Lecture 3.

Planning in the junior stage

We distinguish three stages in teaching a foreign language in schools: junior,
intermediate, and senior. Since every stage has its peculiarities we shall dwell upon
each one separately.
Junior stage.This stage involves the 5th and d6th forms. Pupils are eleven
and twelve years old. They are usually eager to learn a foreign language. Indeed,
the eagerness, with which pupils volunteer answers to the teachers’ questions with
frantically waving hands, leaves little doubt that the powerful motives are at work,
among them the desire to display language aptitude, and intellectual strength, or
simply to “show off” in front of the teacher and classmates. They want to speak the
language and understand it when spoken. Pupils like to perform various exercises
and the teacher can easily involve them into various activities during the lesson.
The conditions for language learning are favorable enough: pupils have four
periods a week in the 5th form, and three in the 6th form. The class, as a rule, is
divided into two groups of about twenty pupils. Oral language receives the greatest
time and emphasis although at this stage pupils learn hearing, speaking, reading,
and writing.
Proceeding from the fourfold aim of foreign language teaching, namely,
hearing, speaking, reading, and writing, as the syllabus sets, the problem arises
what to begin with.
There are two possible solutions:
(1) To begin with teaching all the language skills, i.e. oral language (hearing,
speaking) and written language (reading and writing)
(2) To begin with teaching oral language first
1. When we begin with teaching reading, writing, and speaking,
simultaneously pupils’ have to overcome many difficulties acquiring the language
among them unfamiliar sounds of the language different from those of the mother
tongue; peculiar intonation, stress, and, rhythm; the new alphabet which includes
strange letters, familiar letters that stand for different sounds; a complicated
relationships between letters and sounds.
The advantage of this approach lies in the fact that pupils get acquainted
with all the language activities (reading, writing and speaking). The advocates of
this approach say that one phase of a language helps the other. Thus, writing helps
reading; they both help speaking, and speaking helps reading. Language is an
organic unity; each language activity is intimately related to every other activity.
Language learning involves all types of memory: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic
from the very beginning.
There are some disadvantages in this approach, however, and we must not
overlook them. They are the following: there are too many elements pupils have to
assimilate before they are able to understand sentences pronounced by the teacher
or read by themselves. They have to but little idea of the oral language they study
for a long time (at least for a month or more); many children of eleven soon get
tired of the analytical work and lose interest in the language; besides, the teacher in
his attempt to make his pupils’ work easier (there is too much for them to
memorize) conducts his lessons, as a rule, in the mother tongue , some elementary
commands (sit down, stand up, and three-five more expressions) are an exception
since teaching reading and writing requires a lot of time (pupils are slow in doing
this, thereby speaking is neglected, which is, of course, undesirable when the aim
is the command of the language). The most dangerous of all disadvantages
mentioned above is the loss of interest in the subject and to learn the language. “No
one can learn what he does not want to study”. This is especially true when we
deal with children.
2. When we begin teaching hearing and speaking first in the 5 th form pupils
have to overcome but one difficulty, namely, they learn first how to speak and
understand the foreign language when it is spoken. Teaching reading and writing is
postponed for a while. In this case there is an opportunity to concentrate pupils’
attention upon hearing and speaking. Fortunately, ability in oral language may be
developed before ability in written language. Bearing this in mind some teachers
prefer the following sequence in teaching beginners, that is, from oral language to
written language; they conduct the oral introductory course in the 5 th form, and
follow the oral approach in teaching a foreign language afterwards. The advocates
of the oral introductory course in the 5th form believe that it will lead radical
changes in foreign language teaching in schools (where for many years the
simultaneous teaching of language skills has been practiced) and make the teacher
revise the method and techniques he uses. It is practically impossible to make the
teacher deviate from the methods and techniques he used to, though they have not
proved as effective as they were expected to be. The use of the oral introductory
course changes the methods and techniques the teacher applies.
The advantages of the oral introductory course in the 5th form are as follows:
1. The oral introductory course allows the children to get a clear idea of how
the language sounds from the very first steps. The pupils follow a natural sequence
in language assimilation from hearing to speaking and the later on to reading and
writing.
