children will sit on the floor in this arge group area,so displays and charts
should be at their seated eye level.The space should be large enough for each
child in the group to stand or sit without touching or bumping other
children.Keep this large group free of tables,chairs,open shelves,and anything
else that may hinder children from participating in group activities.
Small group areas can be situated within activity centers or in portions of
the large group area.Organize activity centers so that the children will have a
choice of activities.The total number places in the activity centers should be
at least one and one-half times the number of children in the cassroom.For
example if there are 16 students in your class,plan to have 24 possible places
for children to select.Each center should have a posted number of how many
particitatnt are allowed in that center,determined by the type of activity.For
example,the space in the block area may allow for four to six children,where
the Listening Center may ony allow for two to four children.Arrange all
materials in activity centers so they are easily accessable to all of the
children,including the ones who are limited in physical abilities by either
range of motion or size.Include all necessary materials in that center so the
children do not need to leave the center to get what they need.Shelves and
trays allow for easy access,neat organisation,and simple clean-up of the
materials.
Childre need time to learn with others and also time to learn alone.Many
children can work together in an activity center,but some children may wish to
have a space away from others to work on a Project,read a book,or just think.It
is important to plan for individual space for children.To meet ne needs of the
children in your classroom,you may need to set up both a quiet area with
pillows to comfort the child and a table/chair area where children can can work
on a difficult problem or puzzle.Not only is it important to provide for
individual learning areas,it is also important to provide an individual “home
base” area for each child,a place where each child has his/her own
space,whether a particular seat or rug on the floor or a cubby and a hook for
his/her excusive use.This gives each child ownership of a small place in the
classroom,a phycical spot that represents their belongings in the class.
C.3 Arrangement of Centers
When children are fully engaged in play,some centers are louder than
others.It is wise to seperate the noiser centers,such as the Listening Center,which
could be interrupted by the activity noise coming from the Block Center.Add or
remove materials from various centers as children grow in knowledge and
experience.
Planning your classroom environment provides you and the children with an
inviting place for learning.As you plan your classroom,lay out the centers on
paper prior to moving furniture.Do not be surprised if you need to shift some
centers around once you have seen the centers come alive with children and
learning opportunities.
C.4 Safety
Safety is always an important consideration in the early childhood.In order
to ensure a safety classroom to teach children a second language,examine class
materials and furniture every day.Remove any broken materials until they are
repaired or replaced.Teaching children how to use materials properly to learn
the second language will reduce the likelihood of broken materials and help you
to ensure that no harm will come to them.But accidents do happen.Observation
and monitoring keep children safe.
Maintaining visual contact with children is a must for asuuring their
safety,assessing their learning,and using inqury to develop their learning.Low
shelving and dividers between activity centers allow you to monitor all areas
of the classroom wherever you are located.
Traffic flow in the classroom is another important cansideration.Wide open
spaces invite large,active movement;smaller areas invite a more careful and
planned movement.Placing the large group area on one side or corner of a
classroom reduces the likelihood that children will run their way to other
center.Areas between activity centers must
be free of items that may be accidentally stepped on or tripped over.Define
activity areas by placing colored tape on the floor or rugs in the activity
center.
CONCLUSION
According
to the successful ELT students in the particular universities there is no doubt
that there are needs to take into consideration to teach children a second
language.For children’s(10-14 years old) second language acquisition,a classroom
environment that is away from rote learning is essential.In order to manage to
have such a classroom environment the teaching strategies and classroom
activities should match children’s developmental needs and characteristics
which help them understand the language.Projects,discovery
centers,individualized instructions and especially Hands-On Experiences an so
on are effective ways to have them process in terms of second language by using
visual work and having more than one
choices to help them feel comfortable and also to get them in a learning
environment.
ADVICES FOR
FURTHER REASEARCH
Ø The same procedures can be
applied to English language teachers in order to get their knowledge, beliefs
and experiences about the subject of Arranging the Classroom for Children.
Ø The procedures of the study
can be applied to other foreign
languages teachers and then to English in particular.In the end the finding can
be compared to see if there are ant challenging aspects about the subject of Arranging the Classroom for Children.
Ø The opinions of the students
can be learned and the information that is gained from them can be added to the
main study which informs us about what language teacher think about Arranging the Classroom for Children.
Ø Different classrooms can be
observed and a appropriate design and application of Arranging the Classroom for Children can be found.
REFERENCES
Richards,Jack C.,Willy A.Renanya.Methodology
in Language Teaching:An Anthology of Current Practice.New York:Cambridge
University Press,2002.
