First English class EVER!

All of my English classes started back last week, one of which was a first EVER English class with a group of 4 and 5 year olds (a first for them). There were 16 of them all together. 



We sat in a circle, I smiled at each child, waved and said hello looking at individual children and repeating myself several times. Some just stared, some giggled, some eager little individuals even waved and said hello back. I repeated this using a ball, rolling it to random children, saying hello and encouraging them to say hello back to me.

The lesson aims were to have them understand and repeat hello and goodbye and to be able to repeat and respond to What's your name?

I asked them why I said hello and not bonjour. Yes, because I speak English and because I come from England. I produced a scarf, put it on my head and started huffing into it h,h,h,h, hello. Let's practise saying hello, can you try and move the scarf when you say hello? Most of them had a go.

Kanga the Kangaroo was gently pulled out of my basket. He observed the children before hiding under my jumper. He's shy I explained. Can you say hello to him? The children greeted Kanga with a cheery hello. He asked me my name then I asked him what his name was. Kanga was keen to know the childrens' names too.

We practised saying, hello, what's your name? a few times. I explained that if we tapped our thighs with our hands it would help us to remember how to say it. We all tapped our thighs and went round the circle asking individual children their names. Hello, what's your name? What's your name? Ella (Ella was given a tambourine to tap out her name.) We all then tapped our thighs and said hello, Ella, hello Ella. In all, we practised saying what's your name? at least 32 times!

I explained that in the UK, the first time we meet someone, we often shake hands (compared to kissing in France). I shook hands with a few children repeating the question. We then walked around the room marching in time to the tambourine, each time it stopped, the children found a partner shook their hands and said, hello, what's your name? 

In groups of 5/6, the children made some stick puppet people reinforcing the what's your name? when writing their names on the stick. (The others had free choosing activities).

As a link home I asked the children to repeat the question what's your name? to family members. 

I asked them how we say goodbye in English. We sang a simple goodbye song then Kangaroo asked the children their names again then said goodbye to each individual child with a kiss, goodbye Ella. The children were then allowed to line up ready to meet their parents. 

As a follow up, we shall use the stick puppets to role play the greeting. The stick puppets will be left in the classroom and used as a free choosing activity. 

Main Language aims:
Greetings: Hello/goodbye, What's your name?
h sound

Other aims:
Culture: In the UK we shake hands when we meet someone for the first time.
Values: We listen carefully when someone is talking

How did your first lesson go? I'd love to hear how you start your first lesson with young English learners.