Teach English in ZhAngjiAchuAn Zhen - Tianshui Shi

There are four major groups when looking at learning and behavior theories: 1. Maturation theory states that natural, biological processes are fundamental. It states that there is a natural sequence of events that will place regardless of any other stimuli. Gessel,Hunt and Reisner are associated with this theory. 2. Environmental theory states that the environment in which we exist is fundamental. According to this theory. Our behavior is a reaction to our surroundings and we are not pre-programmed in a way maturationists say. Bandura, Watson and Skinner are names associated with this theory. 3. Constructivism is a combination of Maturation theory and environmental theory. We interact with our environment and construct our own frameworks or settings in which learning can take place. Montessory, Vygotsky, Piaget and Dewey are associated with this idea. 4. Other: There are many other theories of learning and development. Cognitive developmentalists theory suggests that there are stages to our intellectual development. Bruner and Papert are associated with this theory. Some important research findings about language acquisition include: 1. Language learning is not a linear process. 2. Language is learned through its use. 3. L2 learning draws on the learning experiences on L1. 4. Young learners do not learn as quickly as older learners. 5. There is an obvious need to learn L1. This may not be true for L2. Taking the above factors means language learning is a dynamic process and not to be studies in an abstract way. Children should be allowed to use the language in groups so that they can interact with their peers. Total immersion is one of the most efficient styles but the use of L1 in classroom should be allowed at least for lower levels. The age band of young learners is split into two groups. Group 1 includes students from 5-9 years. Group2 includes students from 9 to 13 years. Methodology for group1: ?standard Communicative Approach? is followed which means all teaching takes place in English. Lessons involve high level of physical activity and possibly high noise levels. Since attention span is short, the engage phase would normally encompass a whole range of activities. Activities are usually carried in pairs or small groups to increase student interaction. Activate phase is the longest part of the lesson and student can use all the language knowledge to create context based output. Methodology for group2: The lessons are student centered. Student talk time is the main aim of the lessons and a variety of activities should be covered, before moving to free speaking activities. The engage section gets the students talking and thinking in English. Straight forward question and answer about any topic is also suitable. The study phase involves looking at the structure of a grammar point or set of vocabulary words. Then the students undertake a series of activities to check their understanding and practice of the language point. Activate phase is the longest part of the lesson. Typical activities include role plays. Some possible arrangements to promote full class interaction are explained as follows: Circular: In this arrangement everyone is visible to everyone else but it isolates the teacher from the group. Semi-circular: This is the best arrangement for communicative language approaches. It is quite easy for everyone to get up and move around. Group tables: This arrangement is less formal than the rows. The disadvantage is that it breaks the class up into groups which may lead to problems. The positions need to change on a regular basis so that cliques don?t develop. Along with the class position, teacher position, teacher and students? resources, students? work and the teachers? role as instructor, facilitator, Mentor, psychologist, counselor and policeman should also be considered. The skills that should be developed in students are speaking, writing, listening and reading. Group1 (5 to 9 years): The Council of Europe Language Portfolio produced by the Center for Information on Language Teaching and research (CiLT) classifies Group1 students as Waystage level and breakthrough level. Group2 (9 to 13 years old): ALTE (Association for Language Testers in Europe) framework is used for breakthrough Level). In many private schools, like those following the IB (international Baccalaureate), the Primary Years Program (PYP) , is designed to give students five skills: - Understanding of concepts - The acquisition of knowledge - The mastering of skills - The development of attitudes - The decision to take responsible action Maturation refers to a psycholinguistic development process which involves the students? ability to understand more concrete concepts and theories. The starting point in context with maturation and its effect on classroom behavior is physical rather than intellectual. Speaking should come first as it is the first skill to demonstrate in L1. In order to learn to speak, we have developed some skill in listening. Reading and writing are interlinked and will probably be developed last. A good way to think about how classrooms will change as students get older is to think about some of the character traits of the different age bands. Group1 students like movement, doing, singing, playing games, pretending to be someone and structure but dislike being static, listening to instructions and being quiet.Group2 students like games, talking with peers, thinking, collecting and classifying, TV and film, pop music, computers, smart phones and social media but dislike structure, presenting in front of others, the opposite sex, embarrassment, singing and pretending. Skills also vary a lot among the two groups. Group1 students show less concentration, low ability to see the abstract, low memorization skills and learn more consciously. Group2 students show higher concentration, high ability to see the abstract, learn consciously and higher memorization skills. For group1 students, a typical classroom involves very active atmosphere, short duration of activities, physical activities, art and music and lot of repetition and recycling of language. For group2 students, a typical classroom involves longer activities, less noise and movement, less physical activity, less pretending, more abstract concepts and more memorization tasks.