MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Department of English and Literature

The Usage of Lapbook in Teaching English

to Very Young and Young Learners

Bachelor Thesis

Brno 2018

Supervisor: Author:

PhDr. Alena Dobrovolná, Ph.D. Monika Vejmělková

“I hereby declare that I worked on my thesis independently, using only the sources

listed in the bibliography.”

“Prohlašuji, že jsem závěrečnou bakalářskou práci vypracovala samostatně,

s využitím pouze citovaných pramenů, dalších informací a zdrojů v souladu s Disciplinárním

řádem pro studenty Pedagogické fakulty Masarykovy university v Brně a se zákonem

č. 121/200 Sb., o právu autorském, o právech souvisejících s právem autorským a o změněně

kterých zákonů (autorský zákon), veznění pozdějších předpisů.”

Brno, 19th March 2018 …..……………………..

Monika Vejmělková

Bibliografický záznam

VEJMĚLKOVÁ, Monika. The Usage of Lapbook in Teaching English to Very Young and

Young Learners. Bakalářská práce. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, Fakulta pedagogická,

Katedra anglického jazyka a literatury, 2018. 74 s. Vedoucí práce PhDr. Alena Dobrovolná,

Ph.D.

Abstrakt

Bakalářská práce "The Usage of Lapbook in Teaching English to Very Young and Young

Learners" se zabývá využitím Lapbooku ve výuce anglického jazyka, jakožto cizího jazyka.

Zaměřuje se konkrétně na děti v předškolním a raném školním věku (fáze tichého období

a fáze brzké jazykové produkce). Teoretická část popisuje teorii osvojování cizího jazyka, její

využití ve výuce a její fáze. Také řeší specifika žáků v předškolním a raném školním věku

a techniky využívané při tvorbě nových výukových materiálů. Praktická část představuje

využití vlastnoručně vytvořeného učebního materiálu Lapbook. Dále se zabývá pozorováním

práce s Lapbokem v reálných hodinách a zkoumá skrze kvalitativní metody jeho možné

pozitivní dopady na pozornost žáků. Řeší také vhodnost pomůcky pro zapojení teorie

mnohočetných inteligencí podle Howarda Gardnera ve výuce.

Klíčová slova: jazykový rozvoj, Lapbook, osvojování cizího jazyka, brzké jazyková

produkce, předškolní věk, raný školní věk, teorie mnohočetných inteligencí, tiché období,

tvorba výukových materiálů

Abstract

This thesis is focused on the usage of Lapbook in teaching English as a foreign language

to very young and young learners. It particularly aims on its utilization for students' language

development in the silent period and early production stage. The theoretical part deals with

the theory of second language acquisition, its stages and its practical utilization in teaching.

Moreover, it inquires into the specifics of very young and young learners and the techniques

exploited in creating new teaching materials. In the practical part the utilization of a self-

created teaching material Lapbook, along with observation of its function in real-life lessons,

is presented. Furthermore, the paper intends to examine possible positive impacts of using the

teaching material on learners' attention via qualitative research methods. The research is also

concerned with suitability of the Lapbook for supporting and implementing the Howard

Gardner's Theory of multiple intelligences.

Key words: creating teaching materials, early production stage, Lapbook, language

development, second language acquisition, silent period, the theory of multiple intelligences,

very young learners, young learners

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, PhDr. Alena Dobrovolná, Ph.D.,

for her kind patience, encouragements and valuable advice provided during the whole process

of writing.

I would like to also thank an English teacher Monika Faltová, who was willing to try

the teaching material Lapbook in her lessons.

Finally, would like to also express my gratefulness to my husband and the rest of the family

and friends for their support and help.

Table of Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 8

I. Theoretical part ................................................................................................................... 10

1. Second Language Acquisition ........................................................................................... 10

1.1 Language Acquisition versus Language Learning .......................................................... 11

1.2 Stages of the Second Language Acquisition ................................................................... 12

1.3 The Input Hypothesis – Silent Period ............................................................................. 14

1.4. The Early Production State and Classroom Interaction ................................................. 15

1.5. The Means of Usage SLA in the Classroom .................................................................. 17

1.5.1. Total Physical Response.......................................................................................... 17

1.5.2. Arts and Crafts ........................................................................................................ 18

1.5.3 Songs and Rhymes ................................................................................................... 19

1.5.4. Storytelling and Storyreading.................................................................................. 20

1.5.5. Drama ...................................................................................................................... 22

1.5.5.1 Using Puppets ........................................................................................................ 23

2. Very Young and Young Learners ..................................................................................... 24

2.1. The Specifics of Pre-school and Early School Age ....................................................... 24

2.1.1. The Specifics of Very Young Learners ................................................................... 24

2.1.2. The Specifics of Young Learners ............................................................................ 26

2.2. The Ability to Learn Languages – How Children Learn Languages ............................. 27

2.3 The Uniqueness of Learners ........................................................................................... 29

2.3.1 The Theory of Multiple Intelligences....................................................................... 29

2.3.2 VAK Learning Styles ............................................................................................... 32

2.3.3 Children with Special Needs .................................................................................... 33

2.4. The Role of Motivation .................................................................................................. 34

2.5. The Importance of a Teacher in Teaching Second Language........................................ 35

3. Teaching Materials ............................................................................................................. 37

3.1. Developing Teaching Materials ..................................................................................... 37

3.1.1. Why and What Types of New Teaching Materials Need to Be Developed ............ 38

3.1.2. How Are New Teaching Materials Created? .......................................................... 39

3.2. Lapbook ......................................................................................................................... 40

3.2.1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Utilization of a Lapbook When Teaching

English To Very Young and Young Learners ................................................................... 41

II. Practical Part – The Usage of Lapbook and Its Specifics and Impact in Practical

Teaching .................................................................................................................................. 43

4. Introduction – The Method and The Participants .......................................................... 43

4.1. Aims of the Paper .......................................................................................................... 43

4.3. Methods of the Research ................................................................................................ 44

4.3.1. Non-participant Observation ................................................................................... 44

4.3.2. Participant Observation ........................................................................................... 45

4.3.3. Examining the Lapbook Lesson Plans .................................................................... 46

4.4. Participants of the Research – Research Sample ....................................................... 46

5. Analysis of the Process ....................................................................................................... 50

5.1. Development of The Teaching Material – Lapbook ...................................................... 50

5.1.1 The Procedure of the Development .......................................................................... 50

5.1.2. The Evaluation of Functionality of the Lapbook .................................................... 52

5.2. Lapbook and Its Influence on Learner's Attention ......................................................... 53

5.2.1. Concentration Charts and Their Description ........................................................... 53

5.2.2. Résumé of the Research Results ............................................................................. 62

5.3. Lapbook and the Implementation of the Theory of Eight Intelligences ........................ 64

5.3.1. Individual Lapbook Lessons ................................................................................... 64

5.3.2. Resumé of Results of the Implementation of the Theory of Eight Intelligences .... 72

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 74

List of References.................................................................................................................... 76

Attachments ............................................................................................................................ 83

Introduction

More and more parents want their children to be exposed to a foreign language at a very early

age – before the educational system provides the foreign language lessons. Therefore, free

time English clubs are becoming more popular. An opportunity to teach the language to very

young and young learners in a Creative English club occurred to me this year. However, being

a creative teacher without any support of well-made teaching materials may be very difficult.

Also, there are some specifics in the way in which very young and young learners acquire

languages, which greatly impact the way they ought to be taught. Hence a need to discover

a teaching material that would support the intended creative teaching with regards

to the particularities of the pupils arose. Thanks to a recommendation of one English teacher

a teaching material called Lapbook that meets all the needs was discovered and adjusted

for the purpose of the club. The usage of a Lapbook may help such learners to maintain

successful language development within their silent period and the early production stage.

Lapbook is a teacher-created material that has been used in the United States of America

merely for homeschooling. Nevertheless, it has a potential to become a powerful tool

for teaching foreign languages and other subjects of the curriculum in the common

educational system. Lapbook may serve as a motivational teachers' aid arousing attention

while incorporating various types of learners into a lesson. The bachelor thesis may help

to introduce the teaching material to the Czech audience and may show the benefits of its

usage in language lessons.

The aims of the thesis are to create one's own version of the teaching material – Lapbook –

and present it in a class of very young and young learners to endorse their second language

acquisition and examine, thereafter, its possible positive impacts on the learners' attention

via usage of qualitative research methods. Further, another subsidiary aim is to ascertain

whether the material is appropriate for supporting and implementing Howard Gardner's

Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

The theoretical part of the paper is dedicated to the description of the theory of second

language acquisition, its stages and its practical employment in a foreign language lesson.

Furthermore, it is concerned with the characterization of specifics of very young and young

learners and delineation of the process of developing a teaching material. A description

of the course of creating a Lapbook is also included.

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The practical part deals with the observation of the self-created Lapbook in nine English

lessons. Firstly, the research methods and the research sample – nine English learners

are described. The factors influencing the results of the research concerning the pupils, such

as the stage of second language acquisition they are currently in or the approximate estimation

of their intelligences are presented. Secondly, the process of developing and creating

the teaching material along with its particularities is depicted. Thirdly, the attention graphs

of individuals recorded during the lessons are displayed and the impact of the utilization

of the Lapbook on one's concentration is analyzed. Lastly, the analysis of the Lapbook

activities and intelligences they support is performed and the results are carried out.

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I. Theoretical part

1. Second Language Acquisition

This chapter aims at looking at variety of definitions of Second Language Acquisition (SLA),

its stages (specifically the silent period and the early production stage in the subchapters

1.3. The Input Hypothesis – Silent Period and 1.4. The Early Production State and Classroom

Interaction as the stages are crucial for a language development of the bachelor thesis's target

groups – very young and young learners), the differentiation between learning and acquiring

a language and the practical utilization of the SLA in a classroom. The knowledge

of the Second Language Acquisition process and its specifics is essential for a successful

teaching including creating teaching materials.

According to Krashen, language acquisition can be explained as a subconscious process

similar, if not identical, to the way children cultivate their first language. He claims that:

“Language acquisition is a subconscious process; language acquirers are not usually aware

of the fact that they are acquiring language but are only aware of the fact that they are using

the language for communication” (1982, p.10). Ellis (1985) specifies the term second

language acquisition. “The second language acquisition can be defined as the way in which

people learn a language other than their mother tongue, inside or outside of a classroom,

and ‘Second Language Acquisition’ as the study of this” (p. 3). Stevick (1982), expert

in language learning and teaching, adds that second language acquisition, when performed

in classroom, is desirable but incidental and may be applied merely through well prepared

teaching as the person acquiring needs to meet words in full context with simplified language

a little beyond the learnersꞌ level. In other words, second language acquisition is

a subconscious process resembling to the process of children's first language development and

may occur both in classroom and in real life situations. When well applied, the acquisition

in education is a valuable theory which may be incorporated to teach second language.

The second language acquisition is crucial when children learn a language. It is often claimed

that young learners are more successful in learning a second language than their parents.

“Children posseses an ability that is lost in most adults – the ability to intuit the rule structure

of the language without paying attention to it” (Štyksová, 2017, p. 34). Abello-Contesse

(2008) in his article Age and the critical period hypothesis affirms that “There is a popular

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belief that children as L2 learners are ‘superior’ to adults that is, the younger the learner,

the quicker the learning process and the better the outcomes” (p. 170-172). Lenneberg (1967)

concurs with previously mentioned authors that merely young learners can reach a natural

native like acquisition within the critical period1.

“Automatic acquisition from mere exposure to a given language seems to disappear after

puberty, and foreign languages have to be taught and learned through a conscious and labored

effort. …However, a person can learn to communicate at the age of forty. This does not

trouble our basic hypothesis” (Lenneberg, 1967, p. 176).

On the other hand, according to Finocchario (1989) “A natural order of language acquisition

at a beginning level is the same across cultures and across ages. Both children and adults

follow the same route of development” (p. 2). In accordance with the opinion, Stevick (1982)

claims that some latest researches indicate that the same kind of acquisition which may

be seen in children continue in adulthood and is therefore called adult acquisition.

Even though the opinions on the perfect age for acquisition differ, all the previously

mentioned resources seem to recognize it as an essential part of development in a foreign

language.

1.1 Language Acquisition versus Language Learning

A frequent incomprehension of terms 'language acquisition' and 'language learning' occurs

and therefore a need to clarify them rises. Littlewood (1984) explains the terms clearly. He

states learning to refer to conscious processes for internalizing a second language, whereas

acquisition refers to subconscious process. However, he does not find it necessary to make

the distinction between the two terms systematically, claiming that people's knowledge about

what is conscious and what is subconscious in second language learning is too vague

for people to use the distinction reliably (p.3).

Krashen (1982) proposes another distinction. He sees learning as conscious building

of knowledge of language rules which does not necessarily lead to fluency, whereas

acquisition, according to him, occurs unconsciously and spontaneously leading

to communication fluency caused by naturalistic acceptance of new stimulus.

1The ‘critical period hypothesis’ (CPH) is a particularly relevant case in point. This is the claim that there is, indeed, an

optimal period for language acquisition, ending at puberty (Abello-Contesse, 2008).

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Harmer (1991) agrees with Krashen, he proclaims acquired language to be more valuable than

the learnt language, even though acquisition itself takes more time. However, the significance

of learning process is realized in his books. According to his research “learnt language which

is practiced does seem to become part of the acquired language store” (p. 38).

All in all, Oxford (1990) summarizes by researching in other author's works2 who claim that

clear distinction of the two terms is too rigid. Many language education experts

(e.g. Campwell, Wales, Camale, Swain, Hymes and Omaggio) suggest that both aspects

acquisition and learning are necessary for communicative competence, particularly at higher

skill level and are not therefore mutually exclusive (as cited in Oxford, 1990, p. 5).

1.2 Stages of the Second Language Acquisition

The stages of the second language acquisition have been first established by Krashen and

Terrell (1983). Subsequently, many sources have used the division for better comprehension

of the process of acquiring a language.

Stage I: The Silent/Receptive or Preproduction Stage: The stage lasts from ten hours to six

months of learning a language. It is often called silent period. Students in the stage understand

usually about 500 words which they comprehend without producing them. Some pupils may

repeat heard sentences, yet the parroted piece cannot be considered as producing a language.

These new learners of English listen attentively, they can respond to pictures and other

visuals. Gestures and movements can be understood and produced to show comprehension.

It is said that teachers should focus attention on listening comprehension activities and on

building a receptive vocabulary (Haynes, 2005). Speaking should not be enforced during this

period yet after a reasonable opportunity to receive a comprehensible language input, learners

may express themselves through one or two-word utterances, yet merely when in safe

environment (Ventriglia, 1992).

Stage II: The Early Production Stage: The second period may last another six months

of language learning. Students usually develop passive and active vocabulary of about

1000 words. One or two-word phrases are often used. However, they may not be correctly

memorized, and they are therefore frequently misused (Haynes, 2005). Ford and

2Oxford mentionesCampwell and Wales (1970), Canale and Swain (1980), Hymes (1972), and Omaggio (1986).

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Robertson (2017) suggest avoiding error correction and rather reinforcing learning by

modeling correct utilization.

Stage III: The Speech Emergence Stage: The period lasts up to one year, students develop

vocabulary of about 3000 words and are able to communicate in simple phrases and

sentences, yet the grammatical structures are often incorrectly implied. They are capable of

understanding simple stories when supported by pictures (Haynes, 2005).

Stage IV: The Intermediate Language Proficiency Stage: Intermediate language proficiency

stage may last two years. English language learners have a vocabulary bank of 6000 active

words and therefore are able to express their opinions and thoughts even in the written form

(Haynes, 2005). “Communicating in the second language is fluent, especially in social

language situations” (Ford&Robertson, 2017). In more complex structures, grammatical

mistakes often occur (Haynes, 2005).

Stage V: The Advanced Language Proficiency Stage: The stage may last from four to ten

years leading to an achievement a cognitive academic language proficiency in a second

language. The understood goal for second language learners includes both fluency

in academic as well as social context (Ford&Robertson, 2017). Student is often near-native

in their ability to perform in content area learning. However, at the beginning, they still

require a help from a teacher (Haynes, 2005).

Opposing to the Krashen and Terrell's theory, Ford and Robertson, researchers in the bilingual

and English language learners field, recognize six stages of the second language learning.

Beginning fluency is acknowledged as fourth – and in comparison to the Krashen and Terrell's

theory – additional stage. It is described as follows: “Speech is fairly fluent in social situations

with minimal errors. New contexts and academic language are challenging, and the individual

will struggle to express themselves due to gaps in vocabulary and appropriate phrases”

(Ford&Robertson, 2017).

These theories of stages of the second learning acquisition may be a useful tool for a teacher

when creating as well as adjusting their teaching materials yet it has to be borne in mind that

each student is unique and originates from different social environment as well as from

certain frequency of a second language exposition. As the bachelor thesis deals with very

young and young learners, mostly the stages one and two are significant and therefore their

detailed description is provided in the following subchapters.

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1.3 The Input Hypothesis – Silent Period

In order to understand the first stage of second language – silent period – properly, the input

hypothesis needs to be clarified. The theory was firstly introduced by Krashen (1985).

The input hypothesis attempts to answer one of the most crucial questions in the field: “How

do we acquire language?” (Kavanagh, 2006, p.242). Krashen (1985) suggests “The Input

Hypothesis claims that humans acquire language in only one way – by understanding

messages, or by receiving 'comprehensible input'” (p.80). By the term input the language that

students hear or read is ment; it should contain known as well as new language and therefore

be comprehensible for the students for them to be able to perceive and consequently acquire it

(Harmer, 1991). Furthermore, the research has shown that well given comprehensible input

is crucial when dealing with young learners as they are able to easily gasp meaning

of the words without fully understanding them (Halliwell, 1992). The teacher in the classroom

should be able to provide language in clear context supported by visuals to maintain

the second language acquisition and learning (Brewster, Ellis&Girard, 2002).

The connection between the input hypothesis and silent period is straightforward.

Via listening – comprehensible input – the competence in the second language is being build

up in children. Within the silent period, young learners are not forced to produce any language

output, yet their speaking ability emerges, and it is subconsciously being developed, which is

in accordance with the input hypothesis (Krashen, 1982).

The silent period is hence considered as significant initial phase of the language acquisition.

As previously mentioned, young learners concentrate on comprehension in the stage and

when respected by teachers, they are not obliged to produce any language output.

The phenomenon is inspired by the children's first language acquisition when babies spend

months being exposed to their mother tongue before saying a word (Krashen, 1982). “True

second-language production may not emerge for several months; a silent period of six months'

duration is not unusual”, claims Krashen (1985, p.26). Finocchiaro (1989), affirms that young

learners should be given the chance to produce utterances merely when they are ready.

The fact is very important for teachers to remember. Forcing children to speak in the target

language before they are ready can cause a lot of emotional stress. By involvement of creative

methods such as repetitive songs, rhymes, games and choral work, the language can be

produced and acquired more easily without the stress of having to produce language output

individually (Reilly&Ward, 1997). Suitable means of usage of second language acquisition

15

methods in the classroom are introduced in the subchapter 1.5. The Means of Usage SLA

in the Classroom.

All in all, teachers should be aware of both the input hypothesis and the theory of silent period

when teaching a second language. On the basis of the theories, the rich comprehensible input

supported by visuals should be provided to young learners to ease their language learning and

at the same time students should be left time to process the language and merely then produce

it voluntarily. “Forcing early production before the student has built up enough competence

through comprehensible input, is perhaps the single most anxiety-provoking thing about

language classes” (Krashen, 1982, p.81).

1.4. The Early Production State and Classroom Interaction

The early production state ensues from the silent period after the learner received needed

language input of the target language and is ready to begin to produce language output.

