The Principles of Teaching Children
Sunday, October 10, 2010
As an international language, English has gained its popularity all over the world. In the past English was only taught in secondary schools. In current years, however, the teaching of English is expanding into primary or elementary school settings.
Today, I will present ways of responding to this challenge. Successively, I will discuss some basic principles of learning and language learning in relation with children; and some classroom techniques suitable for teaching children.
Principles
The prominent learning principles worth discussing in relation to teaching children are coqnitive interactionist, cognitive principles, and social interactionist principles.
1. Cognitive Interactionist Principles
The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and his colleagues (1955) have demonstrated that children in primary or elementary school are usually in what is called the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. This means that they learn through hands or experience and through manipulation of objects in the environment. Children in primary or elementary school settings generally learn by doing (Piaget, 1955). Therefore, when children are learning science or mathematics content they need to be actively involved in experimenting with mathematics or science materials that they can manipulate. If this principle is extended to English as a foreign language learning (EFL) setting, it means that children language classes need to be active rather than passive; they need to be engaged in activities of which language is a part. They need to be working on meaningful tasks and use language to accomplish those tasks (see Hudelson, 1996)
2. Cognitive Principle
A basic principle of both first and second language acquisitions is that acquisition occurs through learners figuring out how the language works, through learners making and testing out hypotheses about the language. Language acquisition involves the cognitive work of creative construction of the rules of the language. In terms of the classroom context, an implication is that learners need opportunities to use and to experiment with the new language. Another implication is that mistakes are a natural and inevitable part of learning. This principle would suggest that the habit formation interference view is not sufficient and that activities which require children to try out their English in order to accomplish these activities are called for (Chomsky,1979).
3. Social Interaction Approach
The third basic principle of first and second language development is that language acquisition occurs through social-interaction, through having to use the language with others in authentic communication settings. Language develops as speakers try out the language they are figuring out in situations with others, and as others respond to their efforts. What is critical is that meaning is constructed jointly as interlocutors work together both to be understood and to understand each other. Putting this principle into practice would mean that learners need to have language input from others (See Gleason,1985). When these generalizations are drawn to foreign language learning and teaching, they have implication for curriculum development, for teaching strategies, and for classroom procedures.
Today, I will present ways of responding to this challenge. Successively, I will discuss some basic principles of learning and language learning in relation with children; and some classroom techniques suitable for teaching children.
Principles
The prominent learning principles worth discussing in relation to teaching children are coqnitive interactionist, cognitive principles, and social interactionist principles.
1. Cognitive Interactionist Principles
The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and his colleagues (1955) have demonstrated that children in primary or elementary school are usually in what is called the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. This means that they learn through hands or experience and through manipulation of objects in the environment. Children in primary or elementary school settings generally learn by doing (Piaget, 1955). Therefore, when children are learning science or mathematics content they need to be actively involved in experimenting with mathematics or science materials that they can manipulate. If this principle is extended to English as a foreign language learning (EFL) setting, it means that children language classes need to be active rather than passive; they need to be engaged in activities of which language is a part. They need to be working on meaningful tasks and use language to accomplish those tasks (see Hudelson, 1996)
2. Cognitive Principle
A basic principle of both first and second language acquisitions is that acquisition occurs through learners figuring out how the language works, through learners making and testing out hypotheses about the language. Language acquisition involves the cognitive work of creative construction of the rules of the language. In terms of the classroom context, an implication is that learners need opportunities to use and to experiment with the new language. Another implication is that mistakes are a natural and inevitable part of learning. This principle would suggest that the habit formation interference view is not sufficient and that activities which require children to try out their English in order to accomplish these activities are called for (Chomsky,1979).
3. Social Interaction Approach
The third basic principle of first and second language development is that language acquisition occurs through social-interaction, through having to use the language with others in authentic communication settings. Language develops as speakers try out the language they are figuring out in situations with others, and as others respond to their efforts. What is critical is that meaning is constructed jointly as interlocutors work together both to be understood and to understand each other. Putting this principle into practice would mean that learners need to have language input from others (See Gleason,1985). When these generalizations are drawn to foreign language learning and teaching, they have implication for curriculum development, for teaching strategies, and for classroom procedures.
Kinds of Sentence Part 2 (Simple Sentence)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Oh I am so sleepy, it's 10.12 a.m now...
Never mind, the lonely makes me not wanna go bed.
Forgetting of this sleepy, let's discuss the first sentence dealing classification is Simple Sentence.
Never mind, the lonely makes me not wanna go bed.
