Understanding the child’s world and how language is learned

Children look at the world with their own eyes, not ours. When a child learns a language, he receives meanings through feelings, hearing, sight and movement.
1. Learning in a calm atmosphere: If a child is afraid or shy in class, the tongue is tied to his mouth. When he feels calm and respectful, he begins to speak and express himself freely.
2. Differences between learners: Not all children learn in the same way. One learns quickly by listening to stories, another by seeing pictures and cards, and another by movement and play.
3. Making mistakes is part of learning: It is very normal for a child to say a word or mix a letter incorrectly at first
4. Encouragement and Appreciation: A simple compliment or a warm welcome to a learner’s response gives him great strength to try harder and love his mother tongue.
When we look closely at the world of children and how they learn, we see that Kurdish language lessons should never be presented as a dry grammar or inanimate wear. Children see language as a living tool to express themselves, their desires, fears and dreams His voice is heard, his thoughts are respected and he is not afraid to tell or ask questions. A classroom dominated by fear and anxiety is the first victim of a child’s ability to speak and express himself.

On the other hand, recognizing individual differences is the key to a teacher’s success in conveying his message. Students are not the same in their reception. Some learn words through sound and story reading An efficient person is one who does not confine his/her lesson to one format, but opens the door to learning for all levels and types of learners by combining hearing, sight and experience

Author: M. Naz Ali

Kurdish language teacher at Junior Educational Society