Учебно-методическим объединением по направлению «Педагогическое образование» Министерства образования и науки РФ в качестве учебного пособия для высших учебных заведений, ведущих подготовку по направлению

Часть II • Формирование иноязычных речевых навыков и умений…
320
Tongue Zones
Words and patterns: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, a taste. Sugar has a sweet 
taste. It is sweet. 
Materials: small amounts of food that has three diff erent tastes (a 
bitter taste we are going just to discuss) on the plates, toothpicks. The 
scheme of tongue zones and its copies per each child, crayons or colored 
pencils. 
1. The teacher places four groups of pictures on the board or on the 
table. These pictures present four groups of food products those that have 
a sweet taste, a sour taste, a salty taste, and a bitter taste
Sugar, honey, sweets, chocolate, and ice-cream have a sweet taste. 
A lemon, an orange, and a plum have a sour taste. 
Salt, a salty cucumber, a sausage, cheese have a salty taste. 
Pepper has a bitter taste. 
Children, look at the picture! What can you see? Name those things 
that you know. Then the teacher asks the children to think what each group 
of food has in common. The children make their suggestions in their native 
language and the teacher says that in English to present the new words. 
You are right! Sugar is sweet. Honey is sweet. Chocolate is sweet. Ice-
cream is sweet. What does the word “sweet” mean? Let’s repeat it all 
together: sweet. Sugar has a sweet taste. It is sweet. 
The same way they discuss all other tastes and train the new words. 
2. Then the teacher organizes a game. The task is to close the eyes and 
to taste a piece of food, name its taste and the food itself. 
The child comes up to the teacher. She covers his or her eyes with a 
scarf. Using toothpicks the teacher puts tiny pieces into the child’s mouth 
and asks: What is the taste? Is it bitter? Is it sour or sweet? What is this? She 
also asks other children who watch the procedure: Is she/he right/wrong? 
Is it sweet? Is it an apple? What is the taste of the apple? So, the apple has 
a sweet taste. Then another child comes up and the game continues. 
3. The teacher reminds the children the story about Mr. Tongue. She 
tells them that Mr. Tongue not only helps us to pronounce words and 
speak but also helps us to feel tastes. Our tongue has diff erent zones. 

---

Глава 15 • Методика обучения дошкольников английскому языку…
321
The teacher demonstrates the scheme with tongue zones and explains: 
This zone is for a sweet taste. This zone is for a salty taste. This zone is 
for a bitter taste. Etc. 
Now take a red pencil and color the sweet taste zone red. Take the 
green pencil and color the zone of salty taste green. Etc. Near each zone 
draw one or two products that have this taste. 
While the children are drawing the teacher comes up to each child and 
talks to him or her: What taste is this? (showing to a certain zone on the 
child’s scheme). What are you drawing? Is it salty? Or: Is this a cucumber 
or a carrot? What is the taste of the cucumber? 
The teacher allows the children to take these schemes so that they may 
show them to the parents and not forget the zones.