Teaching English to Young Learners
Nunan (2016)
Affect
Pedagogical Applications
Young learners' process of learning happens through a series of developmental stages.
"Learning to learn"
Instrumental Motivation
Language external purposes like having a better job.
Integrative Motivation
Interested in learning a foreign language with social and communicative purposes.
Guevara and Ordoñez (2012)
Authentic Communicative Performances
Bilingualism in a Monolingual Society
New Curriculum: Multiple Connections
"As we do not use English to function in society, it is especially difficult for us to motivate our children and adolescents to learn it.
Authentic Activities + Collaborative Work
MIND MAP
Nunan (2016) Comments:
The conception that "the earlier = the better" is still present in how English is taught in Brazil. Although theories about how young learners and adults acquire a second language are controversial, I believe - based on professional experience - that young learners struggle less to acquire L2 than adults, but it does not mean that adults can acquire and have proficiency in L2.
I also agree when the author says that Plurilingualism Pedagogy is increasingly, as it allows the student to move between language, respecting and understanding his language repertoire and helps to end with the native speaker myth.
Guevara and Ordoñez (2012) Comments:
Overcome the challenges, we teachers face when teaching a second language in a Bilingual Program in a Monolingual Society is almost unworkable. As an English Teacher, current working in a Bilingual Program, which social context is not that different from the one stated by the authors, keep students motivated and acquire L2 naturally is really hard and sometimes demotivating. So what can we do?
I personally thank the article, because it made me reflect upon my teaching skills. Often we forget that young learners are in constant transition of stages and that each stage needs a particular strategy, for that reason an Authentic Activities (different games, role-plays, music interpretation, story telling) + Collaborative Work (with the mother tongue teacher) would be an effective way to increase students' skills in L2. The language would have a social and meaningful purpose for students.
The necessity to reflect upon our teaching skills help students to become better people.