School Culture at EP 68

In our building we can found four educational levels working in the same place, I mean the kindergarten, primary school, secondary school and of course the TTC or the tertiary level also is here

In my visit on May 18 I came to the school at the first hour in the afternoon, I met the headmaster of EP and I met the teacher of 4 B Maria M Clavin.

First We waited for all the students were inside and in place to greet the headmaster and the teachers, then I went with the teacher to the classroom where the students had been waiting for us, Maria Marta introduced me to her students, she explained to them that I´m a student too and I was there to watch the class because I was writing for an assignment.

When The teacher done writing the name of the students They started to remember what They were doing in the last class speaking English all as possible, sometimes asking about the meaning of certain words (What is it? /Yes, very good!)

We started with the first activity listening and singing a song (My Treehouse) We did it two times to understand all the song, then We sang the song again without the music.

When this activity was completed, The teacher started with another one, now the students has to write the name of things what are in the song using pictures. When The Students done in their books They checked their answers in the whiteboard.

In order to what I saw I could say the duration of the class normally is enough to complete two activities, the behaviour of the children is good because The teacher did not had to pause the class most of one time for a bad behaviour or anything and the classes most of the time are nice and funny and the students in 4 B enjoy learning English with fun activities like songs.

So that is what I can tell you about my adventure and some of the School Culture at EP 68

Thanks!

Best Program for Teaching English to Young Learners

I think that the most important for a young learner is learn progressive and with not much difficult because They are in the first stage of learning, so I prefer for the children the FLES programs in order to give them the most important knowledge even though the immersion programs and two ways programs are the best option to gain more important English skills these should be options you can choose.


How kids would learn English

They would have English as a subject in the same way like maths or literature, having 4 hours per week, exams every month and special classes for example with a educational exit to some place where people speak English or any place and speak english between them.

Teacher's training

They should be capable to teach English speaking in order to use it in the most common way, They also have to use the whiteboard but giving the same importance to speaking and writing.

Teachers also should be trained to know that the most important thing is to never stop searching resources and always learn the most new educational methods.

Children using an educational software
in an interactive whiteboard

Resources

I think that it is the most important to make classes more interesting and useful, some resources can be for example: movies,English speech audio clips or interactive whiteboard content.

Thank you!

Pros and Cons of Teaching English to Young Learners

The English is getting more and more important for our life. Often we need to talk with a native English speaker or even with a Franchise or Japan or any language speaker, that's the reason for what learning English for any culture is so important. Because there are much different languages in the world and we need one in common to use when you are for example a business traveler, a teacher who could have international students, an international airline pilot or if you are the Argentina's president doing a visit to Usa for an UN meeting, know English is essential for today.

But can you imagine how difficult learn English can be? It's too difficult, but it maybe depend on how old are you...

In fact, the most important advantages of learn English at young ages are:

1. They have more time. Because English need time to learn a very good reason for teaching young learners is that. Also researchers had proven the children are more efficient learners.

2. They are more able to attain native-like pronunciation with the help from appropriate instruction

3. Children can become more intercultural. Through learning another language They can be interested in other languages and cultures and also in their own culture

4. Being bilingual provides cognitive advantages. For Young learners know another language  provides mental advantages such as Mental flexibility and the ability to see a problem from different perspectives.

It´s important to share with different cultures

Teachers from all the world were improving the TEYL for years. They made different EYL programs: FLEX programs, FLES, Immersion programs, Dual language programs, Transitional and maintenance bilingual programs.

Each program is different to another in how much English lessons the child have per week, how long the lesson are and how the English is used.

• Flex (foreign language exploratory or experience) Programs

This type of programs just give to the child short sessions where they just learn basics like the colours, numbers and greetings, the focus is to increase children´s interest in study another language. But this programs are not enough to obtain useful English skills.

• Fles (foreign language in the elementary school) Programs 

In Fles programs children study another language as a regular school subject, this program can help the child to continue to study English in secondary school.

• immersion programs

In this are two different types, Total and partial immersion. In total immersion the children use the English as their main language in all school subjects, and in partial immersion half of the subjects are teach in english and the another half in their own language. In this type of programs the children develop a very good listening and reading abilities

• Dual-language programs

In Dual- Language or two ways immersion programs the children who speak an language and those who speak another language take lessons together using each language 90 percent and gradually move to 50 percent for each language. the advantage is the both group of children become more social and learn each language more naturally.

• Transitional and maintenance bilingual program

This program is to help the child to switch to the new language which they are going to study, normally after 3 years of bilingual instruction.

In the past I used to had English as a subject in primary and secondary school, I think I didn´t learned enough English there, really I can´t remember what I learned in School :P

The Normal School, Chivilcoy City

I haven´t experience in schools like the Normal School at Chivilcoy city which has the English and other languages as important subjects but normally the state-run Schools offer TEYL programs that give you the basics and It´s not enough for example if you want to study English in a TTC  or if you are interested in English you can´t learn just in the school and you should go to an English academy

Thank you!