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Teaching EFL in a kindergartenThere are many differences and similarities between teaching adults and school age children. Both will have classroom experience but their motivation and commitment can be different. Children in kindergarten will still be at the beginning of their development with their mother tongue and not yet have much classroom experience. Kindergarteners mostly learn through play. However just playing is not structured enough, the teacher must have some target english as a goal. The academic value of learning another language will be lost on the students at this age however with the right teaching they can really enjoy the experience of learning a new skill together with their peers. It is important when teaching EFL to Kindergarteners that the teacher understands the learning capabilities of the students. Teaching Kindergarten can be exhausting as by their nature kids have a lot of energy. Don?t expect the students to sit still for long periods of time. Kindergarteners as with other young learners have a very short attention span. Try to plan lessons which have short sections to them. An example lesson could consist of a movement song to warm up, followed by introducing new vocabulary using flashcards, worksheet to practice; take a short break, learning new game/song to use new vocabulary, play the game or sing the song, and a good bye / farewell song rhyme. Children of such a young age will need regular breaks in order to dispel any pent up energy and allow them to refocus so that they can gain the most from each activity. This can be something as simple as standing up to have a wiggle. I would advise doing a warm up game that requires some movement e.g. a welcome song where everyone walks around and shakes hands or waves while singing before settling the children into their first task. This is a great habit to get into as the children enjoy it and they get used to the routine that some work will follow which will prepare them to focus. They respond well to structured lessons with a lot of repetition. In non ? EFL learning the students will probably be learning the alphabet, numbers, colours, days of the week, phrases and common vocabulary associated with common situations etc. This is a good guide for what will engage kindergarteners in an EFL environment. Teaching aids are invaluable as they bring variety to the classroom. Especially when teaching Kindergarten visual and audio and regalia are of keen interest to young students who enjoy being able to interact with whatever they are learning. The teacher should try to include fun games, songs and rhymes as these hold the students attention and are far more memorable. Even the most enjoyable activities will become tiresome if overused so keep it fresh. It is vital to have a good selection of resources i.e. Flashcards, worksheets, games etc. Try to make an effort to keep them colourful. In closing teaching kindergarten takes a lot of energy and patience but can be highly enjoyable and rewarding.
