1

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE
Young Learners Training Course

Different Approaches
Diana England
International House Torres Vedras

Written
May 2001

List of Contents:
Title Page
List of contents
Main aims of the session / Session Outline

- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3

Tutors Notes:
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
Stage 4:
Homework

Bibliography

- Page 8

Materials Pages

- Pages 9 - 21

Answer Keys

- Pages 22 - 24

Page
Page
Page
Page
Page

4
4
5
7
8

Main aims of this session:

In this session, trainees will look at different approaches that can be used in
class to help young learners to experience English. By critical analysis and
demonstration of some of the more currently popular approaches, they
should appreciate that for children, language cannot be studied in a vacuum,
but seen as a means to an end rather than as an end in itself. They will see
how various styles and approaches can be threaded together to make a
cohesive whole. By the end of the session and the accompanying homework
task, they will have had an opportunity to show that they can logically plan a
series of appropriately varied lessons for a particular group of students.
Notes to the tutor:
This session brings together various strands of teaching and learning styles.
Participants will hopefully be creating a timetable that is not simply a
collection of fun activities, but one which will encourage real long-term
learning to take place, bearing in mind the students ages, linguistic abilities,
cognitive development, and personal interests.
The whole session will take about 1hr 20mins, with the homework taking
about 1 hour. If there is no time to create the timetable during the session,
then it can be done for homework although this will add to the amount of
time spent on homework.
Trainees will each need a copy of all the materials pages although much of it
is designed to first be used in class between pairs or groups.
If you are not running the session but guiding the teachers through selfstudy, you will find suggestions at the end of each stage.
Session Outline:
Stage
Stage 1: Warmer
Stage 2: Matching, Reading
and Discussion
Stage 3: Mind Map and

Activity
Focussing on different issues and approaches
that be will explored in the session
Definitions of and rationale behind the various
approaches
Experiencing and assessing some of the above

4
Demonstrations
Stage 4: Timetable
Stage 5: Other Mind Map:
Food
Homework: Timetable from
Food Mind Map

approaches
Understanding links and how to make a series
of lessons into a cohesive whole
Brainstorming of activities and techniques for
a different age range, language level and topic
Developing a coherent timetable for the above
group of students

Tutor Notes: Stage 1

Aim:

Warmer and orientation to the issues that will be explored in

the session
Materials Page 1
+/- 2 minutes

Handouts:
Materials:
Time:
Procedure:
1) Either hand out Materials Page 1 or put the gapped words on the
board. Pairs or participants should try to work out what the
completed words are as quickly as possible.
2) Go over the answers orally. Ask how this type of activity could be
used with students (as a warmer to revise words and expressions
from previous lessons).
Tutor Notes: Stage 2
Aim:

To define each of the above approaches and clarify their

usefulness within a teaching programme
Answer Key 1
Materials Page 2 [Pages 10-14]
+/- 20-25 minutes

Handouts:
Materials:
Time:
Procedure:
1) Put the definitions (Materials Page 2) of each of the terms used in
Stage 1 around the room. Put the titles and question(s) above each
of the definitions, but facing towards the wall. Tell participants to
work in pairs. They should move around the room, read a definition
and decide which of the terms in Stage 1 it is referring to.

5
2) Quickly check that all participants can identify each of the terms
being defined. Ask participants to turn over the title and question
papers above each of the definitions. They should then read the
questions and discuss the likely answers, still in their pairs. They
then move around the room, answering the other questions. (If you
have different levels of experienced teachers on the course, it
may be an idea to pair a less experienced one with a more
experienced teacher.)
3) Hand out Answer Key 1 to participants and ask them to read the
suggested answers to the questions and ask them to asterisk
anything they would like to question or add. Once they have gone
through all the suggested answers, allow a few minutes for them
to share their thoughts.
4) They may like to write down some of the observations made by
other participants or you during this feedback.
For trainees studying on their own, ask them to check any doubts they have
with you afterwards.
Tutor Notes: Stage 3
Aim:

To experience and assess some of the approaches mentioned in

the previous stage
Materials Page 3 [Page 15]

Handouts:
Materials:
Time:
+/- 30 minutes
Procedure:
1) Hand out Materials Page 3 (animals mind map). Explain to the
participants that they are now going to have an opportunity to see
how some of these approaches can be applied with a class of 9-10
year olds in their first year of learning English, using the topic of
animals. At the end of each example, they should say which
approach(es) were being demonstrated and how valid they are in
the learning process. So do not specify at the start of each
activity which approach they will experience let the particpants
guess.