During the stage, pupils ought to be proffered opportunities to activate various element

of second language which have been stored in their brains during their previous learning

experience (Harmer, 2007). “Exposing students to language input is not enough: we also need

to provide opportunities for them to activate this knowledge” (Harmer, 1991, p. 24).

Young learners tend to start using words or phrases that are important for necessary

communication after six months of the second language exposure (Hill&Björk, 2008).

As Harmer (2007) states: “Children have a strong motivational urge to communicate

in order to be fed and understood” (p. 47). The passive as well as active vocabulary is being

developed during the period; the student is able to use one or two-word phrases, however they

are not often correctly memorized and hence are frequently misused (Haynes, 2005).

Questions that require a one-word response, such as yes/no and either/or questions may be

included in the lessons with an expectation of a spoken outcome (Hill&Björk, 2008).

The emphasis and focus should still be on the listening; the rich and frequent comprehensible

input has to be present as “both quality and quantity of the input are influential in determining

the rate of SLA” during the early production stage (Ellis, 1986, p. 161).

Hennová (2010) points out, that the only encounter with the second language is often enabled

to the young learners merely through the foreign language classroom learning. Therefore,

the classroom language learning comprising classroom interaction is considered as the major

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variable impacting second language acquisition (Ellis 1986). According to Hall (2003),

the interaction has long been considered as a vital part in helping learners to imbibe and

internalize knowledge of linguistic forms in the target language. Sinclair and Coulthardargue

that there are three basic units of the classroom interaction, the teacher in the role of

the expert, the student and the eliciting information (as cited in Hall, 2003, p.7). In order to

promote language acquisition, the teacher ought to create motivating and challenging

interactions and assist learnersꞌ interaction involvement in the activities (Hall, 2003).

Even when teaching young learners, the teacher is advised to use merely the English language

supported by visuals and gestures to provide necessary language input which will be

subsequently used by the learners (Hennová, 2010). Nevertheless, the adjustments

of the language utilized to suit the linguistic competence of the students have to be

implemented in the language interaction since the successful outcome depend on the type

of language used by the teacher during the classroom interaction. The teacherꞌs language need

to be simplified (adjusted just above the language competencies of the learner), to cause

a natural language acquisition (Ellis, 1986).

Interaction in the classroom refers not only to the conversation between the teacher and

the students, it is applicable also to the conversations among students within the activities

which include pair work and group work. As Luk and Lin (2007) claim, those interactions

in the language classroom are significant as they not only construct and consolidate

knowledge, yet also build confidence and identity as competent language uses (as cited

in Thapa&Lin, 2013). Nevertheless, these types of interactions are not likely to happen

in the target language during the stage, as the young learners lack the necessary language

competencies.

Lastly, Ellis (1985) summarizes vital suggestions for the second language classroom

interaction in order to support second language acquisition (SLA). They are listed as follows:

the topics in the lessons should be interesting and relatable for the learners to be more easily

involved and prepared to absorb new language input, the teacher as well as the students ought

to make effort to be understood to maintain a good classroom interaction, the students are

likely to be encouraged to produce utterances which correspond to their language abilities,

the teacher should render scaffolding for the structures which are too complex for the learners

to produce themselves, and moreover, the language output ought not to forced, the learners

need to be free to choose when to produce it. The amelioration of the language interaction

17

is inevitable when the previously mentioned suggestions are implemented in the teaching

procedure.

To sum up, the classroom interaction and its guidance by the teacher have an inevitable

impact on the development of a learner in the early production stage as well as on the whole

process of language acquisition. Therefore, a teacher needs to be acquainted with

the strategies and activities which would help him or her to support positive and effective

second language acquisition. Such teaching methods are discussed in the following

subchapter.

1.5. The Means of Usage SLA in the Classroom

There is a number of teaching methods within which the theory of Second language

acquisition may be employed when teaching English to very young and young learners.

Teaching methods represent general principles, pedagogy and management strategies used

for classroom instruction. Richards and Rodgers (2001) suggest that the objectives

of the methods are attained through the instructional process, through the organized and

directed interaction of teachers, learners and materials in the classroom. The differences

among the methods are manifested in the choice of different kinds of learning and teaching

activities in the classroom. The importance of teachers' awareness of the existence of copious

teaching methods and approaches in teaching second language rises with the wide range

of learning needs and requirements among students. However, since this thesis concentrates

on teaching very young and young learners through the usage of Lapbook, merely methods

suitable for the purpose are discussed in the following subchapters.

1.5.1. Total Physical Response

Total physical response is a method developed by James Asher based on the second language

acquisition theory. As Asher (1969) claims, the approach has some parallelism to how

children learn their first language and therefore its positive impact on language learning is

significant. Richards and Rogers (2001) explain Total Physical response (TPR) as “a language

teaching method built around the coordination of speech and action; it attempts to teach

language through physical (motor) activity” (p. 73). The utterance directed to young learners

is primarily composed of commands to which pupils may respond even before they begin

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to produce their own language output i.e. within the silent period thus the method is useful

for the target group of the bachelor thesis (Richards&Rogers, 2001).

The teacher plays a direct and active role providing the students necessary language input.

Clear pronunciation and natural intonation ought to be used when instructing so the learners

acquire the language correctly. Utilization of gestures and other actions along with pictures

help to understand intended commands (Slattery&Willis, 2001). The primary role of learners

is to listen attentively and respond physically to the teacher's instructions. Novel combinations

of previously taught items are reckoned to be known and reacted to. The spoken output is

encouraged yet not forced while using this method (Richards&Rogers, 2001). A safe

environment is created as the learners often do not need to respond alone and can do

the actions with their mates.

The TPR has a broad practical utilization. Reilly and Ward (1997) affirms the assertion

“It can be used in many ways: for example, by getting children to follow instructions

in a game or craft activity, in miming a song, rhyme or action, or in acting out a role-play.”

(p.7) Very young and young pupils learn mostly through direct experience implementing all

five senses as they lack the understanding of abstract concepts (Reilly&Ward, 1997). Hence,

vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation can be effectively acquired using TPR games.

The constructive plays and games are motivating and fun and, moreover provide improvement

of many previously mentioned skills (Brewster, Ellis&Girard, 2002).

To summarize, the TPR method can be used creatively in the lessons in order to maintain

the second language acquisition of young learners and tends to be very effective when

implied.

1.5.2. Arts and Crafts

The usage of Arts and Crafts in English lessons may be very valuable when well-planned and

prepared. The type of activities enriches students with valuable 'comprehensible language

output' as they have to listen to instructions given by a teacher in order to finish the task,

affirm Reilly and Ward (1997). When practically demonstrated, the vocabulary used by

the teacher during instructing is acquired by the learners and therefore supports natural

development of their second language knowledge. Furthermore, the utilization of the method

offers teachers a creative evaluative tool which, when employed in a lesson, brings both

intriguing and beneficial aspect (used e.g. via the utilization of a teaching aid Lapbook).

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Not only does arts and crafts cultivate the children's language skills, it also helps to ameliorate

their fine motor. The importance of such development is significant when teaching young

learners. Besides the previously mentioned advantages, creative thinking is evolved while

using the method as well. Starbuck (2006) claims, creativity and creative approach to learning

itself is significant for learning improvement of children. Arts and crafts are also suitable

for Visual-Spatial and Bodily-Kinesthetic learners (described in detail in the following

chapter 2.3.1 The Theory of Multiple Intelligences).

On the other hand, the usage of arts and crafts in the lesson can be time consuming. Common

lessons of English last forty-five minutes and are integrated to timetables of young learners

once a week at regular Czech schools, hence the process of crafting may take the whole lesson

without an expected output. Moreover, the materials for particular crafts are often

unaffordable and unavailable to a regular teacher.

To sum up, the necessity of inclusion of art and craft activities in the pre-school and primary

school curriculum is existent (Reilly&Ward, 1997), however, the choice of the materials

should be well considered with regard to the aim of the lesson, length of the crafting itself and

price of the material. “The objectives should be decided first, in line with overall aims

of the teaching program, and then the materials should be sought which can be related to these

objectives” (Brewster, Ellis&Girard, 2002, str. 151). Only then does the incorporation of art

and craft activities in the lessons have the desirable enriching effect.

1.5.3 Songs and Rhymes

Songs and rhymes, when utilized in classrooms, may play a significant role

in the development of the second language skills of young learner. Read (2007) declares,

“When starting to learn a foreign language, rhymes, chants and songs play a special role in

drawing children into producing language in ways which are natural, spontaneous and

enjoyable” (p. 182). New vocabulary is easily acquired as the words are linked to rhythm and

music which have more emotive and personal significance and so are remembered better

(Reilly&Ward, 1997). Moreover, new structures and vocabulary, presented in exciting forms

and in a rich, imaginative context, are also easily remembered and reinforced owing to

frequent natural repetition which occurs in the songs and poems (Brewster, Ellis&Girard,

2002).

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The provision of good pronunciation practice is considered as one of the biggest advantages

of using the method when teaching English. As Reilly and Ward (1997) notify, since

the English language is stress-timed, it forces learners to put stress in the right places and

observes strong and weak forms which are subsequently subconsciously acquired. They add,

“Young children are excellent mimics, although you cannot expect perfect pronunciation,

especially if they cannot yet pronounce all sounds of their mother tongue. They are

particularly good at copying intonation.” (Reilly&Ward, 1997, str. 23). Everything is not

expected to be understood and pronounced well at first, yet the young learners are likely

to acquire the desired language skills when the particular songs and rhymes are to be repeated.

Moreover, another useful aspect of the activities emerges when used in conjunction with

dance and mime rendering the opportunity of engagement diverse learning styles.

Concentration, memory and coordination are developed along with “help to reinforce

meaning, while channeling high levels of energy in a positive way” (Brewster, Ellis&Girard,

2002, p. 163).

Additionally, Read (2007) claims, “Using them in English lessons provides a link between

home and school, helps to create a secure environment for learning.” (p.182) The security

of individuals when singing or saying rhymes in a group creates safe environment for learners

which is crucial for the development of both language and physical skills.

Finally, Reilly and Ward (1997) alert that “it is better not to try to do too much in one

session” (p.24), since the learners need time to process the new songs and rhymes not being

able to sing and move when firstly introduce and suggest repeating one song more times

in a longer period of time.

1.5.4. Storytelling and Storyreading

“Children have a constant need for stories and they will always be willing to listen or read,

if the right moment is chosen” (Wright, 1995, p.3).

Storytelling and story reading afford learners with ideal learning conditions providing

comprehensible input which support their second language acquisition. Wright (1995)

explains that stories rely on words offering children a major and constant source of language

21

experience along with motivation to learn. When the story is found meaningful, learners'

desire to understand the presented language along with the motivation to comprehend more

gradually arise. Additionally, he claims, that “Stories help children become aware

of the general 'feel' and sound of the foreign language. Stories also introduce children

to language items and sentence constructions without their necessarily having to use them

productivity. They can build up reservoir of language in this way” (Wright, 1995, p.5), and

therefore are ideal for young learners within their silent period.

The efficient impact of the method may be ascertained in learner's positive attitude to not

understanding everything and subsequently in the development of “learning strategies and

thinking skills, such as predicting, hypothesizing, guessing and inferring meaning” (Read,

2007, p.114). However, the importance of adjusting the language to the learner's level arises

as if most of the story is not understood, children easily lose motivation in listening and

paying attention. Krashen suggests that the language should be set little beyond the child's

current level of competence (as cited in Brewster, Ellis&Girard, 2002 p.186). Moreover,

the usage of visual aids, dramatic tone of voice, mimicry, gesture, and mime to bring the story

to life may help students to grasp the meaning even more. Reilly and Ward (1997) consider

choosing a book which is short and has large, clear pictures to be crucial for children's better

understanding and resulting in desired language acquisition.

According to Read (2007) storytelling and story reading does not merely provide a natural,

pertinent and intriguing context for exposure to language, it also offers “an opportunity

to familiarize children with the sounds, rhythm and intonation of English” (p.114). Topics

from sundry matters may be included in the stories and consequently build empathy, crucial

awareness of other cultures' customs and interconnects variety of subject in the curriculum.

The method may be supported and interconnected with other activities such as drawing while

listening, coloring pictures relevant to the story, handicrafts which when in the process

ofcreating - practice the target vocabulary and various applicable songs and rhymes.

All in all, storytelling and story reading are enriching methods which provide valuable

language and social input when the source is well chosen and worked with in a safe

environment.

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1.5.5. Drama

Drama in education is considered as one of the most effective methods of helping students

to learn a foreign language as well as to acquire necessary social skills for one's life.

The drama activities maintain an inner motivation for amelioration in the language and sustain

an attention of wide range of pupils endorsing their second language acquisition (Farmer,

2015). Moreover, “it encourages children to speak and gives them the chance

to communicate, even with limited language, using non-verbal communication. … Drama

involves children at many levels, through their bodies, minds, emotions, language, and social

interaction” (Phillips, 1996, p.6).

According to Hennová a foreign language is firstly learned in the form of the Total Physical

Response (TPR). The opportunity of teaching English to young learners during the silent

period and after it through the drama TPR techniques rises. During the activities, children are

exposed to a language in context helping them to understand and subsequently subconsciously

acquire it. Students' imagination as well as their ability to imitate sounds contributes to quick

language learning (Hennová, 2010).

As stated above, not merely communicative skills are developed through the drama activities.

Several other skills are acquired within the usage of drama in education. The ability to decide

problems within the teacher created situations and the awareness of human values may be

maintained in the teaching through a good choice of drama activities.

The Gardner’s theory of the application of multiple intelligences in the classroom might be

taken into consideration when using drama techniques, too. Dramatizing appeals to all kinds

of learners as different receiving channels are used throughout the procedure and it therefore

very enriching for individual pupils' language learning (Phillips, 1996).

Many forms of drama in education may be used in the lessons. “Activities can include role-

play, drama games, improvisation, group discussion and individual or pair work” (Farmer,

2015). The selection should be respectful and adapted to particular children's needs and

interests (Svobodová&Švejdová, 2011). As in applying any method, the teacher is obliged

to know his or her students as well as to distinguish the current atmosphere of the classroom

to be able to adjust the activities. At the end of each drama, a reflection is required for both

23

the children and the teacher to be able to express their opinions and feelings (Phillips, 1996).

The ability of a teacher to prepare a good feedback is hence necessary.

To sum up, the stories and fairytales (especially when acted out) provide a natural and

intriguing cognition of the inner and outer world of the learner (Svobodová&Švejdová, 2011)

along with the second language acquisition included in the process. With the regard

to the young learners needs, drama is a great requisite in teaching English.

1.5.5.1 Using Puppets

On specific branch of the drama techniques ought to be taken into consideration when

teaching very young and young learners. Undeniable benefits for language learning are

ascertained with the inclusion of puppets into the English lessons. Legge (2017) claims, that

puppets are entertaining elements which bring positive responses from young learners making

them valuable language resource for children. Since the teacher is not often a native speaker,

the puppet may function as 'speaking/understanding merely English' component

in the classroom. Reilly and Ward (1997) accentuate that using puppets which 'only

understand English' is efficient method which reduces inhibitions and encourage even the

shyest children to speak in English.

The audiovisual aid may serve as creative means to increase in efficiency of other methods

previously mentioned. The usage within teaching songs and rhymes, dramatizing dialogues,

storytelling, introducing TPR activities and games and even crafting is possible and enriching.

Young learners connect with the puppets easily and in a unique way and they react

to the better then to adults and therefore receive valuable language output from a source close

to them (Legge, 2017).

Additionally, Reilly and Ward (1997) suggest the usage of an English hat. The requisite may

function in order to signal to the children when the teacher speaks English. The method

allows the teacher to be able to step out of the role of a native speaker and e.g. solve problems

in the class. To exclude confusion, they (Reilly&Ward, 1997) add that the hat should be

always the same one.

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Overall, both puppets and English hats have their place in the education. When used

creatively, they serve well the teacher as well as the children for better language acquisition.

2. Very Young and Young Learners

The knowledge of characteristics and learning specifics of very young and young learners is

crucial for the comprehension of the principles used when teaching the group. Therefore, this

chapter attempts to delineate who are very young and young learners and what their needs are

when studying a second language.

2.1. The Specifics of Pre-school and Early School Age

The periods of pre-school and early school age are considered to be the most vital years

of children's development. “All education including learning a foreign language, should

contribute positively to that development” (Scott &Ytreberg, 1990, p.1). Frequent affirmation

and praise of the children's good behavior, intentional support of social interaction and

friendship among learners, thanking them for concrete acts of kindness, providing information

about pupil's error and helping them to redress it, creating atmosphere which is building

confidence and supports independent work in a class and establishing motivating environment

(Španhelová, 2008) contribute to an effective learning process when teaching young and very

young learners.

Although most of the developmental needs of the target groups are similar and hence

applicable when teaching both groups, the differences should be borne in mind

(Jedlička, 2017). The concrete specifics of both groups are discussed in the following

subchapters 2.1.1 The Specifics of Very Young Learners and 2.1.2 The Specifics of Young

Learners.

2.1.1. The Specifics of Very Young Learners

The first of the two target groups of the bachelor thesis are the very young learners, often

classified as pre-schoolers. Vágnerová (2000) states that children from three to six years may

be considered as very young learners, however, according to her, the pre-school phase is not

determined merely by the age of the child, but more importantly by the social development

25

restricted by commencement of attendance of compulsory education having a great impact

on the further child's personality development.

Firstly, Hennová (2010), as well as other authors (Brunecký&Teyschl, 1959; Reilly & Ward,

1997) suggest that an awareness of children's short attention span is one of the most crucial

factors when teaching very young learners. Preschool children are easily bored, and they get

exhausted quickly, therefore there is a need of a frequent change of various activities resulting

in an increase of their attention and hence ease of the learning process (Reilly & Ward, 1997).

Hennová adds (2010), that types of activities as well as their length influence the atmosphere

in the class which, when positive, have an essential impact on the confidence of the learner.

Secondly, Brunecký and Teyschl (1959) emphasize that very young learner's abilities are

mostly developed via games which support the children's imagination, attention, skills

of expression, the amelioration of memory and even the advancement in the motoric skills and

alongside provide an entertainment. Španhelová (2008) states, that a game may be full of joy,

inventiveness, adventures and should help to build quality relationships with both teachers

and peers. Consequently, a game itself should be considered as an important part in the life

of a preschooler and therefore should be incorporated in lessons.

Finally, Reilly and Ward (1997) point out few more characteristics of very young learners

influencing the learning process. They claim that children need an individual teacher's

attention, which may be achieved via its distribution among everybody e.g. when crafting.

Furthermore, the development of better eye-hand coordination may be noticed as the created

pictures are more recognizable. Also, in the age, the ability to count connected

to the awareness of concept of quality, position, size and amount rises. Moreover, the learners

are able to “to follow a story, predict what might come next, and ask questions about it, their

imagination develops (p.9).”

To sum up, very young learners comprise a group with its concrete specifics. The role of the

teacher or the facilitator of the leisure time is to help a very young learner develop in all areas

(physical coordination, imagination, conceptual and self-awareness, creativity and social

skills) mostly via inclusion of various types of games in a lesson (Reilly & Ward, 1997).

26

2.1.2. The Specifics of Young Learners

When working with a second target group of the bachelor thesis, young learners, one crucial

factor ought to be taken into consideration. “Reaching the age of six in a life of a young

individual is usually connected with a fatal change: a child is not only a member of his or her

family, yet becomes a member of a new, unknown group – a pupil of a school” (Jedlička,

2017, p.113, translated by the author). The first year of formal schooling does not merely

define a line between a very young learner and young learner (Phillips, 1993), but also have

a pivotal influence on the child's overall development (Vágnerová, 2000).

