Fundamental elements of teaching English to preschool children in Vietnam HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGLISH CODE 03 GRADUATION THESIS B A DEGREE IN ENGLISH STUDY Fundamental elements of teachin[.]
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
It is fundamentally essential for children to learn English from a young age in this rapidly globalizing world English knowledge will help to open many opportunities for them in the future and it will be invaluable in their future careers.
However, teaching English to children is not an easy job But it is also not difficult, if we already know how to do it Many teaching positions involve teaching children - a unique experience that is both challenging and fun. Compared to adults, children are more energetic, have shorter attention spans, and learn language according to specific stages of development; these present planning challenges for the teacher The key to teaching English to children is to understand the principles of language acquisition and apply it in ways that keep children motivated to learn Children’s world is playing and imitating.
The present paper deals with the following subjects: How to effectively use technology and games in teaching English, qualities that materials used for teaching English to preschool children should have, the best age for children to start learning English, and finally some practical tips and teaching techniques for teachers of English language.
Aims and objectives of the study
With this study, English teachers will be provided with guidelines and knowledge on teaching English to children and these knowledge will affect everything they do in the classroom In addition, the result withdrawn from the study could help teachers to develop their own appropriate methods and
The study is intended to:
- Introduce the factors that affect teaching English to preschool children.
- Introduce effective methods for teaching English to preschool children.
Scope of the study
The principles and methods for teaching English to children can be extremely diverse Therefore, this thesis will only focus on the fundamental elements that every teacher of English language needs to know to begin their journey of teaching preschool children.
Research questions
1 What is the best age for children to start learning English?
2 Which qualities should materials that are used for teaching English to preschool children in Vietnam have?
3 What is the role of technology in teaching English for preschool children?
4 What is the role of games in teaching English for preschool children?
Design of the study
The study will be divided into 5 chapters, each chapter will be provided with specific ideas that are supporting this research.
Chapter one will indicate the reason, aims and methods of the study. Provide a general look of the thesis.
This chapter will show the ‘’theoretical background‘’ which indicates the definition of second language, definition of language acquisition, social development andsecond language acquisition in preschool children.
In chapter three, Methods and how to do research will be presented The information and data collected from the subjects of the study will be described in detail.
- Chapter four: ‘’ Findings, discussion and recommendations’’
Data and information will be collected and compared with the theoretical background The final result will be given for discussion and recommendations.
In this chapter, summary and limitations of the research will be presented.There will also be some suggestions for further study.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Definitions
According to Wikipedia, a person’s second language, or L2, is a language that is not the native language (first language or L1) of the speaker, but is learned later (usually as a foreign language, but it can be another language used in the speaker's home country) For example, there are two official languages of Canada (English and French) and some people use both.
A speaker's dominant language, which is the language a speaker uses most or is most comfortable with, is not necessarily the speaker's first language. The second language can also be the dominant one For example, the Canadian census defines first language for its purposes as "the first language learned in childhood and still spoken", recognizing that for some, the earliest language may be lost, a process known as language attrition. This can happen when young children move to a new language environment.
According to Wikipedia, language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend language (in other words, gain the ability to be aware of language and to understand it), as well as to produce and use words and sentences to communicate.
Language acquisition involves structures, rules and representation The capacity to successfully use language requires one to acquire a range of tools including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and an extensive vocabulary Language can be vocalized as in speech, or manual as in sign Human language capacity is represented in the brain Even though human language capacity is finite, one can say and understand an infinite number of sentences, which is based on a syntactic principle called recursion Evidence suggests that every individual has three recursive mechanisms that allow sentences to go indeterminately These three mechanisms are: relativization, complementation and coordination.
Social development in preschool children
According to Michelle Anthony, Ph.D (Social Development in 3-5 Year Olds), the preschool years are a magic time in development Children move from being almost entirely dependent on their parents, to being somewhat independent beings in the world In virtually every aspect of development, their knowledge base and competencies are exploding, not the least of which are their social and emotional skills.
