An introduction to TEYL (Teaching English to Young Learners)

There are billions of people around the world studying the English language. Some people might be studying as part of their schooling, as a hobby, for work, for a trip overseas, or in order to study at an overseas college/university. An effective teacher will be able to adapt their teaching approach to suit the specific needs of the students they are teaching. One of the biggest factors affecting how a class will be taught is the age of the students.

There are four main age groups that teachers should be aware of. These include infants, young learners, teenagers, and adult learners. Through this course, we will be looking at one of the most common age groups that you are likely to find yourself teaching – young learners.

Who are “young learners”?

The term “young learners” is used to describe students between 3-12 years of age. Schools in some countries might break up the categories in a slightly different way, but you’ll generally find that the term fits this age range.

This is an incredibly important period in a person’s life, and can have a huge impact on their future. During this time, friendships are formed, relationships with culture and learning develop, and students start to establish their own personalities.

As a teacher involved in this journey, you have an important job ahead of you and a great amount of responsibility on your shoulders – but fear not, it can also be a lot of fun!

If you prepare well and use the right techniques you’ll be hailed as the coolest teacher in the school. Your students will be excited before your lessons, they’ll talk about you on the way home, and you’ll inspire them to learn. However, if you don’t prepare well, it could be a completely different story. Picture seeing crayon on the walls, crying students, name-calling, frustrated parents, and a failure to progress.

In this course, we will cover the essential techniques to help your young learner lessons go as smoothly as possible 👌.