Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies

1The subject of examination

The analyzed group of children consists of 5 individuals: three 6-year-old girls and two boys. One of them is 7 years old, the other is 8 years old. Every one of the children has come into contact with English before.

1.1.Characteristics of children from ages 6 to 8

In their Teaching English to Children Scott and Ytreberg divide young learners to two categories: children from 5 to 7 and from 8 to 10. The analyzed group of children contains individuals falling into one or the other category, therefore both of them are presented here.

Scott and Ytreberg (1-4) describe the categories as follows:

Five to seven year olds can:

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  talk about what they are doing¹
  
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  plan activities
  
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  argue for something and tell you why they think what they think¹
  
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  use logical reasoning
  
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  use their vivid imaginations
  
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  use a wide range of intonation patterns in their mother tongue
  
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  understand direct human interaction
  

Their other characteristics:

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  They know that the world is governed by rules, even though they may not understand them.
  
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  They understand situations more quickly than the language used.
  
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  They use language skills long before they are aware of them.
  
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  Their own understanding comes through hands and eyes and ears.
  
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  They perform the actions in order the teacher mentions them.
  
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  They have a very short attention and concentration span.
  
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  They may have difficulties in distinguishing reality and fiction.
  
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  They do not have the need to share. They are happy to work alone in the company of others.
  
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  They do not understand the world of adults.
  
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  They will seldom admit that they do not know something
  
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  They cannot decide for themselves what to learn.
  
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  They are enthusiastic and positive about learning.
  

Characteristics of eight to ten year olds:

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  They have established views of the world.
  
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  They can tell the difference between fact and fiction.
  
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  They ask questions all the time.
  
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  They rely on both spoken word and the physical world to convey and understand meaning.
  
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  They are able to make decisions about their own learning.
  
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  They have definite views of what they do and do not like doing.
  
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  They have a developed sense of fairness and begin to question teacher’s decisions.
  
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  They are able to work with others and learn from them.
  

(Scott and Ytreberg 1-4)

1.1.1.Observations concerning the above mentioned characteristics

Observation 1 “Their own understanding comes through hands and eyes and ears.”: Children need to experience the world with all their senses. They need to learn by experiencing the world; they do not understand abstract principles. Together with the fact that “they have a very short attention and concentration span” it means that they need variety of different activities and for these activities to change in short intervals during the lesson. As “they cannot decide for themselves what to learn” it is the responsibility of the teacher to present them with as many different activities as possible so that the teacher can deduce what the children react to best or where are their weaknesses, and adapt the future activities according to these observations.

Observation 2 “They perform the actions in order the teacher mentions them.”: Observation of the analyzed group has confirmed that this statement applies to them. When they were told to do something with addition to do something else before that, first they did what they were told first. It is therefore important to give them the instructions in the order in which the activities are supposed to be executed and also to give them only the instructions they need at the moment, otherwise they will follow the instructions even though they are not supposed to yet.

Observation 3 “They do not have the need to share. They are happy to work alone in the company of others.”: Again, the analyzed group confirmed this statement relevant. The verity of this statement was particularly evident in comparison of the younger pupils and the older boy. When drawing a picture he had a tendency to comment on the pictures of others which any other child did not show.

Observations about the eight years olds: Observation 4 “They ask questions all the time.“: This statement proved to be relevant in the case of the older boy. He asks questions about English vocabulary and seems genuinely interested in English. He also asks about the topic of the lesson, when various topics will be discussed and whether it would be possible to add topics that he is struggling to understand in lessons in school to the curriculum of the course, confirming the statement that “they are able to make decisions about their own learning” to be true (Observation 5). He is also an example of the fact that “they are able to work with others and learn from them”. Even though it is rather the others who learn from him, he is willing to explain the instructions to the others or to translate when asked to. (Observation 6)

1.1.2.Other observations concerning the analyzed group of children

As the attention span of the children is very limited it is also desirable to change the intonation often, to use gestures and facial expressions. As Scott and Ytreberg claim “they do not understand the world of adults” (Scott and Ytreberg 3) it is therefore necessary for the teacher to try and see the world from the point of view of his/her pupils. To simplify the language, not to use expressions they do not understand. E.g.: A term “sanctions” was used with the analyzed group, even though they probably had never encountered the word before. Even though it does not mean exactly the same it is more proper to use the term “punishment” with children. (Observation 7)

[“At the start of the first grade it is necessary to be prepared for the fact that the concentration span of many pupils will be weak, short, passive and unintentional. Activity will dominate over calmness and the pupils will be unable to resist disturbances. To control their concentration and focus it intentionally is exhausting for them”] (Prokeš n.p.). It is difficult for the children to focus their attention intentionally, therefore using games and rhymes can help them to learn something unintentionally by repetition and doing something they enjoy. As it is difficult for the children to focus their attention for a prolonged period of time it is advisable when switching to another activity to completely change its “tone”. E.g.: If the children were sitting at the table colouring; it is more suitable for them to dance to a song next than to remain seated and sort pictures. As they are more prone to be active than to stay calm, the “sitting” activities should be compensated by “moving” activities as dancing, exercise or other kind of game where the children have an opportunity to exercise their bodies instead of their minds for a change. However, as they need to learn that there is time to be active and there is time to be quiet, they should not be allowed to run around whenever they please. They need some borders set, because they do not have them yet and if the teacher does not set them, they do not know they crossed them. Some educators recommend setting the borders together with the children (NIDM 26). As the younger children in the examined group are not able to decide for themselves yet, they were presented with the rules, but they were encouraged to express their agreement or disagreement. The purpose of the rules was set on the assumption that the children attend the course because they like English and want to learn it, which they were asked. In case there was someone who wants to learn English, but does not like it, as in the case of the younger boy, the goal was set to make English more enjoyable for them. The rules then were set in such a way that the course would resume as smoothly as possible allowing the pupils to focus on English. For illustration, the rules devised by the author are mentioned below together with their purpose:

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  Children are not allowed to eat during the lesson. Both for their own safety so they do not choke on food when moving and for ensuring they focus on the lesson. They are however allowed to drink and to go to toilet whenever they ask, provided they ask in English. (The phrase they use is an excellent example of how repetition is effective, because all of them can say it fluently after one semester of the course.)
  
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  Children are not allowed to use their mobile phones during the lesson.
  
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  When someone is speaking the others listen. This rule was implemented both to induce the team spirit and to let the children know that they will be listened to if they want to say something.
  
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  When there is too much noise in the classroom the teacher puts a finger to her lips, whoever sees this gesture, mimics it, until everybody is silent. This rule also encourages the team spirit and ensures calm in the classroom. The short period of silence also allows the children to reflect on their behaviour.
  
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  Children are encouraged to speak English. Even though they are not able to create sentences in English yet and the main purpose of the course is that they understand English and respond to it, if they know anything in English they are encouraged to use it. Also they are allowed to talk about subjects not relevant to the topic of the lesson as long as it is relevant to English.
  

Apart from teaching the children to respect some healthy boundaries the teacher is able to affect other aspects of their behaviour. The teacher should choose his/her words carefully, because children tend to perceive the authorities as an example. The positive aspect of these characteristics is that the teacher is able to positively affect the children’s behaviour. E.g.: The fact that the teacher respects the needs of each individual can encourage the children to respect others as individuals, to respect their differences and to grow into tolerant and open-minded human beings one day.