Job Discussion Forums

[munasa]

I'm interested to find out why English as a Foreign Language is taught to such little children. I know "everyone" says that young children acquire new languages easily, but this is only true when they are immersed in the language. My preference is to teach children a little older when it is a foreign language -- starting at around 9 or 10 years. By this age they have developed more cognitive skills to use as they learn. I do enjoy working with the 6 and 7 year olds I teach, and would not refuse to teach them. I am just wondering what others have experienced. There is a discussion of Optimum Age vs Optimum Conditions at http://www.britishcouncil.org/english/eyl/article01.htm

[jenny-pnet]

I find with consonant blends such as 'th', 'fl' and 'fr', I am experiencing more success with the children in P1 and 2 than the ones in P4 and 5. The latter year levels seem to have been practising incorrect pronunciation of these sounds for long enough such that it has become ingrained for them and the habits are more difficult to break. Until this year, they haven't had exposure to a Native English-speaking Teacher to identify the problem. The younger children are also greater risktakers. They are less shy about having a go and participating in oral English activities.

[Scott in HK]

I don't think everyone agrees that young children have to be immersed in a language to learn it. There are a lot of programs that introduce second languages more gradually to students. Programs have been designed where young students are taught have the morning in their L1 and the other half in their L2.

Early introduction to the language can have a lot of benefits. It is not just that students may learned to pronounce certain sounds better when they are young. Students also learn to enjoy language learning as most early language programs are based around play. They also get to learn a great deal of the language in natural chuncks as they interact with other kids.

If the alphabetic scripts are different then an early introduction also seems to be beneficial. The students don't have to spend time at a later age learning the alphabet or how to make the characters.

At a young age, when they are still learning their own language it may be easier for them to accpet the idea that labels are not permanent...that you can call something one word in your L1 and another in your L2.

There are certainly no disadvantages to exposing children to other languages at a young age...and if they do get to become a balanced bilingual or close to it, there are a lot of cognitive advantages.

[Roger]

I taught English to preschoolers, and it was a success story!
Then again, I learnt immediately that kids below 6 do not learn the way kids at primary schools learn. Of course - they have to learn how to learn.
They learn to conceptualise the world, and if they do that in a second tongue their mastery of that second language may improve.
You do not need to teach a lot; just give them a solid grounding. COnduct your class in an interactive way, instruct your kids on how to do other things such as standing up or sitting down, moving, then expand on this. Teach them how to draw - you won't have to resort to using their first language.

[Joachim]

I actually think that it's a good idea to teach languages from a very young age. I teach some toddlers here in Hong Kong whose vocabulary and confidence in the l;angauge, not to mention pronunciation is far superior to much older children I taught in Thailand.

I was trilingual by the age of 4 as well, simply becuase my parents speak different languages and we lived in a country that spoke a third. I am still fluent in all three, and have never had problems with forgetting the languages or developing them. However, I did have problems with the two languages I learned in my teens and doubt I will ever be fluent.