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 Teaching Methodology for Practical Course
Unlike the adult learners at our AEON schools who usually
have prior experience learning English in junior and senior
high school, children often have very little experience.
At Amity, we consider it our duty to provide children
with the building blocks of the English language. The
techniques for motivating and educating children are also
vastly different than what is required for adult education.
Below is the description of the methodology we use for
our Practical Courses taught by native speakers
of English. |
| In an effort
to utilize the most comprehensive methodology for second
language acquisition for children, Amity adopted the Model
Action Talk method, better known by the acronym MAT. MAT is a dynamic method developed by Ritsuko Nakata, a noted author and EFL children's teacher. She has been the chairperson of the Association of English Teachers of Children for 20 years.
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| The MAT
method begins with the teacher acting as a model for the
target language so that our students' first experience
with new material is clear and accurate. The critical
second step of the method begins with the teacher associating
the target language with a physical movement. By associating
a kinesthetic memory with the rote memorization typical
to standard second language acquisition, there is a profound
increase in retention. The final key that sets the MAT
apart from other ideologies is that students speak the
language by talking as they process the information. This
enables students to use the language as they acquire it,
consequently building their confidence in tandem with
their ability. The MAT method is a comprehensive
approach that allows the student to retain language more
readily. |
| In its practical classroom application, MAT begins with the
drilling of simple vocabulary combined with the use of
gestures. Following this vocabulary introduction and the
noted accomplishment of students' comprehension, the
teacher then builds on the language by adding a sentence
structure. After the students master the new sentence
pattern and the instructor is satisfied with their progress,
a question is introduced that builds yet again on the
acquired language. The students finish this process by
breaking into teams and then pairs, in order to practice
the question and answer patterns in a dialogue situation.
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| The MAT method is a proven success due to the high retention rate of our students and their ability to practice sentence and question patterns with each other. Students enjoy learning with us because of the essential balance
MAT provides between effective language instruction
and reinforcement activities (physical, verbal, team and
pair-work). The MAT method allows Amity to promote
a productive, exciting, and most of all confidence-building
learning environment. |
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