My methodology linked to English teaching theories

Sharing an activity I did for the post graduation course I am attending, as these questions are related to my classes methodology:

1. the demands of your teaching context (is it a private or public institutional; is it a regular school?)

I teach 15 groups of kids at Cempa, a public school in Mariana-MG - 3 groups of 1st grade (most of the students are 6 years old); 4 groups of 2nd grade (most of kids 7 years old); 2 groups of 3rd grade (most of them 8 years old); 5 groups of 4th grade (most 9 years old); and 1 group of 5th grade (most are 10 years old). Those grades are considered Elementary school here in Brazil.

2. the children's needs (how old are your students? How do you deal with their needs?)

I notice that for the 6 and 7 years old kids it is kind of difficult to stay seat a whole class. All the time they are coming to me to tell something that has nothing to do with the class or to show me that they are hurt or asking to go to the toilet or drink water. I think that actually these are only excuses to move their bodies or to get some attention. Children that age need to spend more time outdoor and spend more physical energy (my opinion only). Sometimes I feel guilty for not having good ideas to explore the content in a more physical way .

For the first two grades, I avoid written activities, to avoid confusion, as they are being alphabetized in Portuguese yet.

I never think about their needs in the future related to their domain of English language. I do not think that they must learn English to get a good job, or to pass exams. I only think about I would like them to have pleasure in studying a different language and to know that there are many ways to express themselves.

3. two aspects from the text (COPLAND; NI, 2019. This needs to be explicitly shown in the video. You need to quote or  paraphrase two points that were present in the text. 

143 - Copland and Neokleous (2011) and Brooks-Lewis (2009) both suggest that teachers can use the L1 to engage and motivate students, and Littlewood and Yu (2011) explain that using the L1 can reduce learner anxiety. Nonetheless, there remains an L2 hegemony in English language teaching, summed up by Ellis and Shintani (2013), who argue that teachers should: maximise the use of L2 inside the classroom. Ideally this means that the L2 needs to become the medium as well as the object of instruction, especially in a foreign language setting.

148 - As Singleton and Pfenninger (this volume) explain, an early start does not result in gains over students with a later start in terms of language proficiency. Given this finding, the most compelling reason for an early start is to engender in children an interest in languages through providing enjoyable experiences (Johnstone, this volume). Being flexible in terms of classroom language use is more likely to produce a low-anxiety environment conducive to learning (see Brooks-Lewis 2009; Copland and Neokleous 2011), which we believe should be the primary concern of teachers of English to young learners.

4. what is considered in order to plan and systematize your class so that your methodology focuses on this idea: We are not just teaching English. We are teaching children.

When I decided to speak English 100% of the time I spend with my students is because I wanted to run from that way of teaching that presents vocabulary and/or grammar with no or just a little context. I do not want the language to be the focus of the class, but the individual and the situation. Of course, sometimes I see myself putting the language on the first place, but I know that frustration is part of the game. 

I speak English 100% of the time when I am at school. I believe that, by doing so, I am making sure kids are inside a context while being presented to the language. I know some authors defend the use of the first language, but I avoid, which does not mean that it is prohibited during my class. When I am explaining something and a student understand and says the same in Portuguese, I usually ask her/him to repeat that to the whole class. By the beginning of the year, when I decided not to use Portuguese, was not because I considered English superior to our native language and I do not act in the class like it was.

About the topics of each class, they are decided by Mariana Education Secretary. For every two months period, we have two or three topics to develop with each grade. For the first period of two months (February and March), for example, we teach Greetings + something else, depending on the grade - that could be colors, numbers, months. So, I try to mix games with formal activities with songs, to have a varied class. 

Now I wanna share something controversial. I know that there are no evidence that starting studying English earlier in elementary school is any better than starting older. And, when I remember my experience, I do not think that starting when I was 9 made any difference. If I had started when I was 12, I think it would be the same. That is also why I think that is not necessary to be a very demanding teacher.

I still miss that they are not speaking naturally. Most of the times they speak English is because I am asking them to repeat. Language is not "coming naturally" yet. 

Reference: COPLAND, F.; NI, M. Languages in the young learner classroom. In: GARTON, S.; COPLAND, F. (Orgs.) The Routledge Handbook of Teaching English to Young Learners. Routledge, 2019, p. 138-153.