Method Meshcheryakova "English for children"

Meshcheryakova Valeria Nikolaevna is the author of the unique I love English course on teaching English to children aged two to ten years. This methodology is fundamentally different from that given in modern secondary schools. The peculiarity lies in the fact that training takes place through various games with the greatest possible immersion in the language environment, where the perception of information by ear, listening, performs one of the most important functions in the learning process.

Effective and Progressive

Children are engaged in this program with special interest and desire due to the fact that in the classroom they sing songs, read poems, play scenes in roles and completely “lose” the entire lesson. The technique of Valeria Meshcheryakova provides easy perception by children of new information in the classroom. A well-thought-out approach to homework is given: young students (and their parents) need to listen to audio lessons lasting ten to fifteen minutes every day. Audio texts are recorded by native speakers, so they allow you to form the correct pronunciation in students. All materials of this methodology work to accumulate a significant passive vocabulary and to develop linguistic flair.

An important difference between this method of teaching English and what the school provides is, firstly, that it is not the language itself that is studied and comprehended, but speech itself. Secondly, training begins with listening and communicating in the very first lessons without learning the rules or vocabulary.

Another unusual feature of this methodology is the lack of teacher corrections in children's speech errors. Instead, multiple repetition of information blocks is introduced to master the correct version of speech. This is done to prevent the emergence of psychological and language barriers.

Meshcheryakova’s methodology “English for children”: learning levels

The technique is suitable for teaching children in the age period from two (three) to nine (ten) years and is interesting and quite effective. I must say that training leads to real and successful results.

Method Meshcheryakova I love English consists of several sequential and interconnected in the study and development of steps:

• Zero step, mainly based on listening and memorizing, - I can sing.
• The first step, improving listening and shaping English speech, - I can speak.
• The second step, improving previous skills and teaching reading, is I can read. Reading comprehension takes place using a unique color reading technique based on previously studied material, as a result of which this process is mastered with ease.
• The third step, improving all previous skills and teaching writing, is I can write.
• The fourth step - I can analyse - teaches you to analyze speech during its formation.

We will analyze some stages, the main ones, in great detail in order to understand what the technique of Valeria Meshcheryakova is.

Listening

The very first and introductory one for those children who learn the language from the very beginning is the zero stage I can sing. The assimilation and study pass through singing, namely, due to the template repetition and memorization of phrases. This happens even without an initial understanding of the translation of words. Understanding itself takes place in the background. The child learns to understand the meaning of foreign speech unconsciously (passively) while listening to audio lessons frequently and regularly. And active language learning is already achieved in full-time classes with a teacher who translates the accumulated “passive” vocabulary into the category of “active”. In this age period, a person can easily master the language (s) in a similar way, that is, with the right approach and organized training.

The methodology of teaching English Meshcheryakova determines the purpose of this stage - the development and development of a child's ear for listening. Lessons are held with children in musical and playful forms. The material of the methodology is texts with colorful, vivid illustrations and recorded songs performed by native speakers.

English by the method of Meshcheryakova provides for the assistance and participation of parents in the learning process. Their actions are very important. Adults need to ensure children's daily access to listening to audio recordings. What should I look for (both parents and teachers involved in this system)? At this stage, the phonetic mistakes that the child makes due to the immature speech apparatus are not corrected by adults explicitly and noticeably for the child. Mentors in this case try to repeat correctly certain sounds or words as many times as possible in order to remember the only true option for children. When speaking, gestures and facial expressions are used to the maximum to comprehend the speech with the consciousness of the child.

Speech Formation

The next step - the first and basic - I can speak, since the formation of oral speech is one of the main tasks in comprehending the language. When constructing his speech, the child begins to use phrases, words, cliches in the construction of his speech already memorized and “impressed” into consciousness (at the previous stage through repeated repetition and listening).

