Characteristic Of Young Learners

A. Introduction

In some regions, elementary schools have included English as among the  alternatives local content of their school  curriculum, school-based curriculum. The  English teachers in elementary school, therefore, are not only to teach English to  young learners (as one of the lessons) but  also to become material designers. In  accordance with this fact, the English teachers in elementary school need theoretical  bases on teaching-learning English to young learners. Having theories on teaching- learning English to young learners, they will be able to design materials, to teach  well, and to suggest what approaches,  methods, and techniques to be used.

 When you are a teacher, you should know the characteristic of children, or the characteristic of young learner that you taught. Young learners mean children from the first year of formal schooling (5 or 6 year old) to eleven or twelve year age. Young learners have own special characteristics that differentiate them from adult learners. There should be known and understood by the teacher to give contribution to improve their quality of teaching and learning process.

1. Children are already very good in interpreting meaning without necessarily understanding the individual word.

2. Children already have great skill in using limited language creativity.

3.  Children frequently learn indirectly rather than directly.

4.   Children take good pleasure in finding and creating fun in what they do.

5.  Children have a ready imagination, children words are full of imagination and fantasy, and it is more than simply matter of enjoyment.

 States that  competence refers to one’s underlying knowledge of a system, event, or fact. It is

the non-observable, idealized ability to  do something, to perform something.  Performance is the overtly observable and concrete manifestation or realization of  competence. It is the actual doing of something: walking, singing, dancing, or  speaking.

Rendering an English lesson to the students of elementary school is an  appropriate decision viewed from the fact  that the students of elementary school  have a period called golden age and they have critical period, the period that  children are able to learn anything easily. In this period, their brains are still  flexible so that they are able to learn  anything, including languages. Besides,  children’s attitudes to other languages and culture are open and these attitudes  help the children learn the languages.

The Teaching of English to Young Learners .

In teaching English to young learners, in this case, the students of  elementary school, the teachers must comprehend the concept of acquisition and  learning. Acquisition can be defined as a process of having language naturally or sub-consciously.

State that acquiring a language is  ‘picking it up’, i.e., developing ability  in language by using it in natural,  communicative situations. Children acquire their first language, and most  probably, second languages as well. Language learning is different from  acquisition. Language learning is ‘knowing the rules’, i.e., having a conscious  knowledge about grammar. According to recent research, it appears that formal  language learning is not nearly as important in developing communicative ability

in second languages as previously thought  In line with children’s development and the two concepts above  (acquisition and learning), the teaching of English to young learners at elementary  school requires situations in which the students acquire language abilities by  means of acquisition rather than learning.

The English teachers should comprehend the communicative  principles which are proposed:

a. Know what you are doing.

b. The whole is more than the sum of the parts.

c. The processes are as important as the forms.

d. To learn it, do it.

e. Mistakes are not always a mistake

These points below make the students feel secure :

1) The students know what is happening, and they need to feel that the  teacher is in charge.

2) The teacher shows respect to the students.

3) The teacher listens to whatever the students say —mistakes as well.

4) The teacher does not mind the students’ getting things wrong and tell  them that everyone makes mistakes when he is learning a new language.

5) The teacher establishes routines by greeting the students at the beginning of classes

References : Teaching English to Young Learners and Factors to Consider in Designing

The Materials---

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