6
2) (a. Total Physical Response) Any animal-based TPR activity can be
used; there is a good one in Unit 4 Join In 1 (teachers book p223), Gunter Gerngross and Herbert Puchta, CUP & ELI 2000.
3) (b. Story-based work) Again, there are lots of authentic stories
that can be used in ELT classes. Examples that can be used to
teach/revise animals and provide some authentic reading and live
listening are: Wheres Spot? by Eric Hill, Picture Puffins; One day
in the Jungle by Colin West, Walker Books; Old Macdonald had a
Farm by Hawkins, Little Mammoth.
4) (c. Task-based activities) A Picasso dictation of an imaginary
animal.
For example: You say: Last night when I was asleep in bed, I had a
very strange dream about a strange animal. Can you draw the animal I
saw in my dream? Listen and draw.
It had a big body.
It had 8 short legs.
It had a big head.
It had two long ears.
It had a long tail.
It had 2 small eyes.
It also had two big wings.
5) (cross curricular) Vocab maths. On the whiteboard, write the
numbers 1 8 clearly spaced out. Eg:

5
8

2
7

Ask the participants to tell you what 3 and 5 are. Elicit and drill the
question and answers eg: Whats three and five? Eight. Do a couple
more examples. Now next to each number on the whiteboard, stick a
picture of an animal. For example:

1 (a lion)

6 (a rabbit)

3 (a duck)
8 (a bird)

5 (a monkey)

4 (a cat)

2 (a dog)
7 (a hamster)

Now ask the participants: Whats a lion and a cat? (in other words,
whats 1 and 4?) and elicit the answer a monkey. Get participants to
continue in pairs. If they ask, for example: whats a bird and a
hamster?, they should answer I dont know. This game can also be
used for subtraction, division and multiplication.
6) Finally, ask participants to complete the spaces on their mind map
of animals with the examples of different activities they have just
taken part in.
NB This idea came from IH Bragas DOS Janet Sinclair
For participants studying on their own, they could look at some YL
coursebooks and see if they can find examples of activities and exercises
which illustrate the approaches mentioned on the mind map, and then check
their ideas with you.
Tutor Notes: Stage 4
Aim:

To see how different activities can be organised together in a

logical learning sequence to create a cohesive series of lessons
Materials Page 4
Different coloured pens
+/- 10-13 minutes

Handouts:
Materials:
Time:
Procedure:
1) Hand out Materials Page 4 (timetable). Explain this is a series of 6x45
minute lessons. Ask participants to look at the timetable, noting how
the timetable is built up. Working in pairs or small groups, get them to
draw arrows from one activity to another to show they can see how the
process of learning (both linguistic and other) is developed.
2) Allow time for approx 5 minutes feedback.

8
If the participants are working through this on their own, they should check
their ideas with you afterwards.
Tutor Notes: Stage 5
Aim:

To apply the input they have gained from above and from
previous experience to another topic with a different age and
level of students
Materials Page 5 [Page 19]

Handouts:
Materials:
Time:
20 minutes
Procedure:
1) Hand out Materials Page 5 (food mind map) to small groups of
participants.
2) Ask them to brainstorm various activities and language points
that could be explored within the theme of food for a
particular group and age of young learners. They may wish to
refer to a coursebook that includes this theme so that some of
the activities and language points from the coursebook are
included.
Tutor Notes: Homework
Hand out Materials Page 6 (blank timetable) to each participant. Tell them
to develop a timetable of 6 logically progressing lessons (length depending on
age, level and normal lesson length in their school). The lessons should be
built from the brainstorming and planning done while completing the mind
map on Food.
Bibliography
Moon, J. Children learning English, Macmillan Heinemann, 2000
Phillips, S. Young Learners, Resource Books for Teachers, OUP, 1993
Phillips, S. Drama with Children, Resource Books for Teachers, OUP 1999
Puchta, H. and Gerngross, G. Join In 1, CUP, 1999
Puchta, H. et al Playway to English 1, CUP 1998
Reilly, S. and Ward, S. Very Young Learners, Resource Books for Teachers,
OUP, 1997

