Teaching EFL to Children: Classes Achievements: The class’ structure.

The importance of teaching English to children

The importance of teaching English to children

It is needed to teach English since Preschool, because at this grade the children are very receptive to knowledge. Several theorists like Montessori said that at an early age, the kids are like sponges that absorb everything from the environment. Besides Piaget and Vigotsky, highlight the influence of the external stimulation and interactios on the learning.

According to this, it is really important create an English environment for preschool and elementary students, with the purpose of get the students used to the language, making more familiar for them the English sounds and pronunciation, through words and expressions; improving gradually their interaction with the foreign language and making it more easier to be learned in the future, with the complexity that arise, like grammar structures and skills development.

Providing a "Natural" learning of the English by creating a natural environment since Preschool, with joyful and entertain English activities, motivate and get involved the students in the learning process. Those activities can have reading and speaking tasks according to the level, grade and age of the students; can be brought different and useful topics and assessments to teach English to children, through materials like storybooks, toys and many things which the kids feel attracted to.

The class’ structure.

Nowadays, the structure of the class has become one of the most influencing aspects in learning and teaching; with the diverse learning styles and attention problems that every teacher has to face in class, the way in which you organize the class can motive and get the student involve in an active and dynamic class, things that are very necessary in the learning of a foreign language. The typical and boring classes not work today, but don’t worry; there are many information and proposals out there, to make your class the students’ favorite one, you only have to search.

You can plane your class organized in different moments, each moment with its period of time and specific purposes. In the lesson plan of the class, normally three moments are used: Pre, While and post activities.

Pre-Activities

The objective of a Pre-Activity is to active the student motivation and previous knowledge. You can use warm ups to begin the class, in relation with the topic that you are going to bring next. This part of the class has to be very short, try to use games and dynamics.

While-Activities

In the while time, you teach the lesson of the class, with the topic that you chose for the students, with the motivation that you activity with the pre, they are going to be more involved during the lesson. Try to do the lesson attractive for the student; here is where the didactic and methodic of the teacher take part.

Post-Activities

To finish the lesson, try to do activities that summarize the information. You can solve doubts or make an evaluation of the class performance.