Move and Groove: 5 Total Physical Response Activities

Move and Groove: 5 Total Physical Response Activities That’ll Have Students Soaking Up Language Like a Sponge Want a teaching technique that’ll make your students jump for joy, dance with delight and finish off with high fives? Sounds like you’re looking for a language teaching approach called total physical response or TPR for short. TPR will change how you see language acquisition. Instead of asking your students to be quiet and sit still, you’ll be requiring them to stand up, move around the classroom and get physical! Intrigued? Let’s find out more about TPR, and then I’ll show you five engaging TPR activities to use in your own classroom. Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download) What Is Total Physical Response? Total physical response is an approach to teaching second language that was developed in the 1970s by James Asher, professor of Psychology at the San Jose State University in California. Asher observed that traditional second language programs had a dropout rate of almost 95%. He thought this could be due to flawed and ineffective methods used in the programs. The professor still had another observation: While adults were dropping like flies in their second language courses, children were easily acquiring first languages like sponges on a wet countertop! So he decided to create a method of teaching second language that mimics the process children use when picking up their first. TPR was born. Asher saw that children’s early language repertoire consisted mainly of listening to adults telling them what to do: “Pick up the ball.” “Sit down.” “Open your mouth.” “Look at me.” The child would look to the parents for instructions, and then perform the movements required. The child didn’t need to be able to say the words, only to listen and understand. Comprehension was the first step to language acquisition, not word production. Asher adopted this practice and the simple listen and respond technique now sits at the heart of TPR. It’s been proven effective for teaching beginners of foreign languages. For example, you could teach “¡Siéntense!” (sit down) in a Spanish class by repeatedly sitting down and saying “Siéntense.” You can ask the class to join you in sitting down, even making a game out of it, or commenting on the manner that some students sit. The act of moving is memory-friendly. By virtue of seeing you sit down, or experiencing the act themselves, your students will easily associate sitting down with siéntense. There’s something about the pairing of movement and language that’s so innate that children—without the help of textbooks—easily acquire language. With TPR, not only do you have an approach that engages the energies of your students, you have a tool that creates memorable meaning through movement. Just as TPR borrowed plenty of techniques and insights from psychologists and linguists like Dr. Krashen, it has also bequeathed a lot to approaches like TPRS (teaching proficiency through reading and storytelling). Of course, TPR should not be used in isolation, but as one of many teaching tools in a language teacher’s bag. The Philosophies Behind Total Physical Response Listening Comes Before Production TPR applies the learning processes of first language acquisition into teaching adults a second language. And if you observe very carefully, babies don’t start off saying “Ball! Ball!” while pointing to their toy. They started off all silent, their innocent eyes listening and observing when adults say, “Get the ball, Robbie! C’mon, get the ball. Veeery good!” TPR starts with the “silent phase.” Here, the job of your students is to listen (and understand) what the command is and respond accordingly. No pressures are placed on properly enunciating vocabulary. In the early phase of TPR, you don’t see the teacher leading the class in pronouncing the words loudly and urging the students to repeat after her. TPR considers comprehension as the highway to language acquisition. So the first goal of TPR is making the students understand what the word, phrase, command or expression is all about. There’s no push to produce the correct sounds, but there’s an invitation for students to listen and observe. Mouths are not opened, but eyes and ears are—just like how it happens with children. And this is one of the prime benefits of using TPR in the classroom. Listening is given its due. Instead of being seen as a passive activity, TPR rightly identifies listening as a vital first step in any linguistic endeavor. Because the normal human reaction to listening is, “Not much is happening—when do we get started with the real stuff?” But if first language acquisition is any guide, we’ll understand that we learned just as much (probably even more) when we were silent than when we fumble words without comprehension. “Acquisition” over “Learning” Another benefit of TPR is that it favors the methods, techniques, resources and processes of language acquisition over language learning. Language learning is often concerned with the form—the correct grammatical structures and correct pronunciation of the target language. A grammar textbook, flashcards and vocabulary lists are examples of learning materials. (Something that babies never had when they were learning their first language.) Language acquisition on the other hand is concerned with substance: the immersive experience of using language in one’s everyday affairs. If you move to Korea and have to speak Korean phrases in order to buy items at a store, you’re not really learning the language. You’re acquiring it. Or if you’re just crazy about Mexican telenovelas and watch them so frequently that you actually know what “¡Ay! ¡Dios mío!” means, then you’re acquiring the language without obviously trying to learn it. Language learning is often conscious and formal. Language acquisition is more personal and natural–almost an afterthought. The benefit of TPR is that it provides language acquisition experiences for your students in the classroom setting. TPR concerns itself with meaning, so your students will have communicative use of the language, instead of just knowing rules of grammar. Acquisition Should Be Stress-free No toddler was sent to the principal’s office for bungling their first language grammar, right? Adults just laughed it off and corrected it gently and made the kid feel that everything would be all right. Why should second language acquisition be any different? When Professor Asher developed TPR, he made sure that the approach to teaching the language was stress-free for both teacher and students. He posited that another reason why students don’t learn is that they get emotionally overwhelmed by the language. It can be a frightening experience that lowers self-esteem. Who would learn in that kind of environment? Stress kills motivation. And you know how important motivation is for language acquisition. Without it, it’s basically game over. That’s why many students drop out; it makes the target language out of reach. “I’ll never be able to memorize these conjugation rules,” they think. TPR on the other hand, is judgment-free. It just wants the students to have fun. So that while their mouths are open from laughing, their minds are unconsciously open for acquiring the language. There are no affective filters, and no fear that they’ll fail. As far as the students are concerned, they’re just playing a game, listening for the next instructions–goofing around. But we know better than that. We know, as teachers, that there’s something else going on behind the scenes. We know vocabulary words are understood, appreciated and stored for the long haul. We teachers often are looking for ways to make the lessons fun, engaging and memorable. With TPR, you’ve got an approach where “stress-free” is philosophically embedded into the whole thing. So what actual TPR activities can you use in your own classroom? Here are five activities that’ll set language acquisition into overdrive! 