The importance of learning through play has been highlighted in various studies. Lorella Fava takes a look at how English can be taught in a fun way and how this is being applied in the local context.

Teaching English to children can be daunting for teachers.

Anyone who has ever been in a classroom filled with over 20 five-year-olds knows that children are very easily bored and not afraid to show their boredom, often in a rather loud way.

So how do you teach a language to these little monkeys when all they want to do is play and have fun? The answer is simple: why not incorporate the two?

The concept of learning through play has become more popular recently. This form of teaching is often referred to as ‘active learning’, which basically means fully involving children in the learning process.

To achieve this, teachers need to create an environment that in some way or other appeals to all the senses, including visual, auditory and tactile.

Some learning activities could, for example, include singing, dancing, games and crafts.

ESU volunteers Kay Buttigieg and Monica Micallef lead the class in an animated version of The Animal Boogie at St Margaret College, Żabbar Primary A.ESU volunteers Kay Buttigieg and Monica Micallef lead the class in an animated version of The Animal Boogie at St Margaret College, Żabbar Primary A.

Creativity and imagination are part of the learning process and they need to be promoted by the teacher. Moreover, this type of learning helps children develop social skills.

This concept is not a vague theory

This concept is not a vague theory. On a local level, the English-Speaking Union (ESU) is implementing this concept through the Arm of Support project, taking place at Żabbar Primary A. The tutors give twice weekly sessions to Kinder 1 and Kinder 2 and Year 1 and Year 2 students, during which they focus on improving English language levels through play-activities and tasks. These sessions are in addition to their normal curriculum classes and do not replace any of their scheduled lessons.

“We don’t use a didactic approach, rather, one of discovery – using eliciting techniques to draw out the language that students may already know and giving them the confidence to use English effectively and fluently,” says Pia Zammit, director of education at ESU.

Speaking on a broader scale about the concept of learning through play, or active learning, Zammit says that research and “our own experience”, have proved that introducing/improving language skills through play has a great effect.

“Students develop better social skills, more imagination, more empathy and a greater capacity to ‘decode’ what others mean.”

In this way, language is explored, developed and learnt according to the students’ needs, while also providing a setting where the concept of learning is just as fun as playing with one’s friends.

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