Preparing young learners for

exams

Anna Hasper
ELT Consultant for Macmillan

Overview of the Session

Warmer
Working with YLs
YLE why & what?
Principles of Effective Assessment: some strategies
Teaching for Effective assessment: some activities
Q&A

Warmer

Did you study a foreign language when you

were a young learner yourself?

Warmer

Think back to your own experiences of learning a

foreign language when you were a child. How
did you feel about being assessed?

or

or

Children react differently to stress and

perform much better when they are
having fun.
A. Malloy

Working with Young Learners

Defining Young Learners

Young learners are:

a. between ages 6 to 12; this covers
primary school in many contexts.
b. Between ages 6 to 16; this covers
compulsory schooling in many contexts.

Defining Young Learners

Young learners are:

a. between ages 6 to 12; this covers
primary school in many contexts.
b. Between ages 6 to 16; this covers
compulsory schooling in many contexts.

Characteristics of Young Learners

What are some characteristics that

make young learners different from
teaching teens or adults?

In a nutshell
children are still __________
have high levels of _______
are __________
they easily __________ but easily ________ too!
____________is key for learners confidence
easily _______ / _________

preoccupied with _______ & ________

In a nutshell
children are still developing
have high levels of _______
are ________
they easily __________ but easily ________ too!
____________is key for learners confidence
easily _______ / _________

preoccupied with _______ & ________

In a nutshell
children are still developing
have high levels of energy
are __________
they easily __________ but easily ________ too!
____________is key for learners confidence
easily _______ / _________

preoccupied with _______ & ________

In a nutshell
children are still developing
have high levels of energy
are curious
they easily __________ but easily ________ too!
____________is key for learners confidence
easily _______ / _________

preoccupied with _______ & ________

In a nutshell
children are still developing
have high levels of energy
are curious
they easily remember but easily forget too!
____________is key for learners confidence
easily _______ / _________

preoccupied with _______ & ________

In a nutshell
children are still developing
have high levels of energy
are curious
they easily remember but easily forget too!
positive reinforcement is key for learners confidence
easily _______ / _________

preoccupied with _______ & ________

In a nutshell
children are still developing
have high levels of energy
are curious
they easily remember but easily forget too!
positive reinforcement is key for learners confidence
easily distracted / bored

preoccupied with _______ & ________

In a nutshell
children are still developing
have high levels of energy
are curious
they easily remember but easily forget too!
positive reinforcement is key for learners confidence
easily distracted / bored

preoccupied with own world & interests

Know how they learn

Children learn through ?

Know how they learn

Children learn through ?

Know how they learn

actively discovering

Children learn through

Know how they learn

social
interaction
actively discovering

Children learn through

Know how they learn

social
interaction
actively discovering

Children learn through

effective scaffolding

What stops
them from
learning?

Distraction
Boredom
Discomfort
Over-correction
Lengthy focus time

Characteristics

Characteristics

..

Learner
profile

Characteristics

YLE test
demands

Effective teaching for YLE tests

Learner
profile

YLE Why and What?

Why assess young learners?

Why assess young learners?

provide information to parents, schools,

colleagues etc.
provide children with evidence of
progress & enhance motivation
monitor & aid childrens progression
monitor our performance & future
development

Are you currently teaching or have you

taught Cambridges YLE tests; starters,
movers and flyers?

What is assessed ?

Listening
Reading & Writing
Speaking

3 Level Can do statements

Starters:me &
word level

3 Level Can do statements

Starters:me &
word level
Movers: familiar
topics & sentence level

3 Level Can do statements

Starters:me &
word level
Movers: familiar
topics & sentence level
Flyers: text level &
broader context

Principles for Effective Assessment

Young Learners English Tests

Child friendly tasks

Varied tasks-types
Learning by doing
Age-appropriate visuals
Various levels of challenge

Young Learners English Tests

Child friendly tasks

Varied tasks-types
Learning by doing
Age-appropriate visuals
Various levels of challenge

Require concentration
Timed
Working alone

Over to you..
What helped you to do well in assessment?

What helped you to do well in assessment?

a) doing extra work at home
b) learning vocabulary lists
c) practising exam tasks in class
d)

Children must know what to expect if

they are to approach the test with
confidence.
Cameron, 2001

Principles of Effective
Assessment
Bridging the gap between teaching & testing:

Principles of Effective
Assessment
Bridging the gap between teaching & testing:
Make students test-wise
- Share learning objectives
- Share success criteria

Principles of Effective
Assessment
Bridging the gap between teaching & testing:
Make students test-wise
- Share learning objectives
- Share success criteria
Make learning visible - learning to learn

Principles of Effective
Assessment
Bridging the gap between teaching & testing:
Make students test-wise
- Share learning objectives
- Share success criteria
Make learning visible - learning to learn
Provide specific feedback
Adapted from Kirsch (2009)

Teaching for Effective Assessment

Make students test-wise

Children need to know WHAT they are

learning
Use materials similar to test to familiarise YLs
Model tasks
Reflect on tasks:
-What did we do / learn?
-How did we complete the task successfully?
Link tasks back to the test

52

Share learning objectives &

success criteria
WALTs
We are learning to.
e.g. say where something is.

From I Want My Potty Tony Ross

53

Share learning objectives &

success criteria
WALTs
We are learning to.
e.g. say where something is.

Set clear success criteria:

WILFs
What Im looking for is
e.g. I can draw a line to show
where something is.

From I Want My Potty, Tony Ross

Some Activities

Some Activities

Part 1 Listening
Starters, Movers
& Flyers

Can you remember?

Can you remember?

1)
2)
3)
4)

Show an image for 30 seconds

Pair Ss up
Ask them to recall what they saw
Check

Can you remember?