2 5 Total Physical Response Classroom Activities That’ll Set Language Acquisition into Overdrive 1. TPR Storytelling Session Tell a story to the whole class. It can be about anything: fairytale, adventure, even horror and comedy. Tell it with plenty of gestures and actions, which you repeat often. (That’s the TPR way!) A TPR story shares all the elements of a great tale: a relatable main character, a captivating plot and an ending that rewards the listeners. But in addition to these, a foreign language teacher employing TPR must remember that the story is used to teach meaning. So a TPR story would use a good mix of the students’ native language and the target language. Especially for beginners, a healthy dose of the students’ native language might be used, with a peppering of the target language. And because the story is a vehicle for teaching meaning, repetition of key phrases and their attending movements are the order of the day. You should really focus on key phrases you want to teach the class, not the story itself. The plot, the twists and turns of the story come second to the meaningful and memorable words and phrases you want your wards to integrate into their long-term memory. So for example, in teaching the Spanish words for the different parts of the body, you might employ the tale of a young Billy who goes to the city for the very first time. And each time about you talk about the many wonderful things he sees with his eyes (i.e. buses, buildings and airplanes), you emphasize the word ojos (eyes) while at the same time pointing to your eyes. It’s also important that you widen your eyes as you point to them. Keep repeating “ojos” and pointing to your eyes as you go through the awesome things Billy sees in the city. He sees a fleet of cars, “ojos.” He sees a dog walker, “ojos.” There are ways you can employ repetition in the story without being repetitive. For example, with ojos, you can do the following: Point to your own eyes Ask the students to point to their own eyes Ask students to point to your eyes (or a classmate’s) (And as a comprehension check, you can point to your tummy and see if your students try to correct you.) This technique also works for all the other parts of the body. The nariz (nose) for everything he smells: freshly baked bread, flowers at the park and the smoke from cars. Orejas (ears) for everything that catches his attention: the sound of cars honking, the tumult at the market and the powerful blasts of a plane taking off. You can actually set your story so little Billy, the main character, can interact and visit places that will give you maximum opportunity to repeat the meaningful words and phrases. The plot is but a vehicle, so don’t worry so much about it. 2. Simon Says with a Twist A vocabulary-oriented game like Simon Says is analogous to the process that takes place as children acquire their first language. Adults often give instructions to kids, like “throw the ball” “come here” or “eat your chicken.” (By virtue of repetition and validation—and gesturing—children are able to figure out what mommy wanted done.) In this activity, you organize the class into two groups. You can go boys vs. girls (always a hit!) or any grouping you want. Each group sends a representative for every round. They stand at the back of the class, near the wall, with their eyes fixed on you. You will play “Simon” and come up with creative commands and actions with which your students would then have to perform. So in a French class you might say, “Sautez trois fois!” (Jump three times) or “Pleurez!” (cry). The student who gives the correct response gets to take a step forward towards the “Finish Line.” Reaching the finish line first wins 1 point for the team. The team who gets 5 points first wins the game. Not everyone gets to play each time, but spectators will not only get to cheer their team, they’ll also learn the target language in the process. Play this game often and you will have natural rivalries arise. And that’s also when the learning really heats up. 3. The Amazing Race I’m sure you’ve seen “The Amazing Race” on TV. But with this activity, you don’t have to send the class on a thrilling trip around the world. You only have to send them off to do some task or demonstrate comprehension by performing prescribed motions. (With TPR, you can always check for comprehension because you can just look at their actions.) Group the class into four or five teams. Each team would ideally be composed of three to four players. The tasks that you choose to give your students are only limited by your imagination—but instead of writing out the tasks, give them verbally. For example, one task can be a “bring me” scenario and you can tell the teams in your Spanish class to bring you an amarillo (yellow) object. Or you can ask the class to griten (shout) their favorite color. You can go outside the classroom for this activity and have it in the schoolyard. You can tell your students to bring in the garbage bins (two birds with one stone, if you ask me), pick up twenty dried leaves, arrange flower pots in a line, etc. You can ask the groups to dance the cha-cha, move to the “Macarena” or sing “Happy Birthday.” With “The Amazing Race” as one of your activities, your class will be racing to language acquisition. 4. TPR Theater This one’s for those a little bit advanced in the target language since “TPR Theater” has some improv added into the mix. It is, for all intents and purposes, an impromptu play. Your role as the teacher is to narrate and move the story forward by telling the characters in front of the class what they need to do. Think of yourself as a benevolent narrator and puppet master where the bit players are to do your every bidding. Okay, first things first. Determine what your play will be. Is it a love story? An epic adventure? A contemporary comedy? Knowing this will dictate the number of characters, the nature of events in the story and their reactions to it. Let’s say you have a love story. You should then have at least two students to play the role of lovers, and perhaps another one to function as a foil and complete the love triangle. Or, if you want to have more students in the play, you can create characters like the evil mother-in-law, the jealous friend and the nervous aunt. (But don’t involve everybody in the play, otherwise there’ll be no audience. Those who don’t play parts in the drama today will get their chance to strut out their acting chops the next time.) So for example, say there’s one particular scene where the lovers are bonding at the park. In a German class you might bark some funny instructions to your bit players, like “kneife sie in die Wange!” (pinch her nose) or “kitzle sie…” (tickle her…) Again, in this case, where the plot takes you or how it ends doesn’t really matter. These are not the most important things so don’t obsess over them. The whole affair is really just an excuse to practice the target language. So keep it light. Help the students if they have comprehension difficulties. Don’t be afraid to drop everything midway if it means explaining something about the target language. 