THE TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVES ABOUT CHALLENGES OF TEACHING

ENGLISH FOR YOUNG LEARNERS: A CASE STUDY AT ENGLISH COURSE

FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

Rany Sylvia Pertiwi1, Icuk Salabiyati2, Doni Damara3, Bambang Widi Pratolo4

[email protected], [email protected],[email protected]
Universitas Ahmad Dahlan

ABSTRACT

This study is done in an English course for kids in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The
objectives of the study are to know the teacher’s perspective on the challenges while
in teaching English for young learners and the challenges for the teacher in teaching
English for young learners. This research uses the qualitative researcher in order that
the data will explain in detail. The data come from the teacher and the students by
using direct observation and interview. The results show that the teachers have the
challenges when they teach English for young learners like teacher approach in the
class, using monotone media, the different of class size, the different characteristics
of the students, the difficulties language skills. The most difficulty is managing the
class. The teacher should prepare the techniques to solve the challenge.

Keywords: teacher’s perspective, challenges, young learners

INTRODUCTION

According to Crotty (1998), teaching English for kids is not easy for the teacher.
The teacher can find several challenges to teach them. It is an approach to understand
and explain society and human world, and grounds a set of assumptions that symbolic
interactionist researchers typically bring to their methodology of choice. According to
Damar (2013), some of them believed that starting to write and read in L1 helps
children to learn another language, and also they emphasised the importance of
starting in early ages in terms of having positive attitudes towards learning another
language. Thus, perspective is related to the point of the view of something. The
researcher can think about the problem with a reasonable way to analyse it. The
perspective can take from their own experiences or view. The perspective can give the
image to know further more about something.
 According to Myrtis & Philomena (2006), young learners tend to have short
attention spans and much physical energy. Also, children are very much linked to their
surroundings and are more interested in physical and tangible. According to Harmer
(2007), it is suggested that students of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) tend to be
learning so that they can use English when travel or to communicate with other
people, form whatever country, who also speak English. According to Myrtis &
Philomena (2006), to teach English to children, the researcher has the challenge to
deliver the materials. This is one way to make learning more fun is to involve students
in the creation of the visual and realia. Thus, young learners need real things as the
media in the learning process. It will make them interested to learn English. Commented [L1]: parts as well as several sections in the
following paragraphs should begin with the main point of their own
Harmer (2007) states that many people learn English because they have moved mind and then be strengthened only from journal excerpts or
books.
into a target language community, and they need to be able to operate successfully
within that community. Gautam (2014) states that in order to teach English to young
children effectively, the teacher should have knowledge and skills of how the language
should present at a very young age. Thus, in a course, it can develop the cognitive,
affective, and psychomotor for the children.
According to Harmer (2007), children usually respond well to activities that focus
on their lives and experiences. However, a child’s attention span - their willingness to
stay rooted in one activity - is often relatively short. Teaching English for younger
children is not easy for teachers. Many problems can find during class. If young
children move to a new country and go to school there, they seem to ‘pick up’ the new
language with incredible ease.
Shin (2006) states that one way to capture their attention and keep them engaged
in activities is to supplement to the children. Thus, the activities can use from the
visual object, realia, toys or dolls, and can deliver by using the full colour and song.
They will be interested when they hear the song or movie given. They are easy to pay
attention when they are interested in the object, and the teacher can follow up or
make the activity by re-tell the story or guessing vocabulary.
According to Elttayef & Hussein (2017), there is rarely an examination when they
use the speaking skill examed, but in the learning process is needed. The examination
will focus on reading skill, writing skill, grammar and vocabulary. Speaking skill can take
overall those skills like reading and writing skill in order that the teacher will focus on
reading and writing skills than speaking skill.
According to Lightbown & Spada (1999), successful language learners may not be
active in all of the components of aptitude. Some individuals may have strong
memories but only average abilities in the other components of aptitude. Ideally, one
could determine learners; profiles of strengths and weaknesses and use this
information to place students in appropriate teaching programs. Thus, the children
who want to enter the course, they should do the placement test. It can be used to
measure the young learners’ ability in English in order that they can enter the
appropriate level in a course.
Ansari (2012) states that in the process of teaching speaking, a teacher is a role
because the teacher is the first model for the students. It is from him that students
directly listen to spoken English. Automatically, the students will dictate or follow the
rules given by the teacher. The students will imitate or produce the language that
comes from the teachers. So, a teacher should try to be a real model for students.
Thus, the teacher must give the right pronunciation when they teach the children
because they will repeat the words that they hear from the teacher.
Elttayef & Hussein (2017) states that the most crucial in the learning process that
it can be applied for the students are confident. The children feel confident because
they are afraid to make mistakes. SO, the teacher should encourage them to be
confident. So, the teacher should make the activity that can be practised in the class.
Thus, speaking skills are comfortable than reading and writing skills because they
young learners can say or produce sentences or words.
According to Ansari (2012), teaching English Writing to EFL students is not easy. It
is a challenging job. While teaching an EFL, a teacher faces many problems. Most of
them are unaware of cursive writing. To solve the problems we have to take practical
approaches while teaching an EFL class. Thus, writing and reading skills are the most
difficult skills for young learner, especially in English.

