660. Teaching is nice




One day teacher of English A said to teacher of English B, “I knew about this, obviously, but I’ve experienced this phenomenon more clearly lately. Adult learners of fifty-something and older tend to learn English by translating into Spanish, their native tongue – in general terms, with regard to those ages, and as false beginners. Also by translating from L1 to L2.



In relation to kids aged 8 – this is the youngest student I have now in the summer course – and up to 12, they use the target language as something natural. All the class is in English. They hear and listen a lot in English, assisted with body language by me. In the classes, they ‘know’ I ‘only’ understand English, and when they speak in Spanish I make faces. The class is a context when English is the only language used. This hearing and listening in English for long – I’d like to keep being their teacher for longer, but it’s not possible – reminds of me of the ‘Silent Period’ that Krashen used to refer to. Someone told me that for children of 2 years old learning English, the same color can be called as ‘rojo’ and ’red’. In my classes now, repetition of the same words and expressions is crucial.


One more thing, I make my young students stand up, sit down, moving around, run, stop, etc., for example with the game of ‘Simon says’. They naturally need to move, more in the 8-year student’s case.” / Photo from: missouriskies org. Rainbow at Elarn Bend, McFall, Missouri.

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