Forgetting of this sleepy, let's discuss the first sentence dealing classification is Simple Sentence.
Simple Sentence
This sentence only have one full of predication. The elements of sentence are Subject (S), Predicate (P), Complement (C), and Modifier (M). Look at the examples below carefully!
Example:
1. SP : He wrote
2. SPM : She is in the library
3. SP Subject Complement : I am a educational writer
4. SP Verb Complement : The librarian checks the books
5. SP Object Complement : My sister chooses her soul mate
6. SP Predicate Complement : My husband make me happy
7. SP Complement Modifier : I listened radio last night
In the predicate of simple sentence there is only one main verb. A simple sentence may consist of two or three words or longer than that. Besides, it may also have two subjects but one verb; or, one subject and two verbs.
Example:
1. A boy and a girl study in the library
2. A man attacked and robbed the rich lady
Example:
1. SP : He wrote
2. SPM : She is in the library
3. SP Subject Complement : I am a educational writer
4. SP Verb Complement : The librarian checks the books
5. SP Object Complement : My sister chooses her soul mate
6. SP Predicate Complement : My husband make me happy
7. SP Complement Modifier : I listened radio last night
In the predicate of simple sentence there is only one main verb. A simple sentence may consist of two or three words or longer than that. Besides, it may also have two subjects but one verb; or, one subject and two verbs.
Example:
1. A boy and a girl study in the library
2. A man attacked and robbed the rich lady
Kinds of Sentence Part 1
Good evening guys...I am alone this night and I want to spend this long night by writing something beneficial for you in learning English as foreign language or second language. Now, we will learn about kinds of sentence. We ever discussed about the definition of sentence, right? Before starting to study, I wanna ask you...do you still remember what sentence is?
According to Frank (1972: 220), a sentence is a full of prediction and containing a subject plus predicate with a finite verb. Sentence are generally classified in two ways, one by types and one by the number of formal predication's.
Now, we are going to learn about sentences by number of full predications.
According to Frank (1972: 220), a sentence is a full of prediction and containing a subject plus predicate with a finite verb. Sentence are generally classified in two ways, one by types and one by the number of formal predication's.
Now, we are going to learn about sentences by number of full predications.
Sentences by Number of full Predications
1. Classification of Sentences by Number of full Predications
This classification is based on the number and kind of clauses within a sentence. A clause is a full of predication that contains a subject and a predicate with a finite verb. There are two kinds of clauses: independent clause and dependent clause.
What is independent clause? The independent clause is a full of predication that may stand alone as a sentence; the dependent clause cannot stand alone and has special introducing word.
There are four sentences dealing with the classification:
1. Simple sentence
2. Compound sentence
3. Complex sentence
4. Compound- complex sentence
This classification is based on the number and kind of clauses within a sentence. A clause is a full of predication that contains a subject and a predicate with a finite verb. There are two kinds of clauses: independent clause and dependent clause.
What is independent clause? The independent clause is a full of predication that may stand alone as a sentence; the dependent clause cannot stand alone and has special introducing word.
There are four sentences dealing with the classification:
1. Simple sentence
2. Compound sentence
3. Complex sentence
4. Compound- complex sentence
Do you wanna know the explanation of each classification? Don't miss to read my next post...love you all!
The Patterns of Sentence Part 4
Monday, October 4, 2010
Great job! Finally, we will discuss the fourth pattern of sentence.
Are you ready for the next discussion? Let's check it out....
This pattern is the most complex one among the others, because it is made up of all the elements of the sentence.
Look at the examples below carefully!
- He becomes the head of the family soon
(he as subject, becomes as predicate, the head of the family as verb complement, soon as modifier)
- My Dad buys the tickets in the counter.
( my dad as subject, buys as predicate, the tickets as verb complement, in the counter as modifier)
Hmmm, all of the patterns of sentences have been discussed. Next, you have to practise them in spoken and written English activity. Go English go....!!
Are you ready for the next discussion? Let's check it out....
Subject + Predicate + Complement + Modifier
This pattern is the most complex one among the others, because it is made up of all the elements of the sentence.
Look at the examples below carefully!
- He becomes the head of the family soon
(he as subject, becomes as predicate, the head of the family as verb complement, soon as modifier)
- My Dad buys the tickets in the counter.
( my dad as subject, buys as predicate, the tickets as verb complement, in the counter as modifier)
Hmmm, all of the patterns of sentences have been discussed. Next, you have to practise them in spoken and written English activity. Go English go....!!
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