Teaching English to different age groups contents

THEME:   TEACHING ENGLISH TO DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

CONTENTS

Contents

INTRODUCTION

In the Republic of Uzbekistan English is taught from the first grade from 2012.

Before the adoption of the decree of the first President English was taught from the 5th grade in Uzbekistan. The method of teaching was mainly Grammar Translation Method. But teachers who wanted to be aware of innovations in teaching there were held seminar-trainings. Teachers were sent to qualification classes every three years. A few kindergartens had English classes where English was taught using songs and games. From the grades 3-4 English was taught as a vocational subject once a week. Very few teachers were aware of teaching methods and techniques of young learners.  However, from 2012 foreign languages, mainly English has been taught throughout the country from the first year of schooling as an compulsory subject. The lessons have been held 2 times a week in elementary classes and three times a week for secondary classes. From the first year to forth year the lessons are conducted in the form of lesson games, continuing to learning the alphabet, reading and spelling in the second year. Since the enforcement of the decree all foreign language teachers have obtained a privilege of receiving a 15% in urban areas and 30 % in rural areas bonus on top of their monthly salary if they reached level of B2 in CEFR for schools, C1 in CEFR in Higher education. The classes range from 23 to 35 pupils each. As foreign language classes should be taught dividing the class into two, the classes of English language range from 12 to 17 pupils. The republican scientific and practical centre for developing innovative techniques of teaching foreign languages has been established at the Uzbek State University of World Languages in 2013.

Language has some skills to understand; listening skill, speaking skill, reading skill, and writing skill. Those skills have their own characteristics to be understood and to be mastered. Mastering all those skills needs some certain method too, but we can learn them as step by step. Every language teacher should understand well related to the skills when they are teaching language. It influences teaching the language. As a teacher should understand well which skill the students should learn first, how to teach each skill, and what the characters of the language learners. When the teacher understand those well, it will be easy to recognize the learners, to choose the suitable method, and to find the suitable materials.  

Teaching foreign language is different from teaching first language, even though some of the orders are same. Before we teach second language, of course we have to understand the first language then before we learn foreign language we have to understand the second language. Even sometimes we do not understand each of them well, but it should be better if we understand well. Those can help the learners easier to acquire the second language or foreign language. It is because the first language can be used as a tool to explain and study second language and also foreign language. When the language learners learner the language they must find some difficult word or phrases, they can understand the meaning from their own language explanation or definition. Sometimes, different language has different definition and term, out of the context.