The preschool years (ages 3 to about age 6) begin with the tail end of Erik Erikson’s second stage of psychosocial development: Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt In this stage, children are learning to be self-sufficient in ways such as self-regulation, toileting, feeding, and dressing Around the age of four, they enter the third stage of psychosocial development: Initiative vs. Guilt Over the course of this period, children learn to imagine, to become more independent, to broaden their skills through play, fantasy, and exploration, and to engage, participate, and cooperate with others, including peers According to Erikson, if these goals are not accomplished, the child will become fearful, socially excluded, limited in his ability to play, and negatively dependent on adults.
While seeming lofty, these goals are achieved by most children through natural interactions with family and other caretakers While preschoolers are also learning how to relate to peers and interact with them, most of the social and emotional growth occurs in the relationship with caregivers One of the challenges of this period is to learn to navigate maintaining the secure attachments accomplished during infancy and toddlerhood, while simultaneously differentiating oneself as an individual.
Individuation for children over the preschool years means developing a better understanding of who they are, as well as beginning to understand and relate to others Creating this personal identity means exploring many fundamental aspects of themselves- gender, race, personality At age 3, children still believe they can grow up and transform genders By 6, they understand that gender is more or less a fixed aspect of their identity Thus, over the preschool years, children begin to have a sense of the stable characteristics that make them the unique person that they are.
In the course of this development, preschoolers also learn more sophisticated ways to relate to others For example, empathy develops, beginning at around age 2 but becoming more visible between ages 3 and
5 When a child experiences empathy, he realizes that he can positively affect another by taking action or offering help (e.g., getting a band aid for a crying peer) While empathy can be fostered, it seems to be an inherent part of development across cultures On the flip side of empathy is the negative ways preschoolers learn to impact others While toddlers may flail about in anger, preschoolers can use aggression to willfully inflict harm A fun way to help manage your child’s aggression is The Grouches, an app put out by the American Psychological Association.
One challenge to parents of preschoolers is to support their developmental drives, while also fostering development For example, parents can help curb preschool aggression by teaching children about emotions, helping them learn the names for the feelings, and giving them an outlet for their expression One wonderful way to help children this age experience and express emotions is through play Play is children’s work and dramatic play has the added benefit of allowing children to experiment with and understand social roles It also provides opportunities for children to develop social skills, express and cope with feelings, relieve stress, exercise control over their surroundings, and experiment with decision making.
Children’s imaginations can take them wonderful places, alone or with peers It is over the preschool years that children move from parallel play (where “friends” play side-by-side but separately) to social play (where friends interact, share ideas, and build off the play of the other) During this time, children begin to be able to play games, where they learn turn taking and sharing, as well as how to adhere to the rules What children learn through these playful interactions is many-fold!: they are beginning to learn to interpret others’ perspectives, to regulate their responses and interactions, manage impulse control, increase both their ability to wait and to demonstrate patience, as well as their ability to share an object or event. Being able to follow rules and manage emotions is tough for young children Supporting your child as you play games together is a great way to foster his social skills.
Second language acquisition in preschool children
According to Linda M Espinosa, Ph.D (Second language acquisition in early childhood), all children are born ready to learn language to communicate with the significant people in their lives Within the first few years of life, virtually all typically developing children master the basics of one language Although this is a complex task that requires much effort, it is expected and considered normal
There is a growing and convincing body of research that high quality early childhood education can improve the educational achievement of children from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds and help to reduce this achievement gap before kindergarten Therefore, it is important for the early childhood profession to have a clear understanding of how children acquire a second language in order to design high quality learning environments for children who are in the process of acquiring English as their second language
Young children who have regular and rich exposure to two languages during the early childhood years can successfully become bilingual Most research concludes that there are no negative effects of bilingualism on the linguistic, cognitive or social development of children, and there may even be some general advantages in these areas of development Simultaneous bilingualism follows a path similar to monolingual development; sequential second language acquisition occurs in a predictable series of stages or waves Typically, at any given time, one language may dominate depending on the amount of time spent in each language As early childhood programs become increasingly diverse, teachers will need to understand the process of second language acquisition and how to adapt their expectations and instruction accordingly Increased understanding will lead to improved methods that will promote the learning and achievement of young children who are learning English as a second language.
