6 Tips for Teaching English to Young Learners
Are you looking for ways to make your English language classes more engaging for your young learners? Are some of your children lacking in confidence and scared to express themselves in English? You’re not alone. We’ve put together our top tips for teaching English to young learners which you can use to bring some fresh ideas to your classroom…
1. Use posters for new vocabulary
Vivid colours and a range of imagery provide great support to children learning new vocabulary by reinforcing the language with visual cues. Surrounding the children with images of the words they are learning is a great way to support their learning. There are tons of posters available online to download for free which can help learners with core vocabulary. Have a look for some new ones to give your classroom a refresh and keep the children interested. Or better yet, get them to create their own posters as part of a collaborative learning activity. Having posters around your classroom means that whatever the lesson, the vocabulary is subconsciously reinforced. For your less confident children, it will help them to know that the words are all around them in case they have forgotten something and need to check.
2. Harness the power of music and song
This is our area of expertise here at Planet Pop! Music has been used to carry stories and share knowledge throughout human history, and music helps to make language learning engaging and most importantly, memorable! Can you still remember the alphabet song you learnt, for example? At Planet Pop you won’t find the usual English language songs and music to facilitate learning that you are familiar with. You can find loads of free music videos and supporting resources on our website and across YouTube. They cover many of the topics you will be teaching with young learners, so that they are easy to integrate into your lessons. The videos are vibrant and colourful, the music is contemporary and fun, featuring dynamic dance routines - all perfect for getting the full attention of young learners and for helping even the most reluctant children feel confident enough to join in.
3. Make it fun with games
Every teacher of young learners knows how impactful games can be in class, because we all know that when our children are having fun playing a game, they don’t realise they are also learning. But when it comes to learning languages, repetition is key, and so games in which vocabulary or phrases need to be repeated can really help to accelerate the learning process. Have a look at our blog ‘5 No prep ESL games’ for some new ideas. Or challenge your memory for games you used to play as a child - charades, ‘I Spy’ and ‘Simon Says’ can be great ways to make language learning fun!
4. Introduce role play
Sometimes children find it hard to see English as a living language that is used outside of the classroom. Role play is a fun way to practise language and to make them see it as a useful tool for real life. Giving children the opportunity to role play scenarios, such as going to the shops or making a new friend, gives children a chance to put their learning into practice, and build confidence with their verbal communication skills. If children are lacking in confidence, give them flashcards or word cards, or even make cards with full sentence prompts to help them remember what to say. Throw in some props and costumes and you might be really surprised to see the impact it can have on the confidence and enthusiasm of your students!
5. Repetition, repetition, repetition!
Repetition is absolutely essential in all learning, but in language learning with children it’s a fundamental building block of success. It’s only with repetition that confidence and familiarity with language can be developed. You probably know that it’s a good idea to start a lesson with some revision of what you did before. This should be fun! You can use the song you used in the last lesson or play a game they liked, or introduce a new game with the language they learnt before. Not only does this help solidify learning, it helps children to start the lesson with a sense of achievement and confidence which will help them get the most out of their learning.
6. Get out the classroom
Taking English language learning out of the classroom is a great way to show children that what they are learning is relevant in the real world. Of course, this isn’t something easily done in all teaching situations, but don’t write it off! You can get the parents and the children themselves involved; a trip to the park, a farm, or even a local supermarket can provide opportunities for children to learn in a new environment that keeps them engaged. For example, you can ask children to look out for certain things on their way to and from school, or give them a list of the food words they know and see if they can find them in the supermarket. Encourage your children to look at the world with the eyes of an English language learner. There are always new learning opportunities hidden around the corner!
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