Problem Statement Commented [L2]: the problem statement does not become a
separate sub-chapter, it should be included in the introductory sub-
chapter
Spearman & Eckhoof (2014) states that while young children are not capable of
the multifaceted understandings expected of individuals in adolescence and
adulthood, their understandings of sustainability are valuable. According to Shin
(2006), young learners should have fun with English to make the theory and practice of
teaching young learners in the EFL classroom successful. Nunan (2011) states that
children are at pre-school or in the first couple of years of schooling. The children have
limited reading and writing skills, even in their first language. They enjoy fantasy,
imagination and movement. Thus, teaching English as a foreign language is more
complicated than teaching English as a second language because English rarely uses in
Indonesia. Certain people use English as a communication language.
According to Colarusso (2010), as with most teachers of language arts, English
teachers face growing pressures to identify the needs from diverse learners, both in
terms of ethnicity and language but also in terms of economic and social
circumstances. According to Gajdos (2016), therefore it should be one of the essential
high-level skills teachers need in order be able to answer all the challenges they face
on every level and every aspect of the profession. Thus, educators or teachers should
have a high skill or specific skills to make young learners enjoyable to learn English.
Research Questions Commented [L3]: research questions does not become a
separate sub-chapter, it should be included in the introductory sub-
chapter
According to Yin (2011), the first question option is essential. A common belief in
research outside of qualitative studies is that proper research usually only follows a
good set of questions. Creswell (2014) states the research questions or hypotheses
that narrow the purpose statement to predictions about what can learn or questions
can answer in the study. Thus, research questions are the list of the questions that the
researcher wants to identify particular points. The research question will find in the
result section. Besides, the research question is the point as the methodological point
in-depth questions because there is the limitation of the research. To help the writer
to find the data, the writer gives two research questions like the following:
1. What is the teacher’s perspective on the challenges while teaching English for
young learners?

2. What are the challenges of the teacher in teaching English for young learners?

Thus, teachers’ perception to teach English to young learners is needed because

they will teach about the language. Language is a subject to be taught, especially the
English language, which is uncommon for the children. There are young learners can
speak in English because it influences from his/her background. The habit of teaching
English for young learners also can help the teacher to know the stages to teach.

METHOD Commented [L4]: the methodology section can be better if it is

conveyed how the instruments in the methodology relate to the
research topic
According to Vanderstoep & Johnston (2009), this study uses qualitative research.
The methodology will describe to be the point of research methods and collecting the
data. Qualitative research produces narrative or textual descriptions of the
phenomena under study. “It will focus on the research questions in this study. The
researchers will use the observation and guided interview to collect the data to get the
data. Qualitative researchers collect data themselves through examining documents,
observing behaviour, or interviewing participants (Creswell, 2014). According to
Rossman & Rallis (2012), qualitative researchers learn to anticipate the time involved
in gaining access. So, the process of negotiating entry can be as insightful about the
people or setting as following observations and interviews themselves. Thus, the
methodology was related to how the researchers collect the data or how to analyse
the data came.

