5 essentials every child needs when you're teaching English

Jeanne Perrett
Two parents sat with their two children, writing in a workbook togeher

The educational choices available to children are evolving rapidly with apps, online courses, digital games, recordings and videos becoming easily accessible. However, amidst this technological advancement, human evolution has not suddenly accelerated, and the primary aim for teachers remains unchanged - helping children make sense of the world and leaving their mark on it.

Here are five essential ways we can achieve that for every child, regardless of their circumstances, whether it's teaching English or fostering everyday learning and education.

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5 essentials every child needs when you're teaching English
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1. Attention

Paying attention to what we're doing is something that we have to re-learn. Very young children?pay great attention to the smallest of things. Washing their hands takes forever as they want to?focus on the soap, doing up shoelaces can become a half-hour activity, or an interesting pebble on the?road can make a quick trip to the shops a very long one.

So, what happens is that we then start?teaching children to hurry up. ‘Hurry up, come on, quickly, now - put on your coat NOW!’ are part of?every parent’s repertoire. And we have to do it because we know what the children don’t - that the bus won’t wait for us, that school starts at a certain time and that people will be kept waiting if we don’t?hurry up.

Therefore paying attention has to be re-learnt and we need to lead the way. We have to pay attention to?the children, what they are saying and doing, and then we have to resist the temptation to do too?many things at once. And, most importantly, we have to give our children enough time to let?things sink in.

2. Skills

We have so many ways of describing skills now; soft, hard, thinking, critical, communication - the list?goes on. In some ways, these descriptors are useful as they make us more aware of the particular?skills of a child, but there is still often a gap between knowing how a child is skilled and how that can?be useful to the child.

Let’s take a classic example; one of the main qualities people often think of as?connected to nursing is a skill for caring, showing compassion and being a good communicator.?Yes, that is important, but the main skill needed to be a nurse is dealing competently, practically?and non-judgmentally with bodily fluids. So, yes, we absolutely need to make sure that we are?educating our children to become skillful in various ways but we also need to think about how those?skills are transferable.

3. Knowledge

One of the most significant changes of the past 40 years is how we can access information. Gone are the?days of one version of an encyclopedia or whatever your teacher knew; now we have online data,?crowdsourced reports, scores of different formats - everything is a click and a swipe away.

So how can?we help with this? First, we have to get children interested enough in a topic to want to find things?out for themselves. Then we must guide them through what is true and what might not be. And?then our main job is showing them that they can add to the tree of knowledge. It’s constantly growing,?and they can lengthen the branches, help fruit grow, and even dig up the roots and plant the tree?elsewhere.

4. Imagination

Thinking creatively, thinking ‘out of the box’ and seeing new possibilities can and must be?nurtured in our children. We can use our imagination in traditionally creative ways such as writing, artwork, music and drama, but perhaps even more importantly we can use it in ‘unseen’ ways. We?can unlearn banal responses and consider what we really think; in other words we can ‘think for?ourselves’. Again this skill is needed more than ever when surrounded by seemingly?wise thoughts in social media memes. The nature of memes is that they look definite, as if they are?true. They might be and they might not. We can decide when we use our critical and creative?thinking skills.

We can use imagination to find solutions to problems and we can use it to make our own everyday realities?more exciting and life-enhancing. Whatever we do, if we have a positive image of ourselves doing?it, the task becomes more meaningful and rewarding. And in a practical sense in the classroom, we?can bring language learning to life. Imagining and play acting the situations where the language we are?learning might be called for; in a restaurant, at an airport or meeting new friends. It can be a great method to teach English to kids, keeping them engaged and actively involved.?

5. Support

Support comes in many forms. First concrete support, such as providing a desk and materials for children to?do their homework. This is something that teachers need to be aware of; do the children have that?at home? It’s not a question of finance - not everyone can afford a separate room and the space for a?desk - but it is a question of realizing that a dedicated, quiet space is needed. For example a cleared?kitchen table at certain times of the day. It’s worth bearing this in mind if parents say their?children never focus on homework. Look at the practicalities before any attitude issues.

The most important form of support we can give is ‘being there’ for our children. Knowing that?someone wants you to do well, is there for you through your mistakes and successes, and?empathizes with both. Someone who ‘has your back’ when you need help and is glad for you when?you do well; that gives our children a powerful sense of security. And we can flourish when we feel?secure.