5. Action Songs for the Whole Class Action songs are actually TPR–but with music. Children love them. They add melody and cadence that the brain can latch on to. They are the perfect memory aids that can effectively embed language and movement into the long-term memory. Singing together as a class is a great memory-enhancing tool. Did you notice that even as adults, we find it hard to jettison the nursery rhymes and songs of our childhood? It may have been 40 years ago, but they are as fresh as the morning we learned it in class. So lead the class in action songs (here’s a great listing of children’s songs and rhymes by language, by the way). But you don’t have to rely on the nursery classics for action songs. The classics all began with a creative teacher, alone her room, coming up with gestures to accompany the lines. You can create actions for any song that you want, including pop music in the target language. First, determine the important words in the song. That is, the words you want to embed into your students’ memories. (Don’t gesture out each word in the song, that’ll be too overwhelming.) Second, pick the appropriate accompanying gestures for your words. The action may seem obvious for words like”jump,” “look,” “laugh,” etc. But how about when the song has words like “hope” or “integrity”? These will force you to be creative and think outside the box. You’ll have to think of situations in which “hope” or “integrity” is displayed or practiced. “Hope” is displayed during prayer, for example, by people hoping to get prayers answered. So your action can perhaps be interlacing fingers, just like a prayer position. “Integrity” is often displayed by someone giving a persuasive speech. Your action can then be a pounding fist. Remember, the gestures need not be spot on. They only need to be a semblance of the thing they signify. When coming up with actions to go with your song, aside from creativity, go for a little bit of exaggeration. Take the word “see” for example. Instead of simply pointing to your eyes, mimic a telescoping gesture or place a horizontal palm above your eyebrow and swing your neck from left to right, looking out into the distance. It makes the lyrics of the song more vivid and more engaging for your students. And speaking of lyrics, don’t teach the songs line-by-line or distribute lyrics (if possible). Instead, teach the song as a whole—with music and the accompanying gestures. The goal here is not to make the students memorize the lyrics. It’s to let them understand what they are singing about: comprehension. So those are your five classroom TPR activities. Try them in your language class and set language acquisition on fire. Because nothing is as rewarding as seeing your students pick up a beautiful language.

Advice for Teachers of Young Learners from the Experts As head of the MELTA Young Learner’s Interest Section, I have come across so much valuable advice from experts in the field. I have extracted the essence of the messages here in a more compacted form and added my own comments in italics. I finish with my own guidelines. There are Four Teaching Roles Relevant to Working with Young Learners: 1. As a Communicator: It is important for the teacher to be a conversational partner of young children since they (like everyone else) develop their language skills through interactions with more accomplished speakers of the language. But, when children are in groups, this role can be very complex. Often more verbal children are spoken to more by adults and those with undeveloped abilities receive less interaction then they need. The teacher must support children’s language learning at various levels of development. 2. As an Evaluator/Assessor: This is an important role because it involves identifying children with developmental delays or special gifts in language learning. Since children at this stage are growing at different rates (mentally, emotionally, and physically), the potential of each child needs to be measured individually. The youngest children should not be formally tested and graded; in an activity mode they can frequently be assessed as to understanding and production. 3. As an Educator and Educated Human Being: Teachers need to be generalists in their knowledge of the world because children are interested in almost everything around them. This is a wonderful opportunity for cross-cultural, nature, musical, artistic and dramatic studies and experiences. It is important for teachers to model themselves as people who love learning and use many strategies for mastering new skills and information. The teacher should be the #1 Learner in the class. 4. As an Agent of Socialization: This process occurs alongside language development, as much of what we express is our own needs, interests, and concerns. Because teachers of young learners must focus on the whole child (full of feelings, fears, hopes, habits, etc.) as we lead them into new experiences and relationships, they need models and direction to more smoothly work with others and reach their own full potential. Children at this level are adapting to being with others outside their protective homes and need new coping skills and flexibility to work both alone and with others. They may also be taking their first steps to form friendships and deal with new social pressures and challenges, so teachers must be extremely sensitive to the class atmosphere, individual sensibilities, and try to build an inclusive, non-threatening and spirited environment for learning. Mario Herrera, teacher trainer and co-author of Balloons (kindergarten) and Parade (primary) believes the teacher’s role is special. He maintains that what is needed is “enthusiasm and having fun in the language (including doing silly things!)”