4
A guide to teaching
with reduced contact
hours: young learners
If you are facing a situation where your contact hours with students
are reduced or subject to variation, rotas and inconsistency, the
prospect of trying to cover a complete course syllabus may seem
daunting. A compressed timetable and a reduction in contact
hours can make it difficult to cover a full, traditional course.
However, there are steps you can take to ensure that you are
able to deliver successful teaching and ensure the best learning
outcomes for your students.
The key point to consider is how to make the most of the
classroom time available, by considering its value compared
to both remote learning platforms where students can work
independently, and lessons delivered live online. There are many
things which can usefully be done outside the lesson using
teacher-guided autonomous learning, and others which are best
suited to a classroom situation, or a live online lesson which allows
for student participation.
It is also important to think about whether some aspects of the
English course are core, and what topics or areas can be cut or
postponed to a later date.
Classroom vs. Remote learning
Choosing the best approach
When you review the syllabus for the coming term, you may
identify some material that will work better when delivered face-
to-face, and other material that can be covered in independent or
online lessons.
As a teacher, you are able to use your expertise in the classroom to
deliver complex ideas more simply, and these are areas which may
be best suited for coverage in the classroom. You can make the
most of the available classroom hours to give clear explanations
of difficult points, with the opportunity to check understanding as
you go and to recap or review the topic so that no students are left
behind.
You are also well placed in the classroom to model new language,
ask questions, encourage students to ask questions, and to give
feedback.
Of course, all of these things can be done remotely, if necessary, but
there is a value in doing it within the collaborative atmosphere of
the classroom. There is more scope for spontaneous questions and
answers, and you have the ability to provide focussed feedback.
© Oxford University Press
Some examples of how to make the most of classroom time are:
• It can be a good idea to choose to introduce a new topic in the
classroom, rather than remotely. This gives students the chance
to enquire and start to engage with the topic as a group. Then,
any later reflection at the end of the topic can be done at home
and brought to class to discuss and share.
• For teaching vocabulary, to younger students in particular, you
may find that it is useful to be in the classroom where students
can interact with each other more naturally, and where you
can use props such as flashcards in games for all students to
participate in.
If you analyse the course material you are working with, you may
be able to identify and formulate a pattern of which sections
you cover in the classroom and which ones you refer to teacher-
based autonomous learning. For example, if the unit opens with a
vocabulary set you can use this as part of the classroom lesson to
present and practise the new language together. Further into the
unit there will be opportunities to practise the new vocabulary in
context, and this can be done remotely.
However, it is possible to successfully introduce new topics and
vocabulary, and to check understanding online, by adapting your
teaching to the new situation.
Variations across the age range
There will be a need for a different approach across the age groups
within Primary. For younger learners, it is reasonable to expect
that you will need to use more time in class presenting new ideas
and language to them. They can then practise and absorb the
knowledge at home. For younger students, the classroom may be
the best place for presenting language and structures dynamically
and engagingly through songs, flashcards, stories and chants.
Learning at home can be supported through Activity Books,
worksheets, course-specific websites or online practice. This gives
the opportunity for more consolidated practice that you can guide
and assess.
As students reach the upper years of Primary, a more flipped or self-
directed model may be appropriate: online activities can be used
to either reinforce learning undertaken in the classroom, or they
can serve as a basic introduction to topics before they are covered
in more depth in class. If material is covered at home, classroom
time can focus on more active and meaningful activities. This may
also allow you to spend more individual time with students in class,
focusing on areas of particular difficulty.
A guide to teaching with reduced contact hours: young learners 1
 In either scenario, it’s important to monitor the success of the
approach on an ongoing basis, to check it is having the desired
outcome.
You will also need to be aware of different learning styles, which
will lead to some students performing better in autonomous
situations than others. Both in the classroom and in a remote
learning situation, it is important to check engagement through
questioning and feedback.
Streamlining the syllabus
A simplified approach
The first step is to examine to examine the syllabus carefully
and decide which elements are core and which can be missed
out or postponed for later coverage. You may be able to make
a comparison of your course materials with the curriculum
requirements of your institution or relate them to national or
regional curricular needs. This will enable you to make a judgment
about which elements of the course are most important. For
example, you may decide that it is more important to cover the
full grammar syllabus in order to equip students with the building
blocks of language and enable them to meet any requirements
for external exams. If exams are less of a focus, it may be preferable
to make more use of the contact time in class to develop skills in
speaking and listening collaboratively.
With a topic-based approach to learning, it may be possible to
leave out whole sections which are less relevant or motivating
for your students, so you can focus on topics which really interest
and engage them. However, it will still be important not to leave
out any key structures. It may be necessary to provide standalone
lessons on key structures in order to bridge any gaps before
students move to the next stage.
Oxford University Press can help in this aspect by supplying Word
documents of syllabi, as well as some editable syllabus planning
