Teaching English in Key Stage One - Grades 1 & 2

BY SUNIL Atugoda, Director, English, National Institute of Education Maharagama

FORMAL teaching of English in the school system starts from Grade 3 onwards as teachers professionally qualified and trained to teach English are being utilized in these grades.

Thus, English teachers are not being allocated time in Primary Grades 1 & 2 classes to teach English. Moreover, the syllabi in these two Grades were designed to teach First Language and three other subjects; Mathematics, Religion and Environment Related Activities.

This subject, Environment Related Activities (ERA) is theme-based, taught in the student's Mother Tongue, and Activity Based Oral English (A.B.O.E.) is included within ERA.

The publication "Guidelines for the implementation of the Primary Education Reform" published in May 2000 by the National Education Commission, Ministry of Education & the National Institute of Education illustrates this situation very well.

Under 'The Subjects in the Curriculum' on pages 2 & 3, it states - "The new curriculum includes a language area and three other subjects. These are: Mathematics, Religion and Environmental Related Activities.

In the language area of Key Stage 1, only mother tongue (Sinhala or Tamil) is taught. The formal teaching of English and the teaching of a second national language (Tamil for Sinhala children and Sinhala for Tamil children) will start from Key Stage 2, and will continue in Key Stage 3."

This clearly shows that teaching English starts only at Grade 3, which is the first grade in Key Stage 2. (Grades 3 & 4). The publication also states on pg. 4, under '2.5 Oral English', how English should be taught in Key Stage 1.

2.5 Oral English - "Another new feature is the provision of opportunities for all children in schools islandwide to use simple English for conversation. This is referred to as 'Activity Based Oral English'. As the name suggests, the emphasis is on the use of English in conversation while children are engaged in guided play and activity, especially in the area of ' Environment Related Activities'. This will be supervised by the class teacher. No special teacher will be assigned and no separate periods for oral English have been allocated."

Thus, it is very much evident that no teacher other than the class teacher should be employed to teach English in these grades.

Teaching in Grade one in ERA is done through 16 themes such as 'We and the School', 'Our Home', and the same themes at a slightly higher level are delivered in Grade 2.

A theme is to be covered roughly within two weeks. As stated earlier, English should be incorporated in these themes in the normal teaching to be done by the class teacher under ERA.

The class teacher who teaches in the mother tongue of the child either in Sinhala or Tamil in these two grades is supposed to teach throughout the class time dealing in all subject areas.

She should allocate the 20 hours per week available in Key Stage 1 according to instructions given in the Syllabi, teachers' guides and circulars. ERA is considered as a coordinating subject in that it reinforces the other three subjects- Language, Mathematics and Religion.

As mentioned above, the teachers who teach in these two grades are supposed to deal in all subject areas including Oral English. The publication also states that it recommends a single teacher to be in charge of a set of children throughout a key stage and that this is especially important at Key Stage one.

The drawback that has been there upto now was that all these Grade 1 & 2 teachers have not undergone adequate training to learn methodologies to be used in introducing English at these grades.

The training that had been given was as far back as 1998 or 1999, and that there would be many who may have been retired now and many new teachers who may have started teaching in Grades 1 & 2.

Whatever training programs conducted could be seen as not being sufficient in terms of content, methodology, guidance given and the number of teachers trained.

This is very much evident today by the fact that English is not being introduced well in Key Stage I, a major factor being the lack of self confidence of the teachers to deal with Oral English.

English that is designed to be delivered in these grades is called "Activity Based Oral English" as mentioned earlier. The name itself suggests the nature and manner in which it has to be imparted at classroom level.

It is English in the oral form where oral and aural aspects are being addressed, which in normal usage can be identified as speech & listening, which also have to be delivered through activities rather than being taught.

Thus, it could be seen that English is to be part of the theme-based activities within the normal classroom work done in the child's mother tongue where basic English is introduced.

If we consider Theme 1 in Grade 1, the class teacher takes the child through a theme called 'We and the School' in the child's mother tongue. In the process of doing this, the teacher introduces words such as 'Principal', 'bell', 'classroom', 'office' etc. in the mother tongue.

These, in the setting of that theme are introduced in English as well orally in the form of activities done by the children, as guided play, games and songs. These consolidate language in the child without making him aware that it is being taught.

Pupils are made familiar mainly to the oral form of the word in English, rather than the written form, which is used in a very limited way. Written form is used in a very restricted manner along with the picture of the word, but writing is not attempted at all.

The Gr. 1 & 2 teacher is not supposed to go into this area which is done by a qualified trained teacher in English at the most appropriate time for the student, which has very well been judged as the Key Stage 2.

It is the belief of educationists that the child should not be burdened unnecessarily and confuse him by giving too much at this very young age.

In fact, getting to know the intricacies of the mother tongue is a task in itself, and if more than what he can grasp are being pushed down forcibly, the child who is not prepared can become confused, which can do much harm than any good at all.

Considering all these, decisions have been reached very wisely that the child should be exposed to English properly at Grade 3, which had been clearly stated in the document mentioned.

And even here, the child is not subjected to any forceful downloading, but to take him through the process gradually allowing time for the child to clarify things slowly, which may otherwise confuse him.

Preparing the child to learn English at Grade 3 is what should be done in Grades 1 & 2. Thus, it could be clearly seen that any learning should be incremental where the child should not be subjected to learning things that are meant to be done in Grade 3.

Another important fact is that if it is argued that there is a gap between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, then this should be looked into in its entirety, rather than by doing something in an ad hoc manner.

It is not advisable to introduce reading & writing in Grades 1 & 2 as the Primary teacher is not trained to handle English Language, and she should not be burdened with such a responsibility.

Another factor that reading and writing need not and should not be attempted in Grade 1 and 2 is that even in Grade 3, materials prepared by PELP with the participation of many experienced personnel, that up to Unit 8, only shapes of letters are being practiced in lines or curves.

What can be expected is for the teacher to introduce some simple words orally, at the appropriate instances when teaching the themes in ERA. This will be more natural and meaningful and relates to the task at hand. Also if a child learns anything faulty, it would become a massive task to correct it by the English teachers later.

Many such instances have been discovered by the In-service Advisors and officers who visit the schools and do classroom observations. Thus, the safest way to attempt English at this level is by introducing Oral - Aural forms through the Grade 1 & 2 teachers as recommended in the document mentioned earlier.

The above mentioned facts clearly show that it is quite harmful to rush into things haphazardly. This should be seriously taken into account by parents, teachers, principals, officers and anybody else who is concerned and is in favour of the normal development of the child. Only then that he could become a balanced personality and a useful citizen.

(To be Continued)