FEEDBACK about the Helen Doron Early English Programme

Written by:
Dr. Judit Kovács , PhD Med
Associate Professor
Eötvös Lóránd University , Faculty of Kindergarten and Primary
Teacher Training, Budapest, Hungary
Early language learning pedagogy and bilingual education expert

On the 27th January 2009 I visited two sessions for children of kindergarten age in the organization of the Helen Doron Early English, Hungary. Previously I had already attended a HDEE outer session in a bilingual kindergarten. Based on the above mentioned three sessions I summarize my opinion in the followings:

Language development based on language acquisition

The Helen Doron Early English Programme deals with the teaching of children aged under age 14. The applied method of HDEE teachers for teaching language in the age group of kindergarten children I examined is based on the principle that distinguishes between language learning and language acquisition.

In the case of children aged under 6-7 language acquisition is a natural and effective method of introducing them to the language and developing their language skills without following grammar rules cognitively but based on non-cognitive behaviour in normal everyday activities. A child who is exposed to the language regularly in sensible situations feels, rather than follows, language rules. This attitude does not focus on accuracy but it conveys risk, trial and guessing. It also means that not only a special distinguished field that is the command of language is being developed but also the child's whole personality through language impulses. As it does not involve a traditional classroom situation, children are not under the stress of having to meet requirements because their progress and results are not assessed by grades. Error correction is also done in a positive way so that it does not cause a feeling of failure during the lessons similarly to the situation when children acquire their first language. The relation to the foreign language is not product oriented, they do not have to give account of their advance by a definite time. The process of learning a foreign language is an integral part of children's life.

Learning based on activity

Another principle of early language acquisition in the sessions I visited, namely that language acquisition should take place combined with some interesting activity, was also detectable. A child is happy when it can play, move and sing and when these activities are combined. But this pleasure is not self-contained: in children's learning activity it plays an important role. There is a saying that a child does not do what he has learnt, but on the contrary: it learns that it has already done. That's why in the early language acquisition, activities linked with movements, competitions, imitating animals' movements, rhythmic motions, dance and group games are very important. Teachers' instructions to do these activities are useful at this age and in this early phase of language acquisition because time is given to develop receptive skills (understanding based on listening) before the productive use of the language appears. The teacher has an immediate feedback if the child understood what it had heard as it gives a physical response with its motions. In literature it is called Total Physical Response.

The Child as a meaning-maker

The HDEE teachers rely on the child's "meaning-making" skills, when they expect the children to readily perform their instructions given in the target-language proving that they understood them. Contrary to teenagers and adults, a foreign language is acquired by a child not only verbally by understanding the uttered words. Situations, activities, perception, visual and auditory aids, the teachers' mimics, gestures that are not verbal means of communication also help children make sense of the words.

Perception as a way of children's learning

Young children as their conceptual thinking is not so developed as that of teenagers and adults try to learn the world around them and interpret its phenomena in a different way, e.g. with the help of their organs of sense. That's why it is important for them to have the opportunity to get in touch with a lot of objects during their activities. These can be different toys, sports aids, balls, coloured objects and toy-animals. Regarding acquisition of correct language patterns and intonation, knowledge gained through seeing and touching is completed well by knowledge through hearing ,which have a primary role as we are speaking of foreign language learning .In addition, the rhythm and rhyme of chants, songs and motional activities (motional perception) combined with them can give pleasant feelings to children. In the sessions I visited I saw several examples of learning through perception.

The Role of Motivation

A child will enjoy learning a foreign language when it takes place in a stress-free, pleasant atmosphere, in the form of enjoyable, playful activities. In the toolbox of young children's teachers there should be activities that meet these criteria. Praising, encouragement smile are common means of teachers. Instead of correcting the not quite accurate saying and making the child to memorize it, the teacher should repeat the correct form, so that the child could remember and learn it. The task of young children's teacher is not assessing the performance and rebuking, but trying to keep a positive attitude that children will retain during their later language learning at school. The teachers of HDEE are quite aware of this aim.

Summary

After visiting 3 sessions of the programme and talking to the experts, colleagues participating in the programme I have the opinion that the programme of HDEE as well as its implementation completely complies with the principles of contemporary literature on early language learning. Based on activity-centred principles a stress-free language development of children of kindergarten age is taking place in different situations with the use of varied means. The children noticeably enjoy these lessons. As it is non-conscious learning I did not see any activities that would be harmful for the children's development
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