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Introduction To Teaching Young Learners

Summary     
In this module, we will briefly review the role of English as a global language and how this has led to an
increase in young learners accessing English language learning. We will discuss student
motivation and specific learning needs of different age groups. We will then consider how English language
teaching can be adapted to meet the needs of different age groups, taking into account their life experiences,
first language acquisition practices, educational level, maturity and interests.

Objectives
By the end of this module, you will:
Have reviewed the role of English as a global language and the increase in young learners accessing
English language learning.
Have discussed student motivation and learning needs of different age groups.
Have a greater awareness of how to adapt your teaching to teach very young learners, young learners
and teenagers.

Contents
English as a Global Language
How English is used today
An increase in young language learners
Student Motivation and Learning Needs
Learner Motivation
Teaching Young Learners
Very Young Learners
Young Learners
Teenagers
Audio Recap
End of Module Test
References
Further Reading
Useful Websites
Site: Premier TEFL
Course: 30hr - Teaching Young Learners Qualification
Book: Introduction To Teaching Young Learners
Printed by: Karina Manzanelli
Date: Sunday, 26 November 2017, 12:57 PM

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Table of contents
1 English as a Global Language
2 An increase in young language learners
3 Student Motivation and Learning Needs
4 Teaching Young Learners
5 Very Young Learners
6 Young Learners
7 Teenagers
8 Further Information

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1 English as a Global Language

How English is used today
Today, English is the second or third most popular mother language in the world, with an estimated 350-400
million native speakers. English is also used globally as a lingua franca or common tongue by a staggering
number of non-native English speakers around the world. An estimated 1.5-2 billion people, a quarter of the
world’s population, now have at least some basic English competence in speaking and/or writing (1).
Factors such as the spread of the British Empire, the political dominance of the United States of America,
the rapid growth of scientific discoveries in English-speaking countries and English popular music and
entertainment have led to English being used as a global language today. Indeed, English is used as a lingua
franca in a range of different fields including aviation, business, science, computing, education, politics and
entertainment as well as others. Consider the examples below: (2)
Over 90% of international airlines use English as a language of communication even between speakers
of the same first language.
Two-thirds of scientific papers are published in English despite only half of these being written by
English native speakers.
Half of all business deals are conducted in English.
Popular music is dominated by English.
American television as well as the BBC is available almost everywhere.
Half of the world newspapers are written in English.
75% of world mail correspondence is in English.
35% of Internet users are English native speakers but 70-80% of the content is written in English.
Joint ventures such as the Asian trade group ASEAN and the oil exporting group OPEC use English as
their working language.

Reflective Task 1
Considering the important role of English language in the world today, why do you think parents are
keen for their children to learn English at a young age?

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2 An increase in young language learners

Considering the way English is used as a lingua franca in a range of different fields, many parents feel
that learning English at a young age will give their children an advantage in their future life.  Many
companies require employees to have a certain competency in English and English is used as a mode
of instruction in an increasing number of educational institutions.  If a child is proficient at English, they
do not need to take time out later in life to focus on English language learning and are, therefore, at
an advantage.

Research has shown that when it comes to language learning, the younger the better as young learners can
easily mimic new sounds. The brain is open to new sounds and patterns in preadolescence. Younger
children are less self-conscious when it comes to speaking a foreign language and can try newly acquired
languages without fear of embarrassment.
Children who grow up learning about languages, develop empathy for others and a curiosity for different
cultures. They are better prepared to take their place in a global society. Furthermore, in later years, career
opportunities increase for those with additional languages to offer (6).

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3 Student Motivation and Learning Needs

An increasingly diverse number of people are actively learning or improving their English from all ages,
nationalities and walks of life.  There are currently 500 British Council Accredited English language
schools in the United Kingdom alone (7) as well as a growing number of language schools opening
worldwide in English and non-English speaking countries.

