CROSS – CURRICULAR APPROACH
IN TOPIC – BASED TEACHING ENGLISH
OF YOUNG LEARNERS’
Most
people seem to
believe that
teaching children is
rather unchallenging
activity and suitable
for beginning
teachers because
young students are not extremely
‘demanding’ learners and therefore you do
not have to possess any special linguistic
knowledge to teach them (this fact is
crucial when you begin teaching and
haven’t acquired enough practice yet).
What is more, some people think that a
teacher of children does not have to be
really prepared for the lesson because
pupils are usually beginners and the
language structures they learn are quite
uncomplicated. Some time ago my point of
view was quite similar to the one I
presented, however, when I begun my
teaching practice everything turned out to
be quite different. I realised that teaching
children is quite challenging and, at the
same time, enjoyable. Moreover, young
learners are so different from older learners
that teaching them is unique and never
monotonous.
Apart from that,
according to the latest
teaching programs
cross-curricular
teaching is now the
basis of school
education. As far as
teaching English is concerned, the way of
applying some methods has not changed
much. However, I would like to present
that language lessons can be still more
1
by Ewa Auguścik-Joppek
interesting and motivating with the help of
using materials stemming from other
subjects. It is of the great importance as far
as young learners are concerned because if
they are encouraged to acquire and
improve their knowledge from the very
beginning of their educational
development this fact will have profitable
effects in their professional future.
Additionally, I would like to
point to the significance of the ‘topic –
based learning’ as far as young children are
concerned, because it is crucial not to treat
English as isolated subject but place it in a
real context.
Talking about ‘young
learners’ (children), ‘cross – curricular
teaching’, ‘topic – based learning’, it is
crucial to explain these notions and other
concepts connected with presented topic.
First of all, I would like to
describe the notion
of children as
‘young learners’.
During my school
practice I work
with the first and
the second grade of primary school (7 – 8
year – old children). Although there isn’t
great age difference between them, pupils
from the 2nd grade possess quite distinct
attitude and way of thinking from their
younger colleagues. We actually may
divide them into two separate groups.
According to Wendy A. Scott and Lisbeth
H. Ytreberg – the authors of ‘Teaching
English to Children’ – 7-year olds may be
placed in the first age group (4 – 7 years
old) and 8-year old pupils belong to the
second group (8 – 10 year – old children).
Pupils from the 1st group are aware of the
fact that the world is governed by some
rules, however they may not understand all Apart from that, it is characteristic of
of them. They are very sensitive to the younger children that they sometimes
surrounding world. have difficulty in differentiating between
fact and fiction. Contrary to 8-year-old
[…] ‘Their own pupils who are able
understanding comes to recognise what is
through hands, eyes false and what is
and ears. The true and possess
physical world is their own views
dominant at all about the world.
times.’ Additionally,
children from the
(Scott & Ytreberg 1990:2) ‘2nd group’ have already acquired some
basic structures of their mother tongue and
They are generally self – centred: they are competent users of it.
Furthermore, they can learn through
[…] ‘They are happy spoken rules not only through visual and
playing and working kinaesthetic senses. They are also more
alone. They can be likely to co-operate and share things with
very reluctant to others.
share with others – As we can see these two
they very often don’t groups of children are quite distinct,
see a point in however they also possess similarities, e.g.
working with self – centredness – the need for teacher’s
somebody.’ attention, which increases their motivation.
Generally, at around 7 or 8, things seem to
(Scott & Ytreberg 1990:2) fall into place for most children and they
begin to make sense of the adult world as
This is basically a characteristic of younger we see it. This is, of course, a theoretical
representatives of this group, however still division, however it is close to reality as I
a great majority of 7-year old children do could learn while working with young
not like to share anything with their students.
classmates.