Phillips (1993) asserts that young learners overcome necessary developmental changes during

the years at primary school. Since the learning tasks become obligatory and the school

requirements increase, the children undergo a maturity of thinking on the level of concrete

logical operations, their imagination is bordered, and they are able to commence to learn

consciously (Vágnerová, 2000). The advanced kind of thinking serves as a tool

for accomplishing challenges of a daily life. A new subject matter should therefore be always

demonstrated clearly and visually for the children to be able to connect it to the real-life

situations. Only then the class content may be fully understood and effectively learnt. Verbal

explanation is not enough when teaching young learners, it is better to engage the whole

individual in the learning process (Brunecký&Teyschl, 1959).

The awareness of the way of thinking of young learners as well as the awareness of their other

specifics may help teachers to build more effective learning environment. Young learners take

great delight in talking (Halliwell, 1992) and therefore the vocabulary bank undergo

a significant boom after joining a school community (Španhelová, 2008). Moreover, Halliwell

(1992) stresses, that in the period, young learners “have a great skill in using limited language

creatively and are very good at interpreting meaning without necessary understanding

the individual words” (p.3). The facts may be utilized with a positive impact on children when

teaching a second language (the topic how children learn languages is discussed further

in the text, in the following subchapter). The increasing ability to distinguish signs and shapes

and the development of spatial awareness and fine control of certain muscles leading

to the commencement of reading and writing skills are of great importance with regard

to the improvement as well as extension of usage of young learner's mother tongue as well as

the second language learnt at schools (Phillips, 1993).

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The child's development influenced by the attendance at school does not concern merely

amelioration of learning skills. Through regular contact with teachers as well as peers children

become more aware of themselves and their role in the social environment. They learn

to respect authorities and communicate with individuals on the same level (Vágnerová, 2000).

Overall, they “become aware of themselves in relation to others, they learn to share and co-

operate, and be assertive without being aggressive” (Phillips, 1993, p. 4).

All in all, becoming a pupil in the obligatory educational system influences the whole

learner's development. “A teacher needs to bear in mind all the education of the whole child

when planning their program” (Phillips, 1993, p.4) as the acquisition of intellectual, physical,

emotional and social skills is thought necessary by the society they live in (Phillips, 1993).

2.2. The Ability to Learn Languages – How Children Learn Languages

Understanding the developmental specifics of both groups (very young learners and young

learners) is a necessary foundation for a comprehension of the process of learning a second

language in the school environment. As learners mature, more intellectual, motor and social

skills along with a wider knowledge of the world are brought into the classroom and may be

hence utilized for an ease of the process of acquiring a second language (Phillips, 1993).

Six main features that help children learn languages, provided by Susan Halliwell (1992)

in her specialized publication - Teaching English In The Primary Classroom, may be taken

into consideration when teaching a second language to the group i.e. "children's ability

to grasp the meaning, children's creative use of limited language resources, children's capacity

for indirect learning, children's instincts for play and fun, their lively imagination and

children's instinct for interaction and talk" (Halliwell, 1992, p.4-8).

By children's ability to grasp the meaning Halliwell (1992) describes a well-known

phenomenon, that both very young and young learners are able to understand a content

of a message without necessarily knowing the mother tongue equivalent for each individual

word in a message. The lack of fear of not understanding everything contribute to the fact,

that children's attention is concentrated on the whole message including intonation, gesture,

facial expressions, actions and circumstances, not merely on the unknown words (Halliwell,

1992). Consequently, the acquisition of the second language is more natural and effective,

the message-interpreting words lead to learning new words, concepts and expressions in real

28

life situations (e.g. through the regular day-to-day routine in class – greetings, instructions

etc.) (Reilly & Ward, 1997). OꞌGrady (2005) adds that for such acquisition, the children need

to understand at least part of the language input. The intentional non-verbal support

of the message afforded by the teacher is hence crucial (Hennová, 2010).

“Alongside this ability to perceive meaning, children also show great skill in producing

meaningful language from very limited resources” (Halliwell, 1992, p.4). When the silent

period is overcome, young learners start to use the acquired language actively in a creative

way. Their need for an interaction and talk with both the teacher and the pupils may be

utilized as an advantage for a language teacher. Halliwell (1992) proclaims that “the only way

to learn to use a second language is to use it” (p.8).

Another ability that helps children to learn a second language is a capacity for indirect

learning (Halliwell, 1992). Even though, as Reilly and Ward (1997) state, both conscious

direct learning and subconscious indirect learning (i.e. acquisition) help to internalize

a second language, second language acquisition tends to be more effective among very young

and young children as their abstract thinking is not fully developed (Vágnerová, 2000).

Furthermore, the advantage of being a great mimic occurs in the developmental stage

(Reilly&Ward, 1997). The acquisition of pronunciation is hence spontaneous and effective

(Hennová, 2010) and when beginning to learn a language in critical period, the individuals

often possess a native-like accent their whole life (Pinter, 2006). Via subconscious indirect

learning, certain grammar rules (which are not otherwise taught in lessons of young learners)

are often acquired, though not necessarily correctly in all the cases (Vágnerová, 2000).

Big part of the learning process depends on the activities that the language teacher prepares

for the lesson. If the activities are enjoyable and stimulating enough, children will

subconsciously gain a good relationship to the language (Reilly&Ward, 1997). Last two

features which help children to be good language learners support the statement. Very young

learners and young learners possess the instinct for play and fun and a lively imagination

(Halliwell, 1992) which, when correctly utilized may generate a positive attitude towards

learning English (Phillips, 1993) and may support the second language acquisition. Halliwell

(1992) claims that “in a way, through their sense of fun and play, the children are living

the language for real” (p.6) and Reilly and Ward (1997) add that “It is common sense that

if the activity is enjoyable, it will be memorable; the language involved will “stick” (p.6).

29

Similarly, the employment of a learner's imagination into certain activities may afford another

effective stimulus for real language use (Halliwell, 1992).

To summarize, children are believed to possess many abilities i.e. Children's ability to grasp

the meaning, children's creative use of limited language resources, children's capacity

for indirect learning, children's instincts for play and fun, their lively imagination and

children's instinct for interaction and talk (Halliwell, 1992, p.4-8) which help them to learn

a second language when recognized and effectively utilized by the teachers.

2.3 The Uniqueness of Learners

Even though many features and influential factors of the learning process may be common

for all children (very young and young learners), a great variety in certain things among

the individuals in one class may be encountered by the teachers when teaching. The pupils'

character, attention span, intelligence (what they are good at), learning style and even social

background may differ and hence may have a great impact on the whole language learning

process. Therefore, the individual differences of all the learners taught have to be taken

into account and carefully identified by teachers.

2.3.1 The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

That children enjoy variety of activities may be noticed by both parents and teachers. Some

learners enjoy singing and dancing more than writing, others prefer logical rebuses

to drawing. Many psychologists claim, that such differences need to be taken into

consideration when both teaching and assessing (Pinter, 2006). In 1983 an American

psychologist Howard Gardner introduced a new concept of thinking about the specifics

of learners in his publication Frames of Mind: Theory of Multiple Intelligences. He argues

that there are more intelligences than one (measured by IQ tests) manifested via many

different ways in different children and that they are used as preferred ways of learning

thinking, and operating in the world (Best Career Match, 2018). Overall, nine intelligences are

recognized by Gardner i.e. Verbal-Linguistic intelligence, Logical-Mathematical intelligence,

Visual-Spatial intelligence, Musical intelligence, Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence, Naturalistic

intelligence, Interpersonal intelligence, and Intrapersonal intelligence (Gardner, 1999) and

Existential intelligence which was discovered later and therefore are not yet fully incorporated

30

in the practical usage in the education system (all the nine intelligences are briefly described

further in the text) (Best Career Match, 2018).

Unfortunately, according to the theory, merely two intelligences – the Verbal-Linguistic and

Logical-Mathematical – are incorporated in the traditional school educational system (Davis,

Christodoulou, Seider&Gardner, 2011). The raise of awareness of the theory of multiple

intelligences as well as their application among language teachers may ease the learning

process for the individuals who do not possess abilities including the two fundamental

intelligences. "Once aware of having to cater for different intelligences, teacher can make

their lessons more accessible to all children" (Pinter, 2006, p.15).

Verbal-Linguistic intelligence

Verbal-Linguistic intelligence is a capacity to effectively and correctly utilize language

for one's benefit (Smartl, 1999). Individuals who possess the intelligence are able to analyze

information and create both oral and written quality products e.g. speeches, poems, books etc.

Learning languages and working with them is enjoyable and relatively easy for the students

(Gardner, 1999).

Logical-Mathematical intelligence

Logical mathematical intelligence is described by Gardner (1999) as an ability to solve

abstract problems, to utilize equations and proofs and make calculations. In general, one who

possesses the intelligence is very competent at seeing logical connections between numbers

and concepts. Such students usually enjoy organized and logical activities, math and other

natural subjects in general (Gilles, 2003).

Visual-Spatial intelligence

Visual-Spatial intelligence comprises the ability to work with objects and recognize their

relations (Gilles, 2003). Large-scale and fine-grained spatial images are recognized and

manipulated with easily by the individuals who are spatially intelligent. Such learners enjoy

visual support during the learning process, solid geometry does not usually cause them

difficulties (Gardner, 1999).

Musical intelligence

Quick acquisition of rhythms, hearing patterns and tones and ability to sing or play

an instrument are features that describe individuals who are Musically intelligent (Gilles,

2003). The pupils learn quickly through rhymes and songs, prefer auditory forms of lectures

31

and are able to easily imitate accents and intonation patterns when studying a foreign

language (Gardner, 1999).

Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence

One, who is Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligent possess an ameliorated self-awareness and

therefore is able to utilize his or her body in an effective way to accomplish a task (Smartl,

1999). Activities which allow such students to be physically involved are perfect

for the improvement of the learning process. Such individuals are often good at physical

education, dancing and acting (Gilles, 2003). Nevertheless, some may not be able

to effectively use their whole body, yet he or she is great in fine motor skills (Garner, 1999).

Naturalistic intelligence

The interest in natural world, plants, animals, weather formation is a feature of Naturalistic

intelligence (Garner, 1999). Pupils who are naturalistic intelligent are sensitive to the natural

world and surrounding environment. A great pleasure occurs among them when a nature

feature is incorporated into a lesson (Smartl, 1999).

Interpersonal intelligence

Interpersonal intelligence is sometimes called social intelligence since it is considered to be

sensitivity to other's moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations (MII, 2018).

The intelligence may be incorporated and hence further developed in the lesson via group

formation and work with others in general.

Intrapersonal intelligence

Intrapersonal intelligence is an ability to understand oneself, one's own thoughts, feeling,

moods, desires and motivations (Gardner, 1999). Setting long term goals and achieving them

is easier for people who possess the intelligence than for most others (MII, 2018). Such pupils

usually prefer working on their own.

Existential intelligence

Existential or ninth intelligence is often referred to as Spiritual intelligence or Cosmic smarts.

The ability to have capacity for conceptualizing or tackling deeper or larger questions such as

meaning of life or other contemplative questions is a common feature for people who are

existentially intelligent. The intelligence is not often incorporated in the common lessons as

it is a personal decision to ponder about such questions and giving easy general answers to

them by teachers is unacceptable (Wilson, 2018).

To summarize, even though the distinction between the nine intelligences is clearly stated,

it should not be considered as a tool to label learners, rather it should be used to empower

32

learners, motivate them to further and more effective learning and develop their learning skills

via usage of variety of activities incorporating all intelligences (McKenzie, 2005).

2.3.2 VAK Learning Styles

Another individual feature which differs among learners may be their perceptual style through

which they are able to learn effectively. "Some children prefer listening to a new input while

others need lots of visual stimulus. Yet others are kinesthetic, which means that they like

to feel and touch things and move their body in expressive ways to aid their learning and

communication" (Pinter, 2006, p.15). In 1979 Walter Burke and his colleagues identified and

defined three particular learning styles i.e. visual, auditory and kinesthetic often known under

an acronym V-A-K (as cited in Pritchard, 2014).

Visual learners

Seeing things is a preferred way of learning of visual learners (Pritchard, 2014). They usually

have difficulties with written text, yet they are able to orient in charts, diagrams and even

in new surroundings. (Clark, 2011). Visual aids in form of graphs, maps, posters and pictures

in general help such pupils to both understand and learn better (Pritchard, 2014). The teachers

aware of such students in their classroom may help them to visualize subject matter via

pictures, may include maps and handouts with white space for notes in a lesson (Clark, 2011).

Auditory learners

Auditory learners prefer being learnt via listening. Discussion, lectures, interviewing and

hearing stories engage their well-developed auditory memory and therefore a matter is better

remembered (Pritchard, 2014). Reading aloud, conversation with a partner or a spoken

summary of what has been said in a lesson may be incorporated by a teacher of such learners

to support their learning (Clark, 2011).

Kinesthetic learners

Doing (touching, moving etc.) is preferred by kinesthetic learners. A loss of concentration

may be seen if there is no or little external stimulation or movement. Recalling events and

associating feelings or physical experiences with memory (Pritchard, 2014), writing down

notes, doodling and highlighting with markers are features that contribute to an effective

learning of such learners (Clark, 2011).

The preferred learning style may change throughout the years, nevertheless there is always

a variety in a class. Therefore, it is important to incorporate various activities and supportive –

scaffolding – aids in a lesson as well as encourage students to use their learning style while

self-studying (Pinter, 2006).

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2.3.3 Children with Special Needs

“In almost all context teachers will have to deal with exceptional children: children with very

high ability or slower learners with emotional and/or learning difficulties of various types”

(Pinter, 2006, p.15). A need to understand the nature of challenges and specific ways

of helping the children with special educational needs arises. The differences of learners need

to be borne in mind so as the intellectual and emotional potential of such pupils on any level

may be extended (Greenspan, Wieder&Simons, 1998).

Mother tongue, cultural background, disability and intelligence define second language

learners with special educational needs. The specifics must be taken into consideration when

preparing a lesson. The goal to include all the students of every level into a lesson may start

to be fulfilled when planning activities for a class (Artiles& Ortiz, 2002). Before a lesson,

suitable tasks are recommended to be chosen and written down in a lesson plan by a teacher

according to the individual needs of learners (Pinter, 2006). The instructions to each task,

written in a prepared lesson plan, should be based on cultural, linguistic, and personal profiles

of the particular students (Artiles& Ortiz, 2002). In the lesson, the learners ought to be given

an opportunity to process at their own pace. Afterwards, an encouraging and constructive

feedback on the accomplished progress is recommended to be provided to each student

personally (Pinter, 2006).

The effort to reduce a number of students at a risk of failing may be achieved by a distribution

of variety of assignments (Artiles& Ortiz, 2002). Exceptionally gifted children may work

independently on additional tasks which may afford the necessary motivation. Slower learners

might be given suitably challenging tasks in order to ensure small success which results

in desire to achievement of better results (Pinter, 2006). Furthermore, mixed abilities pairs

or groups may be assigned in order to motivate the gifted children to help work the weaker

ones (Pinter, 2006).

The course of the lesson does not depend merely on the lesson plan. The teacher's

responsibility is to observe the atmosphere in a class. Unfortunately, the exceptional children

may be often bullied by the main-stream children. The discrimination against individuals with

special needs may vary (e.g. main-stream children tent to communicate and have close

friendships with other mainstream peers) yet has to be always dealt with. The atmosphere

in a class, as well as a mental state of learners, has a pivotal impact on the language learning

34

process (Thompson, Whitney&Smith, 1994). Therefore, it is inevitable to not only prepare

suitable assignments for the class, but to support cooperation among learners.

To sum up, children with special needs are unique in their own way and therefore a unique

stance ought to be adopted when both preparing and being in progress of a language lesson.

It is indispensable that learners of all abilities find the learning environment motivating and

rewarding so their abilities may be developed no matter their level (Pinter, 2006).

The importance of the motivation in a classroom will be discussed in the following

subchapter.

2.4. The Role of Motivation

Any learning process is highly influenced by the way learners are motivated

(Brunecký&Teyschl, 1959). The first encounter with a second language may be stressful for

both very young and young learners, yet a successful second language acquisition is

dependent on it. If a high motivation is present, the attitude towards learning in a second

language classroom may be positive and children are likely to become enthusiastic about

the second language (Hanšpachová&Řandová, 2005).

The specifics of very young and young learners have both positive and negative impact

on the learners' motivation. Learning a first language is eased as it is a natural part of growing

and hence a high learning motivation occurs (Pinter, 2006). When learning a second language

children's curiosity is considered as one of the main motivating factors impacting the process

(Harmer, 1991). Nevertheless, the language acquisition is not as natural in a classroom

as when learning a first language since there is not an urgent need to communicate using the

second language. Moreover, other specific factors contribute to the decrease of motivation,

for instance the short attention span of the learner and subsequent lack of concentration or

the incessant need of a personal attention (Harmer, 1991). However, these factors may be

reduced when aware of the motivational components a teacher can incorporate in teaching

the target group.

According to Dörnyei (2001) there are four main components of motivational teaching.

Firstly, the creation of motivating conditions for learning is suggested. Essentially, that means

creation of a pleasant and supportive environment in the classroom. The youngest age groups

gain positive attitude to a second language when they feel comfortable and accepted

35

(Pinter, 2006). Secondly, Dörnyei (2001) states that the introduction of initial motivational

techniques i.e. talking about values, showing positive attitudes to learning, establishing

expectation of success along with creating teaching materials that are relevant to both the age

and level of the learners are crucial for an increase of motivation in a class. Long-lasting and

more influential intrinsic motivation – "the motivation to do something for its own sake,

for the sheer enjoyment of a task" – not superficial extrinsic motivation – "motivation to meet

some externally imposed constraint" – may be subsequently developed via implementation

of the techniques (Hennessey, Moran, Altringer&Amabile, 2015, p.1). Thirdly, after the initial

stage, the motivation of the learners has to be protected by "offering stimulating activities and

fostering self-esteem, self-confidence, and cooperation among learners" (Pinter, 2006, p.37).

The need of frequent change of various activities when teaching very young and young

learners is inevitable (Harmer, 1991). The fun games are considered as one of the most

motivating features of a second language classroom (Hanšpachová&Řandová, 2005). Lastly,

Dörnyei (2001) proclaims the importance of turning evaluation and feedback into a positive

and motivating experience (e.g. via Lapbook, the topic is further discussed in a following

subchapter 3.2. Lapbook). Monitoring children's progress carefully and subsequently

assessing the progress is an inevitable part of the learners' motivation (Pinter, 2006).

To sum up, the role of motivation in a classroom is crucial. Since the second language

acquisition does not happen as naturally as in a classroom as the acquisition of the first

language, the teachers should be aware of motivational components which after incorporation

may help to increase the efficiency of a second language learning process. The development

of the long-lasting intrinsic motivation is closely connected with the motivational components

(Brunecký&Teyschl, 1959), yet the process is often dependent merely on the teacher as he

or she determines the course of the second language lessons. "Very young and young learners

say that they like English because they like the teacher" (Pinter, 2006, p.37).

2.5. The Importance of a Teacher in Teaching Second Language

Great demands are placed on a very young and young learner's teacher (Hennová, 2010).

According to Harmer (1991), a learning process of a foreign language depends mostly on his

or her attitude and behavior towards teaching. The learning environment including the class

atmosphere, the content of a class, the foreign language input and its acquisition and

the overall development of the pupils are influenced by individual decisions of particular

teachers.

36

Firstly, a sense of humor, an open-mindedness, adaptability and patience are attitudes and

abilities which help to develop a positive atmosphere in a foreign language classroom.