Similarly , the teacher / parent conducts the lesson in the form of a game, and the child builds his speech more or less meaningfully. Meshcheryakova’s methodology ensures that children understand at this stage already thanks to well-designed and prepared materials and the correct presentation of information:

• The visual support for audio recordings in the form of a synthesis of a book and a coloring book contains an illustrated picture for the lesson, in which the child performs the necessary tasks. The main task of the little student being trained is to collect these completed coloring pages from lesson to lesson in order to collect a whole book.
• Language information blocks on a disk are repeated many times for the purpose of unconscious and involuntary memorization. The teacher in the lesson is already deliberately recreating situations in which these structures are used and fixed.
• Simple and timely tracking of the acquisition of knowledge by the child. Every fourth lesson is a control one, at which the teacher evaluates the completed tasks with the “pluses” and “minuses” so that the child understands how successful he is in completing certain tasks.
• I must say that the audio lessons themselves are thought out to the maximum extent possible in content and do not overload children's consciousness and attention. One lesson lasts for ten to fifteen minutes. Throughout the week, the child daily listens to a specific lesson from once. But the more, the better. Listening is possible even under conditions of incomplete concentration, and in the background, as if by the way. And before the test lesson, he works with assignments in his coloring book for a maximum of fifteen minutes.
• A few words about motivation should be said. Meshcheryakova’s methodology provides for a kind of assessment and approval by the teacher of the correct completion of tasks by the student through the drawn pictures (in the form of hearts and flowers). The incentive system is thought out: even diplomas for excellent successes have been developed. Also, the child can receive a gift on behalf of a fairy-tale hero, with whom he dealt with while completing tasks on the lesson learned.

Question of order

It happens that the teaching method of Meshcheryakova is not the first method that parents and children worked on and worked on. In other words, they already have some kind of information base. But there is also a desire (or need) to continue to study the language in a different, for example, more effective I love English system. The English language according to the method of Meshcheryakova provides for the study and mastery of knowledge and skills necessarily linearly, sequentially and in stages (0, 1, 2, 3, 4). However, you can continue to apply existing knowledge and begin training from the I can speak stage under the only and necessary condition - daily listening to audio lessons.

Reading instruction

The I can read step forms the child’s correct reading skills without memorizing and memorizing various countless rules for pronouncing certain letters or letter combinations. The Meshcheryakova technique (“English for Children”) presents a lightweight and unique color reading technique.

Children and teachers work on a manual in which all words, phrases and texts are highlighted in certain colors and in different fonts. In the process of learning, children easily understand and subsequently read these “markers”. There is no linguistic or semantic distortion during such reading. In the process, the child sees the correct graphic spelling of the word, but at the same time he selects the corresponding sound-letter pronunciation by means of color without confusion with transcription. This technique allows you to immediately start reading correctly for both children and parents who do not know English, but provide control over assignments.

Meshcheryakova’s methodology does not provide for the study of the alphabet at this stage. This is considered impractical and untimely: any language unit is introduced when there is a need for it. The reason is that the names of the letters not only do not help, but often prevent children from learning to read English correctly and fluently. Why can knowledge of the alphabet come in handy? As a rule, for the correct spelling and for the search for new language units in the dictionary. And the dictionary even at this stage (in order to understand the meaning of the word) is not needed yet.

Work in the lesson on the manual is carried out in oral terms when the teacher fixes certain moments and exercises on the board. As a homework assignment, the child carries out written exercises in the classroom, and also independently works with additional exercises to consolidate the material studied. It is necessary to emphasize that the wording of the homework is given in the manual in Russian in order to fully understand by all participants in the learning process (students and their parents) what needs to be done. This was created intentionally for functionality, because reading words and texts in English is only now comprehended and conceptualized at this stage (I can read).

In-game training

English by the method of Meshcheryakova is taught in a playful way. The lessons are built in the form of regularly and frequently changing games. This allows you to make the learning process interesting and exciting, since the main activity of the child in comprehending the surrounding world takes place directly through games. Curiosity and excitement create harmonious conditions for memorization, repetition, assimilation and consolidation of information. Positive children's emotions and inspiration activate their mental cognitive processes as a result of development. In addition, the game is a kind of imaginary and artificially created situation, motivating to use the acquired knowledge at the right time. The teacher’s task is to create the necessary conditions for the development of English speech and the need to use the material learned.

The game is the engine of the development process. Being an excellent teaching tool and sharpening the child’s mental activity, it makes the lesson interesting and attractive.

