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A few key ideas

• The purpose of early foreign language instruction is to give each child the readiness that will allow him/her to use the language with ease and comfort later on.
• Since acquiring a foreign language is a continuous process, the classroom activities (songs, games, pair-work, work with manipulatives, dialogues, plays, etc. ) are designed so that all the new words, expressions and concepts are used over and over again in different situations in a constant reinforcement pattern.
• Learning a foreign language involves the four skills listed hereafter in order of importance : listening, speaking, reading, and writing. At the elementary level, the emphasis is placed on listening and speaking skills. Guided reading and writing activities that become more complex in the upper grades are used as unit closure activities.
• To help students understand what is said in class or in a dialogue, I use a lot of pictures, gestures, and props. Most of the vocabulary and situations taught in the classroom are related to the real world. If you can show what you are talking about, there is no need to use English in the classroom. If the students pay attention to what is pointed to, what is done, and what is shown during class, they understand quickly what we are talking about.
• Dialogues and plays are used so that students are exposed to different voices and accents. The goal is not for the students to memorize and parrot the text but to integrate sentence structures that can be useful in real life situation. However, the dialogue will eventually become a skit that volunteers will perform in front of the class. Several activities come with each dialogue in order to help the students understand the text. A global comprehension of the situation and an accurate use of the key concepts are the two main objectives when using dialogues besides exposure to different accents and voices.