Assumptions and Limitation in The Product Development
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Children‟s different way in learning from adults‟ might be caused by several factors. Brewster et al 2002:27 indicate those factors:
1 They have a lot physical energy and they often need to be physically active.
2 They have a wide range of the emotional needs.
3 They are emotionally excitable.
4 They are developing conceptually and they are also at an early stage of their
schooling. 5
They are still developing literacy in their first language. 6
They learn more slowly and they forget things quickly. 7
They tend to be self-oriented and they preoccupied with they own world. 8
They easily get bored. 9
They are excellent mimics. 10
They can concentrate for a surprisingly long time if they are interested. 11
They can be easily distracted but also very enthusiastic. In addition, every child has different development. Their educational
development including learning a second language or a foreign language is influenced by their age level. In their book, Scott and Ytreberg 1990: 1 divide
children into two main groups. They are the five to seven years old who are at the beginner stage or level one and eight to ten years old who are at level one and
level. The fifth grade students who are the subject of the study belong to the eight to
ten years old group. In general, children at this age group have two different sides, the adult side and childish side. Scott and Ytreberg 1990: 3-4 propose the other
characteristics as listed below: 1
Children‟s basic concepts are formed. They have very decided views of the world.
2 Children can tell the difference between fact and fiction.
3 Children ask questions all the time.
4 Children rely on the spoken word as well as the physical world to convey and
understand meaning. 5
Children are able to make some decisions about their own learning. 6
Children have definite views about what they like and do not like doing.
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7 Children have a developed sense of fairness about what happens in the
classroom and begin to question the teacher‟s decisions. 8
Children are able to work with others and learn from others. Eight to ten year old children are very capable of understanding abstract
concept. As competent mother tongue users, children‟s basic elements of a language are in place and their awareness of their first language syntax is high
Scott and Ytreberg, 1990. Moreover, they are aware of a foreign language and ready to learn it.
In conclusion, children have many characteristics which are important to be concerned about in designing the appropriate teaching activities, materials, and
media.