Teaching English to Young Children

Course books Analyses Guide 1A

Title: COOKIES AND FRIENDS ATarget audience/age and Level:PRE-SCHOOLPublisher: OXFORD

Title: ENGLISH ADVENTURE COLLECTIONTarget audience/age and Level: 4- 10 YEARS OLDPublisher: PEARSON-LONGMAN

General Questions Comments Comments 1 – Does the book fit the students’ background – age, cognitive maturity, native language and culture, educational background, motivation and purpose for learning English?

It fits students’ background in language, cognitive maturity, native language, culture and motivation, but it doesn’t mention the purpose of learning English.They will have the opportunity to trace, mime, sing, observe, develop their creativity… communicate.

English Adv. 1, for students that have never been in contact with English before; it uses characters from Disney to motivate them.

2 – What values are projected through the materials? What scope is there for developing citizenship education? Are there opportunities for cross-cultural comparison?

No. the content is the focus. There is no mention of cross-cultural comparison.

The values presented are useful for their lives.

3 – What sort of methodology does the book appear to adopt?

Teacher shows the contentExposition, practice, reinforcement

The book methodology presents motor skills, coloring, and chants. Each unit brings lesson which includes Mickey Mouse puppet.

4 – What are the underlying theories of learning and theories of language?

Audio-lingual

5 – Does one approach predominate? Which one?

Lexical approach The predominant approach involves lots of visual techniques, such as: picture cards, coloring, Disney films, posters, stickers

6 – What kind of syllabus does it have – grammatical, lexical, grammatical-lexical, situational, topic-based, notional, functional-notional, mixed or ‘multi-strand’, procedural or process? Is it clear and objective? Does it help you see what the whole book and each specific unit are all about?

Lexical. Although the syllabus is lexical, it is clear to see the subject of each unit.

Commands, classroom, language

It’s a lexical book with motor and observation skills included in each unit. It’s clear and objective. In the beginning of each leasson is shown the skills that the kids will learn.

7 – How are new teaching Contents are presented in 5 lessons, when Lots of practice in each lesson, each unit

points graded? How frequently are they introduced and how much practice material separates them?

the unit changes, there is a new content and the review of the previous one.

words with around five words and repeats some words from previous lessons.

8 – How is the new language presented? How is the meaning of items conveyed? Are new items related to what has been learned previously?

It’s presented with flashcards, movements, puppets.

Usually with songs, the new items are always related to the previous one.

9 – How much new language is printed in each unit? Is the rate at which new material is introduced appropriate for your pupils?

Yes, it is appropriate for them.

10 – Is the organization of the course linear or cyclical? Linear – teaching points are added one at a time, each being practiced before moving on to the next. Cyclical – a particular teaching point recurs in a different context to be enlarged on throughout the course. What are the implications of this to young learners?

It is cyclical. It is a good way for them to memorize what have been taught.

11 – What kind of practice activities are there? Is there a variety from controlled to freer practice? Is there a balance? Is there a balance between fluency and accuracy? Are they motivating and meaningful? Do they provide opportunities for real language use and possibilities for interaction? Is the active participation of students encouraged effectively?

Listening, puppets, drawings, visual. Yes, there is a variety of activities.Yes, for all the questions.

12 – Does the course include any examples of authentic language and materials?

The dvd shows a lot of examples.

13 – Are there any special pages for revision, self-testing, self-assessment or reference?

There isn’t a special page for it. During the lessons is made a review with the words that were seen before.

14 – Are opportunities for independent work provided such as through project work?

The independent work is done when the kids are coloring.

15 – Are learning strategies developed in a systematic and explicit way? Does the book encourage learners to develop them and become independent and autonomous learners?

Yes

16 – Can young learners handle the book easily? (What is the size of the book? Is it appropriate for young learners?)

Yes

17 – What are the illustrations and layout like? Are they comfortable or busy? Are they attractive? Are they useful or only decorative? Will your pupils like them?

Yes very attractive.

18 – How is each unit titled? Will it be clear to your pupils what they are expected to learn in the unit and what they have to do? 19 – Are the topics, tasks, activities, techniques varied so as to provide for different learner levels, learning styles, interests, different intelligences?

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20 – Does the book contain songs, rhymes, and nursery rhymes, action stories with drama, hands-on activities, crafts, play and games which enthrall young learners? 21 – What components does the course offer the teacher and the students: books, tests, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, CD-ROMs, videos, flashcards, posters, puppets, stickers, readers, portfolios, games, workbooks, story books, Internet sites? Are they useful?

22 – Is the teacher’s guide easy to follow? Does it contain interleaved pages from the pupil’s book? Is the guidance adequate for the teacher? Is it useful? Or does it take the teacher too long to prepare lessons? Does it offer methodological guidance? Does it provide the teacher with alternative and supplementary exercises?23 – Can you spot any notable omissions? Will you have to supplement the coursebook in any way?

24 – How are the different skills treated? Are they integrated?

25 – How much receptive language are students exposed to?

26 – What kind of listening activities are there? Listen and do, listen and repeat, comprehension questions, interactive activities? 27 – Are there reading and writing activities? Are they suitable for young learners?

28 – Are there speaking activities? Are they meaningful and fun? Are they too demanding? What kind of speaking activities are there? Final comments According to what we have already

analyzed we would recommend this material for young learners between 3 and 5 because it brings lots of colorful pages which presents Disney characters and works step by step, actually, in a slow way so kids have enough time to understand the meaning of what has been presented to them; Also, songs, movies, picture cards are helpful in a way they can use

the listening, visual, speaking.