. MODELING. Herrera stresses that young learners learn by seeing or doing. He advises that teachers demonstrate new vocabulary by showing realia, pictures or actually performing an action. “By watching and listening to your modeling, children understand what they must do or say. Modeling is the most important technique or strategy to use when teaching a new language. Kids watch and listen, copy and learn. Do it often!” PACE. He recommends that the pace of early learner classes should be lively and activities should be short. Then, since children like to repeat activities, they will want to return to the same things again and again. He advises teachers to repeat activities as long as the children maintain an interest. VARIETY. Herrera suggests that teachers plan a variety of activities that practice using target vocabulary and sentences: songs, Total Physical Response (TPR) activities, working with picture cards, conversation games, asking children questions as they cut and paste, asking children to listen and follow directions, pantomiming and doing actions. These can all serve to hold the children’s attention. “Anything with movement, chanting and singing works well,” he says. TPR. Total Physical Response lets you put children’s natural energy to use to learn English. He reports “This approach is ideal for young learners whose verbal abilities are still underdeveloped and even the shyest children like it because there is no speaking involved. It provides intense listening practice of basic language as children physically respond to commands. Children show they understand the action by acting it out and they can feel successful at English from the very beginning.” PARTICIPATION. Planned activities, he says, must be designed for children’s active participation and variety. “By doing different things children can experience the world and English together. Children naturally enjoy participating, and learn as they do! Let them feel the roundness of a circle with their hands, or walk through a hoop to understand ‘through’. Such activities allow children to communicate in a very natural way.” MATERIALS. “Using materials that are appealing to children also maintains a high interest level: toys, puppets, masks, pictures, cutouts, their drawings, and cards – cards to hang around necks, to play games with, to hold up and put somewhere while listening, etc.” He recommends using paper of different sizes, colors, textures when you make materials and use crayons, markers and paints. FEEDBACK. Herrera explains “that children need to know if they are doing something right or wrong. Feedback must be given carefully, however. Catch them doing something right and give them lots of praise. Correct them sensitively, taking pains not to single out or embarrass an individual (have the whole group practice the correct pronunciation together) Most of all, repeat the correct version, sometimes overemphasizing so they get the correct way of saying it.” I feel it is most important for teachers of young learners to develop pacing through a variety of shorter activities to work with the limited attention spans of younger pupils. Also I could not imagine working with this age level without lots of visual and manipulative materials. When one teacher asked me how long it took me to build up my bank of activity materials (which is still growing) I responded that 1) it can be fun to produce colorful and interesting materials that you can use again and again, and 2) children need concrete objects, visual displays and things they can touch, hold and work with to connect the real world with the language that naturally goes with it (here, in a foreign language). In her “Tips for Teachers of Children” Helene Jarmol Uchida, teacher-trainer, Director Little America English Schools (Japan) and author of The Challenge Book (elementary students) stresses that “Elementary children are the most gratifying age level to work with. Why? Because they possess three very important conditions before they even enter the classroom: they are naturally cooperative, curious and the least self-conscious of all students.” She goes on to give eleven points she feels are the most important to remember: l. Make fair and consistent rules, clear from the first day of class. 2. Remember students’ names. Use names often when teaching. 3. Show students what to do. Don’t explain. Just do. Just be. English needs to be experienced, not explained. 4. Nourish trust between you and the students of each class. Let them know you will never embarrass them for making a mistake in English. 5. Use eye contact to communicate your praise and disappointment. 6. Create well-planned, consistent lessons with a predictable format giving students a sense of security and balance. 7. Always be pleasantly surprised when students interact with each other or you in English. 8. Reassure your students that you understand their English and you approve of their attempts. 9. Show respect to the children and let them sometimes be teacher. 10. Use English as a tool to build their self-esteem. 11. Remember childhood through your students. This director of Japanese language schools is especially concerned with setting the right atmosphere in the classroom. I think two of her points would make outstanding mottos for all of us: “Don’t explain. Just Do.” And “Remember childhood through your students.” Young ESL Learners, Maria Spelleri of the Literacy Council of Sarasota (Florida) reports, respond enthusiastically to the following classroom activities and approaches: 1. Drama and role-play, especially if costumes and props are used. 2. Using a ball to pass around, or an egg timer to turn dull classes into games, competitions. 3. Doing a project that raises awareness of other children in the world. 4. Take photos in class and use a Polaroid camera on occasion for instant gratification and classroom fun. 5. Give kids some “power” and choices. Let the kids take attendance, call the class to order, dismiss the class, sometimes choose between lesson alternatives, etc. (works up to age 8). I feel Ms. Spelleri is on to something when she promotes empowering younger students in the classroom so it truly “belongs” to them. She also sees the role of English class to help raise children’s international awareness through relating to children of other lands. When asked, “What can we do with Young Learners (4-8)?” Jane Delaney, a teacher-trainer in the Cambridge-RSA Young Learners Training Course, and Director of Studies, International House, Tarragona, Spain, replied, “Try to educate the whole child. What we do in the classroom with them forms a part of their entire learning experience. Young children are like sponges. The teacher’s objective must be to stimulate them in any way she can.” In contrast, she explained that teenagers develop “the boredom factor at school”, but very young children have a great interest in the world around them and seemed to be interested in everything. So, she asks, “How can we create children’s need for a second language? If the teacher shows that she likes being with them, children naturally want to please the teacher and want to find out more about her. If children become involved in the classes they are motivated.” She continues with another question and answers it: Why are some teachers afraid of very young learners? A lot of new teachers fear the unknown. They think their classes will become a zoo and the kids will eat them alive! What many inexperienced teachers need before they come to class is: 1) some knowledge about cognitive development of their students; 2) what students are capable of in their own language; 3) what our expectations are of the particular age group; and 4) help with classroom management. Delaney believes the optimum class size with very young learners is 8-10 students. The classroom should be spacious