Teaching English To Children TEC Post Graduate Diploma
TEC Program is to be completed within four months in Campus or Online.
Online Studies
All Diploma programs offered at Education Canada may be conducted online. Both Theoretical & Practical aspects of this course can be conducted through online or in-class studies in Montreal- Canada.
Pre-requisite
Completion of TESOL/ TESL Certificate Program.
How children learn
Children between four and twelve years old are very different as language learners, so this month we are looking how children learn at different stages of development and how activities in the classroom need to address their cognitive, motor, language and social development. The age groups will be grouped as:
- 4 to 6 year-olds
- 7 to 9 year-olds
- 10 to 12 year-olds
Obviously children do not all fit neatly into categories and their development will depend on their personality, maturity and previous learning experiences. You will have no doubt to recognize how your own students fit the descriptions.
4 – 6 year olds
| Characteristics | Implications | Need |
| Pre-school or just beginning school | Not used to classroom conventions | Training in class routines e.g. listening to teacher |
| Limited motor skills | Clumsy control of pen / scissors etc | to develop motor control e.g. coloring, copying |
| Learn holistically | whole child needs stimulation | opportunities to move, sing, play, explore, touch etc |
| Can not distinguish between different parts of language | Can not analyze language | Exposure to chunks* of language e.g. chants, stories, classroom language |
| Limited reading/writing skills in L1 | Introducing reading/ writing in English | Lots of listening, speaking activities Fun introduction to English letters and words |
| See no need to communicate in English | Students use L1 exclusively | Reasons to speak English e.g. games, chants |
| Love stories, fantasy | Bored with many topics | Stories, fantasy, fun |
* chunks of language = words that naturally come together e.g. ‘thank you very much’, ‘glass of water’, ‘have a nice day’ – that are easily learnt, repeated and do not need analysis
7 – 9 year olds
| Characteristics | Implications | Need |
| Beginning to be logical and analytical | Can see patterns, aware of language | Opportunities to experiment e.g. making up own chants |
| Asking questions | Need answers | Freedom to express themselves and learn more than language |
| Reading and writing still minimal in L1 | Still need support and help | Practice and success oriented activities |
| Still have problems sharing | Group activities not always successful | Teacher to guide them and chances to work alone |
| Developing confidence to express themselves | Students will have views on what they want to do / talk about | Chance to state opinions |
| Developing knowledge of the world around them | Know more than we often give them credit for | Chances to use what they know |
10 – 12 year olds
| Characteristics | Implications | Need |
| Longer attention span | Greater range of activities possible in class | Opportunities to engage in tasks that require focus and commitment |
| Knowledge of the world growing | More topics can be addressed | Stimulatione.g. information from internet or cross-curricular |
| Taking learning more seriously | Can be given responsibility | Chances to be independent |
| Still children | Have need for security and pleasure | Teacher sensitive to their needs and moods |
| More cooperative with peers | Can do more group work | Variety of grouping in class i.e. work on own, in pairs, in group, as class |
| Intellectual, motor and social skills developing | Can be challenged more | Activities that challenge them |
| Developing own learning strategies | Children won’t all react in the same way to the same task/topic | Chance to personalize their learning experience |
Beginning Reading and Writing with Young Children
(For all children (around 5–7 years old) learning English as a second or foreign language, especially those whose Mother Tongue alphabet is not Roman)
Recognition games
Games are motivating and help make language memorable, so try to think of lots of fun ways to practice the new letters and sounds that you are introducing to the children.
Teaching English Vocabulary to Children
(Reading and writing advancement)
For Juniors (5 – 11 year olds. You will be able to adapt the activities for younger or older students)
Storytelling- How to use stories with children
(Listening & Speaking advancement)
The materials that you will find in this course are designed for children between the ages of approximately 5 and 8. Children vary as much as adults in terms of language level and personality, so you are the best person to decide which activities will suit your students.
Teaching Teenagers
Getting teenagers to speak English in the ELT classroom
Do your teenage students lapse into mother tongue during group or pair activities?
Are they reluctant to say things in English in front of their peers?
Do they have few or no opportunities to practice spoken English outside the classroom?
Do you want them to speak more English in class?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you will learn how to deal with these situations through out this course.
Teaching Reading in Class
Students who are faced with a text in class and asked to read it and answer questions, often find the task difficult. Once they have had some disappointing attempts at this kind of reading they lose motivation and it becomes even harder for a teacher to get them involved in the task and eventually successful.
We want the classroom task to help students develop the reading skill as well as other skills like speaking, writing and language areas like vocabulary and grammar and to motivate and challenge them.
Following are additional subjects which are included in the TEC program.
Teaching Teenagers English Vocabulary
Four Principles for teaching and learning vocabulary
Teaching Teenagers Grammar
Teaching English Using Games
Games For All Ages
Teenagers – Writing Compositions
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