Besides, a teacher should appear that he or she likes all the pupils equally as the very young

and young learners need to be aware of the fact that the teacher likes them, even if

the fondness is sometimes acted (Scott&Ytreberg, 1990). The tuition ought to be joyful and

encouraging with respect to individuals' needs (Hennová, 2010). Scott and Ytreberg (1990)

see a good teacher as the one who respects the pupils, lets them know what is happening and

makes them feel that they are in charge, the one who establishes routines, gives

responsibilities, avoids organized competitions and does not constantly correct errors in order

to maintain a good atmosphere. They conclude that "once children feel secure and content

in the classroom, they can be encouraged to become independent and adventurous

in the learning of the language ... and can get maximum out of language lessons"

(Scott&Ytreberg, 1990, p.10).

Secondly, a good teacher is a good and a creative planner who knows who he or she teaches.

"If your pupils are going to get the maximum enjoyment and maximum learning out

of a lesson, then the lesson must be carefully planned" (Scott&Ytreberg, 1990, p.97). When

preparing a content of a language lesson, the specifics of very young and young learners

ought to be taken into a consideration e.g. the tendency to be curious, the developed

imagination and the short attention span. A lot of visual aids should be utilized, the selection

of the topics should be dependent on the children's knowledge and interests (Hennová, 2010).

Thirdly, the main source of a second language input is often provided by the teachers within

a class, therefore any interaction between the students and the teacher is important and has to

be carefully deliberate (Pinter, 2006). The teacher should support the language input with

gestures, body language, facial expressions and other visual aids. The language used ought to

be a little above the level of the students taught (Reilly&Ward, 1997). However, Phillips

(1993) admits that there is an often dispute about the utilization of a mother tongue

in a second language classroom of very young and young learners. She claims that the usage

of the target language (English in the case) should be as frequent as possible, yet there are

situations in which it can be considered contra-productive i.e. giving instructions, giving

feedback, preservation of security and reacting to the feeling of pupils. Furthermore, Reilly

and Ward (1997) state, that "communication is a vital part of the learning process but if we

37

tell children they can speak only in English (which they cannot do) it is as good as telling

them to be quiet" (p.5). For some learners, learning a new language may be stressful,

the experience is ought to be made enjoyable and hence sometimes the usage of a mother

tongue by a teacher is inevitable. Besides, pupils in the silent period may be let speaking

in the language they feel comfortable with so as to maintain a good rapport with the teacher

(Reilly&Ward, 1997).

All in all, Harmer (1991) proclaims that a teacher possesses many different roles about which

he or she must be aware to be able to apply them in the teaching process correctly. According

to him, the roles are i.e. controller, assessor, corrector, organizer, prompter and a resource.

Scott and Ytreberg (1990) assure that all the attitudes and abilities of a good teacher may be

practiced and subsequently acquired. "Exceptional teachers are born with personality

characteristics that are developed by experience and enhanced by specific information that

only education can provide" (Malikow, 2006, p.1).

3. Teaching Materials

"A lesson is only as effective as the material used to teach it" (Schreiner, 2017).

The correct selection of a teaching material for a lesson is ranked among one of the most

important competencies of a teacher as the teaching materials are believed to have an essential

impact on the learning process of young and very young learners (Hennová, 2010). However,

sometimes teaching materials available to a teacher are not convenient e.g. do not comply

with intended objectives of a lesson. Therefore, reasons for creating new teaching materials,

the procedure itself and a specific teaching material called Lapbook are discussed in the third

chapter.

3.1. Developing Teaching Materials

Effective second language acquisition is attained when a high-quality comprehensible input is

provided by a teacher (Krashen, 1985). When teaching very young and young learners,

the goal of a learning process may be effectively accomplished merely with a support of well-

prepared teaching materials (Graves, 2000). The essence and qualities of the teaching

materials utilized are believed to have a considerable impact on the educational experience

of the pupils (Farrow, 2003). However, as mentioned above, the teaching materials accessible

to a teacher does not always fulfill his or her needs and hence development of new teaching

38

materials is inevitable. Creating, choosing, adapting and organizing materials and activities

are fundamental skills of a teacher developing the materials on their own (Graves, 2000).

3.1.1. Why and What Types of New Teaching Materials Need to Be Developed

According to Schreiner (2017), any tool utilized to convey information or examine

understanding is a teaching material e.g. course books, worksheets, videos, quizzes, portfolios

and other activities. Nevertheless, not all the prepared tools are convenient for all the types

of learners and teachers. For instance, course books, one of the most common type

of materials used in the educational system available to all teachers, do certainly possess

attractive features yet they are all restrictive in some ways (Pinter, 2006). Therefore, Pinter

(2006) suggests identifying gaps in the prepared materials and begin to adapt the materials or

develop new ones to suit better individual needs of variety of classrooms. The irrelevance

of topics for a specific age group in prepared materials, the unmet requirements of the content

of the materials, non-attractiveness, perplexity and overall unfulfilled learning and

motivational needs of each individual learner are reasons for a teacher to start developing

their own materials (Hughes, 2006).

“Teachers will have to use their best judgment in deciding about the most suitable materials

and techniques to fit their learners of different ages in different context” (Pinter, 2006, p.15).

When creating new materials for a class, some features ought to be born in mind.

The materials need to be intelligible and they should be promoting the objectives of a lesson

rather than distracting from it (BJM, 2003). A variety among the types of developed materials

as well as a diversity of implementation into a lesson need to occur as it contributes to a raise

of motivation and hence promotes attention of learners (Pinter, 2006). Halliwell (1992)

recommends the created materials, or at least their core ideas, to be reusable i.e. the topics and

the materials may stay the same whereas the work with the material might differ. Overall,

the appropriateness for a particular age group and special needs of a particular class taught

need to be considered (Reilly&Ward, 1997). The teachers ought to be sentient to individual

differences of very young and young learners.

To sum up there are many good ready-made materials available, however some restrains may

be often found among them e.g. a lack of suitability of a topic for a particular age group

or the unmet fulfillment of objectives of an intended lesson and consequently a need to

develop new teaching materials arises. New teaching materials ought to be illegible, reusable,

varied in form and implementation and should be created or altered with regard to the special

39

needs of individual learners in a class. The awareness of the process of development of new

materials is therefore crucial and discussed in the following subchapter.

3.1.2. How Are New Teaching Materials Created?

The process of new teaching materials development may be overwhelming and confusing

when one does not have guidelines how to do it. Predominantly, it is crucial to be cognizant

about the fact, that by a material a teacher cannot target everything. Thus, making choices

happens to be a crucial part of the materials development (Graves, 2000). Number of factors

need to be taken into account and on their basis, choices about the form and the content

of a new material need to be made (Schreiner, 2017).

Graves (2000) suggests that an effective way of getting started is to consider the course

organization as it helps to clarify the time frame in which the material is ought to be set and

function. Secondly, he states an essential part of the process is to set the goals and objectives

as well as the syllabus focus which should be helped to achieve via the utilization

of the material (Graves, 2000). Setting the educational goals and objectives leads to a creation

of an efficacious teaching material that promotes students' learning (Schreiner, 2017). Thirdly,

Schreiner (2017) recommends analyzing the audience for whom the material is.

The awareness of the pupils' needs may significantly impact the process and ameliorate

the usability (Pinter, 2006). In relation to that, the deliberation over different learning styles

and the theory of multiple intelligences ought to be incorporated into the preparation

of a teaching material. The more learning styles and intelligences are included, the more

learners are able to relate to and are engaged in the teaching process and thus the

enhancement of their language skills may be attained (Schreiner, 2017). Besides, a selection

of a delivery method has to be performed as some methods may be proven more effective

among certain students than others.

In addition, other features supporting the process of the development of teaching materials

suggested by Graves (2000) may be taken into account. He notes that the material ought to

aim for topics that students know from the real life, so the content may be relevant to them.

Graves also suggests that the material should scaffold learners' confidence and enable students

to develop social awareness via variation of roles and grouping when using the material.

According to him, the material should allow students to analyze, discover and solve problems

so that they may be engaged in the learning process. Furthermore, a balance of exercises that

target specific language skills and develop new language based on a student's current

40

knowledge should be supported. However, not all the features at a time may be fulfilled via

usage of one material. The importance resides in a weighing of all of them and preference

of the ones that teacher wants to incorporate into a new teaching material (Graves, 2000).

To sum up, knowing the criteria for the development of teaching materials is crucial for

the improvement of their efficiency. An acquaintance with the time frame, setting the goals

and objectives, the awareness of needs and specifics of a particular group and a selection

of a delivery method are the main queries a teacher needs to answer himself or herself while

in the process of development since learning is highly influenced by the teachersꞌ choice and

creation of materials. When teaching young and very young learners, one teaching material

called Lapbook may be examined. The features of the teaching material, the advantages and

disadvantages of its utilization and the process of its creation are discussed in the further

subchapter.

3.2. Lapbook

Lapbook is an interactive tool utilized to reinforce and review lessons (HomeSchoolShare,

2017). The creative aid may be described as something between a tridimensional book and

an exercise book which compiles variety of activities through which a content of a lesson may

be introduced, practiced and consolidated (Němečková, 2017).

Many forms and functions of a Lapbook may be found. The tool may serve as a learner's

portfolio of pieces of accomplished work, a scrapbook, a collection of information about

a specific topic, a creative art tool for a hands-on approach to learning or when modified, as

an interactive course book that helps a teacher to teach and a pupil to learn (Lapbooking –

Hands of a Child, 2013). Lapbook may contain jigsaws, didactic games, worksheets, coloring

pictures, fine art of learners, instructions for an activity and collected material bearing learned

information (Němečková, 2017). Any topic may be taught through the tool, both on a one-

time basis or on a long-term basis. Nevertheless, the goals of a Lapbook ought to be set before

preparing one so that the employment is effective. Similarly, when creating the teaching

material, a purpose needs to be borne in mind i.e. how is the Lapbook going to be used

(Hudcová, 2006).

All age groups may be taught via usage of Lapbook (Lapbooking – Hands of a Child, 2013).

The older learners can create books full of information, authentic foreign language materials

41

and essays written by them. Very young and young learners may utilize Lapbook partially

prepared by a teacher full of pictures and activities supporting language development on their

level via methods like e.g. total physical response (Němečková, 2017).

Lapbook is mostly created by leaners themselves yet modified versions of it might be created

by a teacher. An advantage of the didactic aid is its creativity interconnected with its

changeability. Lapbook can start with a paper folder and may be broaden to any size and

thickness. When utilizing the material for children, the corpus as well as particular activities

are prepared by a teacher so that the learners merely cut and stick them into the main folder

and consequently may start accomplishing the tasks. Older learners are capable of finding,

collecting and creating tasks and materials for the Lapbook themselves and hence the teacher

merely needs to establish particular goals and objectives (Němečková, 2017).

3.2.1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Utilization of a Lapbook When Teaching

English To Very Young and Young Learners

One of the essential advantages a Lapbook is endowed with is that the teaching material is

suitable for both very young and young learners (Němečková, 2017). As mentioned

in the first and the second chapter, children at this stage are not able to read nor write, they are

either in the silent period or in the early production state. Němečková (2017) states, that

Lapbook has a big potential when used with very young and young learners since natural and

playful form of acquaintance with a foreign language is brought. The pupils are certain

to acquire a foreign (English) language through pictures, games, TPR activities, arts and

crafts, songs and rhymes and drama mediated via the material (Reilly&Ward, 1997). Besides,

the learners as well as their teachers might always go back and practice the learnt content

of a lesson stored in a Lapbook (Němečková, 2017).

Language learning process as well as the overall development of a child is positively

impacted by a usage of Lapbook. “Lapbook can help to develop everything that we need

to develop when teaching – memory, cooperation among students as well as individual

learning, information processing, grammar, conversation, creativity, motoric skills…”

(Němečková, 2017, translated by the author). It serves as a motivational tool (Lapbooking –

In the Hands of a Child, 2013) as it engages students with all eight intelligences i.e. Verbal-

Linguistic intelligence, Logical-Mathematical intelligence, Visual-Spatial intelligence,

Musical intelligence, Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence, Naturalistic intelligence, Interpersonal

intelligence, and Intrapersonal intelligence (Gardner, 1999). Besides, when well prepared,

42

Lapbook interconnects a variety of subjects which helps children to prepare for a real life

(Němečková, 2017).

Another great advantage of the Lapbook may be seen when used as a portfolio since it may be

considered as a unique way of treatment of assessment (Lapbooking – In the Hands

of a Child, 2013). “Portfolios link teaching and assessment very clearly since they offer

concrete evidence of what a learner can do. This method of assessment can also motivate

learners by getting them to focus on what they are good at and develop ownership

of the learning process, thus promoting learner independence” (Pinter, 2006, p.137).

The assessment via the tools is both effective for the teachers and pleasant for the learners

consequently supporting a better learning environment (Pinter, 2006). In addition, Lapbook

provides teachers an easy and creative way to assign homework (Montessoridoma, 2013).

Lastly, there are some practical advantages of a Lapbook. The aids are in most cases easy

to store (Lapbooking – In the Hands of a Child, 2013), cheap to create – merely office

supplies e.g. paper, glue, scissors are required for the creation, compact – convey many

information at small space and most importantly do not lose their attractively as they are

easily remade and reused (Montessoridoma, 2013).

However, some disadvantages of the teaching material arise. The development of the material

is time demanding (Němečková, 2017), the teacher needs to plan each step and – especially

when teaching very young and young learners – he or she ought to prepare scaffolding

materials for the children to be able to work with Lapbook. Němečková (2017) claims that

it is better to choose a less extensive topic for the book since the utilization of the Lapbook

itself in a class may be time consuming, too.

To summarize, Lapbook is a great educational tool through which many skills are developed.

It is suitable for all age groups and all types of learners. When used with children, a second

language acquisition is supported. Nevertheless, both preparation and work with it in a lesson

may be time consuming and therefore the goals and objectives of each Lapbook ought to be

well planned and prepared.

43

II. Practical Part – The Usage of Lapbook and Its Specifics and

Impact in Practical Teaching

The practical part of the thesis is concerned with the usage of a teaching material – Lapbook,

its specifics and impact in teaching English to very young and young learners. In the first

section, chapter four – Introduction – The Method and The Participants, the aims of the paper,

the question of a research interconnected with the aims, the particularities of participants

of the research and the method utilized during the research are described. In the second

section, chapter five – Analysis of the process, the procedure of the research is delineated

i.e. creation of the teaching material – Lapbook, Lapbook and its influence on learner's

attention, Lapbook and the implementation of the theory of eight intelligences. Lastly,

the summary of the research results and the description of possible fulfilment of the paper's

aims are provided.

4. Introduction – The Method and The Participants

This chapter focuses on the introduction of the research made. When starting a research,

it is essential to firstly establish the objective or objectives which consequently have to be

borne in mind during the whole procedure. Secondly, the research questions based on the aim

need to be defined along with the determination of the method of research. Afterwards,

the suitable research sample – participants of the research ought to be selected (Bell, 2005).

All the four elements are described in the following subchapters.

4.1. Aims of the Paper

As mentioned before, setting aims is crucial for any paper or research as it promotes focus

of the work and provides boundaries within which one may operate (Gavora, 2000, translated

by the author). Moreover, they serve as a fundamental basis for the determination

of the research questions.

The aims of the paper are to create a motivational teaching material – Lapbook – and present

it in a class of very young and young learners. Thereafter, using the material in English

lessons, examine possible positive impacts on the learners' attention. Further, another

subsidiary aim is to ascertain whether the material is appropriate for supporting and

implementing Howard Gardner's Theory of multiple intelligences.

44

4.2. Research Questions

Development of a new teaching material – Lapbook supporting second language acquisition

when teaching very young and young learners was an inevitable part of the research. After

creating the teaching material, its impact on the participants of English language as a second

language learners may have been examined. To be able to investigate the influence

of the Lapbook, research questions needed to be determined. The research of the thesis

focuses on addressing the subsequent questions:

• What impact does the usage of Lapbook have on the attention of a pupil during

an English lesson?

• How does the usage of Lapbook incorporate Gardner's theory of 8 intelligences into

an English lesson?

The questions were further examined via utilization of certain research methods described

in the following subchapter 4.3. Methods of the Research.

4.3. Methods of the Research

For the fulfillment of the purpose of the thesis, the qualitative research is employed.

According to Gay, Mills and Airasian (2006), “qualitative research is a collection, analysis

and interpretation of comprehensive narrative and visual (non-numerical) data in order to gain

insights into a particular phenomenon of interest“ (p.9). Several concrete methods

of the qualitative research are utilized to answer the research questions, since merely one

would not be sufficient for the procedure. To collect valuable data to be able to answer

the first question, that attempts to ascertain possible impacts of the usage of Lapbook

on a learner's attention, both the participant and the non-participant observations were carried

out. To answer the second, subsidiary question the third data collection method – examining

records was implemented. The three methods are discussed in detail further.

4.3.1. Non-participant Observation

The impact the utilization of Lapbook has on a learner's attention in teaching English

as a second language may be easily recognized via non-participant observation. During non-

participant observation the observer is not involved in the activities observed, yet merely

observes and records the behaviour of individual participants of the research. Such observers

are less likely to become emotionally involved with the participants of the research and

moreover have time to mark down details about the lesson. However, more difficulties

45

gaining necessary information on participants' opinions, attitudes, and emotional states may

occur (Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2006). In the case of the research of the thesis, non-participant

observation was employed half of the time spend with the participants. Firstly, the aims of the

Lapbook lessons were discussed with the teacher teaching the participants of the research.

Secondly, the Lapbook was created, thirdly, before each lesson, the specific information about

each lesson and its lesson plan were transmitted to the teacher who lead the lesson. Finally,

the non-participation observation happened during the English Lapbook lesson during

the activities in which the teacher did not need an assistant.

4.3.2. Participant Observation

As mentioned above, merely one method for the data collection would not be adequate and

therefore the participant observation, when “the observer actually becomes a part of,

a participant in, the situation being observed” (Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2006, p.414) was

employed in the research. The reasons for the decision are as follows: a participant

observation permits the researcher to increase the insight into the participants' characteristics

as well as build a relationship with them and the type of observation allows the researcher

tohelp the teacher to work with the group when necessary – which was sometimes requisite

when working with the specific group during collecting data for the thesis. Nevertheless,

on the other hand, the objectivity may be lost when having a deep relationship with

the participants, and, furthermore, the researcher may be distracted from taking notes

of the data (Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2006).

Field Notes

An essential aspect of any observation are the notes that the observer takes. “Field notes

describe, as accurately as possible and as comprehensively as possible, all relevant aspects

of the situation observed” (Gay, Mills&Airasian, 2006, p.414). For the purpose

of the research focusing on the impact of the Lapbook on the attention of an individual,

the form of graph of one student's concentration in the Lapbook lessons was chosen

as the tool to note down the field notes. Commenting the procedure, Wajnryb (2004) states

that “It is important to be aware that both internal and external factors are relevant here, but

that because internal factors are unobservable, we will be gauging concentration through

external evidence alone” (p.59). Therefore the attention of a leaner was recorded along with

additional notes about participant's behaviour in the graph during a Lapbook lesson (in case of

the non-participant observation) or after the lesson (in case of the participant observation).

46

4.3.3. Examining the Lapbook Lesson Plans

Second research question concerns the appropriateness of Lapbook for supporting and

implementing Howard Gardner's Theory of multiple intelligences. The data collection

technique utilized to support the research is examining records. Gay, Mills and Airasian

(2006) claim, that “Qualitative researchers can gain valuable information from examining

various types of records or documents found in educational environments” (p.426). In case of

the research of the thesis, the method was applied on the Lapbook lesson plans. Each activity

of the lesson plans is examined to ascertain the presence and stratification of the employment

of the eight intelligences.