1)
2)
3)
4)

Show an image for 30 seconds

Pair Ss up
Ask them to recall what they saw
Check

#3
#3
#3
#3

Give letters to complete: d.., t

Ask students questions
Give T/F statements
Get Ss to make sentences

Preposition
Beepactivities
Some practical language
Reading & writing
Using the Vocabulary list
Find pics with the essential words, write
Statement: YN, a or b, first letter, word jumble

This is a coat. T/F ( stand up// hands on ur head)

This is a football/ basketball

This is a kasbbetall: (make for others)

This is a..

Pelmanism

59

Presentation heading | Date Month Year

Preposition
Beepactivities
Some practical language
Reading & writing
Using the Vocabulary list
Find pics with the essential words, write
Statement: YN, a or b, first letter, word jumble

This is a coat. T/F ( stand up// hands on ur head)

This is a football/ basketball

This is a kasbbetall: (make for others)

This is a..

Pelmanism

60

Presentation heading | Date Month Year

Preposition
Beepactivities
Some practical language
Reading & writing
Using the Vocabulary list
Find pics with the essential words, write
Statement: YN, a or b, first letter, word jumble

This is a coat. T/F ( stand up// hands on ur head)

This is a football/ basketball

This is a kasbbetall: (make for others)

This is a..

Pelmanism

61

Presentation heading | Date Month Year

Preposition
Beepactivities
Some practical language
Reading & writing
Using the Vocabulary list
Find pics with the essential words, write
Statement: YN, a or b, first letter, word jumble

This is a coat. T/F ( stand up// hands on ur head)

This is a football/ basketball

This is a kasbbetall: (make for others)

This is a..

Pelmanism

62

Presentation heading | Date Month Year

Make Learning Visible

Ask effective questions:

How did you know what
word to use?
What helped you in the
picture?
What words helped you?
Why did you choose in
and not on?

Preposition Beep

Reading & Writing

I say why?

Part 2 Reading & Writing

Starters, Movers & Flyers

Reading & Writing

I say why?

Reading & Writing

I say why?

Students read the texts alone

They make questions for each other
Then individually do the task (T/F)
As a team decide on T/ F & underline
word(s) that helped (justification)
WCFB with Mini White Board

Reading & Writing

I say why?

Students read the texts alone

They make questions for each other
Then individually do the task (T/F)
As a team decide on T/ F & underline
word(s) that helped (justification)
WCFB with Mini White Board

Do you use the Starters, Movers or

Flyers wordlists with your learners?

www.cambridgeenglish.org

Vocabulary building

Is it?
Find visuals for essential words &
write statements e.g.:
This is a coat. Yes or No
This is a football/ basketball
This is a kasbbetall:
This is a ..

Vocabulary building

Is it?
Find visuals for essential words &
write statements e.g.:
This is a coat. Yes or No
This is a football/ basketball
This is a kasbbetall:
This is a ..

Vocabulary building

Is it?
Find visuals for essential words & write
statements e.g.:
This is a coat. Yes or No
This is a football/ basketball
This is a kasbbetall:
This is a ..
Whispering Line
Hang cards on wall & line students upshow last learner a flashcard
Whisper through line- last learners
picks right card of wall, saying/writing
Its a..

Speaking
Mobile You .!

Ss use mobiles to take photos (at start of break)

Take photo of the same scene 5 minutes later
Display photos on a screen
Encourage students to compare & contrast

Speaking
Mobile You .!

Ss use mobiles to take photos (at start of break)

Take photo of the same scene 5 minutes later
Display photos on a screen
Encourage students to compare & contrast

#Or ask students to take 5 photos for

other teams to tell a story.!

74

Let me think.

Part 3 Reading & Writing

Movers & Flyers

75

Let me think.
Cover the possible answers
Put Ss in pairs to predict
answers
Show answers & Ss match

Let me think.
Cover the possible answers
Put Ss in pairs to predict
answers
Show answers & Ss match
# Cut up questions & answers
Get Ss up to mingle and find
partner
Remember: They do not need to
76 use all the answers!

Making Learning Visible

Children need to develop an awareness of HOW
they are learning

Instructional Strategies: model, explain, discuss Thinking aloud to

exemplify a range of learning strategies
Use effective questions to find out where misconceptions
are & respond to these
Help establish what they know at the end & how they know it ( What did
we do? What did we learn? How did we learn? How well did we do?)

In a nutshell use activities that.

Make students test-wise:

Model the test context

Meaningfulness through WALTs & WILFs
Manipulate language in games & activities

Make learning visible - learning to learn

Make it their own/ justify in practice

Provide specific feedback

Provide specific feedback

Manage your feedback; motivating correction
strategies to let children know where they stand.

Our role

ensure a positive attitude to learning

enhance skills development
develop learning how to learn
foster behavioural & social skills

Be prepared: know the test, the tasks

& the rubric!

Useful Resources

Online Support Site

www.macmillanyounglearners.com/exams

Kids will be kids so

Make learning memorable

Mix interaction patterns
Multiple opportunities
Make learning visible
Monitor & scaffold
Mistakes are welcome
Manage feedback

Be enthusiastic & have fun!

One idea Id like to try out after this webinar is

References
500 Activities for the Primary Classroom (2007), Read
Assessing young Language Learners, (2006) McKay
Teaching Children how to Learn (2015), Ellis & Ibrahim

Teaching Young Learners English (2014), Shin & Crandall

Teaching Foreign language in the Primary School (2009), Kirsch
Teaching Languages to Young Learners, (2001) Cameron
Seven essential considerations for assessing young learners by
A. Malloy, in ETP (2015) Volume 24, issue 1
www.cambridgeenglish.org
www.macmillanyounglearners.com/exams

Comments and Questions

Thank you for your

participation & attention