A PPT with basic pointers on how to teach English to children.

1. Teaching English components and skills to children
Didactics of English as a foreign language
Yamith José Fandiño Parra

2. CONTENTS
• Basic tips or suggestions.
• Using topics, tasks, or projects.
• Teaching language skills.
• Teaching listening.
• Teaching reading.
• Teaching speaking.
• Teaching writing.
• Teaching English to children in Colombia.
- The suggested English curriculum.
- ECO, Bunny Bonita, and my ABC kit.
- From transition to fifth grade.
- ECO 2.0 web

3. BASIC TIPS OR SUGGESTIONS
• Variety in the classroom: materials, activities,
organization, voice, pace, etc.
• Play with the language: rhymes, songs, stories, role
plays,
• Words and phrases are not enough: Include movement,
senses, objects, images, etc.
• Cooperation not competition: Pair work, group work,
shared experiences, etc.
• Routines: Familiar lesson formats, known class patterns,
regular actions, etc.
• Classroom rules and language: Do’s and don'ts, how to
say basic expressions, etc.
• Physical surroundings and seat arrangement: Pictures,
posters, postcards, U-shape, face-to-face, clusters, etc.

4. USING TOPICS, TASKS OR PROJECTS
Topics, tasks or projects
• Themes, authentic
assignments or projects.
• Functions, vocabulary, and
structures.
• Class activities.
• Teaching and learning
materials.
How
• Choose a topic, task, or project.
• Plan lesson(s) around functions
and situations.
• Focus on vocabulary work,
dialogues, role plays, rhymes,
chants, songs, or short stories,
etc.
Useful books
• Teaching languages to young learners, Chapter 8, written by Lynne Cameron.
• Doing task-based teaching, written by Dave Willis and Jane Willis.
• Project work (2nd edition), written by Diane Fried-Booth.

5. 1) TEACHING RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE SKILLS
Start with listening and then continue with reading.
2) TEACHING PRODUCTIVE LANGUAGE SKILLS
Start with writing and then continue with speaking.
3) INTEGRATING SKILLS WITH THE SAME MEDIUM
First listening and then speaking
NEXT
First reading and then writing.
LANGUAGE SKILLS

6. TEACHING LISTENING TO CHILDREN
Listen and do activities
• Instructions.
• Drawing.
• Miming stories.
Listen for information
• Listen and color.
• Identifying exercises.
• Listen for the mistake.
• Put things in order.
Listen and repeat activities
• Rhymes and chants.
• Songs.
• Act out dialogues or stories.

7. TEACHING READING TO CHILDREN
Approaches
• Phonics: letters and sounds.
• Look and say.
• Whole sentence reading.
Starting off
• Read a story from a big book.
• Read a class story.
• Read familiar nurses or
rhymes.
Other alternatives
• Read aloud.
• Silent reading.
• Reading cards in boxes or book
pockets.

8. TEACHING WRITING TO CHILDREN
Controlled practice
• Straight copying.
• Matching sentences.
• Organizing and copying.
Guided practice
• Fill-in exercises.
• Letters/cards/invitations.
• Dictation.
Free practice
• Pre-writing: vocabulary and
model.
• Writing: dialogues, descriptions,
or short stories.

9. TEACHING SPEAKING TO CHILDREN
Controlled practice
• Model with drawings,
silhouettes or puppets.
• Practice as a whole class.
• Practice in pairs.
Guided practice
• Chain work with picture cards
or word cards.
• Dialogues and role plays.
• Using objects or images.
Free practice
• Complete tables or charts.
• Questionnaires or surveys.
• Find differences.

10. TEACHING ENGLISH TO CHILDREN IN COLOMBIA
21 units, each unit has 4
lessons.
Ts’ book and Ss’ book.
15 chapters, each
chapter has 4 lessons.
Videos, posters, and
lesson plans.
1 methodological
guide for teachers.
Posters, big books,
flashcards, etc.

11. The suggested English curriculum / El currículo sugerido de
Inglés
https://bit.ly/3TmIwgJ

12. TEACHING ENGLISH TO CHILDREN IN COLOMBIA

13. TEACHING ENGLISH TO CHILDREN IN COLOMBIA
Mallas de aprendizaje
de inglés para
transición a 5to de
primaria

14. TEACHING ENGLISH TO CHILDREN IN COLOMBIA
Orientaciones y
principios pedagógicos

15. TEACHING ENGLISH TO CHILDREN IN COLOMBIA
Orientaciones y
principios pedagógicos

16. TEACHING ENGLISH TO CHILDREN IN COLOMBIA
https://eco.colombiaaprende.edu.co/

17. REFERENCES
• Cameron, L. (2010). Teaching English to young learners.
Cambridge university press.
• Ministerio de educación nacional (2021). ECO 2.0 Web. MEN.
https://eco.colombiaaprende.edu.co/
• Scott, W., & Ytreberg, L. (1995). Teaching English to children.
Longman.