Chapter II how to teach languages to different age groups

1.2 Working with Students Age from 5 to 14
When working with young children, teachers should fully adjust the curriculum to the age of the students, which means that they will help them in the best possible way to adopt knowledge that suits their age. Since in this age group there could still be pupils that haven’t mastered the writing skill, teachers should try to adapt the curriculum and classes, first and foremost, to the abilities and knowledge of such young learners. This means that in this case, similarly to working with students 3-5 years of age, most of the learning will take place through games that are already familiar to them because this is also the best way to master English language skills that are suitable for children from 5-7 years of age. Also, sounds of English language should be introduced to children at this point so that they will, through fun and interesting activities and play, get to know the sounds of a new language, learn their first words in English and, at the same time, develop curiosity and listening skills. And it’s always good to know How to Motivate Young Learners. For students in first to fourth grade, that is, for those whose age is from 7 to 10 years, different ways of acquiring language skills should be envisaged. The curriculum should contain mostly topics and areas that are close to students, that is, those that will stimulate interest so that they will be relatively easy to master.
Apart from the fact that the students at this age should learn how to communicate properly in the foreign language, and at their level of knowledge, team spirit will develop, since it is best that the teaching be as interactive as possible. This approach to teaching should very positively reflect on the acquisition of knowledge that the teachers seek to convey to their students. It is expected that all students who attend a course of English language at this age should learn to communicate in the spoken language, at the level appropriate to their age. Since the lessons should be designed primarily as interactive, so that all students participate equally in them, it means that it will, among other things, have positive effects on their further learning at school.
Elementary students still have a ton of energy, but tend to be more focused than kindergartens. These students are now at school in structured classrooms with lessons, as opposed to the kindergarteners whose day is made up of playing indoors and outdoors. The elementary students are at a stage where they are slowly beginning to think for themselves and many of them think they already know it all.
At this age role-playing is effective, as the students like to see themselves as tiny adults. Playing games where they role-play adult occupations is fun and an easy way to include the target language. The lessons can now also include a competitive aspect as this age group does not shy away from competing with each other.
When planning a lesson for an elementary class, it is all about the balance between energy, brain work and friendly competition. Have a few high energy activities in the lesson but split the room into teams to add a competitive spirit. To balance the high energy parts have some puzzle and quiz activities where individuals can shine and show their skill. A great way to get students to produce the language to each other is to set up role-play situations or make-believe. For example, if you are teaching them shopping vocabulary, set up a small shop in the classroom. You can have each student play the role of cashier, shopper and shop assistant. This is great as not only are they having fun assuming the adult role, they are also seeing how English works in the real world.
Although this age group may seem like they know it all and like to take on adult roles, never forget they are still children so keep all the activities light-hearted and fun. Even though lessons can be more competitive than in kindergarten, keep in mind that the goal is for the students to enjoy their class and have fun while learning English.
Students attending higher grades of elementary school, that is, children aged 11 to 14, should already have a certain level of knowledge of the English language, and the teacher should determine what these skills are, but also perfect them in a way that they follow the school’s curriculum as closely as possible.