Introduction

As English is being introduced into primary — the classroom language is carefully graded.
classrooms round the world, more and more teachers Unit 1 begins with basic classroom instructions
are being asked to teach English to Young Learners. for a typical lesson. The next units cover specific
This book was written to help such teachers to language relevant to particular activity types. In
improve their spoken English and to use it effectively the final units we shift the main focus to longer
to help their children learn. stretches of talk, for example, telling a story.
This book is for teachers who teach English to
children aged 4–12, including: If you work through the book and CD you will
— generalist teachers: i.e. class teachers, who teach
1 find many practical ideas to adapt and try out in
all subjects as well as English to one class
your lessons
— specialist language teachers who teach English to
2 activate the English that you already know and
several different classes and levels
gain the confidence to use more English with
— teachers on training courses (there are lots of
your pupils
practical ideas to try out)
3 benefit from other teachers’ experience by hearing
— tutors on a training course for primary teachers of
typical samples from everyday English lessons.
English (in-service or pre-service)
These are real lessons taught by primary teachers
— teachers who want to study at home (the units are
(both non-native and native speakers) around the
carefully graded).
world, but they have been re-recorded in a studio
for this book
The book will help you
4 expand your range of classroom language. This will
— to improve your confidence in speaking English help you to:
in the classroom — carry out day-to-day classroom organization
— to broaden your range of language teaching in English
activities. — manage each basic activity type in English
— give your children a rich experience of English of
The activities and language will be relevant to your different kinds – from short, simple instructions
classroom because (for example, Total Physical Response and
questions and answers) to longer, sustained talk
— the syllabus for the book comes mainly from our
(for example, storytelling)
‘bank’ of English lessons recorded and contributed
— talk to your learners about topics which interest
by thirteen different teachers from countries
them, and themes that young learners’
round the world. These lessons are samples of good
coursebooks and syllabuses generally cover
practice from dedicated and committed teachers –
— know when it is helpful to use the children’s
not perfect samples specially prepared, but real
mother tongue, and when to allow children to
classes in action.
use their mother tongue.
— they include a wide range of activities and
5 be well prepared for future professional
techniques used by teachers and trainers from
development.
different parts of the world and include popular
activity types from primary textbooks To summarize, we recognize that teaching English
— we have selected classroom extracts and examples can be more rewarding and less stressful if you
of language that are typically used by successful — feel confident enough to use English as the main
non-native primary teachers internationally. language in the classroom during English lessons –
Our aim is to provide coverage of classroom giving your young learners valuable experience of
English in normal everyday settings – not in English in use
idealistic situations.

ENGLISH FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS

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2 Introduction

— have a wide variety of activities that are both fun phrases as well as techniques for class control and
for young learners and rich in natural language management.
learning opportunities. If you don’t have a CD player, ask someone to
copy the CD onto a C90 audiocassette for you (it is
This book aims to demonstrate effective language
75 minutes long). Then you can still make full use
teaching in practice; it rests on sound educational
of the recordings.
principles and up-to-date theories of child second
language acquisition. However, it does not attempt to
What you get from each unit
explain issues in general primary pedagogy or
educational psychology. Each unit begins with an Overview and an
Introduction linking it to earlier units, and showing
Working your way through the book how the unit progresses.
This is followed by four to five main sections, each
The first unit asks you to reflect on the processes of
illustrating a different type of activity, for example,
language learning and to examine ways to create
Listen and mime, Listen and colour.
effective learning conditions in class. It also
Within each section there are normally some
introduces you to the study methods used in
sub-sections:
the book.
— An explanation, description, and/or rationale is
Units 2 to 5 cover listening then speaking
given for the activity type.
activities. Units 6 and 7 deal with reading then
— Classroom extracts demonstrate the situation or
writing activities. The next two units illustrate ways
activity being used in class. These are recorded on
of using stories. The final unit covers wider issues
the CD and the written transcripts appear on the
such as use of mother tongue, correction, integrating
unit page.
coursebook activities and lesson planning.
— Language Focus exercises help you study aspects
We look initially at the four skills of listening,
of the language from the classroom extracts,
speaking, reading, and writing separately. We do not
including stress and intonation. They also bring
recommend they are treated separately in class, but
together sets of examples useful for daily
we want to focus on the different challenges that
classroom functions. You can record these on to
each skill presents to you, as teacher, and to
your own personal audiocassette (see page 00).
your learners.
— Extension Ideas list more activities of this kind or
Activities for listening and speaking early in the
ways to extend them.
book are recycled and extended in later units. Nearly
— Teaching Tips give ideas for adapting activities or
all the activities recommended are ones actually used
setting them up differently.
by the teachers who contributed their lessons to
— Topic Talk sections give you practice in talking
this book.
about common topics with your classes, for
example, families, animals, parties. This gives
How the CD can help you speak English in
children a chance to listen to more English. Topic
the classroom
Talk often includes simple tasks that can be done
The CD contains 62 recorded extracts from typical on your own or with a friend or a colleague at
English lessons as well as some pronunciation work. We recommend that you record yourself
exercises. It forms an integral and vital part of doing the tasks on a separate audiocassette;
this handbook. then you can play it back and listen to yourself.
Listening to the lesson extracts gives you first- The overall aim of Topic Talk is for you to become
hand experience of teachers in action. They include more fluent and confident in speaking in English
typical classroom situations and activities, and they in the classroom.
illustrate the English that is useful in those circum- — Pronunciation Points focus on individual sounds
stances. While listening, you can, if you wish, read that sometimes cause difficulty for learners and
the Classroom Extract in the book. teachers. They are recorded on the CD. These
Listening to the recording and repeating the points are for teachers only, not for children.
teacher’s part will help you to improve your own
Each unit ends with a Further Ideas section with
intonation and pronunciation and become more
suggestions for follow-up reading and activities,
fluent. Studying the language used by proficient
things to try out in your classes or ways to
teachers (with the help of the written Classroom
plan materials.
extracts) will help you to pick up useful classroom

