Job Discussion Forums

[eihpos]

Hi,

I have a question (and I must admit it for a job application form). How would you teach a group of Japanese 2 year olds on a first lesson? I have never taught such young children before - what on earth would you do with them!

Please help!

Thank!

[spidr245]

If you're talking Japanese two year olds, then it's what all Japanese schools want you to do:

Play with them and say random English.

Honestly, anyone can do this. Your job just wants you to put something into a "lesson plan" form. If it is really your first time with 2 year olds, you'll be lucky to stay remotely close to your lesson plan. (Kids do have a short attention span after all.)

[whispechoes]

It's not teaching so much as babysitting. Will another adult be in the classroom with you? That might affect what all you're expected to do with the kids (bathroom duty, for example).

Otherwise, just sing songs and use very, very simple words. Keep it to one or two syllables and don't expect them to pick anything up. Like spidr245 said, they'll have super short attention spans, so make sure you take that into account when you plan the lesson. Chances are you'll still go off-track, but if you move fast enough you might get lucky and they'll pay attention more.

[TokyoLiz]

They'll learn despite anything you try to teach them!

I think about how I learned two other languages as a child. My babysitters and grandparents spoke their native languages, and we played games, sang songs, learned traditional rhymes, moved around and named things. Play with colourful and tactile toys, "talk" with stuffed animals or dolls, read board books aloud, sing along to audio recordings of songs and rhymes.

Two year old children usually master about 50 words and can utter two- or three-word phrases in their native language(s).