Research increasingly shows that most young children are capable of learning two languages and that bilingualism confers cognitive, cultural,and economic advantages (Bialystok, 2001; Genesee, 2004; Hakuta &Pease-Alvarez, 1992)
Bilingualism has been associated with a greater awareness of and sensitivity to linguistic structure, an awareness that is transferred and generalized to certain early literacy and nonverbal skills (Bialystok, 2001). Children who have the opportunity to speak two languages should be encouraged to maintain both, so they can enjoy the benefits that may accompany bilingual status Children from homes where English is not the native language should be encouraged to cultivate their home language as well as English Maintaining the home language is essential not just to the child’s future academic and cognitive development, but also to the child’s ability to establish a strong cultural identity, to develop and sustain strong ties with their immediate and extended families, and to thrive in a global, multilingual world.
2.3.3 The way preschool children learn a second language
According to Linda M Espinosa, Ph.D (Second language acquisition in early childhood), it is commonly assumed that preschool-aged children can just “pick up” a second language without much effort or systematic teaching However, becoming proficient in a language is a complex and demanding process that takes many years As with any type of learning, children will vary enormously in the rate at which they learn a first and a second language The speed of language acquisition is due to factors both within the child and in the child’s learning environment The child’s personality, aptitude for languages, interest and motivation interact with the quantity and quality of language inputs and opportunities for use to influence the rate and eventual fluency levels
2.3.4 Simultaneous vs Sequential Second Language Acquisition
Barry McLaughlin (1984, 1995) has made a distinction between children who learn a second language simultaneously or sequentially When a child learns two languages simultaneously, e.g before three years of age, the developmental pathway is similar to how monolingual children acquire language However, there is some disagreement in the literature over whether bilingualism results in a slower rate of vocabulary development than children learning a single language As children are acquiring two languages and becoming bilingual, one language may dominate That is normal It is rare for emerging bilinguals to be equally balanced in the development of both languages.
Sequential bilingual children may have somewhat different patterns of development than monolinguals in certain aspects of language development in the short term This may include vocabulary, early literacy skills, and interpersonal communication Young English language learners frequently know fewer vocabulary words in both English and their home language than monolingual children This may be due to the limited memory capacity of young children or limited exposure to a rich and varied vocabulary If they speak one language in the home and are learning English at preschool, the child may also know some words in one language and not the other For instance, the child may have learned the English words recess, chalk, line, etc., at school, but never learned the corresponding words in Vietnamese because there was no need or opportunity to do so in the home However, when the total number of words the child knows in both languages is considered together, it is comparable to the number and range of vocabulary words monolingual children know.
According to Linda M Espinosa, Ph.D (Second language acquisition in early childhood), it is important for early childhood educators to understand that code switching (switching languages for portions of a sentence) and language mixing (inserting single items from one language into another) are normal aspects of second language acquisition This does not mean that the child is confused or cannot separate the languages The main reason that children mix the two languages in one communication is because they lack sufficient vocabulary in one or both languages to fully express themselves Research has shown that even proficient adult bilinguals mix their languages in order to convey special emphasis or establish cultural identity In any case, code switching or language mixing is a normal and natural part of second language acquisition that parents and teachers should not be concerned about The goal must always be on enhancing communication, rather than enforcing rigid rules about which language can be used at a given time or under certain circumstances.
METHODOLOGY
Data collection method
In this study, we need these information :
-What is the best age for children to start learning English?
-What kind of qualities should materials used for teaching English to preschool children in Vietnam have?
-Is it really important to use technology in teaching English to preschool children?
-What is the role of games when teaching English to preschool children?
In order to get these information, we will make one-on-one interviews with
25 English teachers come from 5 different schools or English center The answers will then be used to make a conclusion based on common points of view.
The main questions will be divided into smaller questions during the interview This will help participants answer the main question more easily and clearly The board below shows all the smaller questions related to the main questions.
-What is the best age for children to start learning English?
+ What are the main characteristics of preschool children?
+ How can children acquire a second language at different ages (4-5-6)? -What kind of qualities should materials used for teaching English to preschool children in Vietnam have?
