The Characteristics of Children as Young Language Learners

11 The activities done in English teaching and learning process should fit children‟s intellectual development. The best time to introduce some sort of simple grammar is either when a child asks for an explanation, or when a child will benefit from learning some grammar Scott and Ytreberg 1990: 6-7. The explanation should be in simple terms which help children to get the point straightly. 2 Attention Span Children have short attention span when they have to deal with boring, useless, and complicated materials Brown, 2001:89. Teachers should arrange fun and interesting learning activities to get their attention. In their book, Scott and Ytreberg 1990: 5-6 state that teachers can do some varieties in the classroom including variety of activity, variety of pace, variety of organization, and variety of voice. 3 Sensory Input According to Brown 2001: 89, children need activities which stimulate their five senses and cover the visual and auditory modes in learning a language. In line with the statement, Scott and Ytreberg 1990: 5-6 propose some classroom activities. Firstly, involve children in the teaching and learning activities through movement and senses. Teachers can also use pictures and objects around the school to explain some terms. Secondly, let children to experience the language by making up rhymes, singing songs, and telling stories. 12 4 Affective Factors Brown 2001:89 argues that children are innovative in language forms but they still have many inhibitions especially to peers. Some children are also insecure about their friends and their abilities. It will make them reluctant to communicate using the language. Teachers‟ job is to overcome those barriers through building communication among the children and the teacher. Teachers can ask children to participate in the teaching and learning activities. Besides, they are not allowed to scold children when they do a mistake. 5 Authentic and Meaningful Language Children are only focused on the here and now use of the new language and are less willing to deal with the language which is not useful for them Brown, 2001: 90. In addition, Cameron 2001:19 shows that children actively construct a meaning and purpose for what adults say to them and ask them to do in the terms of their world knowledge. Teachers should put themselves on children‟s shoes in deciding the materials that will be understood and made sense by the children. Based on the theories proposed by some experts, there are five principles of teaching English to children. Those can be used as consideration for teachers in designing the effective and appropriate teaching and learning activities.

c. Classroom Management

Dealing with children, teachers of children should have the ability to take care of children and to control them at the same time. Teachers should understand good and appropriate classroom management so they can manage children‟s 13 behavior and work well with them. Children will feel comfortable to learn and have no burden to do activities in the class. There are four main strategies in organizing classroom management proposed by some experts: 1 Motivating children to learn Dörnyei in Brewster et al 2002: 218 state that one of the key factors that influences the rate and success of secondforeign language learning is motivation. Children, in their age, have no specific motivation to learn a foreign language like the adults do. Teachers‟ job is to bring a joyful feeling of learning English to children so they do not think that English is difficult and burdensome. Children will keep motivated to learn English forward. Young children have a very keen sense of fairness Scott and Ytreberg, 1990: 9. To keep children‟s motivation high, teachers should treat all of the children equally. Treating them differently makes children feel that their teachers do not like them and it is an obstacle to achieve the teaching and learning goal. Furthermore, teachers sh ould adopt a „critical attitude‟ to the activities and tasks they use and the expectations they create Cajkler and Adelman in Brewster et al, 2002: 218. They can discuss their work for children with their colleagues or evaluate the work after it was given to children. 2 Managing classroom control and discipline Losing control and discipline of the classroom can lead the class into chaos. Teachers should have the ability to manage their students being disciplined and under control. There are areas that help teachers to facilitate an effective learning environment.