Parent role

The method of Meshcheryakova implies, as already mentioned, regular and daily listening to audio lessons by children (which were recorded by native speakers). Successful language acquisition requires an appropriate environment, and audio recordings are a kind of similar environment. The regularity of listening to these lessons (short in time) ensures success in mastering this technique. Moreover, the dependence of learning outcomes on the regularity of home listening is linear. In other words, the more a child listens to an audio lesson, the more he understands it. The more understandable, the more he likes him. The more he likes him, the more he will listen to him again and go to an English lesson. And vice versa.

It will be great if the parents help their child in creating some kind of ritual for listening to lessons (for example, before going to bed in bed or on the way to / from school). The creation of some additional motivation on the part of parents would also contribute to a more effective mastery of a foreign language.

Listening to this audio material is, on the whole, an interesting and fascinating activity; children like them. However, there are a couple of mistakes that parents make, as a result of which their child will want to refuse to listen to audio lessons and classes in English:

1. Direct commands for replacing actions: "Instead of watching cartoons, you better go study English." This is a very rude and tactless effect on children's consciousness and psyche. Most often, this causes internal protest and unwillingness to further develop in this direction. In its own way, this is a kind of negative program that a parent created in the subconscious of his child.
2. Rare and irregular (or none at all) listening to audio lessons. In full-time classes with a teacher, it becomes difficult for children who do not listen to home lessons or do it rarely. Any difficulties in the child cause a loss of interest in classes.

Teacher role

The teacher in the lesson is a key figure in a successful and effective learning process. It is not enough to know the material and the foreign language. You need to have a lot of qualities. If we take the age limit of children according to this methodology, then the teacher needs to be an orator, a psychologist, an actor, and an entertainer, so that the learning process is as successful and useful as possible. In addition, a teacher is a person who loves and understands children, knows how to speak the same language, but at the same time communicates with them and teaches them another, foreign language. That's how interesting and difficult it is! To a teacher who conducts lessons accessible, with love and interest, children happily go to classes and learn material without much difficulty, this happens automatically. A lot depends on the teacher!

It goes without saying that the teacher must be proficient in the various methods and techniques of teaching his subject. Regarding our topic, all this was remarkably developed and thought out by the author of this course program, V. N. Meshcheryakova. The methodology is unique and differs in many respects from the school teaching course. Accordingly, there are a lot of nuances that you need not only to know for the teacher, but also to fully master all the subtleties. To do this, there is a teacher training program developed separately by the center of Valeria Nikolaevna, which professionally develops and certifiedly explains how to conduct classes in order to correctly teach English according to the Meshcheryakova technique.

Reviews from teachers can be found the most diverse. Someone in this course is delighted - such teachers go to special programs directly to the author-trainer, learn the teaching methods themselves, and then teach their students in this program. Perhaps, in the course of their studies, they somehow supplement their lessons, because you cannot do without it. There are those who underwent training in the methodological program, but were not satisfied with it for certain reasons (perhaps the teacher himself is not so personally internally free in the lesson to be a creator and active entertainer and engine in the process of learning and learning).

But there are those who familiarized themselves with Meshcheryakova’s manuals, but didn’t take professional courses. He many of the subtleties of the process may not be fully understood or not visible at all. However, such teachers have an experienced look and personal opinion and, it must be said, express in a rather sharp form. Of course, in this case, the Meshcheryakova’s method, incomprehensible to the person, will not cause the most flattering reviews of teachers. However, such opinions are not directly related to the content of the teaching methodology; rather, they will say more about the incompetence of the teacher in the Meshcheryakova language program. It is worth noting that not all teachers can afford to take specialized training courses on this methodology due to the high cost of the program and the materials themselves.

Methodology of Valeria Meshcheryakova: feedback from students and parents

Pupils and parents involved in this language course note noticeable and tangible results - this is a deep interest in the topic and the relatively easy use of the material studied by children in the play environment. It can be assumed that this is an effective and efficient author’s technique (Meshcheryakova). “English for children” reviews makes children happy (the desire to go to school and do assignments are important indicators), parents have satisfactory and positive ones (as children make progress in learning), and teachers working on this program are quite inspired. Such conclusions can be made if you look at the official website of the author of this course video reviews about the methodology, which are well founded. In addition, a lot of information about her technology is provided by Valeria Nikolaevna Meshcheryakova herself.The methodology of teaching English is really interesting and unusual. And its successful testing in children's groups lasts for more than ten years, as a result of these classes, students begin to speak English and understand the interlocutor.