Data Collection Technique

The researcher used triangulation to collect the data. To use triangulation data,
the researcher needs some steps to do the research. The data collection could help the
researcher to get the data from interview and observation. If the researcher wanted to
use triangulation, the researcher should use more than one method to collect the
data. It was used to make the result active and valid. It can ignore bias data. So this
research would use observation and interview as the data collection. Merriam & Tisdell
(2016), observation is one of the kinds of the research that it will show the specific
research question, and when it is subject to the checks and balances in producing
accurate results. According to Bernard & Ryan (2010), participant observation is
qualitative: field notes will take about things you see and hear in natural settings;
photographs of the content of people’s houses; audio recordings of people telling
stories; video recordings of people.
The researcher uses semi-structure interview. According to Stake (2010), it takes a
terrific interview or survey question for most interviewees to get genuinely into the
complexity of the thing studied. Sometimes it helps to have exhibit questions, which
we will talk about next. According to Bernard & Ryan (2010), the interview guide, and
its instructions on where and how to probe are essential when there is more than one
interviewer on a project so that people will ask roughly the same questions.

Participants

Denzin (1970) states that the subject of this research is from two English teachers.
The subject or the participants can help the researcher to find the data. The researcher
uses the purposive sample. Purposive sampling considers more appropriate when the
participants are a small group, and known characteristic of it is to be studied
intensively. According to Creswell (2014), purposeful sampling, this is the primary
sampling strategy used in qualitative research. It means that the inquirer selects
individuals and sites for study because they can purposefully inform an understanding
of the research problem and the central phenomenon in the study. Thus, the sample is
needed for the writer to know the right target in research. The writer can determine
the sample based on the problem given. It must be related to each other. The sample
are from 2 English teachers. The writer will describe the English teacher’s perspective.
In the result, will find the code ET1 & ET2. ET1 is the first interview (the first English
teacher), and ET2 is the second interview (the second English teacher).

Location

This course is one of the kid's courses in Yogyakarta. The researcher will take the
location in Yogyakarta’s course. The location is in the city area. This course is one of
the kinds of English courses for children. The course focuses on 2-9 years old.
RESULTS AND FINDING

1. Teacher’s Perspective
The first, the teachers uses monotonous teaching method. Based on the
observation, the teachers use a teacher-centred approach. The teachers are always as
the role or model in the learning process. The teacher will ask and require the students
to follow every activity in the class. The teachers also instruct their students. Based on
the situation, the teacher can use the variety approach in the class by using the
student's centred approach because it can build their communication and confidence
when the teacher asks them as the primary model.
To deliver the materials, the teachers use some method used in the learning
process like Total Physical Response (TPR), Direct Method, and Audio-Lingual Method.
The teachers can use several methods in a meeting in order that it can help the
teachers to give the variation activities.
The second, the teacher uses boring media in teaching English. From the
observation, the researcher found that the leading media in teaching English for kids is
flashcards. The teachers will give several flashcards based on a specific topic. The
teacher will drill the vocabularies to the students like “drink”. The teacher will drill one
vocabulary fifth times in order; then the students will repeat the word. Based on the
observation, it is better when the teacher gives several media in order that the
students do not feel bored. Based on the interview, the researcher finds several results
like:
“But while I teach here, I never find that it is not appropriate for children in the
class, it is all complete”. (ET1)
”For the media, it is complete and appropriate.” (ET2)