Materials Page 1

T R _ D _ T _ _ N _ L

G R _ M M _ R

P R _ J _ C T

S T _ R Y - B _ S _ D

_ C T _ V _T _ _ S

T _ S K - B - S - D

L - - R N - N G

C R _ S S - C _ R R _ C _ L _ R

_ P P R _ _ C H

C _ G N _ T _ V _ , M _ T _ R , S _ C _ _ L

T _ T _ L

P H

S _ C _ L

T _ P _ C - B _ S _ D

_
T

S
_

S K _ L L S

R _ S P _ N S _

P R _ G R _ M M _ S

_
_

D
S

10

Materials Page 2

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR

what is a possible problem with this exchange designed to practise Is

there a ?/ Yes, there is. / No, there is not. ?

A:
B:
A:
B:

Is there a ruler?
Yes, there is.
Is there a pen?
No, there is not.

what might parents or some client primary schools think if a teacher paid
no attention to this approach? Would they be justified in their opinions?

This is probably the most widely-used means of teaching language in the

world today. It is the means by which students are often assessed. A
typical beginners syllabus will consist of the verbs to be and have got,
present simple, present continuous, adjectives, nouns. There is nothing
intrinsically wrong with this approach to language teaching and learning; in
order to be able to form meaningful sentences, students need to know how
different parts of speech work together. A problem arises when children
cannot relate to this type of language work. As a result, this approach can
present difficulties for young learners and can be one they find uninspiring.
And many learners under the age of 7/8 would not be able to grasp this
approach to learning.

PROJECT WORK

What forms can the end-product of a project take? And how can it be
displayed?

11

This is a body of work with an obvious beginning, middle and end. Children
participate in a variety of (hopefully) stimulating activities, which are linked
together to a particular theme and go towards achieving an end-product,
which can be shown to other colleagues, teachers, parents or the general
public. This approach can be used to help nurture a variety of skills that
children are developing in other school subjects and during their time out of
school, such as citizenship skills, intellectual skills, physical /motor skills, as
well as learner independence and emotional and personal development. In
addition, they learn about planning, research and presentation. Its also
useful for mixed ability classes because each student can make a worthwhile
contribution to the final result.

STORY-BASED ACTIVITIES

Which is better: an authentic story (like Little Red Riding Hood) or

one specially written for foreign language students?

These offer a significant and constant source of language experience for

children. They have a universal appeal, and allow for natural and enjoyable
repetition of words and phrases. As well as providing a lot of fun and an
excuse to exercise childrens imaginations, they can be a means of conveying
simple morals or of encouraging children to explore moral dilemmas for
themselves. The language teacher can incorporate a variety of other spinoff activities, such as play-acting, games and other language work.

TASK- BASED LEARNING

Can you think of some other examples of tasks?

12
For most children, language is not intrinsically interesting; its what you do
with it that matters. Theres little point in studying grammar, words, or
sentences for their own sake. Children communicate with language to find
out more, share information and feelings or to achieve something. This type
of learning helps children perform certain activities and provides them with
the language relevant to help them do so. Hopefully, therefore, through this
approach, there is a genuine purpose for learning and using language in the
classroom. Some examples could be: playing a game, finding out students
ages to produce a graph, writing a story-book.

CROSS-CURRICULAR APPROACH

How can this approach help with mixed ability classes?

This is becoming increasingly recognised within both public and private

sectors of education as a useful means of promoting language learning.
Learning about other things in English helps children to learn English. So a
teacher could integrate aspects of geography, (comparing the students
country to England/The United States etc), maths (adding up or subtracting
in English), history (learning about the Inuit in Canada), music (identifying
different musical instruments from an internet recording) or logic skills
(lateral thinking games).

COGNITIVE, MOTOR AND SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

What skills can a teacher help foster in children while they write up a
story as part of wall display?

13
It can be argued that with adult teaching, the emphasis is often on language
development. With childrens classes, the students are still developing as
people, so the teacher will not simply be teaching language, but using
language to teach the children valuable life skills. Examples are classifying,
matching, perceiving patterns, promoting concentration, developing logical
thought, cutting and sticking skills, handling equipment (pens, scissors),
kinaesthetic awareness, cooperating with peers. With teenage classes, the
language teacher can help develop the students organisational skills, their
critical thinking, long-term planning skills (ie for project work or exam
preparation), logic, as well as their ability to understand patterns and ways
of categorising things.

