February 2013

Introduction to Teaching English to Young Learners, Faculty of Education, UW

tutor: dr Magdalena Szpotowicz, duty hours: Wednesdays 9.00-10.00, room 227

Course overview

The course focuses on the practical preparation for the role of a YL teacher. It will aim at helping the trainees to appreciate the significant role of a YL teacher and highlight the teaching skills necessary in pre-primary and lower primary education. During the course the trainees will be provided with sufficient background information concerning child development and the implications for a variety of approaches and techniques suitable for young learners. They will also learn about the place of FL instruction in early education in Poland. The course will create an environment in which trainees will practice their teaching skills and try out the effectiveness of their teaching materials. They will learn how to plan lessons for different age groups and how to manage English classes at pre-primary and lower primary level.

Course content

The following list of topics will be covered during the course in reference to teaching English to pre-primary and lower primary children:

1. Characteristics of different age groups - implications for ELT

2. Issues in child development - implications for ELT

3. Early foreign language learning in the Polish educational system

4. The role of the teacher in early language education

5. Lesson planning and classroom management

6. Classroom interaction techniques and classroom language

7. Teaching vocabulary, structures and pronunciation

8. Using games in the FL classroom

Learning outcomes

Knowledge:

-knows a variety of techniques of suitable for young learners at pre-primary and lower primary level which allow for introducing and practising vocabulary, structures and pronunciation

- is familiar with the developmental differences of young learners and can related them to effective teaching of vocabulary, structures and pronunciation

-knows a variety of games suitable for different age groups of learners

-knows the principles of lesson planning and classroom management

Skills:

- evaluates and selects teaching materials for different age groups

- adapts materials and grades language content and skills appropriate for young learners

-plans and describes microteaching session and whole lesson focused on vocabulary, structures and pronunciation

-plans whole lessons based on one topic

-designs and uses teaching materials to be used in micro-teaching or in the classroom

Other competences:

- appreciates the significance of their future role as a young learner teacher in the linguistic development of the learners

- reflects on their own teaching during micro-teaching sessions as well as while observing others at work (video and Teaching Practice)

Reading list

Obligatory:

1. Brewster, J. et al. 2003. The Primary English Teacher's Guide. Penguin. London.

2. Moon, J. 2000. Children Learning English. Macmillan: Oxford.

3. Sikora-Banasik, D. 2009. Wczesnoszkolne nauczanie języków obcych. CODN: Warszawa.

4. Slattery, M & M. Willis. 2001. English for Primary Teachers. Oxford: OUP.

5. Szpotowicz, M & M.Szulc-Kurpaska. 2009. Teaching English to Young Learners. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.

6. Cameron, L. 2001. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge: CUP.

Supplementary:

1. Phillips, S. 1993. Young Learners. RBFT. OUP. Oxford

2. Reilly, V. & S. Ward. 1997. Very Young Learners. RBFT. OUP. Oxford

3. Lewis, G. & G. Bedson. 2002. Games for Children. Resource Books for Teachers. OUP: Oxford

4. Appel, M. 2000. O zastosowaniu rymów na lekcjach języka angielskiego. Języki Obce w Szkole Nr 6/2000

5. Appel, M. 2006. English Box - angielski w klasach pierwszych. Języki Obce w Szkole Nr 4/2000

6. Appel, M. 2008 Jak wygrać walkę z wiatrakami, czyli kilka słów o potrzebie powtarzania w klasach 1-3. Języki Obce w Szkole Nr 4/2008

7. Bochen, K. 2005. Can Korsakov and his friends teach English? The Teacher 6-7 (30).

8. Szpotowicz, M.& M. Szulc-Kurpaska.2009. J*zyk angielski w nauczaniu zintegrowanym - program nauczania dla klas 1-3 szko*y podstawowej. Oxford University Press: Warszawa (www.wydawnictwo.oxford.pl)

9. Szpotowicz, M. i M.Szulc-Kurpaska. 2009. Język angielski w wychowaniu przedszkolnym. Program nauczania dla 5- i 6-ciolatków. Oxford University Press: Warszawa (www.wydawnictwo.oxford.pl)

10. Szpotowicz, M. i M. Szulc-Kurpaska. 2004. Sparks - współpraca z rodzicami. Przewodnik dla nauczyciela. Oxford University Press: Warszawa.