ENGLISH FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS

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 Introduction 3

Making the most of the CD However, before you record, practise! With the
Language focus activities, adapt the language to suit
Wherever you see the h symbol, prepare to listen
your own classes. Then, before recording, practise
to the Classroom Extract. It is always more effective
what you are going to say several times, trying out
to listen more than once. In fact some teachers listen
different intonation patterns. You can do the same
three or four times, each time for a different purpose.
with Topic talk sections. You can also record yourself
For example:
taking the teacher’s part of the Classroom extracts, and
first listening then listen to the CD, to compare your pronunciation.
(preferably without reading the written extract) If you are lucky enough to have a friend or a
— Try to understand in general what is happening colleague who speaks some English, or if you are
in the lesson.
on a course with other teachers, you could practise
second listening speaking with them. This would be especially helpful
(again, possibly, without reading) for sections like Topic talk, or for storytelling. If you
— Notice ways the teacher deals with particular are on your own, then the process of recording
situations.
yourself and listening as you play it back becomes
— Notice stress and intonation patterns.
even more vital for success. Do give it a try. It really
third listening does help you to remember the language you need
— Listen and read the Classroom extract in the book. and to speak English more easily.
— Identify useful words and phrases used by the
We also suggest that you record yourself actually
teacher.
teaching in class, carrying out some of the activities
— Try reading the teacher’s part, out loud, in your
own time, paying attention to intonation, stress, from the unit. Later, play back your recording and
and pronunciation. listen to it once or twice to gain insights into your
teaching and language use. A large number of
fourth listening
teachers have already found that it helped them to
— Practise by pausing the CD or cassette and repeating
after the teacher, or by reading out loud, speaking improve their effectiveness. It can also help you
along with the teacher. focus on the children’s progress.
— Identify words and phrases you need more practice From Unit 5 onwards, we help you to record some
with. of your own teaching materials. So, to gain the most
— Finally record yourself taking the teacher’s part, and benefit from this book, you need to have two blank
play it back to compare. audiocassettes, one for personal language practice,
This whole process will help you to improve your and one to record teaching materials. Each time you
pronunciation, gain fluency in speaking, and to see a k symbol:
acquire naturally many features of spontaneous — Read the instructions and follow them carefully
classroom English. — Plan what you could say
— Practise several different versions
note — Record yourself on to your audiocassette
The CD is to help you to improve your own English, — Play back: listen, evaluate, and re-record if you
not to use in the classroom with children. wish to.

Recording yourself to build fluency and confidence Using journals and portfolios to add to your
learning experience
We know that as a teacher you do not have a lot of
spare time, but we and our trainees have found that it Some teachers have found it helpful to keep a
is very useful to record yourself, on your own personal personal journal while they are studying. After each
audiocassette, using some of the language from the study session, they write down in a notebook or
extracts, tables, and exercises in that section. Play personal journal what they have learnt or noticed
back your recording and see how you sound. If you are from listening to their recordings, from trying things
not satisfied, you can always erase your recording and out in class, or ideas gained from reading or talking
try again. to pupils or colleagues. You can note down words
Keep the recordings that you are happy with, and, and phrases you need to practise. Also, write any
after completing each unit, play them back and listen questions you have after each unit. Every two or
again. This is good revision and will help you recall three units, go back over and read what you have
useful expressions. To help you identify what you written, taking note of significant comments. You
have recorded, record the unit and section number may even find answers to your own questions.
before starting.
ENGLISH FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS
© Oxford University Press www.oup.com/elt
4 Introduction