+What quality do you think is the most important that materials used for teaching English to preschool children in Vietnam have?
+ How should the lay-out of each page of a text book be?
-Is it really important to use technology in teaching English to preschool children?
+ What kind of technology should be used?
+ Can technology be a source of distraction for children?
+ How can we use technology effectively to teach English to preschool children?
-What is the role of games when teaching English to preschool children?
+ What kind of game should be used to teach English for preschool children?
+ Why are games so effective than the other methods when it comes to teach English to preschool children?
Participants: 25 English teachers from 5 different schools or English centers were chosen to take part in the study They are all experts with years of experiences in teaching English That is why their opinions are believed to have a lot of values that will help finding the best way to teachEnglish to preschool children in Vietnam 5 teachers will be chosen from each school or English center Their answers will be recorded and then used to conduct the Findings, discussion and recommendation section.
Data Analysis
In order to investigate the questions of the research it was necessary to consider the kind of methodology that was appropriate for dealing with them.The main purpose of the survey is to find out the best way to teach English to preschool children in Vietnam As the survey is carried out, the common tendency will be shown with the anwers of participants Then the final conclusion will be conducted based on it.
After the interviews had been all done, we listened to the audio again.Then we noted down important answers, and also skipped the irrelevant ones.Then we used office application like Word and Excel to deal with the numbers and got the final result The final result includes the percentage of participants who share the same idea and some of the great answers that were recorded and noted down.
FINDINGS, DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Age
The chart below shows the percentage of participants according to their answers about the best age for children to start learning English.
Best age for children to start learning English
We all know that preschool children have little awareness and obedience and it can make teaching English to them a lot harder So when should children start their journey of learning English, the global language?
According to the study, 72% of the participants agreed that the best age for children to start learning English is 5 years old This is one year before the child start to go to primary school So they said this is like a necessary preparation step for the child before learning English at primary school.Also, at this age, children already develop their sense of learning to a certain level, so it will not be difficult to teach them 20% of the participants said 4 years old is the best age to start learning English For them, the sooner the better As soon as their child can speak their mother tongue, they will let their child learn English as well Last but not least, 8% of the participants said that we should not teach English to preschool children They think that the cost for preschool children to learn English at school or center is too expensive, and the result is not very reliable.
We need to look at the difference between bilingualism and learning English as second language For example, a child who has an English speaking father and a Vietnamese speaking mother, and have grown up hearing both languages at home As a result, they appear quite comfortable in using and understanding both Vietnamese and English This is bilingualism.
Most students in Vietnam are learning English as a second language This is different to bilingualism Recent research indicates learning a foreign language from a very early age may have a negative impact on the mother tongue Although opinions vary, most research suggests that the critical age for developing the mother tongue is between 2 and 4 years old.
Parents always want the best for their children And when it comes to English, they want their child to get a hold of the global language as soon as possible.
According to the result of the interviews and my research, it’s best if parents let their children start learning English at the age of 5 At this age,children already develop their sense of mother tongue and their cognitive ability to a certain level So parents won’t have to worry about problems like the negative impact of learning a second language at an early age on mother tongue or if the children are too naive to understand what is being taught to them Another important point is learning English at this age is a very good preparation step for your children to get ready for primary school one year later.
Materials
The chart below shows the percentage of participants according to their answers about the most important quality of English teaching materials used for preschool children.
Most important quality of English teaching materials used for preschool children
Pictures Activities Lay-out Exercises
Another important factor is the learning materials for preschool children.60% of the participants agreed it is essential that the learning materials should include a lot of colorful pictures Learning the English language,children will have to memorize a lot of information And scientists have proved that human can memorize pictures much more easier and better than letters, words or phrases Another thing is children love to work with colorful and lively pictures, instead of a book full of text 16% of the participants mentioned activities as most the important quality They think that the books used for teaching English to preschool children should have a lot of fun and lively activities Children can focus and learn much better when they are learning and doing action at the same time One example of a good activity to learn English is role play If you are teaching the students about a conversation, it is best that you let them play the role of the characters in the dialogue You will be surprise how quick children can react and learn while doing the role play Another 16% of the participants said that the arrangement inside the materials used for children must be clear and visible This means the words font must be visible, the size of words also need to be big enough so that children will have no problem reading it The layout of each page also needs to be clear and exciting to catch children’s eyes Finally, 8% of the participants said that good exercises are the most important quality that English teaching materials should have They believe that good exercises can bring the best out of children and can help them to learn better and memorize the lesson longer.