To summarize, particular methods of qualitative research were chosen and subsequently

employed when collecting data for the research of the thesis i.e. non-participant observation,

participant observation and examination of records. When answering the first research

question, both participant and nonparticipant methods were utilized as usage of both provide

the observer a good balance of having insight in the group and having the opportunity to take

notes and stay neutral about the outcomes. The field notes were taken by graphing

the participant's attention. To response the second research question, the examination of all

the Lapbook lesson plans is considered as good procedure to reach the research results.

4.4. Participants of the Research – Research Sample

Carefully chosen participants of a research, in other words a research sample, compose

an essential part of any research. A small number of individuals is usually chosen when

carrying out a qualitative research so that the researcher may observe and collect data with

a great depth. To find a group of individuals that would help the researcher “understand

the phenomenon under investigation” is crucial (Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2006, p.113).

For the purpose of the thesis, the technique of non-random sampling was used. The type

of sampling is based on the knowledge of suitability and availability of a particular research

sample for a particular research. Most of the time, the outcomes cannot be generalized

for everybody, as not all the representants of a population are present in the research (Gavora,

2000, translated by the author). Nevertheless, the results may be applicable on the same age

group as the one present in the research.

Since the thesis focuses on the usage of Lapbook in teaching very young and young learners,

the participants of the research had to be chosen according to the age. The group selected for

the research is a class of ten – five to seven-year-old learners of English language. They all

47

attend an afternoon club called Creative English in a leisure centre Lipka. Their teacher,

Monika, twenty-two-year-old student of English language, was compliant and enthusiastic

to try out the Lapbook method with the children. Since it is her first year of teaching, she

appreciated the new method as a source of inspiration and hence the cooperation with

the teacher and the work with the research sample started.

As mentioned before, ten participants were chosen to be involved in the research of the thesis.

Out of the ten, two individuals were five years olds who attended local kindergarten, five

learners were six years old, attending the first year of a local primary school and

the remaining three participants were seven years old, attending second year of a local

primary school. Not merely the age and the level of education differed among the learners, but

also the level of English they have reached. The very young learners mostly did encounter

English merely one hour a week during the last year of the kindergarden and were still in their

silent period and therefore hesitant to produce any language. The young learners received

more foreign language input at both school and kindergarten (two to three years), and were

mostly in the early production stage trying to produce short language chunks. The research

concentrates on the attention of these learners during nine Lapbook lessons. One participant

of the research at a time was chosen and observed during one whole lesson, therefore merely

nine students out of the ten were carefully examined. A need to describe specifics of each

particular participant of the research arises as the specifics may influence the research results.

The intelligences of particular learners were estimated via observation during the nine lessons

so that the possible influence of them on the research results may be depicted.

Esterka

Esterka is a six year old student of a first year of a primary school in Brno. She claims that

she loves English, she attempts to communicate in the language and therefore it may be

assumed that she is in the early production stage. Esterka is an attentive and creative student,

she participates in almost every activity prepared, her love for movement and crafting

is visible. Her intelligences are numerous, the Bodily-Kinesthetic, the Verbal-Linguistic

as well as Visual-Spatial may be observed when working with her.

Lucinka

Lucinka, observed in the second Lapbook lesson, is, too, six year old student of a first year

of a primary school in Brno. She has had English lessons for one year in a kindergarten and

therefore is likely to be in the early production stage starting to try to speak in English.

48

However, she is very timid, quiet and not communicative even within the group. On the other

hand, she is attentive and quietly respond to most of the activities. She, as well as Esterka,

loves to craft and move – the Visual-Spatial as well as Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence

is visible when working with her.

Terezka

Terezka is a six year old classmate of Lucinka, studying English for the second year and

hence, as well as Lucinka, is in the early production stage. She is very talkative and

communicative and tries to speak in English, she tends to demand the teacher's attention.

Terezka is very responsive to all the activities, that may be caused by her tendency to please

the teacher. She seems to be Interpersonal, Verbal-Linguistic and Bodily-Kinesthetic smart.

Borisek

Borisek is a six years old attendee of a first year of a primary school. He is very energetic, go-

ahead and temperament. He tends to separate from the rest of the group, he is withdrawn,

yet when a moving activity occurs, he joins everybody and enjoys it, hence it is assumed that

he is Bodily-Kinesthetic smart. Borisek is also very good with words (Verbal-Linguistic

intelligent), and when well motivated, he tries to utilize the vocabulary available to him and

communicate in English.

Ondra

Ondra, one of the oldest participant of the research, is seven years old. As being a young

learner, he is more mature than the rest of the group, he calms down the group when

the others make much noise, he is diligent and very knowledgeable. Ondra loves computer

games and everything connected to youtube, that seems to have a huge impact on his English,

he tends to talk in the foreign language with the restricted vocabulary he has during most

of the activities. He claims that he is entertained with mathematics, English language and

nature facts, therefore he may be Logical-Mathematical, Verbal-Linguistic and Naturalistic

intelligent.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth is, too, a six year old student of a first year of a primary school. At first, she was not

willing to participate verbally in any activity, however, after two sessions she started to be

very responsive and she has begun to use the language acquired during the Lapbook lessons

actively. Her energy fills up the room, she encourages the others to participate in all

49

the activities. She loves crafting and dancing, probably being mainly Visual-Spatial, Bodily-

Kinesthetic and Interpersonal smart.

Honzík

Honzík, a 6 years old attendee of a kindergarten is special in terms of the language input he

had at his disposal when growing up. When he was three years old, he attended and English

kindergarten program which now allows him to understand the teacher almost everything he

or she says. However, in class he is shy to speak aloud, yet he often translates for the others

when they do not understand the teacher. He is responsive, and when motivated willing

to join all the activities. Honzík is also very reflective, he is able to sit down and tell himself

what he did wrong, therefore, it may be assumed that he is intrapersonally intelligent.

Additionally, he is very good when working with the foreign language (Verbal-Linguistic

intelligence) and he loves crafting (Visual-Spatial intelligence).

Vašík

Vašík, seven-year-old student of the second year of a primary school, is a very specific learner

influencing the whole course of any lesson he attends. He often does not want to participate

in most of the lesson activities, screams bad words during the class and bothers the other

learners. Nevertheless, he seems to like moving games (Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence) and

crafting (Visual-Spatial intelligence) which calms him down. After several serious

conversations within which the teacher and I asked him what is wrong and explained him

calmly what is going on, he told her that his parents are having a divorce and that is the reason

why he behaves the way he does. He claimed to attempt to be a better student, in which he

succeeded most of the time.

Jonášek

Jonášek, 5 years, is the youngest participant of the research. He, as a very young learner

exposed to the foreign language input merely for half a year in a kindergarten, is in a silent

period well receiving the instructions of the activities, yet not producing any language output

himself. He is energetic, enthusiastic, talkative (in the mother tongue), and get along with his

peers well. He loves singing, moving and he is especially fond of nature. It seems that

Jonášek's main intelligences are Naturalistic, Musical and Intrapersonal.

To summarize, the selection of a research sample influences the whole research procedure as

well as the research results. For the research of the thesis, a group of nine very young and

50

young learners of English as a foreign language were chosen and observed to be able to depict

their specifics and their influence on the attention during the Lapbook lessons.

5. Analysis of the Process

The chapter is dedicated to the analysis of the process of the research. Firstly,

the development of the teaching material – Lapbook is described including the preparation for

the development and the specifics of the Lapbook. Secondly, the first research question –

the influence of the Lapbook on a learner's attention – is dealt with. Finally, the second

research question is answered in the subchapter 5.3. Lapbook and the Implementation

of the theory of eight intelligences.

5.1. Development of The Teaching Material – Lapbook

The process of creating teaching materials is affected by many factors e.g. the age group

which one wants to teach, the aims of the course, the length of the course etc. As stated in the

third chapter (3. Teaching Materials), well-prepared teaching materials supporting a high-

quality comprehensible input provided by a teacher have an essential impact on the second

language acquisition of very young and young learners (Graves, 2000). Therefore a decision

to create a material which would promote a successful second language acquisition among

the target group was made. A basis for a material called Lapbook – a tridimensional book and

an exercise book which compiles variety of activities – supporting the aim was discovered via

recommendation of one Czech teacher. The main idea behind the aid (described

in the subchapter 3.2. Lapbook) was taken and subsequently adapted for the needs

of the particular research. A template for more commonly utilized type of Lapbook – learnerꞌs

Lapbook has been made, yet a new idea – to create a teacher's Lapbook in abnormal size that

would serve as a fundamental guideline for the whole lesson – has also been taken into

consideration and afterwards implemented. The procedure of the preparation

for the development of the aid and the development itself are delineated further in the text.

5.1.1 The Procedure of the Development

After discovering the teaching material and adapting its idea for the research needs, the target

group for which the Lapbook should have been developed was chosen (the research sample is

described in detail in the previous chapter 4.4. Participants of the Research – Research

Sample). Thereafter, the basic information about the course in which the Lapbook should

51

have been implemented were ascertained within the first conversation with the teacher

teaching the group. The course, called Creative English lasted 90 minutes within which

the crafting had to be present. It was decided that Lapbook activities would take 30 to 60

minutes of the whole lesson according to a topic and the activities included. In order to

maintain the second language acquisition and increase the comprehensible input, it was

determined, that an English speaking puppet would accompany the whole Lapbook lessons

along with an English hat which would the teacher wear when speaking the foreign language.

Then, the overall topic and motivation was chosen and the topics and objectives of each

lesson were discussed with the teacher. It was decided that each lesson would have 5-10

words which would be taught and practised via utilization of both the teacher's and the

learner's Lapbook on the basis of the theory of second language acquisition and its means

of utilization – TPR, arts and crafts, songs and rhymes, storytelling and story reading and

drama.

The specifics of the teaching material decided prior to the development are provided further:

Topic & Motivation: Jellyfish Jamie got lost and is trying to find a way back to his home

planet. Learners are helping Jamie to find a way home while learning new things. After

accomplishing all tasks in a lesson, the pupils receive a piece of Jamie's planet, when

the planet is complete, Jamie can fly home.

Duration: 90 minutes (30-60 minutes dedicated to Lapbook activities)

Target group: Very young and young learners

Language aims:

- To provide sufficient input of English language to maintain second language acquisition,

English to Czech 70 % to 30 %.

- To teach the children basic vocabulary (5-10 words a lesson), they will be able to prove their

knowledge via total physical response

- To provide a necessary practice of the vocabulary taught in a preceding lesson

- To make children familiar with phrases which they can come into contact with and they

teach them to react to them correctly

- Introduce learners to English songs, rhymes and games

- To respect the „silent period“ yet encourage all individuals to participate either verbally or

nonverbally

52

After the general frame for the Lapbook was established, the lesson plans were compiled.

Their detailed description as well as the characterization of the Lapbook activities are

provided in Attachment n. 1.

One more aspect of the development of the teaching material had to be considered –

the material from which the Lapbook itself would be created. The learner's Lapbooks are

usually made from paper folders of an A4 format in which other folding paper activities are

glued. However, the teacher's Lapbook was intended to be in B1 format, so the paper folders

would not be sufficient. The tool had to be also reusable and resistant to very young and

young learner's utilization, yet light to be easily portable and manipulative. Hence, colorful

cardstock B1 paper was chosen as a basis and A4 cardstock paper as well as A4 copier paper

for the activities within the Lapbook. All flashcards and other pictures with which the learners

were supposed to work were planned to be laminated.

Taking all into account i.e. the specifics and dissimilarities of very young and young learners,

the time frame of each lesson, the topic, the objectives and the material – the creation

of the corporeal teaching material started.

5.1.2. The Evaluation of Functionality of the Lapbook

Once the teaching material – Lapbook has been made, it begun to be utilized in real lessons

with the research sample. Before each lesson, the certain lesson plan and the Lapbook was

looked through with the teacher. After the whole Lapbook course an evaluation

of functionality of the aid according to the prior established goals was discussed. As far as

the teacher and I are concerned, the language aims were fulfilled during the Lapbook lessons.

Moreover, the claim was confirmed by a school inspection which visited one class (the whole

report from the inspector is included in Attachment n.5). The language used in the lessons

was mostly English (at least 70%) thanks to the puppet Jellyfish Jamie, the English hat and

the illustrative nature of the Lapbook. During each lesson, children learnt a new set

of vocabulary and practiced the set taught in preceding lesson via various activities. Even

though the second language acquisition is not strictly mesurable, the positive impact the

teaching aid had on the children's vocabulary was visible through tasks done in the learner's

Lapbook (described in Attachment n.2) as all the learners were able to accomplish them

at the end of each lesson. English songs, rhymes and games were introduced to the learners

with respect to the silent period supporting the voluntary oration.

53

Regarding the practical side of the creation of the Lapbook the initial idea to laminate all

the flashcards and other pictures with which the pupils would work had to be reconsidered

after first two lessons. The laminated pieces of paper often slipped out of the Lapbook during

its frequent transfer, the solution was found to keep the pictures merely paper to preserve

friction. Another technical problem occurred with the transportation itself. The pages

of the teacher's Lapbook had a tendency to bend and wriggle, hence a cardboard case had

to be made. Otherwise, the form of the teaching material seemed to be very attractive for both

the very young and young learners.

To summarize, the teaching material Lapbook was developed after a conversation with

a teacher teaching the target group of the thesis - very young and young learners - based on

the principles described in the theoretical part. Even though some obstacles with the practical

aspect of the development occured, the teacher's and the template for the learner's Lapbook

were created, subsequently utilized in an English classroom and the main goals

of the teaching material set prior to the utilization were fulfilled.

5.2. Lapbook and Its Influence on Learner's Attention

One of the aims of the bachelor thesis is to examine possible positive impacts of the Lapbook

on the learners' attention. To achieve the goal, both non-participant and participant

observations were employed (the methods are described in detail in subchapter 4.3. Methods

of the Research). A graph of one student's concentration was chosen as the tool to note down

the field notes, hence the attention of learners during the Lapbook lessons was recorded.

In the following subchapters, the concentration charts and subsequently the results emerging

from their investigation are depicted.

5.2.1. Concentration Charts and Their Description

During nine Lapbook lessons nine various learners were observed and as mentioned before,

their attention was recorded in nine concentration graphs. These charts along with their brief

description depending on each individual observed are displayed further. Each chart has an x-

axis representing the activities performed in a lesson and a y-axis representing the estimated

amount of attention. Points 0-5 on the y-axis were chosen by the observer to ease

the evaluation (explained furher in the text). The abbreviation LA before certain activities

denotes that the activity is a Lapbook Activity, the abbreviation R indicates a revision of

a LA.

54

Chart 1 - 1. Lesson – The Spaceship

Points on the y-axis and their meaning:

0 - The learner does not pay any attention during the instructions/activities, he or she does

different things even when asked to stop. The student distracts the whole class.

1 - The learner does not pay attention to the teacher's instructions yet does not distract

the class. The student is quiet, he or she needs to be much encouraged to get involved.

2 - The learner passively does what the peers do, yet not does not concetrate on the task itself.

3 - The learner is merely partially distracted, not knowing what to do at first. After the peers

begin fulfilling the activity, the studet slowly starts to be engaged.

4 - The learner is fully concentrated listening to the instructions of the teacher, he or she

is slower to accomplish them (needs a repetition of what to do).

5 - The learner is fully concetrated, he or she listens to all instructions and is quick to fullfill

them.

During the first lesson, a creative student Esterka was observed. At the very beginning of

the lesson, she was attentive, yet, when a song and name games were performed, her attention

55

started to decrease. However, when the Lapbook was introduced, her attitude was

immediately changed, she wanted to participate in almost every activity very actively. After

the Lapbook activities, crafting was employed. Esterka loves arts and crafts and therefore her

attention was very high; nevertheless, when cleaning and saying goodbye begun, her

concentration, as well as the concentration of the rest of the group was lost.

Lucinka, a timid 6 years old student was observed during the second lesson.

At the beginning, her attention was very low probably due to her shame to communicate with

the teacher and the peers, yet when the Lapbook was introduced, she started concentrating as

the aid provided her the chance to visualize the activities performed. At the end of the LA,

when the Mr. Stork lost his cap game was introduced, (even though she appeared a bit

confused at the beginning) she was even one of two volunteers who attempted to be

a facilitator of the activity. Since she loves crafting, her attention was high when the usual

Arts and Crafts were integrated, yet at the end of the lesson, when cleaning and saying

goodbye her attention was again dissolved.

Chart 2 - 2. Lesson – The Lake 1

56

Chart 3 - 3. Lesson – The Lake 2

The third lesson of Creative English was aimed at teaching numbers. Terezka, 6 years old

participant of the research observed during the lesson, is in general very attentive student. She

is Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligent and therefore activities like "Hello song – running" or

"Catching fish" caught her attention. In contradiction to the first two girls, her attention did

not immediately increase when the Lapbook was introduced, yet it remained the same and

only after two activities started to gradually grow. During the two last LA, Terezka was fully

concentrated. After that, her attention rapidly decreased.

57

During the fourth lesson an energetic, go-ahead six years old learner Borisek was observed.

At the beginning, the pupil was not concentrated, yet when the Lapbook occurred, he started

paying full attention. During the Lapbook activities, his concentration fluctuated yet remained

high except for the game "Simon says" (concentration – 4) when he did not understand

the instructions of the teacher and therefore ignored it at first and partially during the game

"Molecules" (concentration – 4) when he was asked to cooperate with his peers, which he

does not like (as mentioned in the subchapter 4.4. Participants of the Research – Research

Sample – Borisek tends to separate from the rest of the group).

Chart 4 - 4. Lesson – The Hospital

58

Ondra, the oldest participant of the research was observed during the fifth lesson.

At the beginning, as usual, he did not pay much attention, yet after the first two activities his

attention increased to maximum and remained high during all LA, except preparation for one

activity – "The Balloon version" during which he, as well as the rest of the students, was

asked to inflate a balloon. The concentration decreased due to the fact, that he was not able to

inflate it at a first attempt and immediately asked the teacher to help him which she did not

do.

Chart 5 - 5. Lesson – The Birthday Party

59

Attention of a six years old student Elizabeth was recorded during the sixth lesson. It rapidly

increased when the Lapbook was incorporated and stayed considerably high until the cleaning

and saying goodbye parts. The two downfalls which may be seen during the LA had both

the same factor, Elizabeth does not like to show off in front of the whole class. The activities

contained a part in which, according to her words uttered, "she would embarrass herself"

i.e. shouting words that were missing and imitating animal sounds.

Chart 6 - 6. Lesson – The Farm

60

At the beginning of the seventh lesson, Honzík, a six years old attendee of a kindergarten,

was not paying attention to what the teacher said, this was redressed by a moving activity

"Bus, tram, car". However, when the Lapbook was opened and a new set of vocabulary was

being introduced, his attention slightly decreased and thereafter returned to maximum with

a guessing game "Little caterpillars". Honzík looked very tired, so at the end of the lesson,

due to the tiredness, his concentration was slightly weakened, hence he attempted to join all

activities.

Chart 7 - 7. Lesson – The Garden

61

Vašík, who is a very specific learner influencing the whole course, was observed during the

eighth lesson. At the beginning of the lesson, he started to utter bad words which unbalanced

the whole group. However, a song "Hokey Pokey" along with a game "Bus, tram car", both

possessing features of movement, calmed him down and caught his attention. During

the introduction of a "Cookie game", he stated that he has a headache, which after a private

conversation with him proved to be lying to excuse him from doing the activity. Nevertheless,

when Lapbook was introduced, he started paying attention a bit more and during two

activities ("Dress your figure" and "Fashion show preparation" – both Visually-Spatially

based) his concentration maximized. At the end of the lesson, he sat on a floor and did not

want to do anything else but play with his cars.

Chart 8 - 8. Lesson – Paris

62

Chart 9 - 9. Lesson – Treasure Hunt

The impact Lapbook Activities had on a certain learner's attention may be visible

in a concentration chart from the ninth lesson. Jonášek is the youngest learner from

the research group and hence his encounter with the foreign language has not been long.

