Teach English in Zhigou Zhen - Weifang Shi

While reading stories to children may seem like just another way to entertain them, the learning value that reading to a child offers is immense. Language acquisition for L1 develops from considerable exposure to the language starting from a young age. High input is one of the best ways to absorb a new language, along with an active desire to understand and communicate. Stories offer both, giving children a reason to listen and think about language while also teaching them how that language works. Moreover, reading to children can act as a bonding experience, increasing students’ comfort levels in a teaching environment and giving an added level of investment from kids. From demonstrating proper pronunciation and using exaggerated intonation, to giving exposure to new words and examples of proper grammar, stories can effectively teach children just as much as a traditional classroom setting all while they are oblivious that they are actively learning. A few aspects of learning English that are consistently big challenges are pronunciation and intonation. Because English is a phonetically inconsistent language, many times even native speakers understand a word but cannot properly pronounce it as they’ve never heard it spoken. What’s more, knowing where to stress a word can drastically change the meaning of a sentence. For example, “I didn’t steal that car,” can have various implications depending on which word is stressed. Both of these challenges can be tackled by proper language input offered through the use of reading stories. Stories give an interesting and dramatic setting, and good readers will be able to characterize each speaker or narrator with their intonation and tone of voice. To a child, this is entertaining and engaging, and they are more likely to absorb the nuances of the language. It doesn’t matter if they understand exactly what is being said. Simply hearing the kind of musical lilts that English exhibits can give them a sense of what is being conveyed and the intention behind the words they have no meaning for yet. Developing these skills early is what ends up making a more successful English student as they will already understand how to present the technical materials they will be given in higher levels of study. While it is still very early for children to think about vocabulary and grammar in a scholarly way, reading stories to them can help them grow more accustomed to how the English language is structured as well as take note of frequently used words or phrases. Children can pick up greetings, basic manners, and a multitude of useful everyday words simply through listening. While the contextual uses may be lost on them, simply knowing a handful of words or how to listen to English being spoken is invaluable to the development of their own skills. Again, because learning in this situation is fun and interesting, it may be a more memorable experience for children and they will retain more information. Being able to recognize words little by little can be encouraging, and also helps kids train their ears to pick out what they know and understand. As they learn more about grammar and vocabulary in the future, it will be easier for them to connect the dots they couldn’t before and realize the intent behind the words and phrases they’ve heard before. Reading to children can also serve as a bonding experience. Increasing levels of trust and investment in student teacher relationships does wonders for a child’s learning abilities. As students become more comfortable and friendly with educators, their willingness to learn, motivation to study and make their mentors proud, and inclination to take risks trying out the language all increase with it. Students that feel close to their educators have an easier time opening up when they’re struggling and are more willing to take constructive criticism. They are also more likely to participate in other activities and explore English more thoroughly. The best learning happens in a relaxed, trusting, and safe environment. This can be achieved through reading stories. Teaching through a fun and interesting manner is the easiest way to get kids invested and eager to study the language, as well as gain their admiration and respect for future learning endeavors. Stories are an invaluable, multifaceted tool for English language education in early childhood. A story effectively captures a child’s attention, giving them a reason to listen and invest themselves in trying to understand. A captive audience is more likely to absorb the vast amount of material being thrown at them. Examples of intonation, proper pronunciation, key words and phrases, and even grammar structures become memorable when an engaging story is behind the teaching. Bonding with students through reading books and creating positive experiences and environments together with them inspires them to learn and strive to meet expectations. Starting these trends in early childhood when language acquisition abilities are at their highest sets up kids for a successful future in learning English. All it takes is one good story.