11. Szpotowicz, M. 2005. Do children learn so little or that much? The Teacher Nr 1 (25).

12. Szulc-Kurpaska, M. 2005. Opening windows - How can we stimulate child's development? The Teacher Nr 2 (26).

13. Szulc-Kurpaska, M. 2005. Do you like banana soup? Stimulating creativity in young learners. The Teacher Nr 12 (34).

14. Szpotowicz, M. 2009. Nowa podstawa programowa dla języka obcego w klasach I-III. The Teacher nr 2 (66) (www.teacher.pl)

15. Szpotowicz, M. 2009. Lekcja języka obcego w nauczaniu wczesnoszkolnym. W: H. Komorowska (red). Skuteczna nauka języka obcego. Struktura i przebieg zajęć językowych. CODN: Warszawa.

Modes of training:

workshop, lecturette, discussion following reading assignments, trainees' project presentations, library research, bookshop research, micro-teaching, observing others at work (video viewing)

Course requirements:

1. Teacher's Pack submitted

2. Microteaching presentation

3. Participation - 2 absences allowed

4. Reading assignments book chapters and/or articles for every class

5. Mid-term test and final test

Teacher's Pack - Throughout the course trainees run Young Learners' Teacher's Packs which will consist of all the activities the trainees will have prepared during the course. All the materials must be word-processed (Times New Roman/ 12) and written in the lesson plan format provided by the trainer. Each activity should be accompanied by teaching aids.

Tasks in the Teacher's Pack:

1. a vocabulary task for 6-year-old children

2. a grammar task for 9-year-old children

3. a phonology task for 7-year-old children

4. a self-made board game or a card game for 8-year-olds

5. a lesson plan for a group of 7-year-olds

6. a task related to the visit at the British Council library

7. a report on the bookshop visit and the analysis of the YL coursebooks and other teaching materials available

8. a report on the internet search for the websites related to or useful in TEYL

Presentation of teaching materials. Each trainee is obliged to present one microteaching task during this semester.

Course timetable:

session	Class topics	Reading assignments*	Student presentation topics	Presenters
Session 1	Introduction to the course - Do children learn so little or that much?	-	-	trainer
Session 2	Parents and teachers - their significant roles	O5, roz. 2 i 6, O3 roz 1 tekst 4	-	trainer
Session 3	Children as language learners - developmental difference and the curriculum	O5 roz. 1, O6 roz 1 S11, S15	-	Trainer
Session 4	Teaching vocabulary	O5 roz. 7.1 O1 roz. 4 i 5	a vocabulary task for pre-primary a vocabulary task for lower primary	Martyna Ochal Natalia Grzybowska
Session 5	A visit to the British Council Library		See tasks sent by email
Session 6	Teaching grammar	O5 roz. 7.2 O2 roz. 1	A grammar task for lower primary A grammar task for upper primary	Anna Podymniak Marta
Session 7	Teaching pronunciation	O5 roz. 7.3 S4	A pronunciation task for pre-primary A pronunciation task for lower primary	Monika Płatek Kasia Głowacka
Session 8	Classroom language and classroom interaction Mid term test	O5 roz. 4 O4 roz.1 S8		Trainer
Session 9	Using games	O5 roz. 11.2	A board game for pre-primary A board game for lower primary	Paulina Modrak Anna Paszkowiak
Session 10	Using games	S3	A speaking game for pre-primary A speaking game for lower primary	Iga Siatecka Karolina Rój
Session 11	Lesson planning	O5 roz. 3 S15	3 coursebooks for lower primary	Monika Szymusiak Pola Trzęsicka
Session 12	Lesson planning cont.	O4 roz.10 S8, S9	3 coursebooks for pre-primary	Asia Leksińska
Session 13	Classroom management and discipline problems	O5 roz. 5	3 coursebooks for upper-primary	Magda Kafar
Session 14	Topic-based teaching Final test	O2 roz. 9		trainer
Session 15	course evaluation and credits			trainer/trainees

*there will also be some materials sent by U-mail from time to time to be read for the following class

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