This is a report I was assigned to write for one of my TESOL classes
Techniques for Teaching English to Children
In the world of language development there are two key age groups defined. The groups five to seven year olds and eight to ten year olds cover some of the most vital years in a child’s development. There is a big difference in what a child of five can do and what a child of ten can do. But, in the same sense not every child will be at the same level at age five or ten. Some learn quickly while others learn gradually and it is the teacher’s job to assess where the child is in their learning and tailor their lessons as such.
Five to seven year olds can usually talk about what they are doing and what they have done or heard. They can plan basic activities, tell you their opinion and why they have it, use some logical reasoning and use their vivid imaginations. Also children of this age group can understand direct human interaction but work better with physical interaction. Children in this age group are often happy playing and working alone but, in the company of others .We as teachers must try to import small group activities into their learning. Many children of this age are enthusiastic about learning but need the guidance of teachers to decide for them what to learn.
Eight to ten year olds are relatively mature with an adult side and a childish side. They have formed basic concepts and can tell the difference between fact and fiction. You will usually get more questions from students of this age than from younger children. This age group relies more on the spoken language and are able to make some decisions about what to learn. Students at this age are able to work with others and learn from others better. A positive for this age group is that they have some sort of language awareness and will use the similarities between learning their mother language and learning a foreign language.
What this means to us as teachers of English are that words are not enough, especially with the younger students who need pictures and objects to make full use of learning. Younger students need to play with the language where eight to ten year olds can learn language as language. No matter what the age group concentration and attention spans are short and we need to use a variety of activities as well pace but we must have rules and routines. In conclusion, teaching children a language can become very rewarding and an enjoyable profession if approached with the right attitude.