Page 79 - Teaching English at Primary Level: From Theory into the Classroom

Developing Speaking

Classroom Insight: Charlie
Sara decided to carry out an extensive read- old) and she assumed that some of the chil-
ing activity during her English lessons with dren had already seen the film or read the
fourth graders who had just started to learn book in their L1 which could work as a scaf-
English. Her plan was to read a children’s fold for understanding the story. She first de-
novel in instalments to see if they were able cided to try out the original version of the
to follow the story and enjoy the extensive novel but after the first reading, she realised
reading activity even if their level of English that the pupils were not able to follow the
was low. She also knew that most pupils were story because the level of English was too
not complete beginners, quite a few had at- difficult for them. So, she switched to the
tended language courses before they started adapted and simplified version of the novel
learning English as an obligatory subject in which turned out to be a good decision. In
the fourth grade. The whole reading activ- her evaluation of the action, she concluded
ity lasted three weeks and took 15 minutes that the pupils did not only thoroughly en-
at the beginning of every lesson. She chose joy her reading aloud in instalments, but they
the novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were later also able to recognize and describe
because the main character in the story was the main characters in the story and showed
about the same age as the pupils (11 years a good understanding of the plot.

In their analysis of the potential of using the Peppa Pig series for foreign
language development Scheffler et al. (2021) argue that the cartoon contains
several features which can be efficiently exploited in the classroom, such as
frequent formulaic structures and genuine communication in social interac-
tion. At the same time, the Peppa Pig episodes can also be used as the basis
for classroom instruction leading to a number of activities or games initiated
by the teacher or the learners themselves. For example, learners may recycle
the interaction patterns from the cartoon in (re)acting out the scenes from
the series.
Reflection Point
1. What do we have to pay attention to when we prepare a listening activity
for YLs? How difficult do you think listening to a text in an FL is for YLs?
How can you make it easier?
2. What are some real-life examples of FL listening texts that a school-aged
child might hear (in the classroom, out of the classroom, at home)?
3. Can you think of any other ways of making listening active? What other
actions could you use with the phrase ‘listen and ...’?

Developing Speaking
In the YLs’ classroom, listening and speaking are closely related skills, they go
hand in hand as one usually automatically follows the other. Several authors
point out (Cameron, 2001; Pinter, 2011; Kırkgöz, 2018) that for an effective de-

79