ENglIsh IN 3RD gRaDE

The 3rd-grade language learner

Familiar topics Learners in 3rd grade are at a stage in their cognitive development where language learning should be based on concrete, familiar subjects and experiences. The link between the language studied and the purpose for which it is to be used should be explicit.

3rd-graders are not beginner language learners English is new to the learners as a school subject in 3rd grade. However, it is important to remember that the learners are not language beginners. In terms of English, many – although not necessarily all – learners will have been exposed to English and start English classes with at least some receptive knowledge of the language. In addition, learners are experienced in the learning of their first, and perhaps also a second language. They are already familiar with skills such as listening, speaking, conversing and, to a lesser extent, with reading and writing. A Piece of Cake 3 encourages the natural, integrated use of all five skills where appropriate. It allows for learners’ varying experience in English by providing many activities which can be carried out at different levels.

Practical, creative activities 3rd-graders are still young children and English classes should take account of this. For example, in A Piece of Cake 3 there is an emphasis on practical and creative activities, language games, simple communicative activities and activities that encourage movement. Learners learn and practise language in the form of single words and mostly unanalysed “chunks”. These are phrases learned as blocks of language for communicative purposes without the learners yet being aware of their grammatical structure. At this level, they do not learn about language in a very conscious way. The familiar chunks acquired as vocabulary can later be used as a basis for finding out how the structures of English work.

In 3rd grade, learners still enjoy taking part in rhymes, chants, raps and songs, and these are a prominent feature in A Piece of Cake 3. They are of course partly provided for their enjoyment and cultural value,

but they are equally important for their focus on pronunciation, stress and intonation.

self-confidence It is important that the learners build up their self-confidence in speaking English at this stage. There should therefore be an emphasis on creating a natural relationship with the language, where mistakes should be seen as a positive element in the learning process rather than a problem. A Piece of Cake 3 also makes it clear for the learners from the start how much English they actually already know and integrates the development of a classroom language that should make it natural to use English in the classroom from the very first lesson.

English as a classroom language

An important aspect of the development of oral communication skills is the establishment from the beginning of English as the language of communication in the classroom. This does not necessarily mean that the learners’ first language is never used. However, it means that there should be a high degree of awareness of when it is appropriate to choose to use the first language rather than English.

Why english in the classroom? There are a number of good reasons for planning to use English as much as possible as the language of the classroom.

Although most learners are exposed to a great deal of English outside school, it is not the language of the community in which they live in Denmark. The English classroom is therefore one of the main sources of exposure to English interaction and effort should be maximised to ensure that the learners hear and speak as much English as possible.

It is always going to feel rather unnatural – both for learners and their teacher – to communicate with each other in English when it would usually be easier to speak Danish. However, making English the language of the classroom, rather than constantly switching between English and Danish, can go some way towards establishing a physical and mental space where the use of English gradually becomes less strange.

For learners whose first language is not Danish, learning English through the medium of their second language (Danish) can be very difficult and risks limiting their progress in English. The use of English in the classroom places these learners on a more equal footing with their Danish first-language classmates.

Learners in 3rd grade are generally less inhibited to use a foreign language in the classroom than learners who are just a few years older. It is therefore advisable to establish English as the language of the classroom before this self-consciousness kicks in.

how to implement english as a classroom language In practice, it is not always easy to keep to the principle of using English at all times. There is in particular a tendency for teachers to switch back to the first language in a number of specific contexts, for example:

(1) to ensure all learners’ understanding by translating parts of the language used in English activities; (2) to give instructions. (Note that there is a list of useful classroom phrases and instructions on page 99); (3) to maintain discipline; or (4) simply to be able to relate to the learners more easily on a personal level.

The solution would appear to become aware of the contexts in which the teacher switches to the first language and to consider how to maximise the use of English. The main guiding principle must be that any use of the first language should support learners’ acquisition of English.

This does not necessarily mean changing one’s basic approach to English teaching. For example, as mentioned above, a common use of the first language by the teacher is to translate parts of the English language input or activity instructions in order to ensure that everyone understands. This is a constructive use of translation but the risk is that the learners become so used to the teacher’s translation that they stop listening to the original English language. One simple solution to this could be to ask learners to translate language input or instructions for each other in pairs; in order to do this, they have to both listen to the original English and make an effort to understand what it means.

use of danish It is always the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the language of the classroom returns to English after the first language has been used. For example, the teacher has to have a policy regarding the contexts in which he/she will respond in English to a pupil who speaks their first language and the contexts in which he/she will respond in the first language. It will often be appropriate to try to respond in English when the conversation concerns the content of the English lesson. However, it might perhaps be more appropriate to respond in the first language for serious issues of discipline.

Certain situations might always be regarded as the domain of the first language, especially in 3rd grade. This might be in talk about learning, e.g. how best to learn new words, or in talk about language, e.g. an explanation of the use of an aspect of English. However, even here, the teacher can gradually introduce simple terminology and phrases in English that can be used in conjunction with the first language explanation.

A Piece of Cake 3 encourages the use of English as a classroom language by integrating communication strategies into some of the early units. For example, learners learn to ask in English for repetition and for the translation of a Danish word and practise using body language to express themselves.