Young learners

The YL Teacher. For teachers in the YL field they find highly respected training programs such as CELTA/ DELTA/ TESOL focus on adults, with minimal input devoted to the unique context of YLs. Despite the fact that foreign language programs are the unique context of YLs. Despite the fact that foreign language programs are being offered at an increasingly early age, there are few publications focus on what is available for children in different contexts and classrooms. Consequently, many of our newly qualified teachers do not have the skills needed to teach children. Therefore, current YL teaching practice is based on personal experience, very little of which is validated by research. To overcome this, more specialization is needed, specialized research into YL profiles, and specific YL teacher training programs which can better equip our teachers with the knowledge and tools needed in YL pedagogy. Therefore, in their first year with us, new teachers undertake the course. The session on classroom management is held before the teachers teach their first class, this is done to provide teachers with the tools they need to effectively teach YLs from the first class. ⁷Throughout the course they are observed and provided with feedback to improve their YL teaching practice. In their second and third year, teachers who show an interest in YL can attend teacher development sessions, specifically for YLs or Very YLs. We also encourage these teachers to become speaking specialist examiners for the in Uzbekistan exams. However, after their fourth year, there is not much available in terms of YL teacher training. If YL pedagogy is to move forward, Continuous Professional Development is vital. This is something that needs to be addressed not only by teacher training organizations for example providing teachers with YL courses and conferences, but also by individual teaching institutions in terms of inspiring a positive atmosphere where teachers are encouraged to take a vested interest in their field, journal contributions and further reading. Foreign language teaching has seen a shift away from the backpacker profession, and it is time that YL pedagogy steps forward and demands more from its teachers and learners. Then will cease to be a buzz word; it will just mean being a professional teacher. Any approach to language teaching needs to be firmly grounded in the nature of second language learning. Every classroom activity that teachers make use of is a reflection of knowledge and assumptions in teaching. The process of second language teaching itself, or referred to as second language pedagogy in this chapter, is complex and multifaceted. It consists of grammatical aspects of language, the social aspects of language, theories, methods, approaches, techniques and strategies relevant to second language teaching and learning that would help teachers succeed in their vocation. These include topics as varied as phonetics and phonology, syntax, semantics, behavioral approach to language teaching, grammar translation method, communicative language teaching, task-based language teaching, language awareness, curriculum development, classroom management, learner autonomy, learning styles and strategies. Nevertheless, scholars in language teaching methodology have broadly categorized three major dimensions of second language pedagogy, namely, the language, the teaching process and the learner. When teaching any learners for the first time, it is vital to develop rapport with these students. The same can be said for young learners. One way to develop rapport is to remember the names of your students. This could be achieved by getting students to make name cards which could then be propped up at their desk or you could draw the classroom layout and write down the names of the students on this. When nominating students to answer a question, call them by their name. This will make the young learners feel that their teacher cares about them and is working with them. Once you know the names of your students, generated some rapport and feel comfortable with the learners, you could then progress towards classroom rules with students. This will lay the foundation for positive and appropriate behavior in class and will reinforce what is acceptable and unacceptable in class. It is vital that teachers make students aware of what is expected. One way to do this is by developing classroom rules.