At the beginning of the ninth lesson, he did not pay any attention to the teacher, yet when the

Lapbook was incorporated, his concentration gradually increased and then remained high

except one LA "The very hungry caterpillar" during which the learners were asked to narrate

the story according to pictures glued in their learner's Lapbook (Jonášek is in the silent period

and therefore did not wanted to speak). When the LA "Treasure hunt" finished, Jonášek's

concentration subsequently decreased.

5.2.2. Résumé of the Research Results

The first research question of this bachelor thesis attempts to ascertain "What impact does

the usage of Lapbook have on the attention of a pupil during an English lesson?" After

an examination of nine concentration graphs of nine learners collected during nine English

lessons, a conclusion about the influence of utilization of the teaching material can be drawn.

First fact that is visible is that in lessons 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 the attention of each individual

increased when the Lapbook was opened and the Lapbook activities begun, in lesson 3 and 5,

the attention remained the same and merely in lesson 7 the attention slightly decreased and

63

after first two LA activities it grew and reached its maximum. Therefore, the observation

leads to a conclusion that when a work with the Lapbook begins, the attention of the learners

increases. Similarly, when looking at the end of the Lapbook activities, it may be seen that

the attention diminishes or stays the same in all the lessons. Yet, drawing conclusions from

the phenomenon would be irrelevant, as merely arts and crafts activities (which certain

individuals do not like), cleaning and a cool down (which are not often attractive among

children) are present in the part of the lesson. Also, at the end of ninety-minute lesson

children are often tired and the concentration would be likely to decrease in any case.

Secondly, another interesting aspect of the Lapbook may be noticed when examining

the observation graphs. During the lessons 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 a sudden diminution of the learner's

concentration during a Lapbook activity and a quick rise to its former state after the activity

may be noted. The observation signifies that even though some activities are not attractive

for certain individuals (e.g. because of their different intelligence or interest), the Lapbook

itself provides an attractive variety of activities which often drag in the learners back.

The variety of the teaching material seems to have a positive impact on the learners' attention.

Thirdly, when the facts are considered it may be spotted that the attention during LA either

grows or slightly fluctuate depending on various activities and their suitability for particular

learners yet stays high. Surprisingly, a usual gradual descent of attention during the usage

of Lapbook is not visible neither within one particular lesson nor within the whole course

of all the lessons (1-9) with Lapbook. It may be therefore assumed, that the teaching material

does not lose its attractiveness for learners probably thanks to its variedness and this fact

supports the high concentration during its utilization.

It is important to bear in mind that there are both internal and external factors that are

influencing the learners' attention, however, the internal factors are unobservable and merely

the external evidences are gauged (Wajnryb, 2004) and examined. Also, the nine participants

of the research are a very small number of representatives of the whole population possessing

its specifics (e.g. all of them were signed to the inter curricular Creative English club, most of

the students are attendees of a same school etc.) and therefore the research conclusions cannot

be applied to all very young and young learners studying a foreign language.

To summarize, the usage of Lapbook has a positive impact on the attention of a pupil during

an English lesson. Three aspects may be observed when examining the concentration charts.

Firstly, when a work with the Lapbook begins, the attention of the learners increases.

Secondly, there are various activities within the Lapbook and even though some activities

64

may not be suitable for particular learners, others have the potential to draw back learners'

attention. The variety of activities provided by the Lapbook contributes to high attention ratio

during them. Thirdly, a usual gradual decrease of attention (due to loss of attractiveness

of the teaching material) during the usage of Lapbook is not visible neither within one

particular lesson nor within the whole course of all the lessons with Lapbook which signifies

that the teaching material is simulative enough for very young and young learners.

5.3. Lapbook and the Implementation of the Theory of Eight Intelligences

One of the factors influencing the efficiency of learning and acquiring a foreign language by

an individual learner is his or her preferred way of learning. The way learners within one class

think, learn and operate in the world differ; one theory which attempts to delineate these

differences is the Garner's theory of Multiple Intelligences (described in detail in subchapter

2.3.1. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences). To support a successful knowledge development

the eight intelligences Gardner (1999) depicts may be incorporated into a lesson.

The bachelor thesis essays to ascertain how the usage of Lapbook incorporate Gardner's

theory of 8 intelligences into an English lesson. To answer the question, a table for each

lesson displaying Lapbook activities and the intelligences they cover (marked with X) was

assembled. Then, a chart depicting the summary of the outcomes of each lesson is included

and the overall results are described.

5.3.1. Individual Lapbook Lessons

During the first lesson with the research sample, four Lapbook activities were incorporated.

First activity – the Introduction of the teacher's Lapbook reside in the introduction

of the whole Lapbook process, the motivation and the Jellyfish Jamie himself. Merely Verbal-

Linguistic intelligence is promoted by the activity as it concentrates on the language input,

the comprehension of the explanation and on answering questions. Second activity, Jellyfish

Jamie needs a spaceship, combines Bodily-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal and Visual-Spatial

intelligences as the game includes running, group work and assembling puzzle. Next group of

activities called Introduction of the vocabulary is dedicated to teaching new set of vocabulary

(spaceship rules) through moving activities with the usage of colorful flashcards – the Verbal-

Linguistic, Bodily-Kinesthetic and Visual-Spatial intelligences are supported. Last activity is

devoted to the work with Learner's Lapbook. The Lapbooks are distributed, spaceship rules

are cut out and glued into the Lapbook and after that, the important signature of the contract

65

to obey the spaceship rules is realized endorsing the Visual-Spatial and the reflective

Intrapersonal intelligences.

The second lesson is compiled from four Lapbook parts. Firstly, the set of activities –

Introduction of the vocabulary (colors) is performed. Secondly, a guessing chant game "Little,

little fish" aimed at the language site of children's development. As the activities are merely

language based, only the Verbal-Linguistic intelligence is promoted in both. Thirdly,

the natural accurate activity "Frogs and water lilies" is incorporated. Paper frogs need to be

cut out and then the learners are asked jump to certain water lilies according to verbal

instructions subconsciously learning the vocabulary; promoting Verbal-Linguistic, Visual-

Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic and Naturalistic intelligences. The last part of the Lapbook lesson

called "Mr. Stork lost his cap" focuses again on a successful acquisition of the set vocabulary

through verbal instructions and movement, therefore Verbal-Linguistic and Bodily-

Kinesthetic intelligences are considered to be present within the activity.

Lesson 1 Verbal -

Linguistic

Logical -

Mathematical

Visual -

Spatial Musical

Bodily -

Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Introduction

of the

teacher's

Lapbook

X

Jellyfish

Jamie needs a

space ship

X

X

X

Introduction

of the

vocabulary

X

X

X

Learner's

Lapbook

activity

X

X

Table 1 - 1. Lesson – The Spaceship

66

Table 2 - 2. Lesson – The Lake I.

The third lesson focuses on teaching numbers starts, as usual, with the set of activities

introducing new vocabulary, in this case, the activities based on Verbal-Linguistic

intelligence. Thereafter a song "Ten little jellyfish" incorporating singing, counting and

learning the set of new vocabulary is performed including Musical, Logical-Mathematical and

Verbal-Linguistic intelligences. Third part of the lesson is a game called "Catching fish",

in which the learners need to bring a certain number of colorful fish by using their breath

through a straw. This is ideal for individuals who are Verbal-Linguistic and Bodily-

Kinesthetic smart. The fourth self-reflective Arts and Crafts activity concerns a paper jigsaw

which the children are asked to cut, fold and glue into their learner's Lapbooks and fill

according to the teacher's instructions endorsing the Verbal-Linguistic, Visual-Spatial and

the Intrapersonal intelligence.

Table 3 - 3. Lesson – The Lake II.

Lesson 2 Verbal -

Linguistic

Logical -

Mathematical

Visual -

Spatial Musical

Bodily -

Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Introduction

of the

vocabulary

X

Little, little

fish X

Frogs and

water lilies X X X X

Mr. Stork

lost his cap X X

Lesson 3 Verbal -

Linguistic

Logical -

Mathematical

Visual -

Spatial Musical

Bodily -

Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Introduction

of the

vocabulary

X

Song 10

little

jellyfish

X X X

Catching

fish X X

Arts and

Crafts -

Lapbook

X X X

67

In lesson four five Lapbook parts are included. First set of activities – the Introduction

of the vocabulary resides in the introduction of a new set of vocabulary (body parts) through

several games including "Simon says", "What is missing" and "Jump the flashcard"

(explained in detail in Attachment n.2). Verbal-linguistic, Visual-Spatial and Bodily-

Kinesthetic intelligences are promoted by the set of activities. Then a "Drama game" is

played, Verbal-Linguistic and Bodily-Kinesthetic learners are supported as the game

concentrates on the language input and movement through acting. Third activity, a song

"Head and Shoulders", combines Verbal-Linguistic, Musical and Bodily-Kinesthetic

intelligences as the song includes new vocabulary supplemented with motions. Next activity

called "Molecules" is devoted to teaching and practicing the new set of vocabulary in pairs

via Total Physical Response – the Verbal-Linguistic, Bodily-Kinesthetic and Interpersonal

intelligences are supported. Last activity is dedicated to the work with Learner's Lapbook.

The game Bingo is prepared – cut out and glued into the Lapbook - and thereafter played

endorsing the Verbal-Linguistic, Visual-Spatial and the reflective Intrapersonal intelligence.

Lesson 4 Verbal -

Linguistic

Logical -

Mathematical

Visual -

Spatial Musical

Bodily -

Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Introduction

of the

vocabulary

X X X

Drama

game X X

Head and

shoulders

song

X X X

Molecules X X X

Bingo X X X

Table 4 - 4. Lesson – The Hospital

The fifth lesson is assembled from five Lapbook parts. Firstly, as usual, the set of activities –

Introduction of the vocabulary (basic commands) is performed, in this case, the activities

e.g. "Jump to the flashcard" or "Do it when the music stops" are incorporated. Secondly,

a Balloon version of the activity "Do it when the music stops" is played. Both activities focus

on teaching the vocabulary via movement or fulfilling the basic commands while dancing

to a music promoting Verbal-Linguistic, Musical and Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligences.

Thirdly, the "Hokey Pokey" song is taught and subsequently sang with the specific motions;

the song is believed to be endorsing Verbal-Linguistic, Musical and Bodily-Kinesthetic

intelligences. Thereafter, sock puppet friends for Jamie are crafted by the learners, focusing

68

on the development of the Visual-Spatial intelligence. The last part of the Lapbook lesson are

the games with the crafted puppets focusing on a communication between the learners as well

as on the practice of the Hokey Pokey song, therefore Verbal-Linguistic, Musical,

Interpersonal and Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligences are considered to be present within

the activities.

Table 5 - 5. Lesson – The Party

The sixth lesson focused on teaching farm animals starts, as usual, with the set of activities

introducing new vocabulary, in this case, the activities e.g. "What is missing" or "Pick

a picture when the music stops" based on Verbal-Linguistic, Visual-Spatial and Musical

intelligence. Thereafter both collective and individual pantomime is performed including

Bodily-Kinesthetic, Naturalistic, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal intelligences. Third part

of the lesson is a game called "Bus, tram, car", in which the learners are divided into two

groups and learn new vocabulary while catching the other team. This is ideal for individuals

who are Verbal-Linguistic, Bodily-Kinesthetic and Interpersonal smart. The fourth self-

reflective learner's Lapbook activity concerns a picture of the practiced farm animals which

the pupils are asked to circle according to the teacher's instructions endorsing the Verbal-

Linguistic, Visual-Spatial and the Intrapersonal intelligence.

Lesson 5 Verbal -

Linguistic

Logical -

Mathematical

Visual -

Spatial Musical

Bodily -

Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Introduction

of the

vocabulary

X X X

Balloon

version X X X

Hokey

pokey song X X X

Craft a

friend for

Jamie

X

Games with

sock

puppets

X X X X

69

Table 6 - 6. Lesson – The Farm

During the seventh lesson with the research sample, five Lapbook activities were

incorporated. First set of activities "the Introduction of the vocabulary" – as well as the second

"Little caterpillars" reside in the introduction of a new set of vocabulary (fruits). Merely

Verbal-Linguistic intelligence is promoted by the activities as they concentrate

on the language input, the comprehension, and on answering questions. Third activity

"Hungry caterpillars", combines Bodily Kinesthetic, Verbal-Linguistic and Naturalistic

intelligences as the game includes movement, practicing the set of vocabulary and some

features of nature. Thereafter, the storytelling with a slightly edited book Very Hungry

Caterpillar written by Eric Carle (1969) is dedicated to practice of the vocabulary via

authentic foreign material – the Verbal-Linguistic and Naturalistic intelligences are supported.

Last activity is dedicated to the work with Learner's Lapbook. A paper with eased story the

Very Hungry Caterpillar is distributed to each individual, he or she is asked to read it on their

own and after some time collectively with the rest of the class and the teacher, the activity

endorses the Verbal-Linguistic, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal intelligence.

Lesson 6 Verbal -

Linguistic

Logical -

Mathematical

Visual -

Spatial Musical

Bodily -

Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Introduction

of the

vocabulary

X X X

Pantomime X X X X

Bus, tram,

car X X X

Guess what X X

Lesson 7 Verbal -

Linguistic

Logical -

Mathematical

Visual -

Spatial Musical

Bodily -

Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Introduction

of the

vocabulary

X

Little

caterpillars X

Hungry

caterpillars X X X

Very

Hungry

Caterpillar -

the book

X X

Learner's

Lapbook

activity

X X X

Table 7 - 7. Lesson – The Garden

70

The eight lesson is compiled from four Lapbook parts. Firstly, the set of activities –

Introduction of the vocabulary (clothes) is performed endorsing merely Verbal-Linguistic

intelligence. Secondly, a game "Dress your figure" aimed at the language site of children's

development and cooperation in pairs, the Verbal-Linguistic and Interpersonal intelligences

are promoted in both. Thirdly, a long activity "The fashion show" is incorporated. Pupils are

divided into groups of two or three and asked to create a dress from a toilet paper and

subsequently to describe it, supporting the Verbal-Linguistic, Visual-Spatial, and

Interpersonal intelligences. The last part of the Lapbook lesson is concerned with Learner's

Lapbooks, focusing on a reflection of the learner's acquisition of the set vocabulary taught

during the lesson (the task is to color clothes of a figure according to the teacher's

instructions), therefore Verbal-Linguistic and Intrapersonal intelligences are considered to be

present within the activity.

Lesson 8 Verbal -

Linguistic

Logical -

Mathematical

Visual -

Spatial Musical

Bodily -

Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Introduction of

the vocabulary X

Dress your

figure X X X

The fashion

show X X X

Learner's

Lapbook

activity

X X

Table 8 - 8. Lesson – The Paris

The ninth lesson focused on practicing all learnt vocabulary mostly via repetition

of activities from previous Lapbook lessons, providing the teacher a chance to observe

the learners' progress. The lesson starts with catching colorful fish with a straw (focusing

on practice of numbers and colors), based on Verbal-Linguistic and Bodily-Kinesthetic

intelligence. Then a game "The Octopus" incorporating clothing an octopus in pairs according

to the teacher's instructions is performed including Verbal-Linguistic, Visual-Spatial and

Interpersonal intelligences. Third part of the lesson introduces a new game called "Sugar,

coffee, lemonade", in which the learners need to fulfill the facilitator's demands according

certain rules. The game is ideal for individuals who are Verbal-Linguistic and Bodily-

Kinesthetic smart. The fourth, fifth and sixth activities are taken from the previous lessons

and are hence endorsing the same intelligences as the activities mentioned above i.e. Verbal-

Linguistic, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Naturalistic, Musical and the Interpersonal intelligence.

71

The lesson was very beneficial for the students as it provided necessary revision of all

the vocabulary taught during the Lapbook lessons and rendered congenial closure to the

whole research project.

Table 9 - 9. Lesson – The Treasure Hunt

Lesson 9 Verbal -

Linguistic

Logical -

Mathematical

Visual -

Spatial Musical

Bodily -

Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Catching

colorful

fish

X X

The

Octopus X X X

Sugar,

coffee,

lemonade

X X

Animal

Drama X X X

The Very

Hungry

Caterpillar

X X

Head and

shoulders

song

X X X

72

5.3.2. Resumé of Results of the Implementation of the Theory of Eight Intelligences

After examining each activity in Lapbook lesson plans (in total number 41), some conclusions

may be drawn. A chart to enable a clear representation of the results has been made and

is hence displayed further.

Chart 10 - 8. Intelligencies in Lapbook Lessons

Firstly, it is essential to say, that Lapbook is affirmed to be appropriate for supporting and

implementing Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Each activity

in the Lapbook incorporates and develops at least one or – in most cases – more intelligences.

As mentioned in subchapter 2.3.1. merely two intelligences – the Verbal-Linguistic and

Logical-Mathematical are often incorporated in the traditional school educational system

(Davis, Christodoulou, Seider & Gardner, 2011). It is visible on the chart, that more than

the two intelligences are employed in the Lapbook lessons. Therefore, the utilization

of the teaching material may ease the learning process of the individuals who do not possess

abilities including the two fundamental intelligences and may provide teachers a creative tool

to use to endorse the development of both very young and young learners.

Secondly, to answer the research question how the usage of Lapbook incorporates Gardner's

theory of 8 intelligences into an English lesson, the percentages of the occurrence of each

Verbal - Linguistic35%

Logical -Mathematical

1%

Visual - Spatial12%Musical

8%

Bodily - Kinesthetic21%

Naturalistic6%

Interpersonal10%

Intrapersonal7%

8 INTELLIGENCIES IN LAPBOOK LESSONS

Verbal - Linguistic Logical - Mathematical Visual - Spatial

Musical Bodily - Kinesthetic Naturalistic

Interpersonal Intrapersonal

73

intelligence in the Lapbook activities may be examined. When teaching a foreign language,

the Verbal-Linguistic intelligence is naturally prominent. The Lapbook is not exceptional

in the phenomenon, 35% of the activities were based on the intelligence; in 7 cases out of 41,

it was the only one supported. Also, when working with very young and young learners, their

need for a physical movement in general is a factor that ought to be considered and

subsequently incorporated in the lessons, 21% activities in the teaching material are suitable

for the target group, especially for learners who are Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligent. Another

intelligence that is remarkably visible in the chart is the Visual-Spatial intelligence – 12%

of activities are endorsing it. Visual-Spatial learners usually love arts and crafts, comprise the

ability to work with objects, yet moreover enjoy visual support during the learning process

(Gardner, 1999), which Lapbook certainly provides. Interpersonal intelligence is developed

through activities within which pupils may cooperate with their peers, the teaching aid

provides at least 10% of such activities. For some learners, the engagement of musical

intelligence is essential for their language development, so 8% of the Lapbook are language-

based songs. At the end of most of the Lapbook lessons, a reflective activity is included

within a leaner's Lapbook which promotes the Intrapersonal intelligence that is 7%

of the teaching aid. A great pleasure occurs among students who are naturalistic intelligent

when a nature feature is incorporated into a lesson (Smartl, 1999), the Lapbook provides 6%

of activities connected to it. Unfortunately, merely 1% of the activities (to be precise –

1 activity) includes Logical-Mathematical intelligence, which is not sufficient for learners

of the category. This may sound logical, as the teaching aid was created primarily for teaching

a foreign language, yet it does not mean that the intelligence cannot be present in the activities

a secondary task. Next time, the intelligence needs to be taken into account more carefully

when developing a teaching material.

Thirdly, it is important to mention, that the form and the content of the teaching material –

Lapbook is solely dependent on the person, who develops it. Lapbook has a potential to be

adjusted to fit any individual class with its necessary intelligences.

