Carmen Ratia Vega

TASK 2 (individual): Communicative Approach to EFL teaching

Quality interactions in pre-primary English classes

Child-directed speech. Teachers can …

1. ... talk about the here and now – show, explain, demonstrate, facilitate, encourage, personalise, use
concrete and proper nouns.
2. ... commentate – provide a narrative for what the children are doing, and what is happening generally.
3. ... use L1 strategically to support learning – eg, accept and praise words and reformulate.
4. ... accept phrases from the child in the L1, saying English alternatives and encouraging their use. See
Principle 2.
5. ... rephrase in response to what a child says in the L2, and demonstrate pronunciation and ordering of
words, rather than correcting them.
6. ... repeat and expand what the child says. For example, when reading a picturebook aloud: Teacher:
and James put on his …? Children: jumper! Teacher: Yes, jumper, his red jumper, James put on his red
jumper.
7. ... model natural language in familiar and meaningful contexts.
8. ... connect what is new to what is already known, to help the children make connections in their learning.
9. ... use routines, so common phrases in English can be repeated and recycled regularly. See Principle 6.
10. ... use warm eye contact and position themselves at the child’s height.
11. … use visuals, realia and sound effects, to support meaning.
12. ... select language at the right level for the class/children.
13. ... clarify and confirm what the child says and does.
14. ... ask questions, to get the children to think, to predict, to count ...
15. … encourage and recognise the children’s competence, appreciate their efforts when they show their
understanding of new words and phrases, and react positively to what the children say.
16. ... notice a child’s attempts to communicate.
17. ... give the child enough time to respond (using ‘wait time’).

Read ALL statements above and choose 5-7 statements which you think are very important in the pre-
primary English classroom. Briefly justify your choice of each statement (1-3 lines / each).

1. ... repeat and expand what the child says. For example, when reading a picturebook aloud: Teacher: and
James put on his …? Children: jumper! Teacher: Yes, jumper, his red jumper, James put on his red
jumper.

Justification: The adult becomes a reading model, since as he reads he teaches how an expert reader behaves,
searches are the rhythms, the fluency when reading, the tones, what to do when faced with a mistake or unknown
word, among others.

2. ... use warm eye contact and position themselves at the child’s height.

Justification: When we use warm eye contact and position themselves at the child’s height we can look them in the
eye and they look at us. The gaze is a fundamental part of communication; when we catch up with them, we
unconsciously manage to empathize and get closer to them.

3. ... select language at the right level for the class/children.

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Justification: It is important especially in early childhood education to use simple vocabulary linked to their routines
so that it is more motivating and easy for them to learn, if we use a very complex vocabulary it will cost them.

4. .. clarify and confirm what the child says and does.

Justification:It is important if the child does something well to congratulate him on his achievement to motivate him
to continue participating, and if he makes a mistake correct it but in a positive way so that he sees that the more
he practices, the more he will learn.

5. ... ask questions, to get the children to think, to predict, to count ...

Justification: It is important to make sure that students understand what we want to explain or say, therefore, by
asking questions or asking for opinions we can ensure that they have understood us.

6. … encourage and recognise the children’s competence, appreciate their efforts when they show their
understanding of new words and phrases, and react positively to what the children say.

Justification:
It is important to always praise when they say something well in order to motivate them more. Making them learn
vocabulary and new words but with topics of their interest will make them want to learn more

7. ... give the child enough time to respond (using ‘wait time’).

Justification:

It is important to give him time to think about what he wants to say without pressuring him because if we press him
he will not want to participate or speak.