for a number of different activities. She concludes by sharing, “Children are capable of so much, they can do much more than they are given credit for. We often hold them back because we are afraid.” It is so true how she contrasts teenage student attitudes with the eagerness of younger pupils Because she sees the teacher-pupil relationship as crucial, the fact that teachers fear their charges and underestimate their ability to learn is a judgment on our profession for “holding students back” rather than setting them free. Another expert, Margaret Lo, CELTYL teacher-training courses, Head of the Young Learners unit, British Council, Hong Kong, also discusses teacher’s attitudes towards young learners. She also emphasizes that teachers must focus on children’s whole development. She recommends a cross-curricular, activity-based approach, where children are engaging in meaningful tasks and activities. “Then, she says, “children use English genuinely, learn something new, and develop as whole people”. It is important to “see children as unique individuals. Give them a voice in the classroom to choose which song to sing or decide the topic of a project.” In fact, “Make the whole classroom experience meaningful in the moment, through activities intrinsically interesting and engaging from the child’s viewpoint.” I agree children must be educated holistically and language related to the whole of their reality. Pupils should also be empowered in class and valued as unique beings. David Nunan of the University of Hong Kong asks “How young is young in Young Learners?” He believes that the important factors in introducing English to very young students are the amount of time kids are given, the competence and training of teachers, and the quality of resources. Most importantly, is the need to effectively exploit the natural learning abilities of young learners. Nunan is concerned about the “great danger that children will be turned off English early if it is done badly. In that case,” he advises, “it should not be attempted. But if it is done well, then kids love it and thrive!” With beginners he has two principles: 1) Avoid overload – select key grammar, vocabulary, etc. stuff that learners are familiar with in their own context and 2) Recycle. In Nunan’s experience the order of acquisition is not critical. “Regardless of the tense you use/introduce, students won’t ‘get it’ until they’ve encountered the target structure in lots of different contexts and environments in many different situations. So students’ understanding will naturally be partial and piecemeal.” He advocates something like “guided acquisition” where the teacher helps learners to “notice” about how language works. Mr. Nunan’s wise counsel insists that young learners be approached by teachers who know what they are doing, not be given too much and be given time to digest new material. Working with Children in an Activity-Based Environment 1. Establish a class behavior code. Remember that interest and involvement are the best forms of motivation. 2. A good teacher knows that learning takes place during quiet times (drawing, cutting, gluing). Chatting to children while they work is part of teaching. 3. The priority must be the working relationship with children, taking the role of teacher, parent, friend and organizer. 4. Children learn best when they can experience and experiment for themselves by doing. This means child-centered activities. 5. Children need to use their hands and bodies to express and experience language. The teacher should focus on physical responses rather than just speaking correctly. Appropriate body language sends messages, too. 6. The pacing of a children’s class must be based on experience and intuition. Be sure not to work too fast through the material. Slow down and exploit each experience for the benefit of the children. Priorities 1. Build confidence through a supportive environment (called “scaffolding”); give children a sense of security to take risks. 2. Children should experience English. 3. Teach children to communicate with what vocabulary and structures they have; use language as a tool for real communication. 4. Show that learning English is fun. 5. Establish trusting relationship between yourself and the children (and also between children) 6. Give children the experience of a wide range of language functions and experiences in a non-threatening environment. 7. Avoid correcting children in class. 8. Give correct language examples to a group of bright students and let them teach the others/each other. 9. Accept good tries. Don’t insist on perfection. Mistake-making is an important part of language learning. Do Don’t... Use English as the language of instruction. Use it to give directions as part of the English lesson. Speak in short sentences, and discrete phrases. Pronounce clearly and slowly, looking directly at the class. Write clearly, using print. Act out meanings, or use props, objects, pictures, or gestures to make meanings clear. Pause after each sentence or phrase to associate it with a set of sounds. Repeat cheerfully and patiently and continue to associate clues to meaning with your words as long as needed. Gain a sense of pacing, that approaches life and the world holistically. Less is more, if a subject can be approached in many ways, connecting to other disciplines and in song, verse, and pictures. Check each pupil’s comprehension by: 1) giving directions to follow and 2) asking yes/no or one-word answer questions. Take the pressure off pupils to produce new language “cold”. Walk a pupil through how to follow instructions as you speak. Allow children to be children and bring their natural motivation and curiosity to learning. Encourage children to act out or draw a picture of their intended meanings when they don’t have the vocabulary to communicate. Play with language and be free to act silly, making up rhymes and songs, telling stories, talking even “nonsense” and playing playing with sounds. Encourage the use of picture dictionaries (bilingual and mono-lingual) so that students take some responsibility for their own learning. Teach dictionary skills, including the fundamentals of alphabetical order. Remember to use lots of “pleases” and “thank yous” and encourage them in classroom relationships. And always show your pupils respect, dignity and a good and polite example. Give explanations and directions in the native language. This cheats pupils of their motivation to understand. They will become lazy and wait for the Russian instead of reaching to understanding. Confuse pupils with incomprehensible language. Speeches, lectures, explanations and directions without clues to meaning are boring and not useful. Rely on only the spoken word. Pupils need more visual and tactile stimulation and often need to be physically active. Expect pupils to grasp new material the first time through. Remember they have many years ahead to fully master things. Race through a coursebook or curriculum, but also don’t drag out a point when students have lost interest. Always resort to translation back to the mother tongue. This prevents students from starting to think naturally in English and invites them to speak to you in Russian. Focus on tests as the only measure of one’s language skills and marks as the only reward for communication skills gained. Put individual pupils on the spot to produce language or respond if they are unlikely to be able to accomplish it. This creates “mental static anxiety”, and sets them up to fail. Expect young learners to think like older learners, needing logical explanations for new material. By Erin Bouma