English centers should choose the right materials for teaching English to preschool children The books should have a lot of pictures in order to help students visualize and memorize better It also needs to have fun and exciting activities so children will be more likely to enjoy the lesson And the lay-out of the materials should be very clear and visible, from the font and the size of the words to the arrangement of each page Furthermore, the exercises in the books should be good and to the point so children can remember the lesson longer.
Teachers can make their lesson more fun and easier for students to learn by preparing flash cards for vocabulary lessons It is particularly important to appeal to visual learners, as a very high proportion of learners have this type of intelligence Flash cards can be bright and colorful and make a real impact on visual learners.
For preschool children, flash cards can be used in conjunction with word cards These are simply cards that display the written word Word cards should be introduced well after the pictorial cards so as not to interfere with correct pronunciation.
Flash cards are a really handy resource to have and can be useful at every stage of the class They are a great way to present, practice and recycle vocabulary and when students become familiar with the activities used in class, they can be given out to early finishers to use in small groups You can also get the students to make their own sets of mini flash cards that can be taken home for them to play with parents and siblings.
Technology
The chart below shows the percentage of participants according to their answers about whether we should use technology when teaching English for preschool children or not
Should we use technology when teaching English to preschool children?
One thing that must be said, the method of teaching for children in Preschool Education, especially in English, is a very difficult problem with current education in our country Due to being young, unaware of the learning, we need to build a friendly and lively environment for children. Not only that, we also have to ensure the effective learning of children when English is a difficult language to learn One of the most effective methods, commonly used in Preschool institutions, is the use of Information Technology (IT) in teaching Furthermore, organizing games is also a way to help children become interested in learning English.
Currently, IT (Information Technology) has been comprehensively affecting the education, including Preschool Education With the development of the technology market, the application of IT to Preschool Education, especially in English, has many advantages.
At the same time, applying technology to teaching English in PreschoolEducation is also very dangerous if we are too abusive This will lead to
The necessity of applying IT to teaching English at Preschool Education
The development and explosion of IT has opened new directions for the education in innovating teaching methods and forms The application of IT to education in general and preschool education in particular is a necessary requirement This is also an educational orientation in the period of technology 4.0.
In the past, preschool teachers had to be very hard to find images, symbols and utensils for lectures, so now with IT applications teachers can use the Internet to actively exploit abundant educational resources, active filming, photography Especially in English, this is a language that when children come into contact with new words, it will be difficult to remember words. Therefore, the use of funny images and videos to link with the words that children learn will help them quickly learn those words.
As we all know, Internet technology is a huge treasure trove of information and knowledge that is easily connected With just a few simple operations, the teachers are able to find pictures of funny animals, colorful flowers, walking words and numbers that dance to music with lively sound effects This effectively supports the teaching process of English, which helps attract attention and stimulate children’s interest It can be seen that this is a superior method in many previous applied methods so that children can develop their potential thinking and creativity This helps children develop their love of English and also builds a solid vocabulary for children before they enter primary education.
Application of IT in teaching English at Preschool creates a teaching and learning environment with high interaction, lively, creating excitement and high efficiency of multi-sensory teaching process for children Lectures introduced children are realistic and diverse, contributing to the improvement of the learning effectiveness of students With electronic lectures, children can become familiar with the natural and social phenomena that children can hardly encounter in reality
Besides, Preschool teachers can also actively explore and seek educational resources through the media, Internet, etc This is an extremely rich resource with images, sounds, texts, films which naturally and positively affects the intellectual development of children as well as influence the process of comprehensive character formation in children.
In addition, the application of IT in Preschool also saves teachers time and costs for schools.
