Keywords: kindergarten English teaching; Environment; Games; Stories; domestic
In order to adapt to the development of modern preschool education and cultivate children's interest in learning foreign languages, English teaching activities have been carried out in our garden since 2003. At first, we chose simple and old English textbooks to tell the truth, and the teaching methods were rigid, requiring children to memorize, such as face to face, eyes to eyes. Later, we found that such teaching led to a dull classroom atmosphere, and the application of English in daily life was zero. In addition, teachers find it difficult to design English teaching activities and have no confidence to show their parents their English achievements. Therefore, parents have doubts about the direction and methods of our English teaching, and they are worried about their children's language ability. In a word, the effect of children's English education is not ideal. After 2009, through teachers' continuous study and research, combined with the reality of our school, we reformed English education and selected suitable teaching materials, which improved children's interest in learning English. At present, we have made some progress in English teaching and accumulated some effective practical experience.
First, the importance of children learning English
As early as 1950s, American linguists pointed out that children were born with language acquisition devices. Childhood is the best time to learn a foreign language. Stimulating children in two languages during this period can promote the coordination between the two hemispheres of the child's brain and strengthen the connection between nerve cells. Language stimulation is an important factor to promote the growth and development of brain cells. Therefore, English training in early childhood is of great benefit to children. Moreover, the advantages of children learning English are that they have no psychological barriers, are not afraid of mistakes, are not shy, love to talk, and dare to practice their language in front of groups. The earlier children learn a foreign language, the more they dare to express it in language, which is more conducive to their early learning of a second language, and can establish good listening and speaking skills, laying a good foundation for formal foreign language learning in the future. Another advantage is that the earlier children are exposed to English, the more they can accept another cultural way of thinking. Being familiar with another language and another social culture is very helpful for children to broaden their horizons and increase their knowledge. For example, learning how to say hello or what to play, what to eat in the morning, what festivals to celebrate and how to celebrate birthdays are different in different countries. Therefore, learning a foreign language can help children acquire new knowledge, enhance their language ability and experience the joy of learning a foreign language. For example, if a child learns some foreign languages, he will be very happy to hear what he accidentally learned on TV or in movies, which will enhance their enthusiasm and confidence in learning foreign languages. A psychologist at Yale University in the United States believes that children who can speak two languages have more advantages in brain flexibility and problem-solving ability than children who can only speak one language. Children spend most of their time in kindergartens, so it is very important for children to receive foreign language education in kindergartens.
Second, happiness leads the way to cultivate children's interest in learning English.
I remember that when children in small classes first started to learn fruit words in English, I taught them very hard and boring, and children didn't like English classes the most. The English class gave them a bad first impression, and I was worried and anxious. In order to prevent children from losing interest in English at the beginning, I decided to let everyone take the "happy" route first. In class, I take them to watch some interesting English cartoons, enjoy some nice English songs and cute and interesting English pictures, and insist on organizing them to play English games rhythmically before each class, so that they can have a preliminary understanding of English classes and feel the joy of learning English. For example, teachers can organize children to perform the small rhythm of bananas when reading nursery rhymes: peelbanana, peel banana (hands open beside the body, one foot stands on tiptoe, and the body gently shakes and peels bananas with the rhythm); Chopbanana cuts bananas, Chopbanana (one hand cuts bananas on the arm of the other hand and then changes direction); Shake the banana mill, shake the banana (grind the banana with your hands in front of your stomach); Drinkbanana (put your thumb and forefinger up, drink banana juice on your mouth like a phone call, and then do it again in a different direction); Banananomore bananas are gone (hands crossed on the chest to make bananas). Children love to do this kind of small rhythm before each class, which can not only arouse the classroom atmosphere, but also make children easily and naturally master the words and sentences in children's songs in a happy state. At the same time, the study also shows that learning a foreign language will promote the development of intelligence.
In addition, we also make full use of the characteristics of teaching materials and teaching AIDS, such as CDs, point-reading pens, color pictures, cards and so on. Before the first lecture, I asked the children to look at the colorful pictures in the textbook. When they saw these beautiful pictures, they all liked them very much and began to discuss them in a low voice. Then I asked everyone to close their eyes, and then I asked another teacher to hide on the other side and point out the contents of the book with a point reading pen and a speaker. The teacher asked, "Where did these voices come from? Teachers can also do magic, do you want to know? " Then let several children randomly point out a word or sentence or nursery rhyme in the book, and the teacher hiding on the other side will continue reading according to the corresponding content, and the children will feel amazing and curious. Finally, the teacher will tell them the answers, and then let the children come up and demonstrate how to read big examples and books with a reading pen. Children will run happily and learn these pronunciations to listen and follow. In the future teaching process, we can take advantage of this to encourage children who have studied well to read and let everyone follow, which can not only fully mobilize children's enthusiasm but also concentrate their attention, so that children can enhance their learning awareness in a harmonious atmosphere, and the teaching task can be successfully completed. In addition, children are interesting and active by nature. In teaching activities, we must follow children's psychological and physiological characteristics and adopt a relaxed and happy method-"playing in school and playing in middle school" to improve children's interest in learning. Interest is the best teacher, the initiative to mobilize learning enthusiasm, and it is more conducive to children to master English knowledge unconsciously.
