WEEK 4 (2 AUGUST 2010)

Today is the third day for the class PBEY3102 Using and Developing Resources for the ESL Classroom. After Puan Foziah greeted us, the presentation session starts. Today there are four presentations based on the following sub-topics of Chapter 1: Working with Young Language Learners:





Sub-topic
1.1 Children’s ability to grasp meaning
1.2 Children’s creative use of limited language resources
1.4 Children’s instinct for play and fun
1.5 The role of Imagination

I learnt a lot of information and gather some realizations during the presentation session.





SELF-REFLECTION



Presentation 1: 1.1 Children’s ability to grasp meaning









From this presentation, I realize that children are capable to grasp meaning even before they not understand the individual words. Children are not born with ‘blank slate’ but they are capable to pick up the ‘meaning’ of thing by one’s:

 Intonation
 Gestures
 Facial Expressions
 Actions
 Demonstration

Consequently, this make me realize that teacher should aware these and use these examples to give clue to students in the ESL classroom. I find these clues are effective as they can help students to guest the meaning rather than teacher directly translates in Bahasa Melayu when eliciting knowledge in English lesson. It is hope that teacher aware of children’s ability to grasp meaning and not underestimated them that they might not know what is the teacher’s intended meaning through facial expression, etc.


Presentation 2: 1.2 Children’s creative use of limited language resources






In this presentation, I realize that children are creative in creating and using limited language resources. Children will simply ‘experiment’ the language that they might familiar when they are talking. Even though sometimes it seems ‘ungrammatically’ correct the way children speak, but, this is a fundamental phenomenon for language development. I remember last month, my 4-year old sister, when she watching cartoon entitled “Finding Nemo” in Astro Disney channel, she simply shout “Nemo….mak” and ee understand the meaning that she wanted to convey is a fish. Later, when she saw fish in an aquarium, she simply said “Nemo” !!!














Thus, this shows that children are creative in conveying messages even though they have limited language resources.

According to Susan Halliwell (1992), in to order to make the most of the creative language skill the children bring with them, we therefor have to provide them with occasions when:

1. The urge to communicate makes them find some way of expressing themselves;

2. The language demanded by the activity is unpredictable and isn’t just asking the children to repeat set phrases, but is encouraging them to construct language actively for themselves.

In short, from this presentation, I realize that we should give opportunity to children to speak even with some errors in language. This ultimately will make children impatient to communicate and they probably will make more not fewer mistakes.





Presentation 3: 1.4 Children’s instinct for play and fun






Through this presentation, I realize that children have an instinct for play and fun. If in ESL classroom, teacher can add the elements of fun and games in eliciting knowledge to children. Since children love fun, teacher should conduct a game that they are using English. Thus, this ultimately will make them learn indirectly the intended objectives of the lesson. So, teacher should be creative in exploiting the children instinct so that through games, children are motivated to learn English in a fun way! This is interesting, mustn’t it?

There are so many activities that teacher can conduct for example:

Language Games





Treasure Hunt





In the book entitled Teaching English in the Primary Classroom by Susan Halliwell, I notice in page 40-95 are activities that teacher can carry out such as:
Group 1: “Do something about it”
Group 2: Guess
Group 3: Get Up and find out!”
Group 4: “Can you remember?”
Group 5: “Think for yourself!”

In short, teacher should be creative in conducting games and also must ensure that whatever the games are, teachers must have language focus or teaching points so that children indirectly learn and gain some knowledge while they are having fun!






Presentation 4: 1.5 The role of Imagination







This presentation is presented by my group. Imagination play important roles in developing children’s language specifically English language. Teacher should exploit the role of imagination in eliciting language. For example, teacher can use Suggestopedia approach in imparting knowledge. I find this link very useful for me in getting know details about this approach on how teacher can exploit the role of imagination in learning.
http://www.jwelford.demon.co.uk/brainwaremap/suggest.html

In short, children have no limitation on their creativity in imagination. Teachers should lead them explore anything via imagination. Later, teacher can ask children to write what they have experience in their imagination that for definitely will be interesting for children to write in English!





TUTORIAL TASK

After the presentation ends, Puan Foziah gives us some tutorial tasks to do. The tasks are:





1. Download the song “Waka Waka by Shakira”
2. Find a video of “Waka Waka by Shakira”
3. Find the song lyrics of “Waka Waka by Shakira”







While I am searching the songs, I get to know that we can download songs via

 www.4shared.com
 www.metacafe.com.

Puan Foziah also introduce to us:


Moyea Fl v downloader







Personally, this is my first time I learn how to download song/video!!! Moreover, Puan Foziah also assigns us to prepare a power point presentation on how we can download step by step on the task given to us. I also personally learn on how to use the button of ‘print screen’ to capture imagine of the screen.

In conclusion, I gather many realizations that help my personal and professional development as future teacher! I having fun today exploring new things yet it are beneficial for me to expand my knowledge specifically in technology!!


Can’t wait to explore more on the next class Puan Foziah!