If you’re interested in teaching English to children in Asia, there are a couple of important things to know. From the learning approach you use to the different ways you can help foster a more international attitude in your classroom, this article covers some of the most crucial bases.
Is it really that different, teaching English to children in Asia?
Teachers of Asian elementary students aged 6-12 encounter situations where the children have little or no time each week to study English. Many teachers of teenagers or adults who are now teaching elementary school children for the first time or teachers with experience teaching children outside of Asia find it difficult to adapt to the needs of Asian children. There are also teachers who have many years of experience teaching kids in Asa but now want to experiment with new and different ideas.
There are the basics, like child-centred learning and various child-centred techniques. We also have more specific techniques to teach the four skills using games and songs. Furthermore, there is classroom management and steps to set up a positive classroom environment. However, even with these resources, we teachers should still investigate and reflect on how we can move forward.
Finding an effective approach for teaching English to children in Asia
EFL in Asia is not a one-size-fits-all approach. The teaching techniques we use in one country may differ greatly from those in another. It is often surprising how some techniques appear to be working when we teach children who have moved to the United States from Vietnam but fail to work when we teach children of the same age in Vietnam. There are no universal correct techniques to teach English to children in Asia. And, to make it even more complex, countries in Asia work in different ways.
Important distinctions when teaching English to children in Asia
One important distinction is ESL (English to Speakers of Another Language) vs. EFL (English as a Foreign Language). ESL refers to one learning English in a country where English is the L1 (first language). For example, a Chinese child who moved to Canada with her family is an ESL learner in her English class. EFL refers to the learning of English in a country where English is not the L1 (first language). For example, a Korean child studying English in Korea. This applies to children, young adults, or adults studying English in high school, university, or a private language school.
ESL learners have more chances to use English naturally outside of the classroom. They can use English while playing, shopping, or doing daily tasks. As a result, they are more likely to understand the importance of English and feel it is more necessary and natural to learn it.
On the other hand, EFL learners rarely find it necessary to learn English. Adults tell children that English is important, but if they are in an environment where English is not widely used, they will not feel an emotional need to learn it. This is very true for most Asian countries. Not only is there little exposure to English in their daily lives, but their L1 (first language) has very little in common with English. Furthermore, they have very different writing systems.
As teachers, we must carefully use techniques designed for different situations. For example, techniques for Asian children in the United States or Asian children enrolled in an Elementary school in their country following the American curriculum. In this type of school, English is used for at least 7-8 hours a day a week.
We need an approach when it comes to teaching English to children in Asia
It is natural to feel that all approaches to teaching English to children in Asia have strong and weak points. We must draw on ideas from different approaches and add ideas from our experiences. The methods we choose must fit together coherently. This is especially true for Asian EFL learners. Our students are learning a language different from their own.
Furthermore, English does not use the same alphabet as their own language. They may even need help understanding why they are learning English in the first place. If we decide to form our ideas from established approaches, we will see that some are compatible, and some are directly opposed to each other. Another thing is that some approaches widely used in Western educational settings may not work when teaching English to children in Asia.
Looking into established approaches to teaching English to children in Asia
It is important to understand that some of the most recognised approaches to teaching English to children in Asia may have aspects we agree with or don´t agree with. For example, many teacher-centred methods were influenced by behaviourist psychology. On the other hand, the many child-centred ways of teaching can be traced to the views of humanistic and constructivist psychology.
Influential approaches to teaching English to children in Asia
Behaviourist approaches to teaching English to children in Asia
This approach focuses on the reinforcements of behaviour through repetition and reward. Lessons influenced by this approach usually contain some of these elements:
- The teacher is clearly in control of both children´s behaviour and the learning process. Young learners respond to the teacher’s instructions, directions and stimuli and passively follow the teachers.
- The teacher has a clear lesson plan and step-by-step syllabus.
- English patterns are repeated through drills and choral repetition until they become automatic.
- It is essential for the children to succeed as much as possible. They are protected from making errors.
- Success is reinforced by praise and rewards.
Input approaches to teaching English to children in Asia
This approach focuses on the input of language from the teachers, from recorded and reading material. The following principles influence a lesson:
- We should introduce the children to English they can understand or a bit beyond their current level.