In the survey I conducted in the area, 64% of English teachers for children agreed with the idea that applying technology to teaching is necessary because it is similar to a tool which motivates children to learn English, stimulates their thoughts of learning a new language and helps them form good habits for the future.
Difficulties and disadvantages in applying IT in preschool English teaching
Besides the great benefits that technology brings to teaching English in preschool, this form of teaching also gives both teachers and children a number of difficulties and disadvantages.
The cost of investing in IT equipment to serve the teaching work in preschools is huge This is the reason that not all preschools have sufficient funds to invest in IT infrastructure for preschool teachers.
In addition, although electronic computers provide many benefits for the teaching of preschool teachers, this modern tool also cannot support and completely replace other visual methods of teachers Sometimes machines also cause a number of unfavorable situations for the lecture process such as power outages, hangs, viruses and every time something goes wrong, the teacher can hardly control the course of the lecture as desired.
In addition, IT teachers' knowledge and skills are limited, leading to some shortcomings.
Using technology is good, but overuse of technology to teach English produces negative effects on young children.
Assoc Prof Dr Pham Van Tinh - Secretary General of Vietnam Language Association said that children under 2 years old should not be exposed to technology, especially in using technology in teaching According to him, the way to learn English with the support of technology will make children fall into the state of "language disorder" This situation will limit the ability of language development which is extremely important in children.
Even when studying, contacting with technology early will make children more vulnerable and addicted Many studies have shown the harmful effects of electronic devices on the health and development of young children Regular contact with electronic device screens makes children slow, stubborn, sleepless, at risk of obesity, especially the risk of depression, lack of concentration in thinking.
In the interviews I mentioned above, the remaining 36% said that it is not appropriate to use technology to teach English for preschool children because they are exposed to technology too early and this leading to many long-term unintended consequences:
With the advancement of mechanization, teachers are not equally trained with its proper implementation Thus learners are just using technology instead of gaining knowledge from it Using applied science to achieve education in the proper way is a good thing but to transform it into an active set of skills is a matter of time.
Inquiry-based learning is the best way to teach the learners where they get an opportunity to research on different topics individually Therefore, technology should be fused with this method of teaching to make the learner’s brain keep working instead of being totally dependent on them.
- Transforming learners into inefficient learners:
Games
The chart below shows the percentage of participants according to their answers about whether we should use games when teaching English to preschool children or not.
Should we use games when teaching English to preschool children?
In addition to applying IT in teaching English to preschool children, organizing games is also a great way to help children learn and play at the same time.
One of the characteristics of children that is different from adults is that children love to play They love to play games, like to laugh, like things that look funny that can be used as tools for games Therefore, games become very useful tools for teaching English for preschool children.
In teaching in general, playing games helps children understand some things When children play, they are exploring ways to do new things. Whether it's putting together blocks or walking, playing allows children to learn in a safe environment When playing with different objects children will discover what they care about most For this child it may be interesting to play in an outdoor bunker, with other children it may be the beating of the pot lid together Every child has his or her own joy and you can help them develop their skills or interests as well as learning to count or recognize sounds Fun not only expands imagination and creative talent; it also allows children to learn about the real world around them For example, they can learn about colors when playing outside "The sky is blue, but the leaves and grass are green." Children can see the activities of mother nature in simple and attractive ways Playing is a great way for children to learn about their surroundings When children watch family photos, play with musical instruments or draw finger prints with yogurt, that is when they are learning They are developing motor skills as well as encouraging their thinking ability Remember that playing time with children needs to be flexible He will not understand the concept of "turn" or "share", so when playing with children you need to pay attention to this. Prepare yourself when children suddenly leave when they are playing or breaking Relax and have a towel ready! This is a special stage for children. You are helping your child to acquire extremely useful skills, allowing them to participate in independent games and team games in later years.
Besides, there are games specially designed for children to learn English. These games play a significant part in the development of their English skills and their love of English.
Benefits of playing games when learning:
Children will not be able to refuse or hesitate before a space learning of fun and excitement Studying at school with too many subjects and homework always makes children tired and pressured So why not integrate the games that kids love to learn English at the same time.