Third, teaching methods should be appropriate and diverse.
(A) the law of creating kindergarten English teaching environment
Montessori said: "The environment plays a very important role in education, because children absorb everything from the environment and integrate it into their own lives." Our kindergarten teachers are aware of this and have created an effective English teaching environment, which makes children imperceptible.
1. Play bilingual animation regularly. Every day children come and go, the TV in the park hall will play bilingual cartoons on time, and the computer in class before meals will play interesting English pictures and what they have learned in textbooks. After a period of time, many children like to watch and imitate some actions and dialogues, and even apply them to conversations and games of their peers or parents, so that English can be further consolidated and widely used. At the same time, teachers give strong affirmation and praise to these phenomena, so that children can speak English more confidently and boldly.
2. Arrange English environment activity area. Set up English area in the hall and every classroom. In these areas, teachers can consolidate the words and sentences they have learned or common words related to daily life through illustrations. In addition, there is an English situational performance area in our garden, where children can learn English in a dynamic process by watching, listening, speaking, singing, playing and operating. For example, you can divide children into role-playing salespeople or customers, and then start a dialogue: A: "Hello! Good morning! Good afternoon, can I help you? " B: "What's this?" A: "Thisisapear." B: "How much is it?" Answer: "Two yuan!" B: "Oh, it's too expensive!" A: "How about a dollar?" B: "You're welcome. What's that? " A: "Thatisabanana." B: "How much is it?" Answer: "Two yuan!" B: "Great!" A: "How much do you want?" B: "Give me five, please." A: "Here you are!" B: "Thank you!" A: "Hello, welcome." B: "Goodbye!" A: "Goodbye." In the created "dining" situation, they will role-play the teacher and the children, and then the children will point to one of them and say, "I'm hungry! Iwanttohave (rice, jiaozi, eggs) said to the teacher, "Oh! Here you are! " The children said, "Thank you. Then the teacher said "You're welcome". You can also exchange conversations, for example, the teacher said, "I'm hungry! Iwanttohavebread (rice, jiaozi, eggs), let the children find the corresponding pictures, find the right one and say, "Oh! Here you are! " Children love to play these situational performances, and parents report that children love learning English more, saying that this method is much better than before, and children are learning better and better.
(B) English teaching methods to create a family education environment
The new curriculum standard points out that family is an important partner of kindergarten. It is very important for parents to participate in English teaching. At the same time, parents can integrate their children's English learning into their daily lives. A good English family education environment has a positive role in promoting and infecting children's English learning. I remember in a home visit to a large class of children in Wuqi, I asked his mother: "Wuqi's English performance is excellent, especially in love with English classes." English children's songs, stories and English games are all very good, especially acting. Why? " His mother said: "Although I only have a junior high school education, I work in a foreign-funded company, and I am often exposed to English, and I like singing. So I often play some classic English songs at home and sing along with musicology. In the process of singing, I learned English happily. At this time, my son will especially admire me. He opened his eyes wide and said to me, "Mom, you are amazing. You can sing English songs. Can you teach me? " "So he was influenced by me, fell in love with English, and learned quickly, remembered it well, and often took the initiative to show it to his family! Now a special program in our family every day is: he tells us what he learned in kindergarten, and he also enthusiastically acts as a little teacher and teaches us to sing and dance. In this process, the whole family studied English happily together, and his English ability was affirmed and praised by us, which further inspired his confidence in learning English well. "Hearing this, I was very inspired. Parents are good role models and teachers for their children. They can not only help children to consolidate their English knowledge, but also instill new and practical English knowledge into them. So the influence of parents is very important. In view of this, the language operation games in Children's English Evaluation Manual in our garden provide a platform for parents to participate in parent-child activities and communicate with their children. At the same time, there are "love tips and parents' advice" to let parents and teachers have more exchanges and have a comprehensive understanding of their children's English learning. In addition, we also set up a school newsletter platform to feed back English learning information in time and put forward related matters that need parents' support and cooperation. Through these activities, parents can regain their confidence in our English teaching and have higher expectations.
