Lesson 12: teaching speaking in primary level pupils: monologue and dialogue questions to be discussed

3.Implications towards English for Young Learners Materials

Deciding the most suitable materials for young learners are not to be very simple, there is not particular materials which completely appropriate with for young learners. A lot of considerations and factors influence the determination of ‘good materials’ for young learners. Teachers, learners, content, culture, context, ages are amongst the factors affected the adoption of materials for young learners. Some other factors are syllabus and schools.

These two factors determine the time allotment and the importance of English to be adopted as one of the subjects ruled in a school syllabus. Each school in each different area requires different kind of approach to be implemented which will also determine the kind of materials suitable with the approach the schools are being implemented.

Numbers of implications have emerged related to the materials for teaching English to Young Learners.

1) There is a need to build bridges between what happens in primary school and secondary school English. Teachers of secondary school need to find out about the YLs coming to their school to build on early language learning so there will be connections of what they have learned before to what they are about to learn in the secondary school.

2) Teachers need to have principles of what they should do with the materials. Therefore, textbooks as one of the materials for teaching EYL need to supplemented with teacher’s guide to help teachers cope with how they should have the materials for the YL.

3) There is a need to have education for teachers in using and choosing the EYL materials. The availability for independent education for teachers in adopting and choosing the materials will help them to better use the chosen materials more effectively for the learners. Having enough training and independent education will benefit teachers as well as learners.

4) There is a need of consideration for appropriate language models and goals. What language skills should be introduced as the initial skill in presenting a new language to young learners of different age groups is crucial, for they may have different language background of English. In addition, multi-media resources should be used to extend and enrich YL methodology of constructing a better language capacity.

The assessment should be in line with the teaching and should develop teacher assessment method that is more child-friendly approach. Sort of materials use as the learning resource should support the big moral and intellectual theme and promote educational values appropriate to the age and context of the children concerned. In short, it is not only the appearance of the materials that is of the importance motivating and facilitating factors, but also the essence to which the materials are able to be at the core of what children need in order to learn at all.