I like English Teacher's Guide - Flipbook - Page 4
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The Natural Approach to Language Learning
The Natural Approach sees language as developing through the use of natural and meaningful
contexts, rather than conscious learning of language and its structures.
I Like English is built on the assump琀椀on that young learners are curious and, therefore, a琀琀racted
to interes琀椀ng stories, situa琀椀ons, and characters. The program is built around engaging, ageappropriate stories which s琀椀mulate children’s curiosity and allow for authen琀椀c communica琀椀on.
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The Integrated Multisensory Language Teaching Approach
Bejarano’s (1994) pedagogical concept is based on the firm connec琀椀on between “WHAT” content
is included in the language teaching program and “HOW” that content is to be taught.
The “WHAT” includes explicit objec琀椀ves and age-appropriate content, integra琀椀ng all four
language skills – listening, speaking, reading, and wri琀椀ng – in natural aural/oral and wri琀琀en
communica琀椀on.
The “HOW” includes a variety of teaching techniques and ac琀椀vi琀椀es, which consider different
learning styles and forms of intelligence as described by Howard Gardner (Gardner 1993). By
doing so, the program reflects the individual intellectual and cogni琀椀ve strengths as well as
affec琀椀ve needs of each learner.
(Bejarano)
I Like English includes both the “WHAT” and the “HOW”, leading to teaching and learning materials
which are academically sound and successful in the classroom.
3. Why Stories?
I Like English is a story-based program for young learners of English. The use of “children’s literature
can be an effec琀椀ve and enjoyable way to teach language” (Brown 2004: 4). The stories provide an
authen琀椀c contextualized framework through which vocabulary, language pa琀琀erns and chunks are
ac琀椀vated.
The storybooks provide “a springboard for a wide variety of related language learning
ac琀椀vi琀椀es” (Ellis 2014: 6) that are designed to develop pupils’ language skills. As such, the language
that pupils are taught and exposed to in each unit is reinforced and prac琀椀ced through the stories.
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