Advice for Teachers of Young Learners from the Experts As head of the MELTA Young Learner’s Interest Section, I have come across so much valuable advice from experts in the field. I have extracted the essence of the messages here in a more compacted form and added my own comments in italics. I finish with my own guidelines. There are Four Teaching Roles Relevant to Working with Young Learners: 1. As a Communicator: It is important for the teacher to be a conversational partner of young children since they (like everyone else) develop their language skills through interactions with more accomplished speakers of the language. But, when children are in groups, this role can be very complex. Often more verbal children are spoken to more by adults and those with undeveloped abilities receive less interaction then they need. The teacher must support children’s language learning at various levels of development. 2. As an Evaluator/Assessor: This is an important role because it involves identifying children with developmental delays or special gifts in language learning. Since children at this stage are growing at different rates (mentally, emotionally, and physically), the potential of each child needs to be measured individually. The youngest children should not be formally tested and graded; in an activity mode they can frequently be assessed as to understanding and production. 3. As an Educator and Educated Human Being: Teachers need to be generalists in their knowledge of the world because children are interested in almost everything around them. This is a wonderful opportunity for cross-cultural, nature, musical, artistic and dramatic studies and experiences. It is important for teachers to model themselves as people who love learning and use many strategies for mastering new skills and information. The teacher should be the #1 Learner in the class. 4. As an Agent of Socialization: This process occurs alongside language development, as much of what we express is our own needs, interests, and concerns. Because teachers of young learners must focus on the whole child (full of feelings, fears, hopes, habits, etc.) as we lead them into new experiences and relationships, they need models and direction to more smoothly work with others and reach their own full potential. Children at this level are adapting to being with others outside their protective homes and need new coping skills and flexibility to work both alone and with others. They may also be taking their first steps to form friendships and deal with new social pressures and challenges, so teachers must be extremely sensitive to the class atmosphere, individual sensibilities, and try to build an inclusive, non-threatening and spirited environment for learning. Mario Herrera, teacher trainer and co-author of Balloons (kindergarten) and Parade (primary) believes the teacher’s role is special. He maintains that what is needed is “enthusiasm and having fun in the language (including doing silly things!)”. MODELING. Herrera stresses that young learners learn by seeing or doing. He advises that teachers demonstrate new vocabulary by showing realia, pictures or actually performing an action. “By watching and listening to your modeling, children understand what they must do or say. Modeling is the most important technique or strategy to use when teaching a new language. Kids watch and listen, copy and learn. Do it often!” PACE. He recommends that the pace of early learner classes should be lively and activities should be short. Then, since children like to repeat activities, they will want to return to the same things again and again. He advises teachers to repeat activities as long as the children maintain an interest. VARIETY. Herrera suggests that teachers plan a variety of activities that practice using target vocabulary and sentences: songs, Total Physical Response (TPR) activities, working with picture cards, conversation games, asking children questions as they cut and paste, asking children to listen and follow directions, pantomiming and doing actions. These can all serve to hold the children’s attention. “Anything with movement, chanting and singing works well,” he says. TPR. Total Physical Response lets you put children’s natural energy to use to learn English. He reports “This approach is ideal for young learners whose verbal abilities are still underdeveloped and even the shyest children like it because there is no speaking involved. It provides intense listening practice of basic language as children physically respond to commands. Children show they understand the action by acting it out and they can feel successful at English from the very beginning.” PARTICIPATION. Planned activities, he says, must be designed for children’s active participation and variety. “By doing different things children can experience the world and English together. Children naturally enjoy participating, and learn as they do! Let them feel the roundness of a circle with their hands, or walk through a hoop to understand ‘through’. Such activities allow children to communicate in a very natural way.” MATERIALS. “Using materials that are appealing to children also maintains a high interest level: toys, puppets, masks, pictures, cutouts, their drawings, and cards – cards to hang around necks, to play games with, to hold up and put somewhere while listening, etc.” He recommends using paper of different sizes, colors, textures when you make materials and use crayons, markers and paints. FEEDBACK. Herrera explains “that children need to know if they are doing something right or wrong. Feedback must be given carefully, however. Catch them doing something right and give them lots of praise. Correct them sensitively, taking pains not to single out or embarrass an individual (have the whole group practice the correct pronunciation together) Most of all, repeat the correct version, sometimes overemphasizing so they get the correct way of saying it.” I feel it is most important for teachers of young learners to develop pacing through a variety of shorter activities to work with the limited attention spans of younger pupils. Also I could not imagine working with this age level without lots of visual and manipulative materials. When one teacher asked me how long it took me to build up my bank of activity materials (which is still growing) I responded that 1) it can be fun to produce colorful and interesting materials that you can use again and again, and 2) children need concrete objects, visual displays and things they can touch, hold and work with to connect the real world with the language that naturally goes with it (here, in a foreign language). In her “Tips for Teachers of Children” Helene Jarmol Uchida, teacher-trainer, Director Little America English Schools (Japan) and author of The Challenge Book (elementary students) stresses that “Elementary children are the most gratifying age level to work with. Why? Because they possess three very important conditions before they even enter the classroom: they are naturally cooperative, curious and the least self-conscious of all students.” She goes on to give eleven points she feels are the most important to remember: l. Make fair and consistent rules, clear from the first day of class. 