YOUNG

LEARNERS
CHARACTERISTI
Let's play

Let's go out
You know what
What's that?
I did?

CS
 1. YOUNG
LEARNERS GET
BORED QUICKLY
If the activities are not engaging enough,
young learners get bored easily. This is
because they have a limited attention span.
Generally, after 10 minutes and especially
if it is taught directly and is devoid of the
elements of play.
2. YOUNG They may understand what is
being said without necessarily
LEARNERS understanding every individual
word.
ARE
MEANING-
ORIENTED 1 They guess and interpret what is being
uttered

respond to it with whatever language

2 resources they have at their disposal.
 3. Young They are characterized by
Learners Like To curiosity and enthusiasm.

Discover Things • They like to make sense of

the world around them.
• They need engaging and
motivating activities.
• They want discover by
themselves rather than being
told.
 According to Piaget’s cognitive
development theory, young learners are 4. They Prefer
still developing. That is, they are still
making their way from concrete to Concrete
abstract thinking. Unlike adults who are
more analytical, they are not yet well
Activities
equipped to learn abstract concepts such
as grammar rules.
 u t 5. They Are
b o
ll a More
's a
It
M Egocentric

E They prefer to talk about themselves.

Activities that focus on their lives are
their cup of tea. They need individual
attention and approval from the teacher.
 r l d
w o
t h e 6. They Are
v e
s a Imaginative
a n
I c
Young learners are imaginative.
Activities that are full of imagination is
a source of enjoyment for them. It is
sometimes difficult for them to
distinguish reality from imagination.
 7. They Imitate
They learn by imitating adults. It is
amazing how humans imitate and discover
things from a very young age. Children
acquire communication skills through
social interactions. Consequently, because
imitation functions as a learning tool, it is
rewarding to use it to teach children new
skills and knowledge.
WHAT DOES
THIS MEAN
FOR YOU
AS A
TEACHER??
 Activities shouldn’t normally
1 take more than ten minutes
to complete

I M P L I C AT I O N The content should be

2 interesting and
motivating

S Praising performances is

3 of paramount
importance

Teacher should be a good

4 model of language use and
social behaviors.
Learning
Styles
 Learners Style
The ways in which a learner naturally prefers to
take in, process, remember information and skills.

Learning Style Explanation

Visual Learning best through watching and looking
Auditory Learning best through listening and hearing
Kinaesthetic Learning best through moving or touching things
group learning best through working with others
Individual learning best through working alone
Reflective learning best when given time to consider choices
impulsive learning best when able to respond immediately
learns best when given the opportunity to analyze
analytic
things
autonomous The learner decides what and how to learn
 VISUAL
…Through seeing

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 AUDITORY
…Through hearing

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 KINAESTHETIC
…Through using the body

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 GROUP
…Working with others

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 INDIVIDUAL
…Through working alone

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 IMPULSIVE
…When able to respond inmediately

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 REFLECTIVE
…Time to consider choices

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The Effect of Maturity on Learning
 Main Differences In Maturity That Influence Language Learning
Children Teenagers Adults

movement Need to move Start to keep still Can keep still for a long
time
Concentration Short attention span Concentration develops Longer concentration

Experience & Abstract Learn through Start to learn in abstract learn in abstract ways
experience ways
Behavior control & Can’t control their Start to control their Able to control their
action behavior & plans behavior & plans behavior & plans
Reaction to making Not afraid of mistakes May worry about Not willing to make
mistakes and risks others’ opinion mistakes and take risks
Aware of self & action Not aware of Sometimes aware of Aware of themselves &
themselves & actions themselves & actions actions
Attention to meaning Pay attention to Pay attention to Pay attention to meaning
meaning in language meaning a bit to form and form
Experience of life Limited Increasing Good experience of life
Cognitive skills Developing Developed at 15 Mature cognitive skills
Motivation to learn Part of general Varies; not fixed and Conscious and controlled
language motivation maybe absent motivation to learn it