Freeman,Diane Larsen.Techniques and
Principles in Language Teaching.Oxford:Oxford University Press,2000.
Lightbown&Spada.How Languages are
Learned.Oxford:Oxford University Pres,1999.
David L. Haury and Peter Rillero, 1994
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/eric/eric-1.htm
APPENDIX - A
TIERED TASK
Top Tier
|
Task A:For Weaker Students 1.What did they do last week? 2.What did they eat? 3.What did they play? 4.Whose was the ball? a.football,volleyball b.Tony’s c.Sandwich d.a picnic |
Explanation: After
a reading text is given,children who learn the second language slower than others are supplied with the answers
in matching form.They manipulate the given material and match the items with
the information in the reading text. |
Middle Tier
|
Task B:For Midlevel Students 1.What did they do last week? a.They went on a picnic b.They stayed at home. c.They watched TV. 2.What did they eat? a.Apple b.Candy c.Sandwich 3.What did they play? a.Hide and seek b.Volleyball,football c.Basketball 4.Whose was the ball? a.Martin’s b.Susan’s c.Tony’s |
Explanation: In
here,the questions are the same,but the way they are asked is in multiple
choice form because stronger students can handle it and choose the correct
answer from the given options. |
Bottom Tier
|
Task C:For Stronger Students 1.What did they do last week? 2.What did they eat? 3.What did they play? 4.Whose was the ball? |
Explanation: These
students are not supplied with the answers and there are no extra support
because stronger students are in the level of finding the answers on their
own. |
BIAS TASKS
|
Task A:For Weaker Students 1Who likes footbal? 2.Who doens’t eat meat? 3.Who lives in the countryside? 4.How many balloons are there? |
Explanation: After
a reading texts is given weaker children can find the answers.The difference
between this task and tiered task is that the questions here can be answered
only by numbers and names so they don’t need to be supported with the correct
answers. |
|
Task B:For Stronger Students 1. ……………………………? Jonny likes football. 2. ……………………………? Michael doesn’t eat meat. 3. ……………………………? Cathy lives in the countryside. 4. ……………………………? There are eight balloons. |
Explanation: Stronger
children are given the answers and asked to write the question forms. |
The aim of these two kind of tasks is to keep stronger
students in their high level and help weaker students to process from weak to
midlevel and then to strong level.
APPENDIX – B
HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
1. What is hands-on learning, and is it
just a fad?
Hands-on learning has become a common phrase in
second language education. Like many other highly used terms and phrases, there
are various interpretations of what is meant by "hands-on learning."
Rather than attempt to offer a definitive operational definition, we present in
this section a variety of viewpoints on what is meant by hands-on learning in
second anguage. Then we address the issues of whether hands-on learning is a
new phenomenon and whether hands-on approaches will continue to have a
continual impact on second language teaching and learning in schools.
Teacher Responses
- Hands-on
learning is learning by doing. To even imply that it is a fad is to ignore
what has been taking place in education, both formal and informal, for
years. Vocational education has always understood that if you want someone
to learn to memorize some particular words, you need some objects in hand.
If you want to teach someone the
words about kitchen, you put them in a kitchen.Jeff G. Brodie, fifth
and sixth grade teacher, East Side Elementary, Edinburgh, IN
- Hands-on
learning involves the child in a total learning experience which enhances
the child's ability to think critically. The child must plan a process to
test a hypothesis, put the process into motion using various hands-on
materials, see the process to completion, and then be able to explain the
attained results.
Hands-on learning is
not just a fad because it enables students to become critical thinkers, able to
apply not only what they have learned, but more
importantly, the process of
learning, to various life situations. Sister
Judith Mary Frederick, fifth grade teacher, St. Mary's Elementary School,
Sandusky, OH
Developer Thoughts
- Hands-on
learning means many different things to different people. It has become a
slogan and is often used to describe any activities in classrooms that use
materials. As a slogan, it can easily become a fad. Hands-on learning,
however, is not simply manipulating things. It is engaging in in-depth
investigations with objects, materials, phenomena, and ideas and drawing
meaning and understanding from those experiences. Other terms for this are
inquiry learning, hands-on, and minds-on learning. Karen Worth, Education
Development Center Inc., Newton, MA
- The
importance of student investigation of basic scientific principles cannot
be overstated. Hands-on learning is the only way students can directly
observe and understand language. As students develop effective techniques
for observing and testing everything around them, they learn the what, how, when, and why, of things with which they
interact. Mathew Bacon, Delta Education (publisher of SCIS 3, Delta
Science Modules, ESS, OBIS), Hudson, NH