2. The Challenges of Teaching Young Learners

The first is class size. Based on the observation, the type of group is a small group.
It can be 1 to 8 students, but the researcher found that there are 3 to 5 students in
each class. The small group in the class, it can help the teacher to be effective and easy
to manage the class. However, teachers feel challenging to handle or manage the class
because young learners have different characteristics. The teacher can rearrange the
place to do the learning process like circle group, letter U group, sitting on the floor,
and sitting on the chair. It can help the teacher to give the variant learning style. Based
on the interview, it shows that:
“The challenge is when the children are noisy, and we are difficult to manage the
class.” (ET1)
“Sometimes, it is difficult if they are not obedient.” (ET2)
The second is the different characteristics of the children. The young children have
different characters in order; the teacher must pay attention to recognise the
student’s characteristics. The different characteristics are one of the challenges for the
teachers. The teachers will not focus on one student, but all of the students in the
class. Based on the interview, it shows that:
“I have a student that he is so difficult to adapt to the new place. He is too shy, not
confidence …, and have the kinesthetic student in the same character in the class. They
are hyperactive, and it is also the challenge in the class.” (ET1)
“I think, it is reasonable because all the children have a different ability. I teach
one topic, a student is easy to absorb the material, but the other students are not
easy. It is the challenge, and I also have one shy student.” (ET2)
According to the observation, the researcher found that several students have
different characteristics each other like an active student, shy student, enthusiastic
student, and silent student. The teacher feels challenging to handle the class, but the
teacher gives the solution to handle it.
We know that the young learner, especially kids, are complicated when the
stranger people want to close to them. Several students feel comfortable to socialise
with others, or several students is not easy to socialise with others. According to
observation, the researcher established that the teacher could close to her students.
The students can work well to do their task. They are also active to ask vocabulary
when they do not know the vocabulary. This approach can help the teacher to be close
to their students.
“How the way to persuade when they got moody.” (ET1)
The third is the Difficult Language Skills. According to the observation, the
researcher found that the students feel difficulty in writing and reading skills. The
children will learn how to spell the English alphabets. There are several students use
Indonesian alphabets. The children range 4 to 6 years old feel challenging to read an
English word. The researcher found that fewer students can spell or can read
sentences or words, but they still use the technique to read Indonesian words or
sentences. The short transcript can show below:
“As far as I teacher, I fell the difficulty on reading or writing skills. When we want
to introduce English alphabets to children. I feel difficult how the way to teach them to
write in English because it influences Indonesia way.” (ET1) Commented [L5]: becarefull with the sentences, this should be
:
“The difficult skills are reading and writing skill.” (ET2) "As far as my experience as a teacher, I have difficulty in reading or
writing skills. When we want to introduce English letters to
According to the observation, the researcher found several problems each English children. I find it difficult how to teach them to write in English
skill like speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. The researcher can find the same because it affects the Indonesian way. "(ET1)

problem.
1) Listening skill
The students feel easy on listening skills, but the young children have limited
sentences when they receive the sentences. The children feel difficult to hear long or
complex sentences. They still receive simple sentences or phrases.
2) Speaking skill
The teacher can be a role model for the young learners because the children will
repeat, dictate or reproduce the vocabulary from the teacher in order that the teacher
should give the right pronunciation for them. If the teacher does the wrong
pronunciation, the children will do the wrong pronunciation too.
3) Reading skill
The researcher found that teachers feel painful when they teach reading the time.
The young learners still recognise the alphabets so they can read the alphabets (2 to 5
years old). The researcher found that there are fewer students who can read the
sentences or words in English, but it influences in Indonesia language.
4) Writing skill
The researcher found that the most challenging skill in English is writing skills
because it is related to the psychomotor skill. The young learners (2 to 3 years old) still
learn how to hold a pencil or colour pencil. They still do the tracing letters. The young
learners (4 to 5 years old) can hold a pencil or colour pencil. They are ready to write,
but they still learn to read the letters first.