- They should not be expected to produce new words and sentences until they feel they are ready to do so.
- We can introduce new words and sentences through actions and encourage the children to be physically active.
The theory of multiple intelligences
This approach claims that children can be intelligent independently in different ways. The following principles have had a significant influence on the way children are taught:
- One child may be more intelligent in one way and another child in another way. One form of intelligence should not be considered superior to another.
- We should try to find the strengths of each child and build on these strengths. For example, one child may learn best through visuals, like drawing or pictures, and another may learn better through listening to songs or singing.
Child-centred approaches to teaching English to children in Asia
Humanistic approaches to teaching English to children in Asia
This approach stresses the importance of each learner’s inner thoughts and feelings and aims to help children reach their full potential. A lesson influenced by these approaches generally contains some of these elements:
- The children are encouraged to develop people-to-people skills such as cooperation, fairness and consideration.
- Lesson’s focus is on learning as a process rather than immediate results.
- Classes allow each child to make choices and proceed at a pace that suits her best.
- Students are emotionally immersed in the lesson.
- Motivation is considered to come from the inside, not from external rewards.
- Emphasis is on learning English in a natural context rather than breaking it into discreet parts.
- The teacher ensures the children do not feel anxious.
- The teacher is a facilitator in the background, encouraging children to learn naturally.
Constructive approaches to teaching English to children in Asia
This approach focuses on the child as an individual trying to make sense of the word in which they find themselves. Constructivism embraces a whole a variety of theories and approaches. Still, it is possible to identify some principles that have had a significant influence on the application of constructivist ideas in the classroom:
- Each child is an active explorer constructing a mental model of how she thinks English fits together.
- A child tests theories and makes guesses about new English words and patterns that are encountered, adjusting their theories when necessary.
- All children are active learners, but they choose which direction to move in. A child tends to move in directions that have personal meaning and avoid situations they think will lead to failure.
- If a child experiences mental conflicts with new information, they stand more chance of learning it deeply and being able to use it actively.
- A child can reach beyond the present level within a certain zone. Left to themselves, they will not be able to reach this zone. They need to interact with adults and with children who have more knowledge than them to do so.
- We don’t learn language to communicate. First, we try to communicate, and we learn a language in the attempt.
Some questions to reflect on:
- Which of the approaches may have influenced your teaching?
- Which of these approaches would you want to influence your future teaching?
- What factors are important when teaching children in Asia?
Influential vs. Child-centred approaches to teaching English to children in Asia
Questions to consider on the influential approaches to teaching English to children in Asia:
- How important is it to control the child´s behaviour?
- Is it important to plan carefully before starting a lesson?
- Is it best to have a step-by-step syllabus?
- Are repetition drills important?
- Should we try to stop children from making mistakes?
- Are awards and praise important?
Questions to consider on the child-centred approaches to teaching English to children in Asia:
- Do you think it is important for children to develop themselves as a “whole” as they learn English? If so, how can we encourage this?
- Is it more important to focus on how children learn rather than on short-term results?
- Should we give the children opportunities to choose what to learn?
- To what extent should the children emotionally invest in the lessons?
- To what extent should we depend on rewards to motivate?
- Should the emphasis be on learning English in a natural context?
- Is it important to reduce the anxiety the children feel in our lessons?
- Should we step back and help children learn, or should we become more involved than this?
Classroom games for teaching English to children in Asia
All the games can be used for various language targets, such as vocabulary review and introducing new English structures. Some involve the children playing while others have the children writing things on their notebooks, tablets, or bingo grids. Every class is different. A popular game with one group of children may go poorly with another, so we need to have various games on hand in every class we teach–especially when teaching English to children in Asia.
Actions with songs
The best songs have fun actions that go with the words. We may need to invent some actions. For example: “I´m a little teapot”.
I´m a little teapot, short and stout,
Here is my handle, here is my spout,
I´m very happy, so I shout,
Just tip me over, pour me out.
Blindfold Game
We divide a class into two teams and explain to the children that they will play a blindfold race game. One child from each team wears a blindfold, and the other children direct her to a target on the board by calling out, Go straight, left, or right. We explain this clearly, and the children start to play. After they start, they realise they need more English expressions, like just a little or turn around, and we help them discover these expressions when they are genuinely trying to say these things.
