During a normal week the children learn English in two distinct ways. The first way is in class and the second way is in everyday situations. The English Assistant always talks to the children in English.
A class lasts 20 minutes where the children sit in a circle on the floor with the English Assistant. The three main activities are flashcards, songs and a story. There is always a common theme between the activities, for example, if the song is The wheels on the bus, then the flashcards are vehicles. A variety of songs and themes are used to stimulate the children as much as possible, for example Walking in the Jungle which introduces animals and easy actions, such as skipping, walking and running.
In all the everyday situations the English Assistant talks about the objects that are used and the actions the children do. This is always the same words and phrases and this way the children learn by repetition. For example, after the midday nap The English Assistant says to the children Wake up, one by one. As the other children hear this, they begin repeating the same words.
Other examples of this are in the Dining-room where we talk about food and cutlery. In the playground, bucket and spade. At the farm, the animal names and the noises they make. In the forest, the trees and leaves. When the children go to the toilet and when it’s time to tidy up the children help to put everything away on the trolley.
The overall methodology is that the children learn in a natural way. This is the same way they would learn their native language by repetition and interaction with the language in an easy to approach, fun way.
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