documents. You can check the Oxford Teacher’s Club to find out
more about what is available. The Teacher’s Resource Centre on
the Online Practice for your series will also be a valuable resource,
with the Teacher’s Book in PDF format as well as other helpful
documents.
Supplementary materials
There is a wealth of resources you can give your students to do
at home, including Activity Books, online games, video and audio
material and graded readers. This can enable them to extend their
learning beyond the pared-down approach of the core syllabus, to
follow individual interests and enable further practice of key topics.
OUP English courses also offer a rich range of content beyond the
core syllabus of structures, vocabulary, functional language and
skills development. This can include cultural and festival input,
cross-curricular content, collaborative project work, review stories
and plays.
© Oxford University Press
In a situation where hours are reduced and you have to deliver
a streamlined version of the course, you can consider this as
supplementary material which can be treated as optional. However,
it is informative, diverse and valuable, and to cut it completely
risks lessening the enrichment value of language learning which
extends beyond the classroom into the real world.
You can still include some of these learning resources by making
them available for remote or online lessons. For example, if your
institution is operating a rota system, you can ask students to study
cultural and festival content before their lesson, ready to discuss
ideas when it is their turn to come to class.
Remote learning
The focus for younger students
Younger students are particularly affected by the change in
teaching practices as they learn most effectively by watching,
listening and taking part in class. This can be harder to achieve
on an online platform, but it can be done very well with sufficient
planning and preparation. Some lessons can be delivered very
successfully online, sharing your screen when necessary to show
teaching materials. Just as in the classroom, it is important to keep
online learning as interactive as possible, making use of your voice,
gestures and body language to support your teaching.
For online lessons, ensure that all your learners are familiar with
the platform you are using, and allow time for students and their
caregivers to learn how to use the main features. It is particularly
important for students and parents to know how to operate the
audio and video settings, so they can hear new language. You can
then encourage young students to listen and sing along to songs
at home, or to listen and follow stories.
When setting work for young learners to complete autonomously,
ensure that it is achievable, clearly explained, and has a
defined purpose. For instance, it may be useful to cover a
reading or listening text in class together, to check and confirm
understanding, then set the questions and follow up tasks to be
done independently.
Resources
Making use of the Classroom Presentation
Tool
Oxford English courses offer a wide range of resources on the
Classroom Presentation Tool. This is an excellent opportunity to
share resources such as animated song videos, culture films and
audio tracks with the class remotely. Class Book and Activity Book
material is available in interactive format so you can present the
full course book experience, play audio, watch videos and check
answers with your class.
You can use the Classroom Presentation Tool to present new words
and check understanding online. There are many useful videos
on the Oxford YouTube channel, Learn At Home. This has tips for
teachers and parents and gives further information on how to
facilitate blended learning or to mitigate the impact of reduced
face-to-face teaching time. For instance, it can help you to find
ways to check understanding online, such as asking students to
make and use vocabulary cards as part of the lesson.
Using the Classroom Presentation Tool to teach grammar online
allows you to follow a traditional class-based approach. You can
use the interactive material to present the structure and check
understanding, as well as engaging and personalising the material.
You can then enable discussion mode to practise together, and
use a follow-up activity for production, as well as for continuous
assessment.
A guide to teaching with reduced contact hours: young learners 2
 Resources for parents
You may also find that you need to support caregivers and parents.
They will of course have their own challenges, but if they are able
to support and participate in their child’s learning, particularly if
they are receiving reduced hours of instruction at school, this will
be beneficial.
You can try to ensure that parents are aware of the Oxford Parents
site at www.oup.com/elt/oxfordparents, which has a wealth of
useful information and resources all available for free. This includes
project ideas, rhymes and action games, and web quests. They
can also access the Oxford Owl for Home reading resources at
www.oxfordowl.co.uk for advice, support and a free eBook library.
Encourage your students and their caregivers to make use of these
and other valuable online resources in order to support and enrich
their classroom time.
Assessment
In terms of assessment, the tests provided by Oxford English tests
are editable, so you can adapt them to suit the material which your
students have covered. You can remove parts which aren’t relevant
and target them towards the needs of your class.
You may also be able to monitor and assess students’ progress
using the Online Practice feature which is available on many of the
Oxford English courses.
It is important to remember that beyond unit tests and end of term
Recommended resources
There are some great examples of how to use Oxford course
materials in the remote classroom on the Oxford YouTube channel
– Learn From Home:
Video: Charlotte Murphy demonstrates how to use
the Classroom Presentation Tool for online or remote
lessons  https://youtu.be/Th-KECC40IM 
Video: Erika Osvath demonstrates how to use flashcards for
vocabulary teaching. https://youtu.be/RWknHkWIEcE
Video: Paul Woodfall gives a great example of how you can use
the printed course book and the CPT to deliver a grammar lesson
for young learners. https://youtu.be/mraCk-nvVw8
Video: Philip Haines shows you how you can use the classroom
materials to deliver a successful listening lesson for young learners
https://youtu.be/nezMjfNu2AU
You can also download our focus papers to access bite-sized
insights and practical tips by logging into the Oxford Teachers’ Club.
Focus on Focus on

