commit to user c. Children will be enthusiastic if they are taught using fun activities or being
involved in activities, d. Children love to play, and learn best when they are enjoying themselves,
e. Children learn well through something that is close to their culture, f.
Children like to work together
http:peni.staff.uns.ac.id20081010young- learner-characteristics
, retrieved on November 22
nd
, 2009.
2. Teaching English at Elementary School
Teaching second language to all age groups is actually similar. Both adult and children are recognizing new language. The difference lies on how
the teachers deliver the materials because the children’s way of thinking and attitude are different from adults.
Brumfit 1997 states the reason of teaching English for elementary students. One of the reasons is because in the early age, elementary student,
for example, is the best time to learn second language. The earlier students start, the more time they get.
It is believed that when a child is introduced to a second language at an early age their chances of becoming more proficient in the target language
will be higher
www.teachingenglish.org.ukthink methodologyyoung_learner
, retrieved on December 20
th
, 2009. In learning language, spoken language comes naturally before reading and writing. Here are the stages in picking up
commit to user English
www.britishcouncil.orgparents-help-how-children learnlanguages.htm
, retrieved on December 20
th
, 2009
:
a. Silent period When babies learn their home language, there is a ‘silent period’, when
they look and listen and communicate through facial expression or gestures before they begin to speak. When young children learn English,
there may be a similar ‘silent period’ when communication and understanding may take place before they actually speak any English
words. During this time, parentsteachers should not force children to take part in spoken dialogue by making them repeat words. Spoken dialogues
should be one-sided, the adult’s talk providing useful opportunities for the child to pick up language.
b. Beginning to talk After some time, depending on the frequency of English sessions, each
child girls often more quickly than boys begins to say single words ‘cat’, ‘house’ or ready-made short phrases ‘What’s that?’, ‘It’s my
book’, ‘I can’t’, ‘That’s a car’, ‘Time to go home’ in dialogues or as unexpected statements. The child has memorised them, imitating the
pronunciation exactly without realising that some may consist of more than one word. This stage continues for some time as the child picks up
commit to user more language using it as a short cut to dialogue before they are ready to
create their own phrases. c. Building English
Gradually children build up phrases consisting of a single memorised word to which they add words from their vocabulary ‘a dog’, ‘a brown
dog’, ‘a brown and black dog’ or a single memorised language to which they add their own input ‘That’s my chair’, ‘Time to play’. Depending
on the frequency of exposure to English and the quality of experience, children gradually begin to create whole sentences.
Linse 2005: 2 mentions the of young learner teacher’s job; those are providing care and providing instruction. Providing care means that the
teachers should know the children’s need and want. They have to provide interesting, fun and comfortable situation in order that the children can study
well in the class. To give best possible instruction, the teachers need to adjust educational experiences to meet the developmental stages of the individual
child according to their stage of learning development. For example, a child having developed strong oral language skills in her native language is better
prepared to begin reading than a child who has not. A young learner who can comprehend a sequence of events is better prepared to understand a story than
a child who cannot. According to Dunn in
www.britishcouncil.org
, retrieved on December 20
th
, 2009, children should not be told they have made a mistake because any correction immediately demotivates. Mistakes may be part of the
commit to user process of working out grammar rules of English or they may be a fault in
pronunciation. ‘I goed’ soon becomes ‘went’ if the child hears the adult repeat back ‘yes, you went’; or if the adult hears ‘zee bus’ and repeats ‘the bus’. As
in learning their home language, if children have an opportunity to hear the adult repeat the same piece of language correctly, they will self-correct in
their own time. English in elementary school in Indonesia hasn’t been a primary
subject. It is not urgent, but it is quite important. According to Permendiknas tahun 2006, English should be taught in elementary school in order that the
students have been ready to study English in the higher level junior high school and senior high school. Every elementary school should consider
English as the secondary subject after their own local language in order that the students can communicate using English and face technology
improvement since the early age. Elementary school students are categorized as young learners.
Superfine 2006, a freelance teacher, mentions the characteristic of young learner children in learning language as follows:
a. Young learners only just start their schooling so teachers have a clear opportunity to mould the mind of the children and their expectation of life
in school. b. They tend to be keen and enthusiastic learner than the older.
commit to user c. Young learners need physical movement and activity as much as
stimulation for their thinking. They have a short attention span and have very little inhibition. They are usually very spontaneous so an activity in
the form of games, songs and drama is recommended. When reviewing the situation we return to the main explanations for better learning at a
younger age and the suggestion that the young brain is more adaptable before puberty and the acquisition of languages is less inhibited in the
younger learner. Considering the characteristic of young learners who tend to be
keen and enthusiastic and are usually very spontaneous, the use of word webs is recommended. It is because word webs can attract the young learners.
When the teacher writes the main idea on the board then asks the learners “what is in your mind when you hear this word?”, the students
enthusiastically will answer the teacher’s question. That activity can be used as brain-storming before activity. During activity, the teacher can add the new
words to the diagram. After activity, the teacher can use word webs as a game. The teacher can prepare words written on cards, then, ask the students to
organize or classify the words. Piaget in Cox, 1998: 50 views adults teachers or other caretakers
role in teaching language as creating situations in which children discover meaning themselves. Those situations will stimulate children to gain the
language competence. When children discover the meaning of the learning by
commit to user themselves, it is wished that they can keep the knowledge for a long time. By
using word webs as a game, the learners experience in learning new words. Finally, they are expected to improve their vocabulary mastery.
Clark 1990: 6-8 states the characteristics of the children are as follows:
a. Children are developing conceptually. They develop their way of thinking from the concrete to the abstract thing.
b. Children have no real linguistic. They teach subject what school provides for them
c. Children are still developing their common skill such as turn taking and the use of body language. They learn more slowly.
d. Young children are very egocentric. They tend to resolves around themselves.
e. Children get bored easily, they have no choice to attend school. The class activities must be fun and interesting by setting up the interesting
activities. f.
Children are at early of their education, ensuring success and enhancing the children’s motivation are important factors in promoting the success of
early start in foreign language learning. g. Children are better mimics. It will take them more confident in attempting
the sound of foreign language and they delighted in playing the sound.
commit to user h. Children forget quickly. Therefore, the teacher in teaching English needs
repetition. The diagram shown in word webs can help students see how the
words relate one to the others. The lines of the diagram help students who still develop their way of thinking from concrete to abstract. Word webs as game,
can attract the children who are easily bored in learning. Because children have short term memory, they need a unique technique in making note of the
new vocabulary. Here, word webs also help students to memorize words. The students can add small picturetemplate in the diagrams.
Based on the explanation above, teaching English at elementary school is quite important. The teachers should know the children’s need and
want in learning foreign language. In order that the language can be received and retained by the students, the teacher should choose the appropriate
methods and technique to teach English in elementary school.
D. Rationale