2. The oral introductory course stimulates the pupils’ interest as hey deal
with the language in its communicative function. For children a language is first of
all speech. Therefore when they begin to learn a foreign language, they naturally
want to speak it and hear it spoken. We know how eager the children are to learn a
foreign language in the5th form when the school year begins, and how
disappointed they become when it appears to be not what they expected. The oral
introductory course permits the teacher to instruct pupils’ comprehension of
elementary commands, requests, statements, and questions from the very begging
on the one hand, and in saying something in a foreign language, on the other.
3. Pronunciation in teaching a modern language is known to be the most
important skill to be developed when instructing beginners. In the oral introductory
course much attention is given to teaching pronunciation. The imitative abilities of
children are great enough to be relied upon in teaching pronunciation successfully.
Besides, during the oral course hearing and speaking are in focus, therefore
children have plenty of oral practice, hearing and speaking improve their
pronunciation.
4. At present much attention is given to finding ways of more effective
teaching. The effectiveness depends on how well “feed back” (from the pupil to
the teacher) is established, that is, whether a response from the pupil is elicited. If
the pupil’s is of low fidelity or accuracy –t is slow, in accurate, fumbling, etc. , -
corrective information is provided. In oral language there is a constant
communication between the teacher and pupil. Therefore the feedback is
permanent.
5. The oral introductory course provides an efficient activization of teaching
from the very begging. During the lesson the pupils should be active. They must
listen to what the teacher and the classmates say. Their memory, thinking, visual,
auditory and kinesthetic analyzers are at work. That is why turned to the oral
introductory course in the 5th form to gain better results in a foreign language
teaching. To meet the requirements of the teachers a new textbooks for the pupils
of the 5th form has been compiled. This is the textbook by A.P. Starkov, R.R.
Dixon which is now in use.
When teaching the pupils orally the method used is the aural-oral method.
The teacher must strive towards establishing direct connection between words,
sentences in the foreign language and the concepts and the thoughts it convey.
However, this does not mean the teacher cannot use the mother tongue during the
lesson. He uses it for conveying the meaning of some words, structures, and for
those explanations and commentaries which provide the necessary comprehension
of language material.
The mother tongue, however, should not be an essential link between the
foreign language and the thoughts it expresses. The mother tongue should only be
utilized when it can help to ensure necessary comprehension. The extensive use of
the mother tongue, translation in particular, however, deprives the oral introductory
course of its sense and value. The principal of visualization is of great importance
 in teaching beginners. Audio “visualization” is provided when the pupil listens to
the teacher’s and the classmates’ speech.
Oral approach means that the learner receives his initial contact with the
material through the ear. The oral approach centers attention fundamentally upon
learning a language as a set of symbols to be spoken and understood when heard.
The oral approach is a name primarily for an end to be attained in the first stage of
language learning, i.e. the building up a set of habits for the oral production of a
language and for the receptive understanding of the language when it is spoken.
The oral approach allows the teacher:
(1) to centre attention on teaching the pupils how to pronounce correctly the language
material assimilate ;
(2) to have plenty of time for hearing, repetition, and reproduction since the all the
work is done orally.
(3) To train pupils in assimilating the material through the ear and, in this way, not to
become eye-learners.
(4) To arouse pupils’ interest in learning as they deal with the language as a means of
communication.
(5) To provide the natural sequence in language assimilation: hearing, speaking,
reading, and writing.
Pupils are taught a foreign language through hearing and speaking it. At
every lesson they enrich their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, therefore
they can understand and say more and more. Pupils develop their reading and
writing skills first within the material assimilated orally.
When the teacher is to use the oral approach the following procedure should
be adopted.
The objective is: to teach pupils to understand and use a grammar item in
speech. The grammar item should pass through the following stages to be grasped
and retained by pupils.
1. Listening comprehension.
2. Listening repetition in imitation of the teacher.
3. Numerous repetitions of the sentence patterns; the words being changed.
4. Transformations. The usage of the grammar item in various situations.
The relationship of oral language and written language in the junior stage must be
approximately 3:1, that is, oral language receives the greatest time and emphasis in
pupils’ activity.
Reading is developed on the basis of the material assimilated orally.
However, the teacher should bear in mind that oral-aural competence does not
automatically create reading ability. It only helps pupils to acquire this skill.