Other teachers put together a portfolio of work. How can you as teacher help them?
For each unit, put into a folder or file ideas for new — Make learning English enjoyable and fun –
activities, materials for new stories (with visual aids), remember you are influencing their attitude to
sample lesson outlines, and reports of lessons where language learning.
you have tried out new ideas. You could also add an — Don’t worry about mistakes. Be encouraging.
audiocassette, with recordings of yourself in class Make sure children feel comfortable, and not
doing a selection of activities, or with materials for afraid to take part.
storytelling or listening activities. At the end of your — Use a lot of gestures, actions, pictures to
course, you can select a number of your best pieces of demonstrate what you mean.
work to make up a final portfolio, with title, name, — Talk a lot to them in English, especially about
and contents page. This final portfolio can be used things they can see.
— to show new teachers what can be done — Play games, sing songs, say rhymes and
— to take to a job interview or to a training course chants together.
— to impress a visitor or an inspector — Tell simple stories in English, using pictures and
— for assessment purposes – some training courses acting with different voices.
and teachers’ examining bodies now use final — Don’t worry when they use their mother tongue.
portfolios for end of course assessment. You can answer a mother tongue question in
English, and sometimes recast in English what
Website they say in their mother tongue.
— Constantly recycle new language but don’t be
The Oxford Teacher’s Club has a primary Website
afraid to add new things or to use words they
which includes:
won’t know.
— more examples of lessons and activities
— Plan lessons with varied activities, some quiet,
— notes for teachers and course tutors
some noisy, some sitting, some standing
— opportunities for you to tell us what you think and
and moving.
send in your ideas.
Go to http://www.oup.co.uk/elt and click on Because children show different characteristics at
‘Teacher’s Club’. different ages, we sometimes make a distinction
between very young learners (VYLs) aged under 7
A word about young learners years, and young learners (YLs) aged 7 to 12.

The activities suggested in the book are for a variety

Teaching children under seven
of ages and levels. Teaching situations differ all over
the world, and children start English at different ages If you are teaching a second language to children
in different places, so we often suggest ways that under seven, remember that very young learners:
activities can be adapted for older or younger children — acquire through hearing and experiencing lots of
or for those with more or less English. English, in much the same way as they acquire
their first language.
What are children like as learners?
— learn through doing things and playing; they are
They
not consciously trying to learn new words or
— are developing quickly as individuals
phrases – for them this is incidental.
— learn in a variety of ways for example, by watching,
— love playing with language sounds, imitating and
by listening, by imitating, by doing things
making funny noises. So have fun playing with
— are not able to understand grammatical rules and
words and phrases, for example, singing them,
explanations about language
exaggerating your expression.
— try to make sense of situations by making use of
— are not able to organize their learning. Often
non-verbal clues
they will not even realize that they are learning a
— talk in their mother tongue about what they
foreign language. They simply see it as having fun!
understand and do – this helps them learn
— may not be able to read or write in their mother
— can generally imitate the sounds they hear quite
tongue, so it is important to recycle new words
accurately and copy the way adults speak
and expressions through talk and play.
— are naturally curious
— their grammar will develop gradually on its own,
— love to play and use their imagination
provided they hear lots of English and learn to
— are comfortable with routines and enjoy repetition
understand a lot of words and phrases.
— have quite a short attention span and so need variety.

ENGLISH FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS

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 Introduction 5

Teaching children between seven and twelve

Children from 7–12

— are learning to read and write in their
own language
— are developing as thinkers
— understand the difference between the real
and the imaginary
— can plan and organize how best to carry out
an activity
— can work with others and learn from others.
— can be reliable and take responsibility for class
activities and routines.
When you are teaching 7–12 year olds you can
— encourage them to read in English (stories,
comics, reading games)
— encourage them to work meanings out for
themselves
— explain things about language, but only very
simple things
— use a wider range of language input as their
model for language use
— encourage creative writing and help them to
experiment with language
— explain your intentions and ask them to help
with organization of activities.
There will be more on these aspects in Unit 1.
We hope that you enjoy using this book and that you
will gain satisfaction from experimenting with new
ideas and trying out new language. Please let us
know (via the Website or publishers) how you get on
with this book, and if you have any suggestions for
improvements or additions.
We wish you and your learners well.
Mary Slattery, Dublin, Ireland
Jane Willis, Kendal, England

ENGLISH FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS

© Oxford University Press www.oup.com/elt