Teaching English to Young Learners

English is an International language  and as second language in Indonesia. Every students in school learn it,include young learner  in kinder garten and elementary school. Surely,teaching English to young learners is different from adults. Fortunately,young learners are in the golden age so they can learn anything easily.

Children have an ability for being natural language learners. Hass and Parkay (1993: 344) state “A major problem for elementary school is to establish effective contact with each child.” To have contact with students effectively,for kindergarten and elementary school students, English teachers must know their students’ characteristics in physical, social and physicological side. There are some physical characteristics as follows :

1. They rely on the spoken word as well as the physical world to convey and understand meaning.

2. Their own understanding comes through hands, eyes, and ears.

3. Children respond the language well from visual things than abstracts things.

4. They need physical movement and activity as much as stimulation for their thinking

There are some social characteristics as follows :

1.They are able to work with others and learn from others.

2.Generally they are more concern about themselves then others

3.Children learn well about something that relate with culture

There are some physichological characteristics as follows :

1.       They are able to make some decisions about their own learning.

2.       They ask questions all the time.

3.       They use language skills long before they are aware of them.

4.       They are very logical –what the teachers say first happens first.

5.       They have very short attention and concentration span.

6.       Children do not always understand what adults are talking about.

7.       Children are very active and they need real activities to stimulate their thinking.

8.       They are weak memory.

9.  Children will be enthusiastic if they are involved in fun activities when teaching and learning process

Having comprehended the characteristics of young learners in teaching language, will make the teacher could determine some strategies for English is to be taught to young learners easily.

Refferences

Hass, Glen and Parkay, Forrest W. 1993. Curriculum Planning A New Approach.Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon A Division of Simon and Schuster Inc.

www./educationchewy/2011/03characteristic/young/learnersid6?id=7b9.html

Pinter, Annamaria.2006. Teaching Young Language Learners. China. Oxford University Press

Center for Teaching and Learning (Learning Styles): www1.indstate.edu/cirt1/facdev/pedagogies/styles/ls1.html.