Intensive teaching in the primary classroom

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

246

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

Intensive teaching in the primary classroom

Lesson is an integral system, as it is confirmed in modern didactics, which consists of interconnected parts. Lesson is a structural component of teaching process, it has logical completeness and has time limits.

Any lesson is a system, which is artificially created by a teacher. And it is possible to create different combinations from the set of lesson stages. In the process of teaching several stages can be combined into one. Some stages can be used in every lesson: lesson organization, preparation for cognitive activity, basic stage, lesson summarizing.

The basic stage of a lesson depends on its didactic aim, which, in turn, defines the type of a lesson.

Intensive teaching of a foreign language assumes the special development of a lesson conduction technique, various forms of work with the pupils. G. Kitaygorodskaya defines the following types of intensive teaching lessons.

Lessons of the first type - introduction of a new material. Listening comprehension and choral work prevail at these lessons.

The aim of the second type lessons - communication training - development of speech skills and habits. The lesson is planned as a scenario on the basis of a role play introduction, the pupils fulfill various kinds of work. The teacher applies micro-dialogues, songs and games as exercises.

At the lessons of the third type - communication practice - speech, listening comprehension, reading, writing skills and habits are fixed in the process of solving communicative tasks, film «scripts» writing, «broadcasting» and so on [Китайгородская 1992].

Analyzing these types of lessons, we make a conclusion, that G. Kitaygorodskaya is guarded by the traditional didactic typology of lessons, which is based on different stages of work with the material for study. This construction of educational process of intensive teaching supposes short-term adult courses. It cannot be used for teaching in the primary school without any changes. There are several reasons for this:

1) There is great difference in the quantitative characteristics of teaching process. In adult group the concentration of lessons is very high, their duration is much longer than in the group of children, but the duration of the whole course is much shorter. It means that the time given for the stages of new material introduction and its activation should be different in adult and children groups.

2) The fourfold presentation of a new material during one lesson described by G. Kitaygorodskaya cannot engage children's attention during the whole lesson. The introduction of a new material at a primary school lesson should be strictly time limited, taking into account the age characteristics of the pupils: they get tired very quickly, they have unstable attention etc.

3) The process of adult teaching using intensive method, as a rule, is based on listening comprehension and speaking. Reading and writing are not so important. Therefore specificity of reading and writing skills mastering in intensive method for adults is not reflected in full. According to the English language teaching programme in a primary classroom, young learners should have the strong bases of reading and writing skills, with the priority of listening comprehension and speaking, which are the aims and means of teaching English as a foreign language.

What types of lessons can be offered for intensive teaching of English at an early stage, corresponding to its principles? In our opinion, it is possible to single out one more lesson typology, based on various forms of teaching and work with new material. These types of lessons can be used in parallel with traditional ones. At primary school, it is possible to use the following types of lessons:

1. Lessons based on didactic games. The game is not only one of the favourite occupations for children, with its help it is easier to involve pupils into the class activity. Any game requires voluntary attention, voluntary memory, emotional restraint. In other words, it promotes the development of children's emotional and volitional spheres. Game ensures the natural motivation of foreign language communication, makes any statement interesting and sensible.

According to E. Negnevitskaya, game for a teacher is the analogue of an exercise. It is an action, in which children master sound articulation, understand words, choose words, make up phrases according to the model, select the model, which is necessary for the given situation, change words and give them the necessary meaning etc [Негневицкая 1987].

Game for a child is an interesting, fascinating interaction with his teacher and other children, it promotes his socialization.

The lesson of English, which is based on games, is one of the main ways of teaching objective achievement, but a game performed in a foreign language is a special kind of children's activity. It should meet the following requirements:

1) Presence of an imaginary situation, imaginary plan, according to which children should act. Children can use different symbols in games. It makes communicatively valuable any language unit, enables to realize an intensive direction of young learners teaching.

2) Obligatory realizing by children the result of a game.

3) Realizing by children the rules, keeping which it is possible to achieve some definite result.

4) Choice of particular actions in a game by each child.

It provides individual activity within the collective form of a game.

For example, the following game is very popular and gives good results in the training of prepositions of place. Pupils can play this game in pairs or in groups. Teacher gives each child the picture of a room and one set of cards with different toys. One of the pupils «hides» the toys, i.e. puts the card with a cat under the table in the picture. Other pupils have to «find» the toys, so they ask questions: «Is the cat in the box?» When the pupils find the cat, they put the card under the table, too. When all the toys are in their places, the pupils change over.

