The Nature of Young Learner

The Characteristics of Young Learners

a.      The Characteristics of Young Learner

The age of the learners is a major factor of teachers’ decision about how and what to teach because different age will have different needs, treatment, and skill. In language learning, there is young language learner. According to Mc Kay (2006:1) young learners are children who are in primary or elementary school. Some people believe that the children learn a language faster than adults do. Some of them believe that adults are unmotivated, slow, etc. Actually, it depends on the teachers’ consideration about the characteristics of the learner.

According to Harmer (2003:38) there are some characteristics of young learner. The first is the children respond to meaning even if they do not understand individual words. As it is known from experience that young learner are able to understand what is being said to them even before they understand the individual words.

 The second is they often learn indirectly rather than directly. It means that the children learn from everything around them rather than only focus to the topic they are being taught. It is supported by Brumfit statement (2007:1) which says that the children learn well through something close to their culture.

The third is their understanding comes not just from explanation but also from what they see and hear. Children will learn best if they have a chance to touch and interact with anything in the learning. Lavefer (2006:28) states that young learner learns by doing or they are hands-on experience. In addition Brumfit (2007:1) states that the children respond the language well through concrete things (visual things) rather than abstract things.

The fourth is they generally display an enthusiasm for learning and a curiosity about the world around them. It is true that children are being motivated to learn, if it catches their interest. According to Brumfit (2007:1) children will be enthusiastic if they are taught using fun activities. By creating fun activity in the classroom, it can attract students’ interest to learn. Not only that, children also have curiosity. Like Lavefer (2006:27) says that children are curious and inquisitive.

The fifth is they have a need for individual attention and approval from the teacher. It means that, the children need special attention from the teacher in order they can be themselves and enjoying their activity. It is appropriate with one of young learner characteristics; Pribilova (2006: 11) says that the children love when people pay attention to them and to their talking and they love to be praised for what they have done and learnt. It is very important fact to keep their motivation in learning.

The Sixth is they are keen to talk about themselves, and respond well to learning that uses themselves and their own lives as main topics in the classroom. It means that, children are easy to learn language which relate to their environment and it is found around them. According to Brumfit (2007:1) children learn well through something that closes to their culture.

 The last is they have a limited attention span. It is known that the children are easy to get bored and they also easy to lose their interest in learning. According to Brown (1994:92) the short attention spans come up only when you present stuff that to them is boring, useless or too difficult. Thus teacher can create material become interesting, lively and fun.

Based on some theories above, it can be concluded that young learner learn best through discovery and experimentation, they want to play and make friends, they also pick up language from their daily environment and through the media if it catches their interest.

                  The Principles of Teaching English for Young Learner

To be success in teaching English for young learner, the teacher should be considering about the principles used in teaching English for young learner. McCloskey (2005: 7-9) states that the teacher should consider some principles used in teaching English for young learner. Firstly, the teacher should offers learners enjoyable, active roles in the learning experience. As it is known that young learner is the learners who learn best by doing and it is demanded the English teacher provides an effective and appropriate way in teaching. Not only that, the English teacher must provide learning in child appropriate way and offer many opportunities for children to use language purposefully as language develop. The teacher should offer many opportunities for young learner to use language. According to Pinter (2006:27) teacher should encourages enjoyment and motivation for language learning.

 Secondly, the teacher should helps the students develop and practice language through collaboration. It means that, the teacher supporting the learners and providing opportunities for learners to communicate with one another. As it is known that children are social learners who want to have cooperation with another as Lavefer (2006:27) says that children want to play and make a friend. In addition Pribilova (2006: 11) says when young learner learns about something and then they will share it with somebody and they can think, argue, discuss, and interact with both children and adults. Thus, teacher can provide opportunities for learner to communicate either with the teacher, their friends or the others.

Thirdly, the teacher should use multiple-dimensional, thematically organized activities. It means that, the teacher provide thematically organized activities and incorporate multiple dimension of learning and learning styles appropriate to young learners. Thematic organization offers the teacher an opportunity to cycle and recycle related language and concepts so that the teachers can support children as they develop the complex connections that lead to learning. 

Fourthly, the teacher should provide comprehensible input with scaffolding. It means that, the teacher can teach their learning material by using graphic organizer to help the children understand because by using graphic organizer or scaffolding activities, the teacher provides task and concepts that the children can accomplish or acquire with just a little instruction and support which make the students interested in learning. As it is supported by Cameron (2004:8) scaffolding makes the children interested in task.

Fifthly, the teacher should integrate language with content. It means that, if the students learning two languages in school in a bilingual setting curriculum can be integrated across languages. So that the children in second language classroom face the same concepts that they do in first language classroom but with new label, both reinforcing the content-area learning and facilitating the new language learning because it is based on what children already know. In second language, teaching language through content means that students’ academic learning is not delayed while they learn a language. Rather, they have the opportunity to learn language in age- appropriate, stage- appropriate activities that will prepare them for grade- level academic content.

Sixthly, the teacher should validate and integrate home language and culture. Students with good academic learning in their first language are clearly at an advantage when they begin to learn additional languages. It is hoped that young learner use their home language to expand their learning in a second language.

Seventh, the teacher should provide clear goals and feedback on performance. Children want to do right; they need to know when they have achieved a goal and when they still have more to learn.

By applying those principles, it is very important to choose the right way of teaching for young learner. The teacher definitely has to be sensitive to the children’s needs, has to prepare the lesson well and be able to fulfill what students need and give the treatment based on the students’ skill.