Useful advice for teachers' first experiences of teaching younger learners (and for parents)

For eleven years, I worked as the director of a large language school. (International House, Santander)

Most new teachers who came to work at the school had had very little experience in teaching children and teenagers - although we also had some teachers who had had the opposite experience - they had taught in primary and secondary schools in the UK and were then moving abroad and had not taught adults except during their 'four week course' as we called the Cambridge English CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) in the staffroom.

As I was reading through the first part of the latest Cambridge English Parents' Newsletter that came into my inbox, it occurred to me that the situations outlined and the accompanying comments and advice would also be very useful for a teacher facing the challenge of teaching young learners and teenagers.  So I thought I'd give it a mention!

http://assets.cambridgeenglish.org/schools/parents-newsletter-issue6-article.pdf

Here is a selection of tips from the newsletter:

When helping children learn a new language, it is important to do things that take into account their stage of development in their own language. 

•  With younger children, try to focus on real things that they will know about, rather than abstract ideas. 

• Embarrassment and self-consciousness can be a complex issue for children and teenagers of all ages, but younger children are often less embarrassed than teenagers or adults about trying new things, like saying new words, in front of other people. 

• Teenage learners are often more independent from adults and teachers, and social factors such as the need to impress their friends may distract them or affect their motivation. This is the challenge with this age group: ensuring that learners have a clear aim or purpose for learning the language. 

Learners in this age group often benefit from tasks that appeal to their interests, reflect their life experiences, and help them achieve a goal that they really believe is important.