In addition to adult language learners, more and more ELT providers cater for young learners, with parents
worldwide placing a lot of importance on their children mastering English, seen as vital for their future
careers. Junior summer schools in the UK, other English-speaking countries and worldwide cater for young
learners from a wide range of countries each year. Some young learners also attend weekly English
language courses in their home countries and learners are getting younger and younger.
English is also increasingly being used in schools, not only in foreign language classes but also as a mode of
instruction for subjects such as Science. This type of teaching is known as CLIL – Content and Language
Integrated Learning. CLIL results in the simultaneous learning of language and content. Learners as young
as 5 complete tasks such as Science projects and research, with English used as the mode of instruction

Learner motivation 
Motivation is identified as being a crucial factor in the learning process and research shows that there is a
correlation between motivation and achievement. Motivation has been defined as:
‘more than simply arousing interest, it also involves making a decision to act, sustaining the interest, and
deciding how much effort to put in’ (8)
Cognitive psychologists have made a distinction between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation:
Extrinsic motivation leads you to do something because of some external pressure, for example, to pass
an exam or pressure from parents.
Intrinsic motivation leads you to do something because of some internal desire, the pleasure and interest
in learning.
Research seems to indicate that, though many students have extrinsic motivation to learn English, intrinsic
motivation leads to better long-term learning. Teachers of English also often enjoy studying languages too.
However, there is an overwhelming range of extrinsic motivational factors that lead to students embarking
on an English language course. It is useful for teachers and learners to consider extrinsic and intrinsic
motivation and this is often considered during an initial Needs Analysis and tutorials.
One of the key differences between adult and young learners is that adult learners will often have a range
of extrinsic motivational factors which have led them to embark on an English language course.
Extrinsic motivational factors could include a possible promotion at work, desire to further their education
at a university in which English is the mode of instruction, a desire to refresh their language skills and so
on. Many adult learners take time out of their busy lives to focus on language learning and are often
extrinsically motivated to do extra self-study in order to reach their language goals.
Young learners, in comparison, are often signed up to language courses by their parents. While their parents
may explain the advantages of learning English, young learners often lack the maturity and experience to
grasp the importance of learning English at a young age. Extrinsic motivation can, therefore, be low.
With that in mind, it is even more important to ensure that young learners are engaged and interested in their
language lessons so their intrinsic motivation is high. This means fully engaging with the age group of
learners you are teaching and ensuring that lessons and materials are suitable for them. We will consider
how to do this later in the module.

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Reflective Task 2
Think about a language you learned as a child or teenager.
What were/are your extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors?

You may have learned a foreign language at school as part of a National Curriculum. If so, the external
motivational factor was the educational authority of your country. Your parents may also have encouraged
you to learn the language too.
However, you may have enjoyed working with your class-mates, engaged with some interesting reading
materials in the target language, liked the teacher, played some enjoyable language games, learned some
songs, put together a project and enjoyed using the language on a cultural exchange visit. These are
all intrinsic motivational factors.

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4 Teaching Young Learners

Young learners often study in summer camps, short courses or weekly lessons in their home country in
addition to their regular school activities.  Young learners are divided into three different age brackets:

Very Young Learners – Pre-School or early school age children aged 4-6 years old
Young Learners – School age children aged 7-12 years old
Teenagers – Secondary School aged teenagers – aged 13-17 years old
Please note that teenagers, aged 16-18 years old, often also study on adult courses. Different activities and
teaching techniques work better for these three different age groups and we will consider these below.

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5 Very Young Learners

Reflective Task 3
From your experience of interacting with children, either your own children, siblings or children
of family members or friends, think about the types of activities that appeal to young learners.