Describing People
Scatter pictures of people on a table. These pictures can be from any source, such as magazines or photographs. The children make sentences about each picture using patterns like, I think she´s …. Or She looks ….
Find the difference
Either the teacher or the children make pairs of pictures that have about ten differences between them. One way to do this is to draw the two pictures on the board for the children to draw their own pictures individually. Another way is for the teacher or the children to photocopy the picture, white out ten things from one picture, and then give each child or group of children pairs of pictures. The children can either call out the difference or write them down as a list.
Guess Who?
One child thinks of one of the characters in the course book the class uses. The other children take turns asking Yes/No questions to discover who the character is. The questions must be general – Does he like football? Does he live in …? An alternative is to use characters in a favourite TV programme.
Musical chairs
Arrange chairs in a circle, so there is one chair for each child and put a picture card on each chair. Play some music and have the children move or dance around the circle. While the music is playing, write a phonic sound on the board. When the teacher or one of the children stops the music, the children try to sit on a chair with a picture that includes the phonic sound. The children who are successful read out the card.
My Dream House
Each child draws their dream house and labels each room, such as My Bedroom, My Living Room,or My Kitchen. They then write each label on their tablets, a piece of paper, or notebooks. They write things that they would want to have in each room, such as dancing headlights, a cat, and lots of sweets. The children can also draw pictures of these things. After they have finished, they can do follow-up activities like describing the picture to other children and asking the others to draw these things. They can all put their finished pictures on the classroom walls.
Peanut Relay
Each team stands at the same distance from a box with a pile of word cards next to it. The children take turns picking up a peanut with chopsticks, race to the box, put the peanut in it, turn over the top card from the pile and say what it is. The child returns to her team, and the next child does the same.
Read my Lips
One child mouths a sentence silently and another child or other children try to guess what she is saying. The game works with pairs, groups, or with one child standing in front of the whole class.
Fostering International Attitudes when teaching English to children in Asia
When teaching English to children in Asia, our English class is the lens through which many children view the international world. Thus, our lessons can play a central role in encouraging or discouraging international attitudes. They can also be a way for them to break stereotypes about a certain race, creed, or colour.
Stimulate an interest in the world
The children can lay games based on world themes, listen to, or read stories about people around the world, have email pals worldwide, and give their class teams country names.
Avoid stereotypes
English children should not always be white. Show them the multicultural society of the United Kingdom. Show them an English child of Pakistani or Indian roots. When opportunities permit, show the children how people from different counties do different things. Showcase them speaking in different ways, wearing different clothes, and having different customs.
Avoid the game show mentality
We should avoid focusing on the exotic. If English is our first language, we should avoid being foreign entertainers and get on with the job of being professional English teachers.
Avoid making judgements
We should avoid the tendency to judge customs and cultural attitudes as good, bad, normal, or abnormal. This applies as much to local customs and attitudes as to those in other countries.
Help the children feel comfortable with differences
A teacher-centred approach to teaching English to children in Asia stresses that there is one normal way to learn. There is one reality in the lesson, and it is the teacher´s reality. A constructivist lesson starts by accepting that our lives are in a different reality and that we are each building our own individual understanding of the world. In a teacher-centred lesson, those with a different way of thinking from the teacher or who behave in a way the teacher does not like tend to become outsiders. In a constructivist child-centred lesson, there should be no insiders and outsiders- we do our utmost to help all the children feel included and accepted. And we hope this attitude will influence the children their attitude towards others.
The Joy of Learning
When it comes to teaching English to children in Asia, consider one important factor. When the children start a lesson, what are they thinking about? Some think about lunch, some think of their favourite TV programme, and others think of what they will learn in the lesson. The children in our classes have minds moving in different directions.
If we want all the children to learn, we need to start attracting them towards what we want them to learn. We can see their enjoyment of the games and puzzles we use in class. We can also empathise with them when they struggle with new information. Furthermore, we can see their sense of accomplishment in finding a way through. This is what the joy of learning is all about. This is what those who teach in a teacher-centred way should be aware of. And this is the joy we can give the children that may stay with them all their lives.
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