English in the Primary classroom (5 – 11yrs)
Course Summary
The aim of this course is for teachers and teacher trainers to experience a range of interesting activities linking methodology and learning theories to the Primary classroom today. Sessions are practical, include a focus on multi‐media and technology for teaching purposes, and help teachers reflect on their approach to teaching today’s pupils.
Fast Facts
| Course dates: | 25 Feb – 01 March 2019 15 – 19 April 2019 01 – 05 July 2019 15 – 19 July 2019 12 – 16 August 2019 07 – 11 October 2019 |
| Max. group size: | 12 |
| Entry level: | B1 |
| Min. age: | 23 |
| Course materials: | Included |
| Hours/week: | 21 |
| Price: | £395 |
| Booking fee: | £50 |
| Terms and conditions |
Target Audience
Primary level and Kindergarten teachers of English and other languages, who would like to refresh their teaching methods and techniques. Participants need to be at a minimum B1 level of English.
Preparation
After registration, participants on this course programme will receive:
- A pre-course questionnaire to enable trainers to learn about the participants’ teaching backgrounds
- Information about the Europass Mobility Certificate
- A recommended reading list to prepare participants for various aspects of the course
- Information about York to prepare teachers for their cultural experience
Objectives
- To enable a better understanding of Primary Language Teaching and expand and build on previous knowledge, using a range of practical methodologies
- To introduce new teaching methodologies and accompanying techniques, using hands-on experiential methods
- To help teachers reflect on their own teaching methods and contexts and develop teaching skills
- To introduce an awareness of technology and ICT in the classroom today
- To exchange pedagogical information and knowledge in a multi-cultural context
- To further develop participants’ own language skills
- To experience the cultural heritage of York
Methodology
Sessions demonstrate current Young Learner EFL approaches, methodologies and techniques. An interactive communicative approach is applied, which provides participants with their own experiential learning of the activities and methodologies. Input sessions are in the form of hands-on workshops and involve brainstorming, analysis, problem-solving, and role-play, both in pair work and group work. Teachers are asked to reflect on the activities, inviting discussion with regard to their own pedagogical knowledge and skills, teaching methods and contexts, and on adaptation of activities to their teaching and learning situations. Both teaching and learning are explored, analysed and discussed, further enabling the participants’ use of their communication skills in English. Participants are actively involved in the sessions to maximize their learning and to experience activities from their learners’ point of view.
Follow Up
The course ends with an evaluation session, where teachers are asked to reflect upon the value of the knowledge gained on the course, create a Personal Development Action Plan, and select activities which they would like to try out in their own classes. They are invited to join the York Associates Community, which allows networking and contact with the trainers and fellow colleagues, and with participants from other courses.
Sample Course Programme
| Session One | Session Two | Session Three |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| MONDAY | A Young Learner’s profile: Characteristics, Implications and Needs | Get them talking! Encouraging your students to speak | Learner Preferences in Primary school learners |
| TUESDAY | Using drama | Co-operative learning (1) | Dictations, lexical exercises and communication activities |
| WEDNESDAY | Songs and music and their potential | Teaching language through project work: Task-based learning | Using videos, and films in the classroom |
| THURSDAY | Tell me a story! Using stories in the classroom | Co-operative learning (2) | Sample lesson plan design and development |
| FRIDAY | Alternative approaches: Cuisenaire rods and Total Physical Response (TPR) | Using computers, mobile devices and the Internet with Young Learners | Language development: Colloquial English and idiomatic language |
21 hour teacher development courses may use a 8.00- 12.30 or 13.30 -17.30 time slot. Afternoon programmes will finish earlier on certain days for social programme options.