2. Remember students’ names. Use names often when teaching. 3. Show students what to do. Don’t explain. Just do. Just be. English needs to be experienced, not explained. 4. Nourish trust between you and the students of each class. Let them know you will never embarrass them for making a mistake in English. 5. Use eye contact to communicate your praise and disappointment. 6. Create well-planned, consistent lessons with a predictable format giving students a sense of security and balance. 7. Always be pleasantly surprised when students interact with each other or you in English. 8. Reassure your students that you understand their English and you approve of their attempts. 9. Show respect to the children and let them sometimes be teacher. 10. Use English as a tool to build their self-esteem. 11. Remember childhood through your students. This director of Japanese language schools is especially concerned with setting the right atmosphere in the classroom. I think two of her points would make outstanding mottos for all of us: “Don’t explain. Just Do.” And “Remember childhood through your students.” Young ESL Learners, Maria Spelleri of the Literacy Council of Sarasota (Florida) reports, respond enthusiastically to the following classroom activities and approaches: 1. Drama and role-play, especially if costumes and props are used. 2. Using a ball to pass around, or an egg timer to turn dull classes into games, competitions. 3. Doing a project that raises awareness of other children in the world. 4. Take photos in class and use a Polaroid camera on occasion for instant gratification and classroom fun. 5. Give kids some “power” and choices. Let the kids take attendance, call the class to order, dismiss the class, sometimes choose between lesson alternatives, etc. (works up to age 8). I feel Ms. Spelleri is on to something when she promotes empowering younger students in the classroom so it truly “belongs” to them. She also sees the role of English class to help raise children’s international awareness through relating to children of other lands. When asked, “What can we do with Young Learners (4-8)?” Jane Delaney, a teacher-trainer in the Cambridge-RSA Young Learners Training Course, and Director of Studies, International House, Tarragona, Spain, replied, “Try to educate the whole child. What we do in the classroom with them forms a part of their entire learning experience. Young children are like sponges. The teacher’s objective must be to stimulate them in any way she can.” In contrast, she explained that teenagers develop “the boredom factor at school”, but very young children have a great interest in the world around them and seemed to be interested in everything. So, she asks, “How can we create children’s need for a second language? If the teacher shows that she likes being with them, children naturally want to please the teacher and want to find out more about her. If children become involved in the classes they are motivated.” She continues with another question and answers it: Why are some teachers afraid of very young learners? A lot of new teachers fear the unknown. They think their classes will become a zoo and the kids will eat them alive! What many inexperienced teachers need before they come to class is: 1) some knowledge about cognitive development of their students; 2) what students are capable of in their own language; 3) what our expectations are of the particular age group; and 4) help with classroom management. Delaney believes the optimum class size with very young learners is 8-10 students. The classroom should be spacious for a number of different activities. She concludes by sharing, “Children are capable of so much, they can do much more than they are given credit for. We often hold them back because we are afraid.” It is so true how she contrasts teenage student attitudes with the eagerness of younger pupils Because she sees the teacher-pupil relationship as crucial, the fact that teachers fear their charges and underestimate their ability to learn is a judgment on our profession for “holding students back” rather than setting them free. Another expert, Margaret Lo, CELTYL teacher-training courses, Head of the Young Learners unit, British Council, Hong Kong, also discusses teacher’s attitudes towards young learners. She also emphasizes that teachers must focus on children’s whole development. She recommends a cross-curricular, activity-based approach, where children are engaging in meaningful tasks and activities. “Then, she says, “children use English genuinely, learn something new, and develop as whole people”. It is important to “see children as unique individuals. Give them a voice in the classroom to choose which song to sing or decide the topic of a project.” In fact, “Make the whole classroom experience meaningful in the moment, through activities intrinsically interesting and engaging from the child’s viewpoint.” I agree children must be educated holistically and language related to the whole of their reality. Pupils should also be empowered in class and valued as unique beings. David Nunan of the University of Hong Kong asks “How young is young in Young Learners?” He believes that the important factors in introducing English to very young students are the amount of time kids are given, the competence and training of teachers, and the quality of resources. Most importantly, is the need to effectively exploit the natural learning abilities of young learners. Nunan is concerned about the “great danger that children will be turned off English early if it is done badly. In that case,” he advises, “it should not be attempted. But if it is done well, then kids love it and thrive!” With beginners he has two principles: 1) Avoid overload – select key grammar, vocabulary, etc. stuff that learners are familiar with in their own context and 2) Recycle. In Nunan’s experience the order of acquisition is not critical. “Regardless of the tense you use/introduce, students won’t ‘get it’ until they’ve encountered the target structure in lots of different contexts and environments in many different situations. So students’ understanding will naturally be partial and piecemeal.” He advocates something like “guided acquisition” where the teacher helps learners to “notice” about how language works. Mr. Nunan’s wise counsel insists that young learners be approached by teachers who know what they are doing, not be given too much and be given time to digest new material. Working with Children in an Activity-Based Environment 1. Establish a class behavior code. Remember that interest and involvement are the best forms of motivation. 