One of the most important things to note about very young learners is that they often have a very short
attention span. Children of 3-4 years also may not interact well with each other, while 5-6 year olds have a
slightly longer attention span and are better able to form friendship groups and follow classroom rules.
For 3-4 year olds, it will therefore be better to set up 3-4 different activities in the class and allow them to
wander round and choose activities that appeal to them. With 5-6 year olds, you will be better able to
lead whole class activities and impose classroom rules.
Another important consideration is to include elements of what students are learning or interested in at this
age. Young learners like songs, stories and imaginative play. They also like interesting topics such as
‘animals’, ‘superheroes’ and so on. It is very important to find topics that interest them. At this age, they
are also learning fine motor skills such as using a pencil or scissors, as well as social skills, such as sharing
and being kind. So, English lessons should also mirror skills and interests specific for this age group.
At this young age, learners are also still learning their first language and do this through listening and
acquiring language. It is, therefore, important to expose learners to a lot of English through songs, activities
and stories. Learners at this age will be less likely able to produce the language. Total Physical Response
(TPR) activities that allow learners to indicate they understand without vocalising are useful.
Young learners can also feel nervous when asked to interact with an initially unknown adult, especially an
adult who speaks a different language. It is, therefore, important to build a rapport with these learners and
to understand that this may take a while to develop. It is a good idea to create a child-friendly
atmosphere in your classroom, for example, putting posters on the wall and create displays of the children’s
work. If you have any concerns about a learner, involve their parents. If you speak the first language of the
children you are teaching, it may be appropriate to do this at times. Alternatively, you can ask a colleague
for assistance with this.
Most teachers of young learners, suggest having a ‘welcome’ song at the beginning of class and a ‘goodbye’
song at the end with set routines throughout the class. These songs will be easy to remember and copy
using actions and can be sung to popular tunes. For example, ‘Welcome’ sung to the tune of Frere Jacques.
The tune is then repeated to include other children’s names.
‘Welcome Jack, Welcome Jack,
Come on in. Come on in.
How are you this morning? How are you this morning?
Thank you. Fine. Thank you.’
It is important to help children feel comfortable with the new language by creating activities that are fun and
age appropriate. You may have an assistant to help you who speaks the children’s first language. Most of
the activities you do should be familiar to children. When inputting something new, only spend about 20
minutes on this new language. Use 3-4 activities to revise and recycle this language.
There are some EFL materials for this age group but materials can also be adapted from materials used with
English-speaking children in Primary Schools and nurseries. Some television programmes designed for
children are also educational and used to help children grasp concepts such as spelling, phonetics and
mathematics. A suggested routine for a young learners’ class is as follows:
Welcome song
Introduce theme ‘autumn’

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Tell a story about ‘autumn’
TPR activity – children do actions when they hear words related to ‘autumn’
Project work - children draw ‘autumn’ pictures
Goodbye song
Activity 1
Look at this video clip of a teacher in Japan teaching a group of very young learners. Notice how he
uses routines, songs with actions as well as classroom rules to teach his learners in a child-friendly
environment.

To summarise Very Young Learners: (9)

Acquire through hearing and experiencing lots of English, in much the same way as they acquire their
first language.
Learn through doing things and playing. Learning is incidental.
Love playing with language sounds, imitating and making funny noises.
Are not able to organise their learning. They often do not realise they are learning a foreign language.
May not be able to read or write in their own language so vocabulary needs to be recycled through talk
and play.
Will develop grammar on its own, provided they hear lots of English and learn to understand words and
phrases.
Total Physical Response (TPR) activities work well with Very Young and Young Learners. If you ask
children to do something in English, you are:
Using English for a purpose
Giving them an opportunity to show they understand you
Giving them the opportunity to acquire language
Helping them to tune in to English by absorbing the sounds and the patterns of English.
Helping them develop their vocabulary even if passive
Helping them acquire meaning and sound together
We will consider TPR activities further in Module 3.

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6 Young Learners
Many of the points considered with Very Young Learners, such as developing engaging activities, also
apply to Young Learners, aged 7-12 years old.  Children at this age, also display the following
characteristics:  (10)

They are able to read and write in their own language.

They are developing as independent thinkers.
They can understand the difference between the real and the imaginary.
They can plan and organise how best to carry out an activity.
They can work with others and learn from others.
They can be reliable and take responsibility for class activities and routines.
Classes can, therefore, be set up similar to adult classes with some adaptations that will appeal to these
learners.
When you are teaching 7-12 year olds you can:
Encourage them to read in English (e.g. stories, comics…).
Encourage them to work out meanings for themselves.
Explain simple things about language.
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 the organisation of activities.
Two activities that work well with Young Learners are:
Story-telling activities.
Project work.
Story-telling activities are engaging for Young Learners as it allows them the opportunity to be creative and
allows for language input. Children at this age are used to reading and listening to stories and often have
a vivid imagination that can be harnessed to make learning fun.
Project work is useful for older Young Learners as well as teenagers and can:
Encourage cooperation and working together.
Be organised so that all skills are practised while they are planning and preparing.
Bring together all the language work you have been doing in class.
Build on and extend what the children already know.
Give everyone in the class a chance to contribute.
Achieve something worth-while.
Help children gain confidence.
Give you an opportunity to praise them.
Give children a chance to practise skills they are learning in school apart from English (such as art
skills, IT skills…)
Projects can include:
Drawings
Collages
Labels naming people and places
Written work displayed
Acting or miming a story
Songs and music
Making masks and puppets
Using props and costumes
Preparing and drawing invitations

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Making posters to advertise events
Making PowerPoint presentations
Suitable topics could include:
Festivals
Food
Clothes and fashion
The environment
Holidays
Hobbies and interests
Films and books

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7 Teenagers

Reflective Task 4
How do you think you will need to adapt your teaching to teach teenagers?
What do you think could be some of the challenges of teaching teenagers?
Have a look at the video clip from the BBC comedy about ‘Kevin the teenager’. How does this
match stereotypes about teenagers and their behaviour?

