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Raising Phonetic Awareness at Primary Level
Skočdopolová, Petra ; Červinková Poesová, Kristýna (advisor) ; Müller Dočkalová, Barbora (referee)
The theoretical part of the thesis scrutinizes the principles of awareness raising and noticing in language teaching. Furthermore, it focuses on their implementation in pronunciation teaching and examines the possible limitations to these approaches imposed by learners' age and level of cognitive development. The practical part presents a research which consists of designing a battery of pronunciation activities promoting noticing and awareness raising, followed by their pilotage in five different groups of elementary school pupils. The aim of the research is to determine whether the piloted activities result in young learners noticing the target pronunciation features. The results of the research suggest positive impact of the noticing and awareness raising activities even among the pupils at lower stage of cognitive development. Key words: young learners, teaching pronunciation, consciousness raising, noticing, cognitive development, learners' involvement
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Czech Primary Teachers' Approach to English Pronunciation Teaching
Jirsová, Emma ; Červinková Poesová, Kristýna (advisor) ; Müller Dočkalová, Barbora (referee)
The aim of this diploma thesis is to ascertain the current state of English pronunciation teaching at primary schools in the Czech Republic by researching Czech teachers' approach to it. The thesis comprises a theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part first describes the importance, aim, and content of pronunciation teaching as well as the effectiveness of pronunciation instruction and reasons for neglecting it. Furthermore, it characterizes young learners, gives recommendations for teaching pronunciation to them, describes an integrative approach to pronunciation teaching, and looks into how pronunciation is taught at primary schools in different European countries. The practical part of this diploma thesis presents, analyzes, and discusses the findings of a survey completed by 108 Czech primary teachers focusing on their approach to pronunciation teaching. The results of the survey describe the teachers' pronunciation pedagogy training, their perspectives on pronunciation teaching, the way they implement it into their English lessons at primary schools, the reasons why some educators teach pronunciation spontaneously, and the changes which would facilitate systematic pronunciation teaching. Keywords English pronunciation teaching, primary level, young learners, English as a Foreign Language
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Using podcasts to teach English to young learners
Hoppejová, Diana ; Müller Dočkalová, Barbora (advisor) ; Uličná, Klára (referee)
This bachelor thesis deals with podcasts as a way of teaching the English language, mainly focused on children aged 5-7 years before the start of their school education. The podcasts are designed to introduce the English language to children with the help of their first language through spoken audio fairy tales without the help of visual aids. The aim of the thesis is to find out whether systematic use of the first language in audio material for beginning young learners can have a positive impact on their motivation and willingness to listen. The aim of the theoretical part was to gain the necessary knowledge to prepare such podcasts effectively. It therefore explores effective ways of teaching English to young learners, the use of stories to teach English, and the role of the first language in foreign language learning. The practical part reports on research conducted among parents of Czech and Slovak children who had not enjoyed listening to English audio materials prior to the research. The parents agreed on testing a series of the author's original podcasts with their children, and observing their reactions. The aim was to verify or reject the hypothesis that even children who otherwise refuse to listen to English audio materials will be motivated to listen to English fairy tale podcasts where...
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Total Physical Response in Different Age Groups
Pinkasová, Markéta ; Dvořák, Bohuslav (advisor) ; Hofmannová, Marie (referee)
A foreign language teaching method called Total Physical Response is described in the theoretical part. The originator proposes the method for any age group; despite the fact, the use of the method changes in different age groups, due to cognitive development of students and their level of English. The practical part shows opinions of present English teachers in Poděbrady and its neighborhood about usage of the method in their lessons.
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The influence of early English language learning on the development of selected language competencies of elementary school students
Michalová, Šárka ; Špačková, Klára (advisor) ; Kacafírková, Petra (referee)
The question of the asset of early foreign language learning is a frequently discussed topic. Following prevailing opinion in society, that ‚the sooner, the better ', the beginning of compulsory foreign language learning is continually shifting in lower grades at primary school. A lot of children have already started with foreign language learning in kindergarten. Researches, which support the benefits of the approach, focus on a very narrow aspect of foreign language acquisition (pronunciation) or survey these facts with a specific group of inhabitants (immigrants). As experts point out, there is no significant benefit of early instructions ascertained in the Czech Republic. However, the research focused only on adults. We do not have any further evidence of the advantages of starting to learn a foreign language early. Therefore, the author focused on comparing the level of foreign language competences of two groups of pupils after their two-year compulsory instructions of English at primary school. The aim was to compare the level of their language competence in English and the learners' potential difficulties by the learners with early learning experience and by the learners without previous experience of foreign language learning before the beginning of compulsory learning at primary school....
