The use of new technologies in teaching English literacy to young learners

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a resource pack made up of lessons that could be used by Year 5 primary teachers, while teaching English as a second language using digital literacy. Prior to the development of the resource pack, observations were held in the school chosen for this research study, to observe how children react to different learning activities. A questionnaire and feedback forms were given to the teacher and the children, to obtain information and opinions as to how they perceived different learning and teaching styles. The development of the resource pack was based on the information gathered. It includes a set of five English lessons built around the use of interactive and digital resources such as the interactive board, the internet and power point presentations. The lessons consist of 2 grammar lessons, 1 comprehension lesson, 1 journal lesson and 1 creative writing lesson. The pack also includes the resources used to carry out the lessons. Once the resource pack was prepared, the lessons were carried out in the Year 5 class observed. An evaluation of the pack and each session was carried out with the help of feedback forms collected from the children and the teacher. A final questionnaire was given to the teacher and the students to discuss the benefits and limitations of the resource pack. The feedback received was quite positive and highlighted the benefits of the use of ICT in teaching English to young learners since it motivated and helped the children to learn in an interactive way while simultaneously giving the opportunity to the teacher to differentiate and cater more for the different abilities of the children.