INTERESTS AND NEEDS

A description of the group of learners

KINDY

Age: 3-6
Type of learners: egocentric, concrete and literal thinkers, curious, active imagination, playful, animistic thinkers,
cannot generalize, imitators, short attention spans, limited motor skills, holistic learners, cannot analyse language,
see no need in communicating in English, can grasp past and future concept. Intuitive, not logical, sensitive to
criticism, desires affection and attention, cooperative and helpful, Cannot grasp abstract ideas, prefers to work in
small groups,
Interests: cartoons, Pokemon, Doramon, toys, stories, fantasy, songs, colouring. games, dolls and action figures
Needs: repetition of information, routines, sing, play, explore, touch etc. praise and approval
Reading and writing skills: limited reading and writing skills in L1.

CHILDREN

Age: 7-11
Type of learners: predominantly concrete thinkers, partial abstract thinkers, can collect, sort, organize and classify,
curious and loves to discover, can recognise similarities and differences, outgoing, talkative, understands cause and
effect, deductive/inductive reasoning, wants concrete information, can compare information and events, self-
centred, can see patterns, aware of language, asks questions, dislikes sharing, have opinions, have some world
knowledge
Interests: drawing, toys, songs, Marvel superheros, Pokemon, Doraemon, minions
Needs: hands on activities
Reading and writing: L1 reading and writing skills are minimal.

PRE-TEENS
Age: 12-14
Type of learners: concrete, logical, often rebellious, abstract and rational thinkers, socially conscious, self-centred,
language aware, loud, reluctant to take risks, self-conscious, active, temperamental, competitive, cooperative,
curious, easily influenced by peer groups, creative and imaginative, can build on past learning, future oriented, focus
on details

Interests: pop-culture real-world topics, music, films, surfing the net, experiential learning, sports and hobbies, self-
interest, social media, social interaction, talking on the phone, talking, the latest trends, joking and humour, and
group and club activities. Computer-based activities, project work, to be traeated as adults but have fun, testing
themselves, competitive and team work, challenge but achievable tasks, to avoid looking silly to peers idols: Độ Mixi,
Lê Bống, Phương Ly, Ciin, Free fire, Mèo Simmy, Trà Đặng, MONO, Son Tung MTP, BTS, Blackpink, Mỹ Tâm, Bà Tân
Vlog

Needs: stimulation, motivation, independence, challenge, fun, visual and physical activities, fairness, routines,
meaningful input, meaningful interactive activities, rousing activities, variety in the classroom, practical activities,
approval, praise, a positive self-image, and collaboration, opportunity to express their individuality, rules and a
teacher not a mate, relatable contexts, thinking time before expressing themselves, to change partners and grouping
regularly
Reading and writing skills: L2 reading and writing skills are stronger than their speaking and listening L2 skills. Public
schools in Vietnam predominantly focus on reading, writing and grammar. However, SS use their L1 language system
as a resource to apply strategies in their L2 reading and writing skills.