Tatyana V. Em, Natalya T. Mun
Buketov Karaganda State University, Kazakhstan
Teaching a foreign language to
children at preschool age
There is no doubt that it is really crucial for adults
to know English. However, our children do not think a lot about the importance
of speaking and communicating in a foreign language. It is just a set of
symbols and images for children rather than a future successful career and
freedom in communication. More and more parents are aspiring to instill such
vital knowledge in early childhood, and they are often right. The main thing is
to find the right approach.
There is a scientific evidence showing that the most favorable years for
the unconscious mastery of the language is the period from birth to six years.
The assumption that there is a genetic code which is used by a child when
speaking a foreign language is a kind of myth, if his or her parent knows the
language perfectly. Mastering the language by the child takes place in a
natural language environment. The child will speak the languages that he hears
around and those ones that are frequently used in speech. If the parents
interact with the child in English, Spanish and Russian, the baby will speak
the same three languages.
It is the children’ intelligence allows them to achieve a great success in
learning foreign languages. The most intense brain development occurs in the
first six years of life.
Of course, there is a difference between the native tongue and a foreign
language: the native language is constantly heard by a child, and a foreign
speech is perceived from time to time. However, up to ten years, he is able to
easily memorize the whole language units making the process of learning at an
early age go easily enough.
Another important point is
that a child is not afraid to make mistakes in the course of learning a
language. He does not suffer from a psychological barrier; therefore, children
tend to speak a foreign language faster. In addition, a child perceives the
process of learning like a play, so a competent teacher will holds a child’s
interest easily. Of course, it is difficult to sit still for children, it is
hard for them to concentrate on one thing. That is why the English lessons must
be organized in an entraining way in order to attract the children’s interest
(through games, songs, motion). A child does not begin to learn the alphabet
and grammar immediately, at first he learns to speak, listen and memorize
English words and phrases.
Every age has its own methods
of teaching English:
- From infancy children are
taught English by the method of Glenn Doman. It develops the child’s visual
memory, drawings are used with the words written on them. This technique can
often be used up to middle school age.
- Zaitsev’s cubes are suitable
for the children from three years.
- Children from four to five
years are often taught according to the project methodology. Here the classes
are devoted to a particular topic, for which children prepare creative
projects.
From four years it is possible
to conduct regular English lessons. However, up to 6-7 years children are not
taught grammar because they have not developed abstract thinking.
In addition to communication
skills, learning English gives children a sense of confidence, develops
self-reliance and creativity, critical thinking and the ability to set goals
and achieve them. These qualities are very important when adapting to the
school environment and social life in the future.
At preschool age a child is
taught communication skills first and foremost when learning English. The
emphasis is made on the fact that children are supposed to begin to understand
the English language and respond to it. At this age, the fundamentals of
pronunciation are laid. Children use basic English words, memorize phrases from
songs, learn to recognize words in games. It is important that the English
words mean the concepts that are familiar to children in their native language,
and that they are easily combined with each other.
Another
feature of information perception at this age is that children have a good
image memory therefore the words are clearly demonstrated. In this regard real objects,
pictures, toys help with it. Drawing, colouring, cutting out are also used in
teaching. Such a creative work contributes to easier memorizing the words as
well. Often the
obligatory component of a lesson is a P.T. break where all the exercises and
movements are also accompanied with their English names. However, it is still difficult
for preschool children to keep their attention for a long time that’s why the
duration of a lesson is less than 30-40 minutes. As a rule the lessons are
conducted twice a week.
English
lessons at preschool age develop memory, attention, quick understanding, power
of observation and train a child for school effectively.
Under
any circumstances you can’t force a child to study English at early age. If the lessons become a duty
then they can quickly bother, and subsequently a child can be difficult to
learn a language. The main objective
for parents and the teacher is to stimulate interest in language and it is a
game that helps with it effectively. By
means of the game children learn about the world and are involved in the
process by gaining the important language skills easily.
A child
doesn't have that motivation to study English which adults have. They don't need to make a
career; they don't realize that English will be necessary for them in their
future. Thus it is important to make a child be interested in something else. If a child finds the learning
process interesting, if it is enjoyable and not boring, a child himself will
strive for lessons.
Children
are the linguistic geniuses from the day they were born. They are able to memorize any
foreign language involuntarily without translating it into its native language. Children think in a foreign
language without realizing what this or that phrase means in their native
language. It differs them
from adults who understand the language only thanks to the translation.
References
1. Гальскова Н.Д. Теория и
практика обучения иностранным языкам. / Н.Д. Гальскова, З.Н. Никитенко. –
Начальная школа: Методическое пособие. - М.: Айрис-пресс, 2004. –
240 c.
2. Бим И.Л., Биболетова М.З. Возможные
формы и содержание курсов обучения иностранным языкам в начальной школе. //
Иностр. языки в школе. 2001. №2.