Among the exercises designed for developing reading, graphemic -phonemic and
structural- information exercises should prevail. Pupils are encouraged to read texts
for through comprehension and not for translation since the aim are to acquire
proficiency in reading and not in translating.
Writing is developed on the material pupils can use in speaking and reading.
In this stage, writing is a means of teaching since it helps pupils in fixing words,
phrases or sentence patterns in their memory. The leading type of written work at
this stage is copying, though dictations and elementary compositions are available.
In the junior stage, the role of the teacher is great: he presents the language
material, stimulates and directs pupils’ correct usage of the material presented.
However, it does not mean that this activity should “dominate” during the lesson.
On the contrary, care should be taken to increase pupil-practice time. Special
investigation has shown that teachers are often too active during the lesson.
Sometimes the teacher’s activity takes 75 per cent of the lesson time and 25 per
cent is left to the class. In this case, we cannot expect much learning on the part of
the pupil. Indeed 45 min. = 2700 sec. the teacher is talking (and doing something
else, reading, for instance) 30 min. or 1800 sec. thus 900 sec. are left to the class. If
there are 20 pupils in the class, each child has 5 sec. at his disposal. This is not so
much for learning the language.
Givenbelow is a general outline of a daily lesson for the 5 th form during the
oral introductory course with its interpretation.
1. The begging of the lesson 2-3 min.
2. Pronunciation drill 8-10 min.
3. Oral practice 30-35 min.
4. Homework 1-2 min.
The begging of the lesson is used by the teacher for greeting the class and
getting everyone ready for the lesson, for telling his pupils what they will learn and
how that will be achieved. The latter is said in the pupils’ mother tongue because
the class is not prepared for understanding the foreign language.
Pronunciation drill enables the teacher to concentrate pupils’ attention on
sounds, sound combinations, rhythm, and melody. The teacher usually utilizes the
material already covered to get the pupils to practice in producing sounds, words
with these sounds, phrases and sentences correctly by asking the class to
pronounce all this in unison and individually. Since learning to pronounce
properly in the target language is the most important objective for beginners during
the oral introductory course, eight-ten minutes’ drill is needed to achieve necessary
pronunciation habits. To help pupils to acquire these habits the teacher either
conducts pronunciation drill himself or uses audio-visual materials so that pupils
can watch how to produce sounds, words, phrases and sentences, i.e., how wide or
narrow the teacher opens his mouth, whether the voice goes up (the teacher moves
his hand up) or it falls (the teacher moves his hand down).
Oral practice implies the revision of the material covered and presentation and
assimilation of some new linguistic material for further developing the pupils’
hearing and speaking activities. This is the core of each lesson providing the theme
of topic as well as the new vocabulary and structure. They are all woven into
natural English whether in simple questions and answers, dialogue or monologue.
Thus within this part of the lesson, we can easily distinguish:
Revision.Pupils perform exercises, which make communication possible,
however elementary the level of such communication may be. Their speech is
stimulated by the teacher’ commands and request, objects and pictures. The work
is done mainly individually and in pairs.
 Presentation of new words and new sounds and sentence patterns. The
teacher uses direct and translation methods by choice. Pupils perform drill
exercises; repetition, substitution, extension, etc. audio-visual aids and various
visual materials are used as stimuli. The work is done in unison and individually
for all the pupils to be able to pronounce new words and sentences presented as
many times as possible.
Assimilation. Pupils perform speech exercises within the new and old
material. The teacher creates favorable conditions for the pupils to use the material
presented in speech, both in dialogue and monologue using classroom situations
and other stimuli for the purpose. Oral practice takes 30-35 minutes.
Homework. Homework during the oral introductory course or the pre-
reading phase may include: drawing objects whose names the pupil has learnt and
giving them names; simple structural drill; contrastive phonology drills; learning
the rhyme at which the class has worked during the lesson by heart; practicing a
dialogue they have learnt in class. It is desirable that the pupil should have a model
to be able to compare his pronunciation with the one given; non-controlled practice
might bring about the learning of incorrect forms, structures and pronunciation.