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE

Have you heard or carried out any TPR work before? If so, what?

This approach involves the child as a whole on a visual, auditory and physical
level. Many children will not successfully learn language just through
completing written exercises and going through a series of rote oral
substitution drills. Language has a greater chance of being understood and
retained if the children can experience language, not just through their
brains, but through the whole body.

TOPIC-BASED PROGRAMMES

What types of topics appeal to 7 10 year-olds, do you think?

14
With this approach, children are not learning language for its own sake.
Language is clearly related to context. If these contexts are directly
relevant to the childrens experiences and interests, the language becomes
more meaningful to them and so language is more likely to be retained and
form an active part of the childrens active knowledge. Many young learners
courses are divided into several of these. Each one will probably cover 3 or
more lessons. Through one of these, children can perform a variety of tasks
and perhaps carry out a project to help them experience and learn different
lexis and structures. Examples are: monsters, the environment, food,
hobbies etc.

DRAMA-BASED ACTIVITIES

What do you do if there are only 4 or 5 characters but youve got a class
of 15 students?

This approach takes account of the fact that many children enjoy learning
by doing: they are k inaesthetic learners. Movement and acting out can be
enjoyable activities. Getting students to act out a scene from a coursebook
story, giving students a short play to rehearse and act out, developing a miniplay from visual aids are all ways in which children can physically as well as
verbally participate in the language learning process. Indeed, it is often
actions that accompany language that help us to remember and recall words
and their meanings.

15
TOTAL PHYSICAL
RESPONSE
Eg: a)

TASK-BASED ACTIVITIES
Eg: c)

Materials Page 3

TOPIC-BASED PROGRAMMES
VOCABULARY INPUT:
Eg: farm and jungle animals,
pets; colours; size and shape
adjectives; parts of the body

CROSS-CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES
Eg: geography: where wild
animals live;
d)

DRAMA-BASED ACTIVITIES
Eg: adaptation of The Lion is
Ill Unit 11 Playway to English 1,
Herbert Puchta et al, CUP

PROJECT WORK
Eg: class poster Our Pets
featuring: graph,
pictures, descriptions

COGNITIVE, MOTOR
AND SOCIAL SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR
Eg: Its + adjective; Its
got + (adjective) + noun; It
lives/eats/swims;

STORY-BASED ACTIVITIES
Eg: b)

Eg: colouring, cutting

out and making masks
for The Lion is Ill.

16

17
Materials Page 4
Lesson 1

Lesson 2

pictures plus actions to teach 6 animals

pairs: 1 st mimes, the other says the animal
our dictionary: sts draw pictures and write names
of animals to include on their classroom wall
dictionary
listen to song: sts name the animals they hear
listen again and follow lyrics from
handout/coursebook
practise singing the song without and then with
the tape
Homework: learn spelling of new words and practise
song

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

clarification of have you got a dog / cat etc +

answers
mingling activity using above language
collate results of above onto a semi-completed
graph
vocabulary extension: teach 4 more animals
TPR activity: fly like a bird, roar like a lion etc

spelling test
clarification and restricted use of its got two big
ears / its got a long tail etc, using animal visuals
Picasso dictation listen to teachers description
of an imaginary animal, sts draw and colour it

Homework coursebook exercise on its got +

adjectives and parts of the body

hand back homework and sts correct mistakes

sts read description of 5 animals posted around
the classroom, sts silently guess the animals
study and change writing activity sts read one
description and alter it to describe another
animal; teachers helps with proofreading

Homework: workbook exercise on have you got +

answers and find a photo of their pet(s)

Homework: sts copy out description neatly and draw

accompanying picture and colour it.

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

vocab maths revision of animals, parts of the

body and adjectives learnt so far
story: The Lion is Ill using accompanying picture
cards of story to introduce words/expressions
video of above story: sts watch and follow sound
up, then watch with sound down to supply
words/expressions
hand out mask templates of story characters for
sts to cut out, colour and stick on card.
Homework: learn the words/expressions used in the
story

sts help teacher complete corkboard display of

their work: graph, photos of pets, descriptions of
animals and accompanying pictures, wall dictionary
review language used in story using picture cards
allocate roles for sts own play of The Lion is Ill
using masks sts act out story while others watch
invite DOS/other teachers into classroom to look
at display and see performance of The Lion is Ill

18

19
Materials Page 5

TOTAL PHYSICAL
RESPONSE

TASK-BASED ACTIVITIES

.....
...

