In a way, children acquire language unconsciously since their whole attention is engaged by the activity. By
providing personal, social, and cross-cultural issues to define, they sometimes simulate real life situations. Many grammar games can be found in teaching grammar or course books.
There is a great overlap between games and problem solving activities. Though games generally place an emphasis on competition and wining, they also require some type of problem-solving activity. Like games, problem-solving activities have communicative purposes. Questions, which require learners to use available evidence to reach a conclusion and the logic problems, which assist language learning by challenging children to demonstrate their understanding of English in an interesting way, are the types of problem-solving activities. In problem solving activities, the problems are either based on real or imaginary situations. In the activities, children are given a real or an imagery situation, and they are expected to find solutions for the problems.
Games and problem solving activities can be used for all levels. By regarding the proficiency, age, and experience of the learners, appropriate activities might be applied successfully. It is also important to design clear and easy directions for the games or the activities.
Through problem, solving activities learners’ utmost attention is to the detail and to the meaning. The solution part of the problem can be used to generate any specific grammar point. In such activities, a teacher should act as a facilitator rather than a director. It is also possible to integrate all skills in such activities. Reading or listening to a situation, a problem, or a question, responding or commenting through either speaking or writing. It is also advisable to keep in mind that such activities provide entertaining opportunities to practice thinking clearly while focusing on the form unconsciously.
Overall, games and problem solving activities provide favorable usages for extended communicative practice of grammar. They are both motivating and challenging. They encourage young learners to interact and communicate. Through such activities, students match the communication with the context of the game or the difficulty solving movement. Therefore, these activities create a meaningful circumstance for language use. The use of such activities both increases the cooperation and competition in the classroom. Thus, possible classroom ideas come into being, and a successful, blissful, and wholehearted learning is provided.
CHAPTER ONE
Determinants of the learning and the thinking process of children aged 7 – 9.
1. Characteristic of the development of a child aged 7 – 9.
In this paper, “young learners” are children of seven to nine years old.
These are the years of their primary education. Such scholars are comparatively mature children with equally an adult side and a childish one. Adolescent learners can be scheduled:
- Their basic concepts are formed. They have very decided views of the world.
- They can tell the difference amid fact and fiction.
- They ask questions continually.
- They put their faith in the spoken word as well as the physical world to communicate and appreciate connotation.
- They are able to make some decisions about their individual learning.
- They have definite views about what they like and what do not like doing.
- They have a developed sense of fairness about what happens in the classroom and begin to question the teacher’s decisions.
- They are able to work with others and learn from others. To the extent that their language progress is concerned, by the age of ten children will have achieved it with all the basic elements in place.