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Part 3: From Theory to Practice日期：2007-08-06 点击： 作者：秦 博 来源：中国英语学习网Part 3 From Theory to Practice An effective teacher of children will be using almost all of Howard Gardner’s famous “multiple intelligences”. Of course, the range of activities will vary with the age and ability of the children. However, there are three elements of a children’s lesson which have particular importance for ELT teachers. These are games, stories, and songs. All three of these are fundamentally language-based, and are stimulating and interesting for young learners. I intend to look briefly at each, with particular reference to the ELT classroom Games Please see fig. 4 for a list of “do’s and don’ts” for ELT games for children ELT Games for children; do’s and don’ts · Do use age-appropriate, fun games · Do supervise the game closely · Do distinguish between “rousing” and “settling” games · Do use physically active games with younger children · Do allow older children to invent their own rules · Do play the game with the children · Do give clear instructions · Do have a number of winners · Do use a number of different games · Don’t use complicated games · Don’t use games that have no English content · Don’t let the game “drag on” · Don’t allow the same child to win every day Jean Piaget was a huge admirer of children’s games, and for the ELT teacher, it is important to note that games can be a huge motivating factor for children. Children do not have the internal motivation to learn English that most adult learners have; motivation has to be created inside the classroom. It is vital to note that games to be used for ELT must in some way be language dependent, using vocabulary items or particular structures and functions of language. The teacher should not use a game which is of negligible pay-off in terms of language acquisition, and should not use a game which takes too long for too little linguistic output. It is also important to note that children at the sensorimotor and pre-operational stage need physical movement and activity. Playing games is an ideal way to provide this in a controlled environment. Songs Please see fig. 5 for a list of “do’s and don’ts” for ELT songs for children ELT Songs for Children; do’s and don’ts · Do choose age-appropriate, fun songs · Do repeat the song for a number of weeks or months · Do choose songs that are related to the content you are teaching · Do use songs with simple, clear, strong melodies · Do use songs with simple, clear words · Do use gestures with younger children · Do dance · Do break the song down, word by word, line by line · Do sing the song yourself · Do have a class concert at the end of the year, if you can · Don’t use a cassette · Don’t choose songs that are morally or politically incorrect · Don’t choose songs that are too fast, or that have an unusual rhythm · Don’t choose any Westlife songs “If you can talk, you can sing. If you can walk, you can dance” (Old African Proverb) It is of fundamental importance that the ELT teacher of children uses songs and chants in the classroom. This is particularly important with children at the first two stages of cognitive development. Children at this age often sing and chant more than they speak; singing in English at this stage provides a solid foundation for pronunciation. Songs introduce children to the rhythm and sound of English, and they can help children remember large “chunks” of language. Children (and adults) tend to remember songs more easily than they remember the spoken word. Songs learned in childhood are never forgotten. Interestingly, the English language is ideally suited to singing and chanting, because of the high number of schwa’s and accented phonemes (Goodger, 2005). However, the primary reason for using songs in the ELT classroom is simple; songs are fun, and children love performing. For this reason, they are (as with games and stories) wonderful motivating factors for children. Stories Please see fig. 6 a list of “do’s and don’ts” for ELT stories for children ELT Stories for Children; do’s and don’ts · Do choose age-appropriate, fun stories · Do know the story well · Do choose stories that are related to the content you are teaching · Do use stress and intonation for dramatic effect · Do use props · Do recycle the stories · Do have a “story corner” · Do use simple, repetitive stories with younger children · Do make deliberate mistakes while reading · Do encourage children to act out the stories · Don’t choose stories that are morally or politically incorrect · Don’t patronise older children with “childish” stories · Don’t use scary stories with very young children · Don’t use stories at all with the under threes As with songs, stories introduce children to the rhythm, sound and intonation of English; they also help children to remember large “chunks” of language. Stories are value-forming (Dwyer, 2003), and they can help children make sense of the world. Stories are also a good way to introduce (or re-enforce) vocabulary. The teacher should be particularly careful to choose age-appropriate, interesting stories, which stimulate rather than bore the child.
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