SOME QUESTIONS OF YOUNG LEARNERS AND ENGLISH IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

A.    1. The importance of understanding the characteristics of young learners.

                 For the successful teaching of English in elementary school, above all, it is essential for the teacher to understand the young learners’ characteristics because it will play a crucial role in how the teacher build a lesson, how the teacher can make sure that the young learners are fully involved in the learning process, how the teacher achieves the objectives of lesson, and how the young learners’ respond.

Example:

a.       They have short attention span. So the teachers should vary their techniques to break the boredom. Teacher should give varied activities as handwriting, songs, games, etc.

b.      They are very active. So the teacher should try to ask them  to play games, role play dialogues, and involve them into competition.

c.       They enjoy imitating and skillful in listening accurately and mimicking what they have heard. So the teacher should give the good media or ask them to repeat, sing together.

2. The status of English subject in elementary school.

                 English in elementary schools is taught within the "local content" part of the cur­riculum. This gives flexibility to the school management to make decisions regarding the teaching of English based on the stu­dents' needs or community and environ­mental demands.

3. The elementary school students should reach the competence:

a.       Develop competence in the form of verbal communication is limited to “Language Accompanying Action” in the context of school.

b.      Have an awareness of the nature and importance of English to improve the nation's competitiveness in the global community

4. The English teachers should apply English as the language of instruction during the English lesson because when we used to use simple sentences in the form of a command (instruction) to our students, we teach the students to get used to hear and pronounce simple English sentences. A repetition, habituation or scaffolding talk or also called language accompanying action or languages ​​as the accompanying measures will give children skills in listening and saying, and doing action in accordance with the commands spoken by the teacher. This means that the language not only as a mere theory. Grammar-oriented language is not only a language but it is the most important application in everyday life. Moreover, by using the English phrase or sentence into something interesting and challenging for our students.

5. The teacher must develop materials because it’s important to the demands of the curriculum which considers the students need, and can help students get  teaching material alternative or delivery will be simple to understood material. There are 4 principles developing materials:

a.      Start from the easiest

We must start the material from the easier once in order to brainstorming. The students will be easier to understand a particular concept from a simple description or something.

b.      Repetition

Young learners are easy to forget. So by using repetition, it is expected the students to remember of lesson well.

c.       Giving feedback

When the learners give the right or wrong answer, don’t judge they’re wrong directly.

 The saying such as “good”, “you’re smart”, will give motivate the student.

d.       Motivation of study

The motivation is to improve enthusiasm students in enjoy learning. Give motivation like brainstorming, about things that related to the topic of the lesson.

source: from an explanation of my lecturer of TEYL Ibu Diani