Attention spanOne of the most salient differences between adults and children is attention span (AS). First, it’s important to understand what AS means. Put children in front of a TV with a favorite cartoon show on and they will stay there for hours. So, we cannot make a claim that children have short ASs! The short ASs come up only when you present material that is boring, useless, or too difficult. Since language lessons can at times be difficult for children our job then is to make them interesting, lively and fun. How do we do that? o Because children are focused on the immediate here and now, activities should be designed to capture their immediate interest. o A lesson needs to have a variety of activities to keep interest and attention alive. o A teacher needs to be animated, lively and enthusiastic about the subject matter. Consider the classroom a stage in which you are the lead actor. You may even think that you are overdoing it. But children need this exaggeration to keep spirits high and minds alert. o A sense of humor will go a long way to keep children laughing and learning. But children’s humor is quite different from adults’. So, remember to put yourself in their shoes. o Children have a lot of natural curiosity. Use that curiosity whenever possible.
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