Moreover, they are willing to The second
acquire the knowledge. According to the concept to explain is
authors of ‘Teaching English to Children’ ‘topic – based
learning’. It is
[…] ‘Children are especially useful as far
enthusiastic and as teaching children is
positive about concerned, because it
learning. They can is a method of conducting lessons while
even improve their focusing on a particular theme. According
attitude after being to Scott and Ytreberg’s book this
praised […] we technique possesses many advantages:
should praise
children for the • Concentrating on a particular issue a
smallest progress in teacher puts greater emphasis on the
order to keep their content of the lesson and at the same
enthusiasm.’
(Scott & Ytreberg 1990:3)

2
 time he/she can relate it to real of English in Polish reformed school.
students’ experiences. According to it a teacher is able to connect
topics from English lessons with general
[…] ‘Children can issues being taught during the early
associate words, education. Moreover, they can use methods
functions, structures of teaching characteristic for 1-3 grades of
and situations with a Primary School. This fact enables us to
particular topic. treat English as an integral part of a real
Association helps world and, what is more, it facilitates
learning language in associating and memorising language
context and both structures and vocabulary.
understanding and
memory.’ In my early
teaching practice I
(Scott & Ytreberg 1990:84) created a sequence of
lessons aimed at the
This fact leads to paying more attention to group of pupils
individual students’ needs. attending the second
grade of the primary
[…] ‘How you school in Bydgoszcz,
organise your Poland. The general
materials within a idea of this sequence of lessons was to
topic is very personal present the method of teaching English
and is dependent on with the adaptation of materials from
the particular class different subjects such as mathematics,
that you are teaching music, art etc.
at that particular Moreover, I wanted to create
time.’ this module taking into account ‘topic –
based learning’ therefore it was connected
(Scott & Ytrberg 1990: 84) with one theme, which is ‘traffic’ (the title
of the sequence is ‘The street’). I’ve
Furthermore, ‘topic – based learning’ chosen this topic because I believed that
offers a teacher more freedom to arrange 8-year old children possess some
lessons while taking into account knowledge about traffic regulations,
individual pace of learners and, what is furthermore they know what, for instance,
also worth mentioning, it enables to adjust particular signs or traffic lights mean (red
topics to general school curriculum. light – stop). Generally, I found this topic
interesting, since it is placed in a real life –
The last concept is cross – apart from the classroom, children can
curricular teaching but, strictly speaking, find ‘street objects’ in their nearest
making use of materials from other surrounding, e.g. on their way to school. It
subjects in English lessons. This aspect of is very important considering the fact that
teaching is especially promoted by the new young learners who possess some
approach to teaching English the aim of information about traffic can easily acquire
which is to integrate different knowledge foreign expressions connected with it.
areas into one inner - connected unity. As Apart from the language expressions I
far as integration is concerned, it is the decided to connect this theme with
basis of a school curriculum ‘ Język mathematical calculations (adding
angielski w zintegrowanym nauczaniu numbers), art (drawing), music (singing),
początkowym’ printed by Oxford psychomotor activities etc. in order to vary
University Press which describes the role

3
the lessons and create the atmosphere of
fun. Additionally, the module included
activities developing all language skills:
listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Consequently, students had a chance to
practise vocabulary in various situations,
which enabled them to memorise.
As I have already written, this
sequence of lessons was created especially
for pupils I teach. They are 8 – year – old
children attending the
second grade. Their
primary school is one
out of the few where
English is taught in
early education,
therefore it is their
second year of L2
learning. They have
already acquired some English words and
simple expressions, however we can
consider them as beginners.
The whole sequence of my
lessons turned out to have a positive
influence on my pupils. Possessing some
basic knowledge of traffic regulations, they
were very eager to learn new English
vocabulary. Due to communicative
activities my young learners could
memorise new words and useful phrases
very quickly. Moreover, the children were
also able to practise their knowledge in
everyday situations after school, for
example, going back home.
Summing up, integrating
different subjects (placed in reality) in
teaching English enables us to teach
effectively. And for our students (no matter
of age) it is certainly a motivating way of
gaining new language knowledge.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Scott, W. A. and Ytreberg, L. H. 1990
Teaching English to Children, Longman.