2. A good teacher knows that learning takes place during quiet times (drawing, cutting, gluing). Chatting to children while they work is part of teaching. 3. The priority must be the working relationship with children, taking the role of teacher, parent, friend and organizer. 4. Children learn best when they can experience and experiment for themselves by doing. This means child-centered activities. 5. Children need to use their hands and bodies to express and experience language. The teacher should focus on physical responses rather than just speaking correctly. Appropriate body language sends messages, too. 6. The pacing of a children’s class must be based on experience and intuition. Be sure not to work too fast through the material. Slow down and exploit each experience for the benefit of the children. Priorities 1. Build confidence through a supportive environment (called “scaffolding”); give children a sense of security to take risks. 2. Children should experience English. 3. Teach children to communicate with what vocabulary and structures they have; use language as a tool for real communication. 4. Show that learning English is fun. 5. Establish trusting relationship between yourself and the children (and also between children) 6. Give children the experience of a wide range of language functions and experiences in a non-threatening environment. 7. Avoid correcting children in class. 8. Give correct language examples to a group of bright students and let them teach the others/each other. 9. Accept good tries. Don’t insist on perfection. Mistake-making is an important part of language learning. Do Don’t... Use English as the language of instruction. Use it to give directions as part of the English lesson. Speak in short sentences, and discrete phrases. Pronounce clearly and slowly, looking directly at the class. Write clearly, using print. Act out meanings, or use props, objects, pictures, or gestures to make meanings clear. Pause after each sentence or phrase to associate it with a set of sounds. Repeat cheerfully and patiently and continue to associate clues to meaning with your words as long as needed. Gain a sense of pacing, that approaches life and the world holistically. Less is more, if a subject can be approached in many ways, connecting to other disciplines and in song, verse, and pictures. Check each pupil’s comprehension by: 1) giving directions to follow and 2) asking yes/no or one-word answer questions. Take the pressure off pupils to produce new language “cold”. Walk a pupil through how to follow instructions as you speak. Allow children to be children and bring their natural motivation and curiosity to learning. Encourage children to act out or draw a picture of their intended meanings when they don’t have the vocabulary to communicate. Play with language and be free to act silly, making up rhymes and songs, telling stories, talking even “nonsense” and playing playing with sounds. Encourage the use of picture dictionaries (bilingual and mono-lingual) so that students take some responsibility for their own learning. Teach dictionary skills, including the fundamentals of alphabetical order. Remember to use lots of “pleases” and “thank yous” and encourage them in classroom relationships. And always show your pupils respect, dignity and a good and polite example. Give explanations and directions in the native language. This cheats pupils of their motivation to understand. They will become lazy and wait for the Russian instead of reaching to understanding. Confuse pupils with incomprehensible language. Speeches, lectures, explanations and directions without clues to meaning are boring and not useful. Rely on only the spoken word. Pupils need more visual and tactile stimulation and often need to be physically active. Expect pupils to grasp new material the first time through. Remember they have many years ahead to fully master things. Race through a coursebook or curriculum, but also don’t drag out a point when students have lost interest. Always resort to translation back to the mother tongue. This prevents students from starting to think naturally in English and invites them to speak to you in Russian. Focus on tests as the only measure of one’s language skills and marks as the only reward for communication skills gained. Put individual pupils on the spot to produce language or respond if they are unlikely to be able to accomplish it. This creates “mental static anxiety”, and sets them up to fail. Expect young learners to think like older learners, needing logical explanations for new material. By Erin Bouma

Teaching ESL to children

Teaching ESL to children is challenging but also very rewarding. Before I walk into a class of 10-year olds, I take a deep breath. Children have no attention span AT ALL, and so I tell myself to slow right down before I start. Teaching children requires patience and a sense of fun and playfulness. Even though it seems obvious, a common mistake is to think that children are simply ‘short adults!’ This is sure to get you off on the wrong foot!

Here are some tips for teaching ESL to children:

1. Involve children in hands-on activities
Children’s minds are incredibly open and they learn by absorbing ideas and concepts directly. Children need to be actively involved. Get students up and out of their chairs and moving around. Sing songs, and play games.

2. Avoid talking for long periods of time
I find that the energy level of the classroom drops lower and lower. Explain an activity quickly and then go to it. Keep the energy moving! If your planned activity is a flop, move on. Keep a few extra activities handy for this purpose. Children need lots of stimulation all the time.

3. Children learn by interacting with each other and with the teacher
Try to talk to each child individually each class. Whenever possible, have children working in groups and in pairs.

4. Review, Review, Review
New information is absorbed and has meaning when it is related to information students have already learned. Quickly review new concepts at the beginning of each class.

5. Encourage students to correct themselves and other students
Self correction or self-regulation is an important part of learning. Students should be encouraged to ask, “How am I doing?” and “Am I doing this right?” in an open and non-judgmental environment. Children raised in authoritative cultures may need additional re-inforcement.

6. Use what is learned in different contexts
The more contexts used the better, and the more concrete and ‘real life’ the contexts the better. Make it real for students by talking about them and their lives.

7. Praise, Praise, Praise
Encourage and build students up in a natural way. Learning occurs when students are motivated and feel good about themselves.
Looking back on my years of teaching, the children’s classes took a bit of getting used to, but were the most memorable and fun!

Written by George and Daisy Stocker
George and Daisy Stocker have traveled the world teaching ESL to children and adults. Their website, www.esl-storybooks.com offers ESL curriculum, including textbooks and Storybooks for children age 7-12. Their adult ESL site, www.efl-esl.com offers ESL activites and curriculum for adults.