There are many games that require quick, active and need immediate answers So listening and speaking skills will progress very quickly in a short time when children are involved in games This also has a great benefit to the child's ability to communicate with foreigners later.
The games will be held after the students receive the knowledge, so this is an opportunity to review, try and practice what they have learned Studying at school, children often have few opportunities because of their large numbers, so it is impossible for all students to attend, less time to study so they can only learn more theory.
If the teacher only lectures and the children only listen, they cannot know their strengths and weaknesses Games are an opportunity for children to express themselves well at any point, from which teachers can develop stronger.
It can be seen that, in any environment, there are shy children who are afraid to communicate, especially in English But if children can learn through games, even the shyest one want to participate They can play,learn, increase confidence at the same time.
These are some games that popularly used by teachers in teaching English for preschool children:
If parents, teachers and children are quite familiar with the "I say, I say" game in Vietnam, this is the exciting "Simon says" of English version This game will help children practice listening and reflect English better.
The supervisor stood in front of the class and played Simon To start the game, the game administrator will tell "Simon says " to include the name of an action and take any action Children are only allowed to follow the words of the game manager, not to imitate the actions of the he or she.
The game is very suitable for preschool environment Teachers can organize this game as an early activity for children Classes are divided into groups to match class sizes The groups stood in rows and whispered in each other the words, phrases or sentences in the order from the first one to the last one of the line.
The child stands at the end of the line with the task of reading aloud or rewriting what he or she hears If that child says or writes it correctly, their team will get points The team that correctly pronounces or writes many words, phrases will win.
This is a game that helps children manipulate what they have learned to think logically in English, and help them be more confident in communication.
In this game, teachers prepare a number of vocabulary cards Students are divided into groups and each group in turn asks the teacher questions to get suggestions related to the vocabulary in each card Any group that finds it in advance will win 1 point The game continues until the last card is completed and the team with the most correct words wins
Parents can also play this game with their children at home so they can practice speaking English more.
Indeed, games and forms of learning English through games have become extremely popular in almost all preschool institutions This is an indispensable part in every lesson, contributing in helping children more become more interested in lessons, stimulating the child's language development.
In the survey mentioned above, in the games section, 80% of preschool teachers teach English claimed that games are a part that is always in every lesson, helping to increase teaching effectiveness, helping children be more receptive to the lesson
On the contrary, the remaining 20% said that organizing many games will make children lose focus on the lesson, so when they only lecture normally, children will not be interested and just want to play games Sometimes the students move around and talk too much during the game and that makes it difficult for the teacher to control the classroom By doing games the teacher only had a little time to explain the materials and gave some new vocabularies So there was no longer time for teacher to explain more and help them to memorize all the new vocabularies.
CONCLUSION
Summary of the results
The purpose of the study is to find out fundamental elements that affect teaching English to preschool children In addition, this paper has shown the importance of using games and technology in teaching English to preschool children and providing relevant scientific evidence The aim of this paper does not stop there, but also includes comments related to how to use technology and games effectively and at the same time suggest possible methods in the classroom.
During the entire study, the findings of the paper answered all the questions about what is the best age for children to start learning English and what kind of qualities that materials used for teaching English to preschool children should have and how important are they Children should start learning English at the age of 5 And materials used for teaching English to preschool children should have visible and clear lay-out, fun and exciting activities, a lot of vivid pictures and good exercises.
Limitations
Although research has achieved certain results, it still faces certain limitations.
The first limitation is the participants in the interview At first the chosen participants were teachers and some language experts But approaching these language experts is very difficult so at last it was limited to teacher interview only.
The second limitation is the research support tools, during the time of doing the research, there are not many tools, application software that can be helpful for research.
The last limitation is human resources to conduct research External help will be essential for research, not only ensuring fairness but also ensuring the quality of the work.
Suggestion for further studies
- Research scope should be narrowed to ensure accuracy and reliability.
- It is necessary to prepare the equipment, apply technology that can help the researcher in the process of conducting research.
- If possible, increase the number and type of participants for more specific and accurate results