DISCUSSION
Yildirim & Dogan (2010) states that since children 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 active mode, they can frequently assess as to understanding and
production. Saracho (2012) states that play is a medium for different types of learning
(such as achieving social competence, learning about their world, developing
knowledge in different subject areas). Play provides the optimum learning conditions
when the environment and approaches focus on the children’s interests and
developmental levels. Thus, the teacher can determine a variety of appropriate
approaches to teaching the young learner. The teacher cannot measure by using
scoring for young learners. The teacher can measure from the direct understand from
the children. The teacher can identify the children that can understand or produce the
language. When the children can repeat or use the words, we know that the learning
objectives achieved.
According to Juhana (2014) states that children like which it is related to their life.
So, the teacher should think to make a unique activity for the student. Moylett (2014)
states that when young children live to their own devices in a stimulating learning
environment, most will learn through playing and exploring – but this is not enough.
Myrtis & Philomena (2006) states that young learners tend to have short attention
spans and much physical energy. Also, children are very much linked to their
surroundings and are more interested in physical and tangible. Thus, The children have
different characteristics of each other in order that the teachers should know their
characteristics. The children need ways how the teacher can pay attention to them.
The ways are running in the class, making noise, fighting to the other friends, and so
forth. Directly, the teacher will do some activities or talk to them. Like the teachers,
they should listen carefully when the children retell something. It also makes them
comfortable.
According to Nagler (2015), it is possible that the most challenging aspect of
teaching for many beginning teachers is managing students’ behaviour. The teacher
will be successful in the class when the teacher can manage the class well so the
materials will present well. Effective classroom management involves clear
communication of behavioural and academic expectations as well as a classroom
environment conducive to learning. Thus, in managing the class, the teachers still feel
challenging to manage it. For example, there are six students with different
characteristics; the teacher must give a solution on how to manage the class.
Managing class is a tricky part to teach English for young learners or kids.
Saracho (2012) states that activities should provide some form of education to the
children and need based upon a set of guidelines that underlie educational
experiences for young children. Burnard (1998) states that children with emotional and
behavioural difficulties characteristically have difficulties with reading and spelling. The
teaching of reading and spelling is also a behavioural management process in that
choice of the right material and how to present and reward are essential factors.
Gautam (2014) states that to teach English to young children effectively, the teacher
should have knowledge and skills of how the language should present at a very young
age. Thus, to teaching specific skills in English for the young learner, the teacher should
determine the appropriate materials for them. The young learners are easy to
understand the materials when they use concrete or real things. For example, the
teacher wants to learn about vegetables. The teachers can bring concrete vegetables
so they will be interested to learn.
The researcher gives the solutions because the techniques are successful in the
class. The first is about drilling technique by using varieties ways such as by using
games, movie, song, and role play. This kind of activities above, it can help the teacher
to make the varieties ways to deliver the materials. The second is an appointment.
Before the learning process starts, the teacher and the students can agree with the
class. It also makes them responsible and confident from the appointments. The thirds
are about other activities (art project, science project, painting picture). The students
feel happy and interested when they can do the new activity. The teacher can make
excellent communication with students. The young learners are easy to change their
mood at the moment. So, the teacher can think of how to make them interested to
learn English. The children are easy to be bored when the learning process is
monotone.
CONCLUSION
We know that English is a foreign language in Indonesia, especially for the young
learner. In teaching English in a foreign language becomes the challenges to teach
young learners. Several problems found in the learning process. So, the parents want
to make their children can speak in English that their children need more additional
materials in a course.
The development to speak in English, it can influence from the environment from
the children. For example, a child can speak well in English because he or she always
speaks in English in a house with the parents, friends, or neighbour. To make them
confident, it must build excellent communication.
To solve the challenges for the teachers, the teachers can modify the materials or
do the various learning style in the class. It also cannot make the students bored. The
additional learning in the class, it can make them interested to learn English. To teach
English to kids or young learners is not easy for the teacher. The teachers must be
creative to make something interesting for them.
In my opinion, teachers should teach them to develop their psychomotor skill and
ability. Thus, the teachers can develop psychomotor skills like tracing letters, tracing
objects that the students must use the crayon or colour pencils. The teacher can make
an art project or science project to make them interested to learn more. The teachers
also can use song and movie in English to develop their thinking from the audio or
audio-visual. Thus, the teacher can combine those activities for young learners or kids.
An art project can help the teacher to develop the materials too. An art project can be
as the media in the learning process. After the learning process, the teachers can give
rewards like the star, sticker, and so on. So, the teachers should be creative to make
materials fun and make them smile.

Acknowledgement

We wish to expresses thanks for UNS (Universitas Sebelas Maret) which has given us
the opportunity to contribute the international conference ICLIQE 2019. We dedicate
this paper for the colleagues.. I have been able to honour for my friends, Doni and Icuk
as the partners to make useful paper for others. I want to thank our adviser, Drs.,
Akmal, M.Hum., M.Sc., Ph.D. We hope our journal is useful for Drs. Bambang Widi
Pratolo, M.Hum., Pd.D. people who want to guide us to make the paper.
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