Teaching language to Year 2 infants through teaching resources and games

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of language teaching (Maltese and English) through resources and games at year two primary school level. Literature review is mainly concerned with the learning needs of 617 year-olds and how the use of resources and games can effect their first and second language acquisition. Specific examples related to the four language skills are given. Research deals with the teaching of 20 language lessons (I 0 in Maltese and 10 in English) in 5 different State schools. The results of two groups one taught through the 'chalk-and-talk' method and the other taught through resources and games, are collated. Besides focusing on the pupils' cognitive and affective development during the lessons, as well as the perceptions of the teachers observing the lessons, the research also analyses the pupils' performance in a final written task. This research is therefore based on qualitative data derived from the transcriptions of the lessons and the teachers' comments, as well as quantitative data extracted from the pupils' performance in the written task. These are further analysed in order to determine whether 617 year-olds perform better when taught Maltese and English through resources and games and how their performance contrasts with that of pupils taught through the 'chalk-and-talk' method.