By implementing these above points, we can equip children with the tools they need to understand the world, pursue their passions and make a positive impact on their lives and others.?

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    Tips for keeping learners studying over the holiday season

    提交者 Nicolas Chaparro
    Reading time: 3.5 minutes

    Nicolas Chaparro is a Colombian language teacher with a bachelor's degree in basic education, specializing in humanities and languages. After spending five years working as a systems technician, he discovered the potential of technology to enhance learning, which ignited his passion for dynamic, tech-driven education. He has the privilege of working at one of Colombia's most prestigious English institutions, where he currently leads a team focused on education, creativity and motivation.?

    The holiday season is a magical time and the perfect moment to spark a teacher's creativity. I've always believed that learning a language isn't just about studying—it's about living it. As a learner, I loved the resources my teachers and institutions provided, but what truly captivated me was the opportunity to engage with the world using the language skills I had acquired.

    As a teacher, I strive to give my students that same experience. I didn't expect the holiday season to become the perfect setting to turn my teaching philosophy into reality. This blog post shares a personal story of how I used a creative activity to keep my students learning and practicing English during the holidays with the support of the Global Scale of English (GSE).

    The challenge I faced: Mixed levels and ages

    The activity I designed, Christmas Carols, presented two main challenges:

    1. Diverse proficiency levels: My group included students ranging from beginners to advanced learners, all participating in the same activity. I wanted to have them all working together; that's what language means to me.?
    2. Varied age groups: The students also spanned different age ranges, which required an effective approach to engage everyone. It was a Christmas gathering meeting with all the institution's students.

    Basic students worked on identifying vocabulary that is similar to their native language and then used it in a short text. Intermediate students solved riddles to guess words that could be included in the lyrics. Advanced students completed questionnaires to build sentences and find synonyms to refine the text. The carol was divided into three sections: the first paragraph was for basic students, the second for intermediate students and the third for advanced students. I also included French students in the activity, which was designed for both languages.

    After the students completed their tasks in separate groups, I mixed them so they could explain the vocabulary they had learned to one another. To facilitate communication without relying on Spanish, I used pictures and Christmas props to help them express themselves visually.

    Finally, we all came together and sang the carol as one group.

    Turning challenges into opportunities with the GSE

    For me, a successful language activity needs three essential components: clear instructions, engaging resources and opportunities for interaction. With these principles in mind, I crafted an inclusive and dynamic activity, using the GSE to guide my planning.

    Step 1: Defining the goal

    I realized that most of my students didn't know specific Christmas-related vocabulary or any traditional English carols. This activity was also an opportunity to learn by myself and then share with them. This gap was my opportunity to introduce them to the holiday spirit in English.

    Step 2: Planning with the GSE

    I identified suitable goals for each proficiency level using the GSE Learning Objectives. These objectives helped me design tasks that targeted key skills—listening, speaking, reading and writing—while considering the ages and abilities of my students.

    Step 3: Preparing a scavenger hunt

    To make the activity interactive and fun, I organized a scavenger hunt. Students had to solve riddles and follow clues to find words essential for completing a Christmas song. The GSE objectives ensured that the tasks were appropriately challenging for each level.

    Step 4: Pairing students effectively

    Knowing my students well, I paired them strategically based on their proficiency and age. This pairing encouraged collaboration and allowed them to support each other throughout the activity.

    Making language visible and memorable

    One of my priorities was to make the language come alive. I brought visual aids like cards, games, and even a Christmas tree and a nativity scene—elements that most students recognized but had never explored in English. These visuals became valuable tools for teaching vocabulary in a tangible, engaging way.

    To add another layer of interaction, I used my guitar to sing along with the students. By the end of the activity, not only were we singing, but they also understood the meaning behind every word. Watching them take pride in their learning was incredibly rewarding and I knew this vocabulary wouldn't stop there; they would take it home and make it real for them, for the season, for their life.

    Reflections and an invitation

    This experience reminded me of the power of teaching through real-life experiences. Holidays provide a unique opportunity to teach without teaching and to help students study while living the language. Tools like the GSE make it easier for us as educators to plan meaningful and impactful activities.

    My invitation to fellow teachers is twofold:

    1. Explore the GSE resources to enrich your teaching strategies.
    2. Share your ideas and activities with the teaching community. Together, we can create opportunities for our students to use the language in real and virtual contexts that inspire learning and cooperation.

    Let's make 2025 the year we bring language to life in every classroom.