The inclusion of games as an integral part of any language syllabus provides an opportunity for intensive language practice, offers a context in which language is used meaningfully and acts as a diagnostic tool for the teacher. One of the most important reasons for using games is that they are enjoyable for both teacher and student [Hadfield 1984].

2. Lessons of music, songs, and actions. They can help a lot in a foreign language study. What are the methodical advantages of songs, used in the English language teaching?

Song as a kind of communication is a means of vocabulary mastering and enrichment as songs include a lot of new words and expressions. In songs already known vocabulary is met in a new contextual environment, which helps its activation. In songs geographical names, personal names are frequently used. Different grammar structures are better acquired in songs.

Songs promote perfection of pronunciation skills. A good ear for music and acoustical control are in close interrelation with the development of articulation. Learning and performance of short, simple songs with many repetitions helps children to fix correct articulation and the pronunciation of sounds, the peculiarities of English rhythm. Songs and music promote aesthetic education of the pupils. There is a favourable psychological climate in class due to the music.

Songs and musical compositions stimulate communication, form the basis of the speech activity of pupils, promote development of both prepared and unprepared speech.

It is possible to use different actions with songs and music. When children transfer the content of a song with the help of actions, facial expressions, pantomime, it allows the teacher to attract pupils' attention, to check up understanding of the content, and for pupils to learn it much easier.

The teacher can also use songs as background music in the middle or at the end of a lesson, when the children are tired. The teacher can use music, songs and actions at any stage of the lesson: at the beginning to mark the change from the previous subject to English; in the middle of a lesson as a change from another, more concentrated activity; at the end to round a lesson off. They can also help to create a sense of group identity. In a foreign language class songs and actions are used:

1) as phonetic exercises;

2) to review vocabulary and grammar;

3) as stimulus for speech skills development;

4) as a kind of relaxation in middle or at the end of a lesson, when the children are tired.

3. Lessons based on simulations. Simulation - the imitation of a total situation in the classroom, where the classroom becomes a street, a hotel, or a supermarket. They practice interaction between the individual and services, such as shops, stations [Hadfield 1984].

Simulation includes several stages of work. The first stage is when the pupils role-play new material. At the next stage the teacher can offer the pupils situations, which are similar to the content of the studied material. The last stage - improvisation - represents a higher degree of creative activity. The pupils do not follow the content of the text, but base the simulation on its active vocabulary. The improvisation is a higher degree of creative independence: children become the authors of an improvised scene [Денисова 1984].

For example, the teacher can tell the pupils that they have just received an invitation to a party. It is an English boy's birthday. Now they have to decide what they are going to present him and how they are going to congratulate this boy.

One more situation: the teacher tells the pupils that they are going shopping and they must speak English to the seller if they want to buy something. In such tasks children try to explain the names of the objects, which they do not know in English. For example, they explain the word «salt» in the following way: «It's white. I don't like it. It's in soup.»

A lot of communicative tasks are based on simulation. It is an exact model of real communication, which has its basic features. They are always psychologically motivated and actual.

The communicative tasks, which are based on simulation, are characterized by the following features:

1) The action develops according to the internal rules.

2) The communicative tasks stimulate repetitions, which are justified by the situation.

3) The tasks with any kind of practical activity are possible. All actions, which are fulfilled by the pupils, determine their speech behaviour.

4) In these tasks different fantastic characters, favourite heroes of the books are widely used by children. Simulations open opportunities for development of mental activity of young pupils and their socialization.

Thus, it is possible to intensify teaching in the primary classroom by use of the following types of lessons: 1) Lesson - didactic game.

2) Lesson - music, songs and actions.

3) Lesson - simulation.

These types of lessons promote the increase of quality in teaching, they involve the pupils «in the offered circumstances», create common stimulating activity background, children master the foreign language in a joint activity. There is also educational cooperation and partnership.

Список использованной литературы

lesson intensive training school

1. Денисова Л.Г. Интенсивная методика на внеклассных занятиях в школе // Иностр. языки в школе. - 1984. - №2. - С. 10-16.

2. Китайгородская Г.А. Интенсивное обучение иностранным языкам. - М.: Русский язык, 1992.

3. Негневицкая Е.И. Иностранный язык для самых маленьких: вчера, сегодня, завтра // Иностр. языки в школе. - 1987. - №6. - С. 20-25.

4. Hadfield J. Elementary Communication Games. - London: Nelson, 1984.

Размещено на Allbest.ru