TOPIC-BASED PROGRAMMES
VOCABULARY INPUT:
CROSS-CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES

DRAMA-BASED ACTIVITIES

PROJECT WORK

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR

STORY-BASED ACTIVITIES
..
.

COGNITIVE, MOTOR
AND SOCIAL SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT

..

20

21
Materials Page 6
Lesson 1

Timetable: FOOD
Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

22
Answer Key 1
TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR
What is a possible problem with this exchange designed to practise Is there a ?/
Yes, there is. / No, there is not. ?
At the moment it lacks any context, so as far as the children are concerned the practice
is meaningless. There needs to be a clear reason for using the language so that children
can understand what the language means and why it is used. Language uptake is not
likely to occur if these two prerequisites are not fulfilled. For this example, hiding some
items under a tea towel on a tray and getting the children to ask questions to determine
what is hidden would provide a more meaningful use of the language. In addition, using
contracted and weak forms would provide more realistic practice of language (isnt,
arent).
What might parents or some client primary schools think if a teacher paid no
attention to this approach? Would they be justified in their opinions?
They may wonder what the children are being taught and worry that the teacher is
merely baby-sitting . There is some justification for these fears: parents might be
sending their children to English lessons at a language institute either to help give them
a head start for when they start English at their day school or they might want to
supplement their regular English lessons. In addition, some primary schools are fairly
traditional in their teaching approach and may uneasy about activities such as board
rushes, TPR, or songs as vehicles for language learning. So a teacher needs to tread
carefully and be sensitive to these concerns. This is not to say that these more
progressive activities and techniques should be abandoned, but that parents and clients
should be aware of the language syllabus via a programme made available at the start of
the course, via ongoing assessments and by clear labelling of worksheets made for the
children.
PROJECT WORK
What forms can the end-product of a project take? And how can it be displayed?
an exhibition; a wall display; a poster; a home-made video; a play or end of term/course
review; a book; a parcel of English (see Cambridge English for Schools or Cambridge
English Worldwide coursebooks, CUP)
STORY-BASED ACTIVITIES
Which is better: an authentic story (like Little Red Riding Hood) or one specially
written for foreign language students?

23
Neither is necessarily better than the other. In fact several well-known traditional
stories have been adapted for the foreign language classroom (see Penguin readers for
examples). Principal factors to consider when choosing a story include:
the amount of language required in telling the story;
the amount of repetition in the story;
the clarity and style of pictures;
the amount language in the book that can be used prior to and after telling the story.
TASK-BASED ACTIVITIES
Can you think of some other examples of tasks?
Creative activities such as: making masks, paper fortune-tellers, board games;
Playing games;
Writing and taking part in quizzes and questionnaires;
other problem-solving activities.
CROSS-CURRICULAR APPROACH
How can this approach help with mixed ability classes?
Some students may not be (apparently) very strong language learners, but good at
maths. By helping them to see that English language can be seen as formulae (ie question
formation: Question word + helping verb + subject + infinitive) we can help in pattern
formation. Others may enjoy showing off their knowledge of science; getting students
to do or talk about small-scale experiments can be a means of helping develop English
through another medium (see www.hunkinsexperiments.com). Similarly with geography or
history.
COGITIVE,MOTOR AND SOCIAL SKILLS
What skills can a teacher help foster in children while they write up a story as
part of wall display?
spatial awareness and layout;
artwork and design;
proof-reading and editing;
neat handwriting;
cutting out and pasting;
sharing, give-and-take;
taking responsibility;
planning time.

24
TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE
Have you heard or carried out any TPR work before? If so, what?
See the following coursebooks for examples:
Big Red Bus (Macmillan Heinemann)
Conrad and Company (Longman)
Magic Time(Longman)
Join In (Cambridge)
Playway to English (Cambridge)
TOPIC-BASED PROGRAMMES
What types of topics appeal to 7 10 year-olds, do you think?
sports; animals; food; my family; hobbies; magic; monsters; fantasy are a few examples.
DRAMA-BASED ACTIVITIES
What do you do if there are only 4 or 5 characters but youve got a class of 15
students?
Perform the play 2 or 3 times;
Add in extra supporting characters;
Get some students to say / read out loud any accompanying narrative;
Put some students in charge of props.