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Bible and Its Adaptations for Children
Ječmenová, Kateřina ; Klumparová, Štěpánka (advisor) ; Hausenblas, Ondřej (referee)
The diploma thesis The Bible and Its Adaptations for Children addresses the question of the quality of children's Biblical adaptations. It aims to compile a comprehensive set of criteria based on relevant literature which children's adaptations should meet. These criteria should become a practical tool for primary school teachers to make it easier for them to select quality stories for their lessons. The entire first chapter is devoted to the Bible and should serve as a general knowledge base of the book. The second chapter describes children's literature in terms of its specifics and psychological characteristics of young readers. A special place in this chapter belongs to myth (as one of the essential biblical genres) and the Bible itself, and the examination of their place in children's literature. The chapter on children's literature also includes a section the aim of which is to explain the role of illustration in children's books and to remind us of its crucial position in children's literature. The following chapter deals with the term adaptation, first from the general literary point of view, and then it focuses on the child recipient and the peculiarities of adapting the Bible. At the end of this chapter, the planned set of criteria is created on the bases of the previous theoretical part...
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Raising Phonetic Awareness at Primary Level
Skočdopolová, Petra ; Červinková Poesová, Kristýna (advisor) ; Müller Dočkalová, Barbora (referee)
The theoretical part of the thesis scrutinizes the principles of awareness raising and noticing in language teaching. Furthermore, it focuses on their implementation in pronunciation teaching and examines the possible limitations to these approaches imposed by learners' age and level of cognitive development. The practical part presents a research which consists of designing a battery of pronunciation activities promoting noticing and awareness raising, followed by their pilotage in five different groups of elementary school pupils. The aim of the research is to determine whether the piloted activities result in young learners noticing the target pronunciation features. The results of the research suggest positive impact of the noticing and awareness raising activities even among the pupils at lower stage of cognitive development. Key words: young learners, teaching pronunciation, consciousness raising, noticing, cognitive development, learners' involvement
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Work with a group of beginners in drama education
Stará, Veronika ; Marušák, Radek (advisor) ; Ferklová, Alžběta (referee)
The diploma thesis focuses opening a world of drama education to a group of young learners who are unexperienced at DE. The theoretical part aims to prepare readers to understand a beginner class specifics same as working with aim planning for a particular group of students. In the practical part of the thesis I construct one semester plan of aims for concrete collective of students and assess if the plan was made appropriately, if the goals were achieved and what changes must have been done to adjust the plan to real conditions. Furthermore, the practical part offers tips of lessons and their reflections and it maps development of the study group. Overall aim of the thesis is to bring to a reader theoretical background of working with a DE class of beginners, plan of goals for concrete group and its fulfilling.
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Development of motor skils of young learners
Branžovská, Lucie ; Pokorný, Ladislav (advisor) ; Dlouhý, Martin (referee)
This theses focuses on uncovering motoric skills development of young school age children in their physical education classes. We will explore motoric skills occurrence in physical education classes using a survey to find out which skills are given preference, which are developed on specialized training basis and which children perform just for fun. Due to particular motoric skills we will offer preparatory workout, exercises, equipment and methods frequently used in physical education. Finally, we will create a suitable model for physical education at primary level. Key words: skill, sport games, child, young school age
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Total Physical Response in Different Age Groups
Pinkasová, Markéta ; Dvořák, Bohuslav (advisor) ; Hofmannová, Marie (referee)
A foreign language teaching method called Total Physical Response is described in the theoretical part. The originator proposes the method for any age group; despite the fact, the use of the method changes in different age groups, due to cognitive development of students and their level of English. The practical part shows opinions of present English teachers in Poděbrady and its neighborhood about usage of the method in their lessons.
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