The prospect of teaching teenagers may initially seem daunting, especially if you have had little interaction
with teenagers in the past. From a teaching point of view, teenagers have mastered their first language and
are able to organise their own learning. They are able to understand complex linguistic meanings and often
exposed to English outside class through music, films and social media. They are also keen to find their
own voice and express opinions about things familiar to them. Topics might include popular music, films
and books as well as more adult topics, such as the environment, religion and politics. Their enthusiasm for
life and willingness to express their opinions can definitely be harnessed in an EFL classroom.
Many institutions use teen course books and materials. These are similar to adult course books but with
more emphasis on language production, through writing and speaking activities. Teen materials also use
topics that are more engaging to these younger learners. Many teenagers study English at school and may
be from educational backgrounds in which there is an emphasis on the teaching of grammar. Many parents
want their teenagers to study English so they can practise English orally with a native speaker. Therefore,
classes will have a greater focus on speaking skills as well as writing to a lesser extent.
One of the frustrations teenagers experience is not being able to choose what they want to do. They often
have to study certain courses at school and attend English language classes, booked by their parents.
Therefore, teenagers often like being given choices in class. For example, at the start of the week, you
could give students a choice of two different topics for the week and a choice of speaking and writing
activities. If students are especially interested in a certain singer or group, you could try to adapt materials
around one of their songs. If students are interested in a certain hobby or activity, perhaps they could
prepare a presentation for the class. If teenagers have chosen some activities or topics, they are more likely
to work well without disruptions and also complete activities you have chosen for them.
It is really important to listen to teenagers and respond to them with interest to build a rapport. They may
think that the latest British or American teen band are the most talented group of individuals who have
walked the earth. Perhaps you felt the same when you were a teenager. Teenagers can also be very
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passionate and outspoken about topics as they are finding their voice. By responding positively and
listening to their point of view, rapport and trust can be built.
Certain activities or topics may be inappropriate for teenagers as they are beyond their scope of experience.
For example, teenagers will not be able to write a CV or carry out a job interview as this is not something
they have experienced. They may find it difficult to talk about past regrets as they may not have
experienced regret in the way some adults have. This may mean that certain language points, if practised,
need to be contextualised differently so they are meaningful to these young learners. Despite the initial
reservations you may have about this group of learners, by adapting the way you teach as well as materials
used, teaching teenagers can be very engaging and rewarding.

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8 Further Information
References
1. Martin, L (2011) thehistoryofenglish.com
2. Ibid
3. Luscombe, Stephen (2014) thebritishempire.co.uk
4. Crystal, D (1988) The English Language, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books
5. Quirk, R (1985) quoted in Graddol, D, Leith, D and Swann, J (1996) English history, diversity and
change, London, Routledge/ The Open University.
6. Ford, C (2014) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/11151726/Children-should-
start-learning-languages-at-age-three.html
7. The Editors (2014) thebritishcouncil.org
8. Williams, M (1999) Motivation in Language Learning, ETP Issue 13
9. Slattery, M & Willis, J (2001) English for Primary Teachers, Oxford University Press
10. Ibid

Further Reading
Crystal, D (1988) The English Language, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books
Lindstromberg, S (2004) Language Activities for Teenagers, Cambridge University Press
Quirk, R (1985) quoted in Graddol, D, Leith, D and Swann, J (1996) English history, diversity and change,
London, Routledge/ The Open University
Slattery, M & Willis, J (2001) English for Primary Teachers, Oxford University Press
Wajnryb, R (2003) Stories, Cambridge University Press

Useful Websites
Marco Brazil, Teaching a Young Learners’ Class

BBC Comedy ‘Kevin becomes a teenager’

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