The Very Young Learner and Learning English Language through the Vehicle of Sport

and Dance

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A Case study

Polona Oblak, M.Sc.

Matjaž Vehovar, BA

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Who are we?

• Co-operation between Secondary Grammar School (SSD Borci) and

• Faculty of Education Maribor

• Pilot Project (4 years)

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Target Group

Children aged 4-7:• Old Enough to Socialise

• ‘Young’ Enough to Acquire a Language?!

• Being the most Receptive

• Whole Person Development/ Life-long Learning

• Develop Skills and Abilities

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Why?

Needs Analysis:

•Emotions•Knowledge •Motivation

Children

Resources

Parents

Teachers

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How?

• Sportshall

• 2 Professionals (Sports,English)

• Small Groups (10 - 12)

• EFL (English as a Foreign Language)

• 90 Minutes per Week

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Collaborative Activities and Skills

Sports English

• Warm up •Practise

•New/ Old Activity •Revision/ Repetition

•Exercise •New Vocabulary

•Vehicle for Learning (Language, Sports)

•Complementary Tasks

•Lesson Planning

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Team-teaching

•English Corner

•Warming up Activities

•Stations

•Traditional Team-teaching

•Diferentiated Split classTeam-teaching

•Parallel Instruction

•Complimentary or Supportive Instruction

•Monitoring Teacher

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Cross-disciplinary Goals• Stimulative Enviroment • Engagement of Students

in Authentic real-world Tasks

• Satisfy Different Learning Styles

• Develop Child’s Multiple Intelligences

• Student-centred and Teacher Facilitated Approach

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Main Sport Objectives

• Functional Capabilities (cardio-vascular system, heart, and loungs)

• Psychomotor Development

• Learning the Motor–physical Skills

• Relaxation (Yoga for Children)

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Main Dance Objectives

• Rhythm

• Music Appreciation

• Posture

• Group Work

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Main Language Objectives• Positive Attitude towards Foreign Language

Learning• Pronunciation• Acquire Chunks of Language• Grasp the Meaning• Develop Child’s Imagination and Be Creative • Use their Instinct for Talk and Interaction for FLA

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Project Perspectives• Find Cross-curricular Activities that would link Sports/

Dance and English• Produce more Authentic Situations• Include Native Speaker• Apply to other Languages (German, French, Spanish)• Write and Publish own Materials (activities, tasks,

audio-video)• Develop Methods of Assessment and Evaluation for

Very Young Learners

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Conclusion• Life-long Learning• Methodology: Team-teaching• Approach: Collaboration

• Activities: Synergy Worthwhile Activity

• Motivation: High Achievers

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Further Reading• Bergen D. (1994). Child Education: Developing Art and Science

od Team Teaching.• Davis, J. R. (1995). Interdisciplinary courses and teamteaching:

New arrangements for learning. Phoenix: Orxy Press. • Dunn, O. (1984). Developing English with Young Learners.

Hemel Hampsted. Practice Hall.• Lightbown, M.P. and Spada, N. (1999). How Languages are

Learned. Oxford: OUP.• Oblak, P. (2003). The Young Learner and Learning a Language

through the Vehicle of Sport: A Case Study. Oxford: Oxford Brookes University.

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Thank you for your Attention!