How to Teach English to Children

In globalization era, English has been compulsory to learning. Learning English need to apply in the early age knowing the children is fluent in English, are not something surprised. Indeed in some primary school especially in non formal  school has been used English as  a second language. If the children always use English then we  will not surpassed with other country. So i will talk about How to Teach English to Children.

• ·            Listening

In addition by listen for the teacher speaking English,the children also learn listening. For instance, the teacher read a English story book, either the simple song or watching TV and DVD in English, But still in few and simple word at first.

• ·            Speaking

After the children are usual to listen to English, the children are encourage to speak in simple sentences. There are some problem to involve children to speak in English. We can solve those problem by finding new learning material in some  source such as internet about learn English  as second language for children for example in Genki home website. This site contains a variety of simple conversation that changed be a song with funny and interesting illustration. In this case children become familiar and willing to speak.

• ·          Reading

There are 2 common method for teaching reading , “ Whole language approach” and “ Phonic” are learning method for teaching reading, which is use  the language as whole not separately.

Whole  Language Approach is more emphasis on the meaning of a word, for example when the children see a word “cat” we can say that it read “ket” and the meaning is “kucing”. Usually children learn a reading with the memorize the words that they have mentioned. This method help children faster to read but difficult for them to write the words especially in long words.

Phonic is a learning method that use sound and spelling the words one by one, example (cat)the spelling is keh-e-teh be “ket” every word decomposed into the letters. Because children need long time to spelling the word until they are be able to read.

• ·         Writing

This  is the difficult stage in learning English because there are many rules that must be obeyed. Indonesian are usually difficult to speak in English. Actually they can speak English but they are scare do wrong. Most of them afraid to do wrong in use of grammar but people be able to understand what we have say, that’s fine in speaking. When we did a lot grammatical error and spelling in writing . In other side , people can not understand what we write.

It is relatively difficult, so i think writing is the last skill. Don’t rush to teach grammar and writing if the children are not able or success in use of 3 skills. Teaching grammar should be done implicity through that contain of book sentences the same pattern.

If we teach grammar explicitly, effectively explanation  and formula to the children by memorizing , they  will be confused and scared to write something. As well as when children speak should  begin write one word, one short sentences, one long sentences, one paragraph and continue oneward,  it’s better to help the children be able to write in English.