To summarize, all Lapbook activities were examined and the results were evaluated. It was

discovered, that a Lapbook is suitable for incorporation of all Gardner's eight intelligences.

The particular teaching aid utilized for the research promotes mainly the Verbal-Linguistic,

Bodily-Kinesthetic and Visual-Spatial intelligences and does not provide sufficient support

for the Logical-Mathematical smart learners. However, a Lapbook can be adjusted according

to the teacher's needs and therefore is suitable for any intelligence.

74

Conclusion

A new teaching material called Lapbook was discovered, adjusted and subsequently created

for the purpose of teaching English to very young and young learners. Its beneficial impact

on the pupils is depicted in the paper. The bachelor thesis attempts to answer two research

questions concerning the impact the usage of Lapbook has on the attention of a student during

an English lesson and the way the usage of Lapbook incorporates Gardner's theory

of eight intelligences into an English lesson. The questions were further examined

via utilization of qualitative research methods – non-participant, participant observation and

examination of the Lapbook lesson plans (further described in a subchapter 4.3. Methods

of the Research).

The data to answer the first research question was collected using concentration graphs

depicting the attention of nine learners during nine lessons. After examining the attention

graphs, some conclusions may be drawn. The first ascertainment is that when work with the

Lapbook begins, the attention of the learners grows. The second one denotes that there is

a variety of activities provided by the Lapbook which contributes to high attention ratio

during them. Even though some activities may not be suitable for particular learners, others

have the potential to draw back the pupils' attention. The third finding implies that

the teaching material is stimulative enough for very young and young learners. Usual gradual

decrease of attention (due to loss of attractiveness of the teaching material) during

the utilization of the Lapbook is visible neither within one particular lesson nor within the

whole course of all the lessons with Lapbook. All in all, it may be concluded that the usage

of Lapbook has a positive impact on the attention of a pupil during an English lesson.

The second research question was inquired and subsequently answered by examining

the Lapbook activities. The research shows that a Lapbook is suitable for incorporation of all

Gardner's eight intelligences. The particular teaching aid created for the purpose

of the research promotes mainly the Verbal-Linguistic, Bodily-Kinesthetic and Visual-Spatial

intelligences, yet does not provide sufficient support for the Logical-Mathematical smart

pupils. Nevertheless, a Lapbook can be arranged according to the teacher's needs and hence is

suitable for any intelligence.

The results of the research lead to a conclusion that it is beneficial for teachers to use Lapbook

in real-life teaching. However, they need to bear in mind that the development of the teaching

material requires good preparation which may be time consuming. Good time management is

75

also needed when using it with students. Besides, a Lapbook may be an amazing source

of knowledge endorsing creativity of both the teacher and the students.

The bachelor thesis was also profitable for me, as a future teacher, since I could work with

very young and young learners for the first time, discover their specifics and needs, as well as

learn how to develop teaching materials. The Lapbook had such an impact on the group

taught during the lessons in the Creative English club that the learners were disappointed

when the Lapbook lessons ended, therefore, the main protagonist – Jellyfish Jamie – returned

and the activities with this puppet will continue till the end of the school year 2017/2018.

To summarize, the teaching material Lapbook has a great potential to be used in real lessons

in the Czech Republic (not merely in the United States of America) as it both supports

the attention of the pupils and incorporates various types of learners into the learning

environment. It is also easily adjustable for any subject and age group, from which

the teachers may greatly benefit.

76

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List of Charts

Chart 1 - 1. Lesson - The Spaceship ......................................................................................... 54

Chart 2 - 2. Lesson - The Lake 1 .............................................................................................. 55

Chart 3 - 3. Lesson - The Lake 2 .............................................................................................. 56

Chart 4 - 4. Lesson - The Hospital ........................................................................................... 57

Chart 5 - 5. Lesson - The Birthday Party .................................................................................. 58

Chart 6 - 6. Lesson - The Farm ................................................................................................. 59

Chart 7 - 7. Lesson - The Garden ............................................................................................. 60

Chart 8 - 8. Lesson - Paris ........................................................................................................ 61

Chart 9 - 9. Lesson - Treasure Hunt ......................................................................................... 62

Chart 10 - 8. Intelligencies in Lapbook Lessons ...................................................................... 72

List of Tables

Table 1 - 1. Lesson - The Spaceship ......................................................................................... 65

Table 2 - 2. Lesson - The Lake I............................................................................................... 66

Table 3 - 3. Lesson - The Lake II. ............................................................................................ 66

Table 4 - 4. Lesson - The Hospital ........................................................................................... 67

Table 5 - 5. Lesson - The Party ................................................................................................ 68

Table 6 - 6. Lesson - The Farm ................................................................................................ 69

Table 7 - 7. Lesson - The Garden ............................................................................................. 69

Table 8 - 8. Lesson - The Paris ................................................................................................. 70

Table 9 - 9. Lesson - The Treasure Hunt .................................................................................. 71

82

List of Attachements

Attachment 1 - Lesson Plans .................................................................................................... 83

Attachment 2 - Description of Lapbook Activities ................................................................ 106

Attachment 3 - Children and the Lapbook ............................................................................. 125

Attachment 4 - Lyrics of the Songs Used in Lapbook ........................................................... 127

Attachment 5 - The Report from the School Inspection ......................................................... 128

83

Attachments

Attachment 1 – Lesson Plans

1.Lesson – The Spaceship – Introductory Lesson

9. 10. 2017

Duration of a lesson: 90 minutes

Aims of the lesson:

Learners will be able to comprehend and use in practice (e.g. via total physical response)

the vocabulary concerning class rules.

Learners will be acknowledged with the teacher's as well as their Lapbook and they will be

able to use it properly.

Learners will understand that English is not terrifying and that they can comprehend it with

a support of the teacher's Lapbook.

Vocabulary:

One mouth speaking, Be a friend, Clean up, Wash your hands, Listen.

84

1.Lesson – The Spaceship – Introductory Lesson

Lead-in 2 min

• Jamie: "Hello, how are you?"

Hello song 3 min

• Pre-teaching the song (Listening, showing pictures with vocabulary)

• Singing along with showing pictures with vocabulary

Games to get to know each other 10 min

• "Catch Jamie" (Throwing Jamie around a circle, saying names)

• "Who is missing?" (Covering one student with a blanket, others guess his or her name)

Introduction of the teacher's Lapbook (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Introduction of the Jellyfish Jamie and his story (motivation for the whole Lapbook)

• Introduction of the teacher's Lapbook itself + the map

Jellyfish Jamie needs a spaceship (Lapbook activity) 15 min

• Running game – finding pieces of the spaceship in time limit

• Putting together the spaceship

Introduction of the vocabulary – Spaceship rules (Lapbook activity) 15 min

• Introducing the spaceship rules – on flashcards

• Showing gestures + repetition

• The rule said aloud without a picture – learners provide the gesture

• Everybody jump to the/swim to the/walk to the/run to the "flashcard"

• Signing the agreement to observe the rules

Children's Lapbook (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Distribution – English colors

• Sticking the spaceship rules inside

Arts and Crafts – Paper spaceship 20 min

• Introduction

• Crafting

85

Cleaning up, saying goodbye 5 min

86

2.Lesson – The Lake – Colours

16. 10. 2017

Duration of a lesson: 90 minutes

Aims of the lesson:

Learners will be able to comprehend and use in practice (e.g. via total physical response)

the vocabulary concerning colors.

Learners will be acquainted with the usual Lapbook lesson and will be able to accept it

Vocabulary:

blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, brown, black, white

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2.Lesson – The Lake I. – Colors

Lead-in 3 min

• Jamie: "Hello, how are you?"

Hello song 5 min

• Singing along with showing pictures with vocabulary

• Running to the flashcards when the vocabulary is sung

Games to get to know each other 7 min

• "Catch Jamie"

Turtle, Turtle, Frog 10 min

• Have the children sit in a circle

• Explanation of the rules

• The game

Introduction of the vocabulary – Colors (Lapbook activity) 3 min

• Introducing the colors – flashcards, children may repeat

Little, Little Fish (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Introduction (colors of dishes + fish)

• The game itself - "Little little fish, are you in the ______ dish?"

• Children guess – Yes/No

Frogs and Water lilies (Lapbook activity) 17 min

• Cutting out the frogs

• The game itself – "Frogs, sit on ______ water lily."

• Distribution of learners' Lapbooks, putting the frogs into the Lapbooks

Mr. Stork lost his cap (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Manifestation of the game

• The game itself: "Mr Stork Lost his cap and the cap was_______"

• Variation with a learner being the Stork

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• Receiving a first piece of the planet (this happens every lesson at the end and lasts one

minute and therefore it will not be mentioned in each lesson plan)

Arts and Crafts – Frog 25 min

• Crafting

Cleaning up, saying goodbye 5 min

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3. Lesson – The Lake II. – Numbers

23.10.2017

Duration of a lesson: 90 minutes

Aims of the lesson:

The learners will be able to understand the vocabulary of numbers and they will be able to

prove it via total physical response

The class will provide the students a brief revision of the vocabulary taught in the previous

lesson (colors)

Vocabulary: numbers 1-10

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3. Lesson – The Lake II. – Numbers

Lead-in 2 min

• Jamie: "Hello, how are you?"

Hello song 3 min

• Singing the song along with showing the flashcards with vocabulary

• Kids are running towards the flashcards (laying on the floor)

Mr. Stork lost his cap (Lapbook activity – revision of colors) 10 min

• Mr. Stork says colors, the kids need to find that color and catch it

• Revision of colors, kids say the colors

• Increased difficulty – The floor is a lava, children can move only on said places

on the ground

Moving inside 5 min

Introduction of the vocabulary – Numbers 1-10 (Lapbook activity) 5 min

• Introducing the colors – flashcards, children may repeat

Song: "Ten little jellyfish boys" (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Introduction – teacher singing

• Finger puppets + flash card – learners show the correct one when sung

• Children attempt to sing along

Catching fish (Lapbook activity) 15 min

• Distribution of straws

• Learners bring a set amount of fish of a certain color via using their breath and straw

Arts and Crafts – Lapbook (Lapbook activity) 15 min

• Reflection activity – glue a sheet of paper with drawn fishes

• Colour and number dictation

Turtle, turtle, frog (to revise vocabulary of the lake used in the previous lesson)10 min

• Have the children sit in a circle

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• Explain the rules – on child goes around, tapping the other kids on head saying turtle,

turtle

• When the kid gets go the one he wants to chase him, he says “Frog”. That child gets

up and starts leaping after his frog friend, trying to catch him before he gets back

to his place

Cleaning up, saying goodbye 5 min

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4. Lesson – The Hospital – Body Parts

30.10.2017

Duration of a lesson: 90 minutes

Aim of the lesson:

The learners will be able to understand the vocabulary of body parts and they will be able to

prove it via total physical response

The class will provide the students a brief revision of the vocabulary taught in the previous

lesson (numbers)

Vocabulary: head, arms, legs, eyes, ears, mouth, nose

Additional vocabulary – shoulders, knees, toes

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4. Lesson – The Hospital – Body Parts

Lead-in 2 min

• Jamie: "Hello, how are you?"

10 Little Jellyfish song 5 min

• Puppets + flashcards

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 18 min

• Hiding cards – showing them and asking the kids to tell us what is missing and mimic

the movement

• Jump to the...Swim to the… - putting cards on the ground

• Touch your... – mimicking the movements

• Simon says

Drama game (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Preparation – four parts of the carpet – body ache

• Dramatizing + Freeze

Head and shoulders song (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Introduction

• Quicker version, sing it as a Opera singer

Molecules (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Explanation of the rules

• In pairs – instructions – “touch the ground with three legs and two arms”

Bingo – Lapbook (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Preparation – kids glue the pictures to their Lapbook

Arts and Crafts – Moving hand 20 min

• Introduction

• Crafting

Cleaning up, saying goodbye 5 min

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5. Lesson – The Birthday Party – Basic Commands

6.11.2017

Duration of a lesson: 90 minutes

Aim of the lesson:

The learners will be able to understand basic commands and they will be able to prove it

via activities using total physical response technique

The class will provide the students a brief revision of the vocabulary taught in the previous

lesson (body parts)

Vocabulary: put, shake, turn around, stump your feet, clap, dance, freeze

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5. Lesson – The Birthday Party – Basic Commands

Lead-in 2 min

• Jamie has birthday! Let's have a party.

Happy birthday song 3 min

• Czech version

• English version sung by teachers

Revision of body parts (Revision of body parts/Lapbook activity) 20 min

• Touch your...

• Bingo from Lapbook – playing the game, the tutor only says the words, without

mimicking them to find out whether the students can understand the meaning

of the words

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 15 min

• Introduction

• Hiding cards one by one

• Dance to, jump to…

• Music starts playing and once it stops, the tutor says a command – dance, shake,

and the pupil fulfil the command

Balloon version (Lapbook activity) 8 min

• Learners inflate balloons

• Fulfilling the instructions without letting the balloon touch the floor

Hokey Pokey song (Lapbook activity) 7 min

• Introduction of the song + moves

• Everybody sings the songs and dances according to the instructions

• Kids themselves make up the instructions

Craft a friend for Jamie (Lapbook activity) 20 min

• Sock puppet

• Cleaning up

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Games with sock puppets (Lapbook activity) 15 min

• Naming the puppets

• Hokey Pokey song with puppets

Cleaning up, saying goodbye 5 min

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6. Lesson – The Farm – Farm Animals

13.11.2017

Duration of a lesson: 90 minutes

Aim of the lesson:

The learners will be able to understand set of vocabulary concerning farm animals and they

will be able to prove it via activities using total physical response technique

The class will provide the students a brief revision of the vocabulary taught in the previous

lesson (commands)

Vocabulary: cat, dog, cow, horse, mouse, cock, pig

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6. Lesson – The Farm – Farm Animals

Lead-in 2 min

• With Jamie: "Hello, how are you?"

Hokey Pokey song (Revision of commands) 8 min

• Learners provide instructions

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 15 min

• Introduction + sounds

• Hiding cards one by one ("What is missing?")

• Music, when in stops, go to a certain vocabulary

• Music, when it stops, grab a picture with a certain vocabulary

Pantomime (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Collective ("Do a pig! Do a horse!")

• Individual – everybody in a circle, one acts the animal out, other guess

Bus, tram, car and who we are? (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Introduction of the game (chant + moves)

• Game itself

Guess what? (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Learners' Lapbooks

• Guess what was on a farm – the teacher describes an animal, the students circle it

Arts and Crafts – Paper plate craft 20 min

• Crafting / Naming the animals

Cleaning up, saying goodbye 5 min

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7. Lesson – The Garden – Fruits

20.11.2017

Duration of a lesson: 90 minutes

Aim of the lesson:

The learners will be able to understand set of vocabulary concerning fruits and they will be

able to prove it via activities using total physical response technique

To be able to briefly understand authentic language input and react on it (The Very Hungry

Caterpillar book)

The class will provide the students a brief revision of the vocabulary taught in the previous

lesson (farm animals, numbers)

Vocabulary: apple, pear, plum, strawberry, orange, watermelon, cherry

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7. Lesson – The Garden – Fruits

Lead-in 2 min

• With Jamie: "Hello, how are you?"

Hello song 3 min

• Singing along with the flashcards

• Running towards the flashcards

Bus, tram, car and who we are? (revision) 7 min

• Game itself

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 8 min

• Introduction

• Showing merely parts of the flashcards, children guess

Little caterpillars (Lapbook activity) 8 min

• Little caterpillars hidden under the flashcard of the fruits

• Learners guess Yes/No, whether there is a caterpillar under a certain fruit

• Volunteers lead the activity

Hungry caterpillars (Lapbook activity) 7 min

• Distribution of paper caterpillars (revision of colors)

• Creeping towards fruit according to the teacher's instructions

Very Hungry Caterpillar – the book (Lapbook activity) 15 min

• Storytelling (numbers + fruits)

Learners' Lapbook activity (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• "Reading" on its own

• "Reading" aloud with the teacher

Arts and Crafts – Sock caterpillar 25 min

• Crafting / Naming the animals

Cleaning up, saying goodbye 5 min

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8. Lesson – Paris – Clothes

4.12.2017

Duration of a lesson: 90 minutes

Aim of the lesson:

The learners will be able to understand vocabulary of clothes and they will be able to prove it

via activities using total physical response technique

The class will provide the students a brief revision of the vocabulary taught in previous

lessons (basic commands, farm animals, body parts)

Vocabulary: skirt, trousers, cap, coat, shoes, socks, t-shirt

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8. Lesson – Paris – Clothes

Lead-in 2 min

• With Jamie: "Hello, how are you?"

Hokey Pokey Song (revision) 3 min

• Children provide instructions

Bus, tram, car and who we are? (revision) 10 min

• Game itself

Cookie (revision) 10 min

• Introduction of the game "Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?"

• Game itself with the written chant on a paper (Jamie took the cookie from the cookie

jar. Who me? Yes, you! Not me! Then who?)

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Introduction

• Do you wear ______ on (a certain body part)?

• Showing parts, learners guess what it is

Dress your figure (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Division into pairs

• Dressing a figure with cards displayed on the floor according to the teacher's

instructions

The fashion show (Lapbook activity) 30 min

• Introduction

• Preparation – creating a dress from toilet paper (with vocabulary support of topic

flashcards)

• Fashion show – describing the models

Learners' Lapbook activity (Lapbook activity) 10 min

• Colouring a figure according to the teacher's instructions

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Cleaning up, saying goodbye 5 min

9. Lesson – Treasure Hunt – Revision

11.12.2017

Duration of a lesson: 90 minutes

Aim of the lesson:

The class will provide the students a brief revision of the vocabulary taught in all the previous

Lapbook lessons (colors, numbers, body parts, basic commands, farm animals, fruits, clothes)

The learners will practice vocabulary from the whole Lapbook and will be able to prove

a sufficient knowledge of the vocabulary acquired during the Lapbook lessons

Vocabulary: revision – colors, numbers, body parts, basic commands, farm animals, fruits,

clothes

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9. Lesson – Treasure Hunt – Revision

Lead-in 2 min

• With Jamie: "Hello, how are you?"

The Pirate (Lapbook related activity) 5 min

• Introduction of the legend – after each accomplished task, the learners will receive

a key to a treasure box, where the last piece of Jamie's planet is – revision

of the necessary vocabulary with the Lapbook flashcards lead by a teacher is done

before each activity

Catching colorful fish (Lapbook activity – revision of colors and numbers) 10 min

• Distribution of straws

• Bringing fish according to the pirate's instructions using their breath and the straws

• "I am hungry, bring me _______ ________ (color + number) fish."

The octopus (Lapbook activity – revision of clothes) 8 min

• Division into pairs + distribution of paper octopuses

• Dressing the octopus with paper cards according to the pirate's instructions

• "My friend Ozzy the Octopus is cold, will you help him to get dressed?"

Sugar, coffee, lemonade (Lapbook activity – revision of orders) 5 min

• "Crossing the jungle" while playing sugar coffee, lemonade game and fulfilling the

pirate's instructions

• "You need to cross this dangerous jungle, do what I say."

Animal Drama (Lapbook activity – revision of farm animals) 5 min

• Collective acting out animals according to the pirate's instructions

• "I miss my animals. Can you remind me of them?"

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Lapbook activity – revision of fruits) 8 min

• "Reading" the story from learners' Lapbooks with a teacher's support

• "And now I want to hear a story!"

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Head and Shoulders Song (Lapbook activity – revision of farm animals) 5 min

• Singing the song with movements // “I want to hear a song!”

