Teaching Children With English

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

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The use of English as an additional language (EAL) and Special Education Need (SEN) in early year’s classroom in Britain has posed numerous advantages and disadvantages. This has forced the Government to come up with different learning strategies to counter the limitations that both learning skills present. It is better to not these teaching strategies as well as the advantages and disadvantages that come along with the.

It is better to understand that the very basic form of language is speech as Dash and Dash (2007: p196) have noted. Children are able to learn their first language that is referred to as their mother tongue at their early stages of life. After this, when they attain the age of attending classes, they are compelled to learn English as an additional language (Dash and Dash 2007: p8).

The very basic step in teaching English as an additional language is to identify children to whom English is not their first language. The government of Britain supports the use of primary language by children. According to Brown (1998:p74), this was to enhance the children ability to learn English language as fast as possible. The home language is quite of an advantage in the process of learning English in the classrooms of little children.

English language is an international language that is quite essential in giving instructions. That is a reason why it should be encouraged in the early classrooms of the British children. As Mallet (2008: p27) has noted, English as an additional language was learnt in the British early year’s school to increase their linguistic competence. In addition to this, the children also widen their understanding of their cultural competence. This means that the government should highlight means that can enable teacher achieve their targets of making the young children who have English as their additional language understands it.

It is quite beneficial for teachers to understand the skills that they require in letting the children learn English as their additional language. If the teachers provide a platform for assessment, the children will eventually learn through their guidance. According to Knowles (2010: p43) assessing how a pupil progresses is a platform for that enabled them be at par with their advancement in EAL.

One of the important strategies that a teacher needs to employ in teaching their pupils who are learning English as an additional language in Britain is recognizing their profiles. This may entail their learning progress in dissimilar language modes. It will enable children wo are learning English as their additional language excel in not only the English language but also other subjects that they are concurrently learning.

Some of the approaches that the teachers will also have to engage their students as Knowles (2010: p43) has noted include bilingual approaches. This is where a child’s first language is maintained as they are taught tan additional language as had been mentioned earlier. As a result, the children are subjected to a number of benefits that include assurance of success in their subsequent languages. This idea is also supported by Ghesquire and Ruijssenaars (2005: p43) who have noted how bilingual children progress significantly in rapid naming of numbers and reading accuracy. Again, their status in English as additional language learners is raised and they can therefore express their expertise as well as their increased academic progress in their additional language.

However, there are various disadvantages that teaching English as an additional language poses. Children who are placed in groups of study may not show a similar speed in learning. There is a significant difference in the manner in which children conceptualize whatever they are taught and this doesn’t show uniformity I the learning environment. According to Education and Skills Committee (2005: 17), the differences result in different success to individual pupils who undergo English as an additional language.

Additionally, the attempt to help children learn English as their additional language demanded that they be put in groups according to their abilities. However, this was rather disadvantageous as Johnson, Halocha and Charter (2007: 107) have noted. According to them, much time was wasted in fairly larger schools that were striving to use the grouping method of learning.

Special educational needs on the other hand expose the diversity in a child’s learning and development profiles that were mentioned earlier. According to Hartas (2006: p10) SEN of a child is characterized by their cognitive and learning difficulties. Additionally, it is also as a result of emotional and social complexities not withstanding interaction and communication difficulties.

The teaching strategies that are supposed to counter the SEN characteristic should be put in place by the teachers in order to provide a smooth learning environment for the little children. As Hartas (2006: p10) has indicated, SEN refers to the learning difficulties that a child is subjected to their class environment. To offset the issue that children should be made eligible to acquire all that is needed in their classroom settings. Teaching skills that teachers have enables them to put the problems that SEN brings about.

In conclusion, the government still has to do more enable the little children achieve their best in their early childhood education. Children who are leaning EAL as well as those that experience SEN should have an educational environment that is free from criticism. They should have all the necessary instruments that may enable them achieve this. For instance, bilingual children should be given enough of books and academic materials that are appropriately make them achieve their target.