Teaching young EFL learners; factors that make a difference

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Teaching young EFL learners factors that make a
difference

• Dr Joanna Rodiki Petrides (PhD)
• Presented at Egypt TESOL conference, December
  2005.

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• Language is the center of human life.
• Bilingualism multilingualism is the norm.
• Over a billion of people all over the world are
  fluent in more than one language nowadays.
• So
• Need to understand what makes
  
  
  language teaching
  successful and how young learners learn.

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Factors that influence language learning (Skehan
1989).

• Classroom and materials
• Social context
• Opportunities for target language use
• The learner
• Learning according to strategies and processes.

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Why these components?

• they associate with the young learner and it is
  crucial to remember that the child should always
  be at the center of the learning process
• they can associate with the teacher and enable
  them to create conditions that promote successful
  learning.

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The research

• Sample 250 year six children (12 different
  groups) from public primary schools in Cyprus.
• Aim
• to measure the performance in EFL
• to identify the factors that had an impact on
  performance.

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Research Methods

• Questionnaires regarding any variable that
  relates to the learner, the social context and
  the use of language.
• Tests (listening and speaking test)

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Statistical Analysis

• Reliability statistics of the tests
• Rasch Analysis (indicated how the whole
  population of pupils would perform at the same
  test)
• One way Anova indicated the factors that were of
  statistical significance (any value lower than
  0.05)

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An example of the listening testwritten
statements

• Blue._
• You should exercise regularly._
• They are my friends from school.__
• Once a month.__
• Elena is as tall as Monica.__
• Im tired.__
• They seem like nice people and they are very
  friendly.__
• Next year.__
• At 8 oclock.__
• By aeroplane.__
• Not really, I prefer summer time.__
• Lets go to the theatre.__
• They didnt go to school.__
• So do I.__

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tapescript

• Some children are calling you, who are they?
• I love chocolates.
• Which is your favorite color?
• What tie do you go to school every morning?
• How do people go from Cyprus to England?
• I love winter, what about you?
• When will you start high school?
• How often do you go to the cinema?
• What do you want to do tonight?
• What can I do to feel healthy?
• Whats wrong with you?
• What do you think of your new neighbors?

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Variables that might be involved in foreign
language learning.

• Attitudes and motivation (Learner and Social
  Context)
• Needs (instrumental )
• Attitudes towards the target language and the
  target language community (integrative)
• A result of success or failure.
• Teachers associate motivation to the behavior of
  learners.

graph
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2. L1 ability and performance

• ones skills in their native language affect
  their ability to learn a foreign language
• Schooling success and academic experience are
  significant aspects in language learning.

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3. Opportunities for target language use.

• learning a foreign language should be primarily
  a matter for learning for communication. Maximum
  exposure to and involvement in spoken and written
  language with the pupils grasp are the basis for
  effective learning. (Sharpe 1994 in Trafford 17)

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Suggestions

• Frequency aids learning
• Pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere is necessary
• A plethora of activities need to be involved in
  EFL teaching
• Learners need access to authentic material
• Learners need to associate with native speaker
  models.

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Suggestions for the young learner EFL classroom

• Books and material ought to be designed according
  to the needs, age and interest of the learners
  ___ motivated and happy learners

VS
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• .

• Visual material can aid comprehension and
  communication

• Audio material is a useful tool for reading and
  listening comprehension can offer access to
  native speaker models

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• Learners need a plethora of activities in order
  to practice all four language skills.

Communicative and cooperative activities can make
a difference.
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The computer can be an excellent tool if used
correctly.
Promotes a pleasant environment Individualization
of the work of children Acquire new knowledge in
pleasant ways Communication in real life
situations (internet)
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• Access to authentic materials and native speaker
  models
• Integrates the benefits of audio and video
  materials
• Opportunities to practice all 4 language skills
• It enhances the resources available in the
  classroom
• It offers a variety of options