Teaching Young Beginners - Page 2 - Ajarn Forum

susieladuke · 17th August 2006, 10:42

Anything that can be sung will be learned more quickly. Having a set of things you do everyday is important, ie sing the alphbet, count, go through the days of the week. They have songs for all these but you could just make up your own.If your school isn't stingy with paper, google images is great for teaching vocabulary.Other than by good example stay well clear of grammar at this stage. And remember, no matter what you do they'll just love you to bits.it is a sacred trust.

fifth column · 29th August 2006, 20:44

Definitely phonics.....focus on beginning sounds, start with their names. I don't usually use flashcards, i use a movable alphabet and make simple rhyming words, bat, cat, mat sat, fat, the fat cat sat on the mat.....

But I also agree not to emphasize english writing. These Thai kids have to learn 46 sounds, and the Thais teach them in a strict order. ( They should teach a few sounds and quickly make words from them, to make it more interesting and less drill-like.)

Songs!!!!The kids love my incomphrehensible language because I am so dramatic and I sing.
Games--bingo of every kind. Memory--buy Thai posters of objects, two of them alike. Cut them up and make cards so that you can turn them over and not know what's underneath. Great opportunity to use english vocabulary.

panhunger · 18th September 2006, 21:01

all great artists were consumed by doubt...doubt motivated them or swallowed them whole...

mrburb · 23rd September 2006, 12:36

Get yourself a copy of 'Jolly Phonics' there are loads of actions for the children to copy and they love remembering them. When you come to letter writing, make silly sounds whilst your doing it - and keep the sounds constant for the writing. The children remember the sounds to the actions and can write letters easier.

TheKingofKindy · 23rd September 2006, 16:59

Thanks guys some great stuff and help.
I will try to use it.

(But cant i just get mine to colour all day in silence hahhhaa)

peelieorion · 17th October 2006, 20:00

Scorpio is completely right. the ABC song everyone learns is no real use. Get someone to help you write the letters for the Thai phonic alphabet, its a 5 minute job. Its hard work but if you keep practising it they begin to see that letters have sounds and sounds make words ie sit pig fat dog etc. test them all individually and keep track on who knows what. you can make simple grids to test letter names and sounds. until thais can read they have no hope of learning english through memory, aren't enough signs or reading materials or Ferrang to practise. its hard work but in one term i have 16 kids out of 30 in P2 and 85 in P3 and P4 who can read simple books i have written. primaryresources.co.uk is an excellent freebie site. have a look, every teacher in england uses it. good luck.
-----
Markg, you are so wrong. Speaking thai in the classroom is a must. Imagine yourself trying to learn thai where you couldn't read it anywhere, where every word from your teacher is in Thai. impossible. Learning a foreign language back home we can read words at home and learn outside the classroom. thais are not taught to read English, they may have learnt only poor pronounciation from thai teachers. Thais beginning to learn English must have a balance. your example of an English teacher speaking bad thai. Parents complain so what? better to try than have 80% of people understand you than 1% understand the English. I also think it helps you to communicate with thais outside the classroom. they feel less threatened and in later life will be able to understand Thai speaking ferrangs better. Its hard enough trying to learn English given the ridiculous curriculum so give thais a break.

Anna Key · 7th February 2007, 08:26

I love it when someone says 'you are (so) wrong' when the poster was obviously 'so right'.

Mister Fixit · 31st May 2007, 19:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by keegan

angie. not in any teaching manuals, but kill 2 birds with one stone. i was in your position. kids with very little english and me with no thai. learn how to say "nee arai"(what's this) the kids tell you.
eg: nee arai? ss: nahlika. (watch)

the kids love to hear you trying to speak thai, and you are increasing their vocab. in a short time they can use short sentences. ja pai hong nam. (go to the toilet)
you pick up the language, they pick up some english, builds rapport, eveyone wins.

not in any teaching books, but for beginners, results that, for me anyway, were pretty quick and pretty obvious.
as the term goes on, you'll find less thai being spoken, and what is said, you have an idea of what it is.

I was told very firmly NO Thai in the classroom. When I was taken to be introduced to the Director in my second week, he said 'If you speak Thai in the classroom, you have to go home'. Then he said it was a joke, but I don't think it was.

I was spoken to after my first week because I'd used some limited Thai to the new M1's cos they did not understand when I told them to write in their books what I'd put on the board. I think I just said something like 'Kian samoot' but it was shoved in my face shortly afterwards.

tosser · 9th June 2007, 11:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaff

For example, the letter "A."

The letter "A" is pronounced "ay," right?

But the letter has four sounds:

1. [ei]

2. [o]

3. [schwa]

4. [ae]

Not everyone would agree with your assertion. I refer to "Higher Lessons in English"
by Alonzo Reed and Brainerd Kellogg where it says, 'a for six, as in fate, fat, far, fall, fast, and fare.'

eflclassroom · 3rd September 2007, 16:26

Lots of good replies/comments.

As far as "instructions" go, it really is an art form to parse it down to a minimum of words and to "model" through action, rather than words/text. This sometimes is the hardest thing about any lesson plan, trying to find a way to show rather than explain, what it is you wish the children/students to do. Think it through carefully and it gets easier with experience. But remember if you can explain it, you can show it! A picture is worth a thousand words and an action worth 100,000

DD

http://eflclassroom.ning.com
www.ddd.batcave.net

peelieorion · 3rd September 2007, 17:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister Fixit

I was told very firmly NO Thai in the classroom. When I was taken to be introduced to the Director in my second week, he said 'If you speak Thai in the classroom, you have to go home'. Then he said it was a joke, but I don't think it was.

I was spoken to after my first week because I'd used some limited Thai to the new M1's cos they did not understand when I told them to write in their books what I'd put on the board. I think I just said something like 'Kian samoot' but it was shoved in my face shortly afterwards.

Time to walk now Fixit. It is precisely these types of tossers who infect Thai schools. Fuck the lot of them and do what you have to do to get your message across. can you director speak English. If he can he probably had a nice expensive education with personal tutors and the works. You are the master of you own classroom. If his no Thai policy worked how come his students probably aren't at a partiularlty high level. Ignore the twit for you own sanity.

jonny danger · 4th September 2007, 01:05

Natural learning theory. It's all you need to know.

michell · 26th July 2008, 10:34

Well you could have given them with a short course ob the ABCD books and then start little word making ad then on complete sentence makings.
Thsi is more like grade Junior kindergarten revisited but still atleast it would let them learn.

Matthew · 26th July 2008, 20:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by tosser

fat, far, fall, fast

How are these different? To my mind, they're both

Runner · 3rd August 2008, 07:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew

How are these different? To my mind, they're both

fat - short [ae] sound

fast - long [ae] sound