The practice records that accompany the textbook are a common source of model
pronunciation. To save the quality of the records which usually inclines to
scratches, it is recommend that the text should be re-recorded on a tape. A
language laboratory may be used as a homework centre to which the pupils may
come during free hours to do their homework. Of course, pupils need to be taught
how to work with this kind of some of home study material. The content of
homework during the oral introductory course will depend on the length of the
latter. If it is short, for instance two-four weeks, then pupils need not to be given
the homework, at least no homework, which requires the use of audio –visual
materials. If it lasts for a term pupils should have some homework, otherwise the
lack of the conventional homework may establish negative attitude to the subject
on the part of both pupils and parents; they may classify it as something that is not
serious. In any case the teacher informs the pupils, and if necessary, their parents
that will be done in class and how to practice effectively at home.
A general outline for a daily plan for the junior stage when the pupils learn
hearing, speaking, reading, and writing may look like this:
1. The beginning of the lesson 3-5 min.
2. Pronunciation drill 3-5 min.
3. Oral practice 15-20 min.
4. Reading 7-12 min.
5. Writing 3-8 min.
6. Homework 1 min.
The beginning of the lesson is used not only for the pupils to get ready for the
lesson, but also for “free talk”, of course within their ability to understand the
language spoken and to speak it.
Pronunciation drill remains one of the main points of the lesson. Pupils are
trained to pronounce sounds, phrases, sentences, rhymes. For example, cat, map,
cap, in the garden, on the skating-rink. Don’t go home alone.
Father, mother, sister, brother
Hand in hand with one another.
Pupils listen either to the teacher, or to the tape-recording or the record. They
repeat the words, phrases and sentences in imitation of the teacher or the speaker
individually and in chorus. Special attention is given to individuals. The teacher
corrects mistakes, if there are any. Songs and poems may serve as material for
pronunciation drill at this stage. If the teacher plays or sings the entire song once
while the pupils listen. He reads or recites the poem to the class.
The teacher drills the lines to be taught. The lines are broken up into phrases and
pronounced by the teacher in the rhythm in which they are to be sung or recited.
The pupils repeat first in chorus and then individually. The teacher and pupils sing
the song or recite the poem softly at first.
The teacher divides the class into groups and has each group sing or recite
separately. Errors are immediately corrected.
 Then the teacher calls on individuals to come up in front of the class to recite for
the class or to sing; the latter can be suggested to volunteers only.
Pupils develop their hearing and speaking skills:
- when assimilating new words, phrases, and sentence patterns presented in
performing drill and creative exercises (this is the case when oral language is used
as a means of learning the language (see “Teaching Vocabulary” and “Teaching
Grammar”);
- When hearing and speaking in the English language in connection with the
situations suggested (this is the case when the target language is used as a means of
communication). The materials used for the purpose are: sentence patterns and
words for substitution, pattern dialogues, and pattern utterances related to the
situations in which pupils can use them.
Pupils develop their reading skills:
-when reading aloud;
- When reading silently.
The materials used for the purpose are: exercises mostly with flash cards and texts
in the textbooks, and supplementary readers (see “Teaching Reading).
Pupils develop their writing skills when assimilating the English graphic system
(see “Writing”) and performing various written exercises.
Homework should include reading, writing, and speaking and require
approximately 20 minutes a day. Pupils need to be shown how to work at home.
They should be cautioned against translation and be encouraged to read the text
aloud, grouping the words in sense-groups; to read for meaning and sequence of
ideas; to answer the text, and so on. Pupils should know that when copying words,
phrases or sentences they should first read them aloud, look at them attentively and
then write a whole word, a whole phrase, or whole sentences. This will help them
in learning the words and structures and in mastering English spelling.
Here is oneofthe possible approaches to compiling a dally plan.
O b j e c t i v e s: 1.-----------
L e v e l: 6th form.2.----------
 3.------------
1. The beginning of the lesson.(3-5min.)
A. Greeting.
B. A short talk with a pupil on duty.
C. A “free talk” about…

2. Pronunciation drill.(3-5min.)
Material: sound-------
Words -----------
Word combinations----------
Sentences-------------
A rhyme (proverb, saying) ----------
A poem------------
(The choice depends on the content of the lesson)
Source: teacher, tape-recorder or record- player.
(The choice depends on the material and conditions.)
Activities: listening to the pattern, repeating it in unison and individually until
adequate pronunciation is attained.

3. Oral practice.(15-20min.)