(C) British Game Law
After using teaching materials and teaching reference flexibly, we should think carefully, integrate English knowledge into the game, let children play in school and in middle school, and make the originally boring English interesting in happy games, thus attracting children's interest in learning and making them learn knowledge unconsciously, and receiving good results. For example, when learning horses, dogs, cats and cows, the teacher sits in the middle and the children play with small animals. The teacher reads children's songs: "horsehorsejumpjump", "dogdogturnaround", "catnodnod" and "cowcowstampstamp", so that the children wearing different headdresses can stand up and do actions respectively to see who can do it accurately and quickly. Let children feel and experience the fun through games, and master these words accurately in activities.
When we learn English from one to five, we will use the game "Wolf, Wolf, what time is it" to consolidate it. Because children are very familiar with this game, it is easy to cause * * * and never tire of playing it. Let the children wear different headdresses, such as wolves, rabbits, puppies and lambs. The wolf asked, "What time is it now?" The other children replied, "One". The wolf asked again, "What time is it now?" The child replied: "Two". Then answer them in turn. When the children answered "five", they immediately scattered around, or they could kneel down (meaning hiding in the grass where the wolf could not find them), and the wolf began to catch the children. Whoever is caught will play the wolf and the game will start again. Through games, children's listening and speaking ability and reaction ability can be cultivated and improved, and children are very willing to master knowledge in a pleasant game atmosphere, so our garden encourages teachers to apply the game method to the practice and exploration of English teaching. Through the efforts of the teachers, the game activities designed now are relaxed and lively, and the activities are very effective, which has been affirmed by everyone.
(D) Story learning method
English story teaching method is another teaching method tried in our garden. Through more than two years of trial and practice, it is proved that story learning is an effective method suitable for children's English learning. Because every child loves to hear stories. Teachers can put what they want to learn into their own stories. For example, when we take learning fruit words as the second class, we can teach them in the form of stories. Teacher: "it's autumn, and the little ants are moving the winter fruit into the hole." Then the little ants move pictures of bananas, apples, pears and peaches one by one (the background of the pictures is the sun, trees, grass and caves). Then, in addition to mastering the original fruit vocabulary, children can also learn words such as autumn, small ants, caves, sun, trees and grass, and some simple sentences. In addition, we also choose some traditional stories that children are familiar with, such as Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood and Little Tadpole Looking for Mother to teach English. For example, the wolf is coming-the wolf is coming, boy: how boring! I have a great idea! Wolfiscoming！ Farmer: Wolf! Let's go! Where's Wolff? Boy: Haha. Farmer: You are a good boy! Boy: The wolf is coming! Farmer: Wolf! Really? Wolf! Let's go! Where is it? Boy: Haha. Boy: The wolf is really coming! Help! Help! Farmer: Heischeatingusagain. There are some beautiful pictures, simple words and dialogues that make children feel ridiculous and interesting. At this time, teachers can actively guide them to learn dialogue and perform role plays, which will increase their vocabulary and enhance their listening and language sense. Therefore, through the English story teaching method, children's interest in learning is fully mobilized, and the development of children's ability to summarize, explore, imagine and discover is promoted. In addition, it is worth mentioning that no matter what form of education we adopt, teachers should skillfully coordinate pronunciation, intonation, facial expressions and body movements in the teaching process, so that children are deeply attracted by your performance, thus stimulating their interest in learning.
Four, teachers accept inspection and guidance, improve the teaching level.
Our garden also uses various ways to find out the shortcomings in teaching and promote the improvement of teachers' teaching level. For example, professional tutors come to our park to train and evaluate teachers, so as to improve teachers' quality and English teaching methods. In addition, at the end of each semester, the garden holds an open English class, inviting the teachers and parents of the sister garden and the tutors of the teaching materials to observe and guide. Through the activities, in addition to letting parents know about their children's English learning in the garden, and taking this activity to give timely feedback to teachers on their children's English learning performance at home, we will also discuss ways to improve English teaching together, which not only strengthens the contact and interaction between families, but also allows parents to actively cooperate with and support English teaching. After class, we also called teachers to make a summary of class evaluation, so that teachers can share and exchange valuable teaching opinions and make the English teaching level of children in our kindergarten enter a new level. In addition, our garden showed English pantomime to parents in the "June 1st" and "Graduation Ceremony" performances, such as "Little Tadpole Looking for Mom" and "Snow White", which were well received by everyone. I believe that these activities have both pressure and motivation, and the purpose is to educate children by going up an English stairs.
There are many ways to effectively carry out English teaching in kindergartens, but no matter which form and method of activities, children will be bored as long as the model remains unchanged for a long time. According to reference books, multimedia teaching, network resources and practical experience, we can explore and verify more flexible and diverse teaching methods suitable for children's age, so that children can learn English happily and enjoy happiness in the process of learning English. Therefore, for kindergarten teachers, parents and society need more support and efforts to create a good language environment for children.