Opening the Treasure box (Lapbook related activity) 5 min

Arts and Crafts – Felt Pirate + Cleaning up 20 min

Cookie Game 10 min

Saying goodbye 2 min

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Attachment 2 – Description of Lapbook Activities

1. Lesson – The Spaceship – Introductory Lesson – Description of Lapbook

Activities

Introduction of the teacher's Lapbook (Lapbook activity) 10 min

To start with, the introduction of the Jellyfish Jamie and his story is done along with showing

pictures for better understanding. The motivation for the all the Lapbook lessons are based

on the story of Jellyfish Jamie.

“Jellyfish Jamie got lost and is trying to find a way back to his home planet. Learners are

helping Jamie to find a way home while learning new things. After accomplishing all tasks

in a lesson, the pupils receive a piece of Jamie's planet, when the planet is complete, Jamie

can fly home.”

After the description of the situation, teacher asks the students whether they want to help

Jamie and join him on his journey. Thereafter, the introduction of a paper space map on which

the pieces of a planet are to be stuck and the introduction of the teacher's Lapbook itself is

done. On the initial page, there is a map displaying all the places the children are going

to travel to, it is opened at the beginning of every following session. Also, it is told to the

learners that all activities in the Lapbook are numbered and that they ought to proceed

according to them.

Jellyfish Jamie needs a spaceship (Lapbook activity) 15 min

On the back side of the Lapbook there is a blank space for a spaceship which needs to be

filled. The pieces of the spaceship are distributed around the garden by the teacher (without

the notice of the learners, ideally before the lesson). The teacher asks the learners to find

the pieces (as “the Jellyfish Jamie needs a spaceship to go home”). The children are allowed

to search for the pieces only until a countdown 5-1 starts, then they need to return to a starting

point, if they fail, 5 squats need to be done. After finding all the pieces of the spaceship,

the learners cooperate and try to assemble the pieces (to help them, there is a number

on the other side of each piece).

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Introduction of the vocabulary – Spaceship rules (Lapbook activity) 15 min

The spaceship rules flashcards stored in the front page of the Lapbook are one after one

introduced to the children along with a movement characteristic for a rule. Thereafter,

children are encouraged to repeat after the teacher (if in the silent period, merely the gestures

may be shown). Then the rule is said aloud without a picture, learners are asked to provide

the gesture. After that, the cards are laid down on a surface and children are required to find

a particular card according to the teacher's instructions. “Everybody jump to the/swim

to the/walk to the/run to the "flashcard"” all the movements are to be demonstrated

by the teacher so the learners understand it. After the introduction of the vocabulary

an agreement to observe the rules is signed by each child. All the rules along with

the movements are utilized during all the Lapbook sessions.

Learner's Lapbook (Lapbook activity) 10 min

Each child receives a learner's Lapbook (when distributing, the teacher may ask who wants

what colour to practice the colours). After that, each learner is asked to sign the Lapbook and

stick their own pack of spaceship rules (distributed by the teacher) inside the Lapbook.

The knowledge of the rules is controlled by the teacher randomly by asking individuals about

particular cards from the set of rules which the children stick into the Lapbook.

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109

2. Lesson – The Lake I. – Colors – Description of Lapbook Activities

Introduction of the vocabulary – Colors (Lapbook activity) 3 min

Firstly, the Lapbook map on the initial page is opened and children discover where they

appeared (in this case, by the lake). Secondly, the introduction of the colors with the usage

of flashcards is done. The teacher say the colours aloud and the children are encouraged (not

forced!) to repeat the vocabulary.

Little, Little Fish (Lapbook activity) 10 min

A guessing game “Little, Little Fish” is introduced. The teacher opens the Lapbook, learners

find number one under which are paper fishes and dishes. The teacher repeats the colours

while demonstrating them on the dishes. Then the game itself is played. Children are asked

to close their eyes and the teacher hides three fishes under the dishes. Thereafter, he or she

asks the pupils to open their eyes and starts saying a rhyme: "Little little fish, are you

in the ___colour___ dish?" Children guess “Yes or No”. The teacher unfolds the dish and

reacts adequately.

Frogs and Water lilies (Lapbook activity) 17 min

Each learner is asked to cut out a prepared paper frog and clip it on their wrist with

a paperclip. Water lilies from the Lapbook are placed on the ground, then the pupils react

to the teacher's instructions. "Frogs, sit on ___colour___ water lily. Thereafter the distribution

of learners' Lapbooks and consequent placement of the frogs into the Lapbooks is performed.

Mr. Stork lost his cap (Lapbook activity) 10 min

Firstly, the manifestation of the game is done by the teacher (most of the learners know

the game in the Czech version). When a sentence: "Mr Stork Lost his cap and the cap

was___colour____" is said, the children need to touch something of the colour. The game

may be varied with a learner being the Stork and giving the instructions. During the activity

the teacher may observe whether the learners achieved to acquire the intended set

of vocabulary.

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3. Lesson – The Lake II. - Numbers – Description of Lapbook Activities

Introduction of the vocabulary – Numbers 1-10 (Lapbook activity) 5 min

Firstly, the Lapbook map on the initial page is opened and children discover where they

appeared (in this case, still by the lake). Secondly, the introduction of the numbers with

the usage of flashcards is done. The teacher say the numbers aloud and the children are

encouraged (not forced!) to repeat the vocabulary.

Song: "Ten little jellyfish boys" (Lapbook activity) 10 min

A song is introduced to support the second language acquisition. The song “Ten Little

Jellyfish Boys” was created on the motives of a well known nursery rhyme “Ten Little

Indians”, yet instead of a word indian a word jellyfish is sung. At first the teacher sings

the song along with the flashcards. Then, the learners are given the flashcards, the song is

sung once again and the pupils are asked to raise their flashcard with a specific number when

pronounced in the song. After that, finger puppets are distributed to each child and they are

encouraged to attempt to sing along with the teacher rising the puppet when their number is

pronounced.

Catching fish (Lapbook activity) 15 min

A straw is given to each pupil. Learners are asked to bring a set amount of paper fish

of a certain color displayed on the ground via using their breath through the straw.

Arts and Crafts – Lapbook (Lapbook activity) 15 min

The arts and crafts activity concerns a paper jigsaw which the children are asked to cut, fold

and glue into their learner's Lapbooks. After that a colour and number dictation takes place

(it should be introduced as another game for the learners to feel secure). The activity serves as

a reflection tool for both the learner and the teacher.

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4. Lesson – The Hospital – Body Parts – Description of Lapbook Activities

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 18 min

Firstly, the Lapbook map on the initial page is opened and children discover where they

appeared (in this case, in the hospital). Secondly, the introduction of the body parts with

the usage of flashcards is done. The teacher says the body parts aloud and the children are

encouraged (not forced!) to repeat the vocabulary. After that, the flashcards are displayed

on the ground and the learners are asked to close their eyes, one flashcard is removed and

children should guess (by saying or showing the body part) which card is missing. Thereafter,

the cards are laid down on a surface and children are required to find a particular card

according to the teacher's instructions. “Everybody jump to the/swim to the/walk to the/run

to the "flashcard"” all the movements are to be demonstrated by the teacher so the learners

understand it. After the activity, teacher gives instructions what body part the children should

touch “Touch your...”. Then, the Simon says game is played – pupils are give instructions

to touch certain body parts yet are allowed to fulfill them merely when the phrase “Simon

says” precedes the instructions.

Drama game (Lapbook activity) 10 min

Ribbons included in the Lapbook are laid on the ground to divide it into four parts.

A flashcard (representing an ache according to the body part on the flashcard) is put in each

part. Learners are asked to walk around in circles crossing the four parts and dramatize

corresponding body ache. When the teacher says “freeze” the children need to stop

in a current position and until the teacher goes around, taps them on a head and says aloud the

body ache they have.

Head and shoulders song (Lapbook activity) 10 min

The song head and shoulders is sung firstly by the teacher, showing the body parts on himself

or herself, then the children are encouraged to sing along. The singing may be adjusted

by accelerating the song or singing the song in an “opera” version.

Molecules (Lapbook activity) 10 min

Firstly, the learners are asked to make pairs, then the rules are explained. The instructions

about which and what number of body parts is to touch the ground are presented

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by the teacher. The pupils need to accomplish the instructions as fast as possible e.g. “touch

the ground with three legs and two arms”. The teacher may observe the children's ability

to react to the instructions and deduce whether they acquired the language of the lesson

successfully.

Bingo – Lapbook (Lapbook activity) 10 min

The body parts bingo is to be prepared for the next lesson revision. The kids are asked to cut

pictures of body parts distributed to them by the teacher and glue them into their learner's

Lapbooks. In next session the bingo is played. The tutor only says the vocabulary without

mimicking it and observe the children crossing out the body parts in the bingo sheet to find

out whether the learners can or cannot remember/understand the meaning.

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5. Lesson – The Birthday Party – Basic Commands – Description of

Lapbook Activities

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 15 min

Firstly, the Lapbook map on the initial page is opened and children discover where they

appeared (in this case, a birthday party). Secondly, the introduction of the basic commands

with the usage of flashcards is done. The teacher says a basic command aloud and the children

are encouraged (not forced!) to repeat the vocabulary. After that, the flashcards are displayed

on the ground and the learners are asked to close their eyes, one flashcard is removed and

children should guess (by saying or showing the command) which card is missing. Thereafter,

the cards are laid down on a surface and children are required to find a particular card

according to the teacher's instructions. “Everybody jump to the/swim to the/walk to the/run

to the "flashcard"” all the movements do not need to be demonstrated by the teacher as they

were demonstrated in the previous lessons and learners probably have already acquired them.

After the activity the music may be played and once it stops, the tutor says a command –

“dance, shake” and the pupil fulfil the command (name: “Do it when the music stops”).

Balloon version (Lapbook activity) 8 min

Before this activity, learners need to inflate balloons. When the balloons are ready, the task

is to fulfill the instructions of the teacher (saying the basic commands aloud) without letting

the balloon touch the floor.

Hokey Pokey song (Lapbook activity) 7 min

The Hokey Pokey song is to be introduced along with the moves and flashcards. Then

the teacher may ask the children to sing along, if they want to, and do the moves according

to the instructions. After some time, children may start to be the ones who provide

instructions (body parts) according to which the song is sung.

Craft a friend for Jamie (Lapbook activity) 20 min

The Lapbook activity involves crafting a sock puppet (that is why the Lapbook activities take

more than 60 minutes). The craft is introduced an done with the students, so nothing has to be

translated, everything is performed.

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Games with sock puppets (Lapbook activity) 15 min

After creating the sock puppets, children are asked to name the puppets the puppets

and introduce them in a previously formed circle. Then, a Hokey Pokey song may be sung

with the puppets.

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6. Lesson – The Farm – Farm Animals – Description of Lapbook Activities

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 15 min

Firstly, the Lapbook map on the initial page is opened and children discover where they

appeared (in this case, on the farm). Secondly, the introduction of the vocabulary of farm with

the usage of flashcards and with the corresponding sound is done. The teacher says the animal

aloud and the children are encouraged (not forced!) to repeat the vocabulary, or at least

the sound. After that, the flashcards are displayed on the ground and the learners are asked

to close their eyes, one flashcard is removed and children should guess (by saying or doing

the sound) which card is missing. Thereafter, music is played and when it stops the learners

have to go to a flashcard the teacher choses. Then, a little papers with the farm animals are

displayed on the ground, the music is played and when it stops, the children are asked to pick

a certain animal according to the teacher's instructions.

Pantomime (Lapbook activity) 10 min

Firstly, the collective pantomime is done. The teacher says e.g. "Do a pig! Do a horse!" and

everybody needs to perform the animal. Secondly, the individual pantomime is done,

everybody is asked to sit in a circle, one acts the animal out, other guess what he or she

pretends.

Bus, tram, car and who we are? (Lapbook activity) 10 min

The introduction of the game is made by the teacher, the learners divide into two groups, each

group chooses to be an animal with its characteristic movements – a cat with scratching paws,

a mouse with big ears and a cow with horns. When the animal is decided, both groups go

to the centre of the room and say a chant according to a flashcard: “Bus, bus, tram, tram, car

and we are...!” and at the end of the chant makes the movement characteristic for the animal.

The group which wins chase the other group on the playing field up to the point where the

losing group started and when the participant are caught, they need to join the winning group.

The cats beat mice, the mice beat cows and the cows beat cats (all explained via using

pictures included in the Lapbook).

Guess what? (Lapbook activity) 10 min

Pupils are asked to glue a paper with farm animals in their Lapbooks. Then, the instructions

to circle a described animal are provided by the teacher. “Guess what was on a farm, it was

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big, pink, it had four legs...” The success of acquiring the language of farm animals may be

therefore observed.

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7. Lesson – The Garden – Fruits – Description of Lapbook Activities

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 8 min

Firstly, the Lapbook map on the initial page is opened and children discover where they

appeared (in this case in the garden). Secondly, the introduction of the vocabulary of fruits

with the usage of flashcards is done. The teacher says a fruit aloud and the children are

encouraged (not forced!) to repeat the vocabulary. After that, the flashcards are merely

partially shown to the learners are they guess what fruit the part represents.

Little caterpillars (Lapbook activity) 8 min

The teacher repeats the fruits on the flashcards. Then the game little caterpillars is played.

Children are asked to close their eyes and the teacher hides a certain number of caterpillars

under the flashcards. Thereafter, he or she asks the pupils to open their eyes and starts saying

a rhyme: "Little little caterpillar, are you under the ___fruit___?" Children guess “Yes or No”.

The teacher unfolds the flashcard and reacts adequately. As the learners already know

the game from the second Lapbook session “Little, little fish”, they may be asked to volunteer

in leading the activity.

Hungry caterpillars (Lapbook activity) 7 min

Distribution of paper caterpillars (revising the colours) is made by the teacher. Then

the learners are asked to creep with their caterpillars towards a certain fruit according

to the teacher's instructions.

Very Hungry Caterpillar – the book (Lapbook activity) 15 min

The book Very Hungry Caterpillar written by Eric Carle (1969) is used as a basis

for storytelling activity with the pupils (merely the pages with fruits are read). The teacher

reads the story along with showing pictures from the book a changing the voice pitch (more

on the topic of storytelling may be found in the subchapter 1.4.4. Storytelling and Story

Reading). The second time the story is read, the teacher asks the children questions

concerning it (numbers and fruits are important in the story).

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Learners' Lapbook activity (Lapbook activity) 10 min

Each child is given a paper with eased story the Very Hungry Caterpillar and is asked to read

it on its own. After some time, the teacher ought to invite the learners as a group to read aloud

with her or him. He or she may on the basis of the activity evaluate the children's progress.

After the activity, the pupils may glue the story into their Lapbooks.

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8. Lesson – Paris – Clothes – Description of Lapbook Activities

Introduction of the vocabulary (Lapbook activity) 10 min

Firstly, the Lapbook map on the initial page is opened and children discover where they

appeared (in this case in Paris). Secondly, the introduction of the vocabulary of clothes with

the usage of flashcards is done. The teacher says a piece of clothing aloud and the children are

encouraged (not forced!) to repeat the vocabulary. Then, the teacher asks how the clothes

is weared and the children answer the yes or no question: “Do you wear ______ on (a certain

body part)?” After that, the flashcards are merely partially shown to the learners are they

guess what fruit the part represents.

Dress your figure (Lapbook activity) 10 min

The students are divided into pairs, paper figures of a boy and a girl are distributed to them.

They are asked to “dress” the figures with cards (portraying various pieces of clothing)

displayed on the floor according to the teacher's instructions.

The fashion show (Lapbook activity) 30 min

An idea of a fashion shown in Paris is introduced to the learners. They are divided into small

groups (preferably of two or three learners according to their preferences) and their task is

to create a dress from a roll of toilet paper. The teacher should walk around and ask

the learners what clothes are they making – with support of the flashcards). After

approximately twenty minutes, a fashion show may start – the learners may describe

the models clothes using the flashcards (if in the silent period, the teacher might help them).

Learners' Lapbook activity (Lapbook activity) 10 min

The learners are given a colouring page of a boy and a girl. The task is to colour the figures

according to the teacher's instructions. The activity may help to recognize a possible

improvement in the vocabulary bank of the students. Then, the learners are asked to glue

the activity into the Lapbook.

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9. Lesson – Treasure Hunt – Revision – Description of Lapbook Activities

The Pirate (Lapbook related activity) 5 min

Introduction of the legend is performed at the beginning of the Lapbook activities. A pirate

comes and claims that he has the last piece of Jamie's planet in his treasure box which

is locked seven times. Hes states that if the children accomplished all the tasks given by him,

he would give them the keys for the treasure box i.e. after each accomplished task,

the learners would receive a key to a treasure box, where the last piece of Jamie's planet is.

Each tasks is compiled so that it revises the learnt vocabulary during all the Lapbook sessions

(2-8). Therefore a revision of the necessary vocabulary with the Lapbook flashcards lead

by a teacher is done before each activity.

Catching colorful fish (Lapbook activity – revision of colors and numbers) 10 min

A straw is given to each pupil. Learners are asked to bring a set amount of paper fish

of a certain color displayed on the ground via using their breath through the straw. Pirate's

instructions: "I am hungry, bring me _______ ________ (color + number) fish."

The octopus (Lapbook activity – revision of clothes) 8 min

The students are divided into pairs, paper octopuses are distributed to them. They are asked

to “dress” the octopus Ozzy with cards (portraying various pieces of clothing) displayed

on the floor according to the pirate's instructions. Pirate's initial instruction: "My friend Ozzy

the Octopus is cold, will you help him to get dressed?"

Sugar, coffee, lemonade (Lapbook activity – revision of orders) 5 min

The learners are asked to "Cross the jungle" while playing sugar coffee, lemonade game and

fulfilling the pirate's instructions. The pirate stands at the other part of the room and is turned

away from the children saying a chant “Sugar, coffee, lemonade, tea, boom!” when the chant

is said aloud, the pirate turns and all the pupils need to stand still on the place where they

stopped and start doing an order the pirate says. If they are not quick enough, they may be

sent at the beginning of the jungle. Pirate's initial instruction: "You need to cross this

dangerous jungle, do what I say."

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Animal Drama (Lapbook activity – revision of farm animals) 5 min

During this activity a collective pantomime is done. The teacher says e.g. "Do a pig! Do

a horse!" and everybody needs to perform the animal. Pirate's initial instruction: "I miss my

animals. Can you remind me of them?"

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Lapbook activity – revision of fruits) 8 min

Each child finds a paper with eased story the Very Hungry Caterpillar in their Lapbooks.

Then, the teacher invites the learners as a group to read aloud with his or hers support. Pirate's

initial instruction: "And now I want to hear a story!"

Head and Shoulders Song (Lapbook activity – revision of farm animals) 5 min

Singing the song with movements for the pirate. Pirate's initial instruction: “I want to hear

a song!”

Opening the Treasure box (Lapbook related activity) 5 min

After receiving all seven keys, the learners are allowed to open the treasure box in which

the last piece of the Jamie's planet, as well as a chocolate coins, is.

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Attachment 3 - Children and the Lapbook

Permission to photograph children and use the photographs for one's personal purpose was

given by the parents in the application for the Creative English club.

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An example of the Learner's Lapbook

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Attachment 4 - Lyrics of the Songs Used in Lapbook

10 Little Jellyfish Boys

One little, two little, three little Indians

Four little, five little, six little Indians

Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians

Ten little Indian boys.

Ten little, nine little, eight little Indians

Seven little, six little, five little Indians

Four little, three little, two little Indians

One little Indian boy.

Head and Shoulders

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,

Knees and toes.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,

Knees and toes.

And eyes, and ears, and mouth,

And nose.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,

Knees and toes.

Hokey Pokey

You put your right foot in

You take your right foot out

You put your right foot in

And you shake it all about

You do the hokey pokey

And you turn yourself around

That's what it's all about

(The body part can be replaced)

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Attachment 5 - The Report from the School Inspection

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