tests, it is valuable to use class time to assess students’ progress, MANAGING ONLINE
TEACHING ONLINE LEARNING
attainment, proficiency and confidence. This kind of formative, 1. What is it?
Good teaching is good teaching, whether it is done face-to-face or online. As a teacher,
1. What is it?
Increasingly, the first place we go for anything we need to know or learn is online.
It’s easier and faster than ever to access the tools and information we need. But for

ongoing assessment can give you a clear idea of how much

you will already have many skills and strategies that you can bring to teaching online,
whatever digital tools you choose (or are asked) to use. And as a language teacher, you
already know how to engage and motivate your students. You also know that you need
to give your students opportunities to listen to and practise English. In this paper, we
look at tools, techniques, and activities that will enable you to use these essential skills
in your online teaching.
longer-term learning goals like language learning which involve the development
of knowledge and skills over time, online learning will require structure, support,
interaction, and a teacher.
At its simplest, online learning can be facilitated just by sending assignments by email
or on a messenger app for your students to complete and return in the same way for
marking. Going further, there is a wealth of free resources, support, and easy-to-use

progress students are making and flag up any difficulties or areas

Variety of options
There isn’t a single ‘correct’ way to teach online. How you teach online depends on
your context and what technologies you and your students have available. It also
depends on how confident you feel using these technologies, and what you want your
students to achieve. Teaching online can include:
tools that can help you set up and run online learning. These can enable you to deliver
tasks and activities to your students, track their interaction with the activities, collect
scores to measure attainment, and even meet face-to-face online with groups or
individual students for live lessons or one-to-one tutorials.
With younger learners, you will need to enlist the support of parents. There are lots of

which need to be reviewed.

■ Synchronous learning
This involves communicating in real time. For example, carrying out a live lesson
with your students using a videoconferencing tool like Skype or Zoom.
■ Asynchronous learning
This involves communicating over time. For example, asking your students to work
with online learning materials or participate in a class discussion via email or in an
online forum at a time or location of their own choosing.
■ Using ready-made materials
A wide range of digital English language learning materials for all age groups
and on almost any topic is available online, including language learning apps,
digital reading and listening resources, grammar games, and videos. Many English
language coursebooks come with online tips and activities for teachers and parents,
including those that can be found on the Oxford Teachers’ Club and Oxford Parents
websites.
ready-made activities that you can send younger students to work on with their parents.
Check out the teacher support site for your coursebook on the Oxford Teachers’ Club.
There is also the Oxford Parents site where you can find tips and activities to share
with parents.
2. What types of tools are available?
Learning platforms
Google Classroom and Edmodo are very popular learning platforms that many
teachers use. They have the advantage of being compatible with tools that you can use
to create interactive materials.
If you work with older students who are regular Facebook users, you can create courses
on Facebook using a Facebook Group. Be sure to use a community group and set it to
show the content in units. This will enable you to structure your content around themes,

Conclusion
skills, or grammar points.
■ Creating materials
You may need to create some materials yourself in order to supplement your Content tools
coursebook or to meet the requirements of teaching online. For example, you could If you want to create your own interactive content, there are quite a few different
create online quizzes using free websites and apps like Kahoot! or Quizlet. options. You can use free tools like Educandy and Jetpack for creating games and
quizzes for younger learners. For teens and adults, Kahoot and Quizlet are useful for
■ Using multimedia
creating quizzes and games.
Multimedia can be used in low-tech contexts, where you can create audio
recordings to share via email, as well as in high-tech contexts, where you could
create a video recording or a narrated PowerPoint presentation to share via an
online file-sharing service such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

You may find that there is an external expectation to complete all
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicky Hockly is Director of Pedagogy of The Consultants-E (TCE). She is a teacher,
trainer, international plenary speaker, consultant, and author of several prize-
winning methodology books about technology in ELT.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nik Peachey has worked all over the world as a language teacher, teacher trainer,
technology trainer, and educational technology consultant. He is an award-winning
course designer and materials writer and author.

course materials and provide full formal assessments at key points

© Oxford University Press www.oup.com/elt/expert 1 © Oxford University Press www.oup.com/elt/expert 1

in the year. However, through using a selective learning pathway Focus on Teaching Online   Focus on Managing Online Learning
and with support at home, there is no need for reduced hours www.oup.com/elt/expert
to lead to reduced learning outcomes for students. With careful
planning, you can get the most out of a new situation which brings
opportunities as well as challenges.

Acknowledgements
The publisher would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce
photographs: (Shutterstock/Naumova Marina)

© Oxford University Press A guide to teaching with reduced contact hours: young learners 3