Teach English in Lifuta Zhen - Zhangjiajie Shi

TEACHING EFL IN A KINDERGARTEN Children are the fastest learners of any language and this has been proven multiple times. It has been scientifically proven by the researchers as well. Young learners also have the advantage of fewer inhibitions. They do not fear making mistakes and which is what makes them great learners. I love teaching very young learners with an age range of 3- 6 years. If we can take care of the few behavioral challenges that some children come along with, teaching this age group can be very fulfilling and rewarding. A Kindergarten level English course typically lasts for about a year. It has become a common practice in countries now where English is a second language to send children to English Learning centers at a very early age to ensure that they start learning the language at an early age so that they are comfortable by the time they are adults and can use the language to their benefit. On day one of the course it is absolutely essential to avoid to the textbook which is very nicely suggested in the TEFL course as well. Day one and perhaps in case of these very young learners the first week can also be taken at a lower place. It is the teacher’s responsibility to try best to ensure that the students are comfortable and the fear of stepping out of their comfort zone is no longer there. For the teacher the first week is very crucial to judge the young learners English level and accordingly prepare the lesson plans for the future. Children are visual learners so it is very important to design most of the materials in a visual manner. It takes usually 3-6 months for first year kindergartners to learn all the 26 letters, both verbal and in writing. This is only for capital letters. One essential tip that really helped me is that to make a craft each time they learn a new letter preferably with the associated letter that you are teaching them. For ex:- if we are teaching them A for Apple than the craft should be an apple in the form of an A. This activity really leaves a long lasting impact on the young learners and helps them retain the material. A very important thing that needs to be considered is spoken English in kindergarten is not directly related to course book. Students should be encouraged to speak as much English as they can in class. Teachers aim should be also to teach them all the basic mannerisms like permission for going to the toilet or drink water, apologizing when required, asking for help, sharing etc. Young students are usually very curious towards their surroundings and their curiosity should be answered by the teacher to the best of their ability with patience throughout. Apart from English Alphabets, the numbers, animal names, colors, introducing self, short stories, basic grammatical corrections in spoken English etc are also some of the syllabus items for K1. Again very essential that the lesson plans are visual and very well thought out depending on students interests. For example Dragon as an animal might be more interesting in certain cultures than deer or a donkey. Young learners are also taught basic instructions in English worksheets such as Circle the correct words, find and color and say it aloud etc… Towards the end of the first year of the kindergarten it is very essential for the teacher to revise all the learnt items to ensure a smooth transition to a next level. This should at least be done a month before the transition to ensure a smooth one. Teaching kindergartners is a very rewarding experience. It might require a lot more patience than other levels but the satisfaction is at a different level. For me realizing the fact I am one who taught them there first colors is extremely fulfilling. Thank you ITTT, enrolling in your course is one of the best decisions that I had made. I learnt a lot and going to use and cherish it forever.