Should My Child Have English Lessons?
It has been 18 months since I made the decision to start my own English tutoring “school.” Prior to this I had looked around at what was already available. There are a large number of places offering English lessons, but what do they teach, and how do you choose the right one for your child?
The biggest question to answer is why children should attend English lessons. For most parents it is about giving children the chance to develop their mother tongue and keep their English at a level similar to that of their peers back home. For the children, however, English lessons often offer a release – an opportunity to think, talk and make friends with others in their home language. For students who begin in kindergarten, these lessons also give them the opportunity to participate in a more structured, academic activity and can provide a balance to the play-based Swiss pedagogy.
A popular chain of thought suggests that children should spend two years learning to read and write in one language before they learn a new one. Switzerland gives us a perfect opportunity to apply this theory, as many children begin their English literacy lessons when they start kindergarten. Therefore they have two years of English lessons before they start reading and writing in school, and they get a solid grounding in English to build upon. This is one reason why so many classes for children from age four introduce phonics (letter sounds) and the beginning skills of reading.
Many children find that once they begin reading and writing in German/French/Italian, the process is easier, having already developed these skills in English. This is a huge boost to many expat children, who may not be as strong in the school language but can achieve well in the literacy side, which gives them added confidence.
There are six skill areas in most English lessons, and these are reading, writing, grammar, spelling, talking and listening. Reading and writing are the two main areas, and often spelling and grammar are bundled under the heading of writing. I choose not to do this in my planning. As I explain to parents, I feel it is important to see how the separate curriculum areas link together, and how the grammar activities we covered last term will now help the student with the writing elements for this term.
Many people consider reading as the basic act of reading the words, but mastering the skill is far more than simply being able to read words on the page. This is something that takes experience to teach. Many parents teach their children the alphabet and can help them read simple three-letter words but are unsure of how to take the next step. Comprehending the events, predicting the next part, relating fictional characters to real-life events, and using expression to bring the story to life are just a few of the many skills which children need to become proficient readers. Teaching these competencies has to start at the beginning of a child’s reading journey to enable them to develop a love and appreciation for the written word.
Similarly, writing is much more than the mechanics of putting words on a page. It is no coincidence that the best writers are enthusiastic readers who learned the subtleties and tricks of good writing from accomplished authors. In the lessons I run, children are exposed from an early stage to a range of different authors and a mix of fiction and non-fiction texts. Through examining these different styles they can identify new ways to approach their writing and also develop their vocabulary, spelling and comprehension skills.
During lessons I use a range of different tasks such as games, cut-and-stick activities, and more traditional writing and spelling activities, among others. It is important in such limited lesson time to cover as much as possible but without the students getting bored or losing focus. Using games, white boards and magnetic letters allows me to assess their knowledge and understanding quickly without the fear that what they are writing could be wrong. We are all more willing to take a risk if we know any mistakes can be quickly wiped away!
If you are considering lessons, then there are several points to keep in mind. First and foremost is to ask whether the teacher is a native English speaker, qualified and experienced. There is a myth that teaching is easy and anyone who can speak the language can teach it, but you wouldn’t let someone do surgery on your child just because he has done a first aid course! Letting someone without the appropriate training teach your child to read is comparable and can do long-term damage.
Ask how the teacher will cover the different areas of English and what sorts of resources they provide. Most schools will supply reading books, spelling materials, etc., but some will ask you to buy books or print items at home. Equally important is recognising how they will give you feedback on your child’s progress and ensure each student is working at the correct level. Some schools have set programmes they follow which will work for some but not all children, so ask how they will accommodate your child should she fall behind or shoot ahead. Find out what the homework expectation is. All English lessons will give homework, as there is not enough time to cover everything in class, but some expect more than others. Finally, find out what age the lessons cover. There are many places offering beginner lessons which stop when children reach the age of seven, and it can be very difficult to find tuition that continues beyond this age.
As I have highlighted, there are many benefits to participating in English lessons. Giving children even a few years of English lessons from a native speaker allows not only their reading and writing to develop but also their pronunciation, vocabulary and confidence in the language.
By Karen Clayton
Karen is a primary school teacher with over ten years’ classroom experience. She is originally from Scotland and now lives in Zurich with her husband and two sons. She runs her own business, Smart Owls, offering English tuition for children and workshops for different age groups. More information can be found at smartowls.wordpress.com.
Illustration by Albina Nogueira
