Maybe my ideas will help somebody who has to teach a similar group of teenage pupils. Please, let me know if anybody has found another way to deal with the problems like these, mentioned above.

It is usual to sing to small children and teach them through songs, rhymes and activity games. Children who participate in these activities usually express themselves easily and pick up a lot of new words in their own language. The same method works when a child is learning a second language. The rhythm of the verses helps the pupil to put the stress in the right place, creating a natural flow of language and building up fluency. A song gives us the opportunity to repeat the same words or structural items many times without risk of boredom.

Children usually like singing, role playing, and acting out dialogues and do not think this is learning. Making them sing or playa game in a foreign language is a very important part of their education. They pay attention to playing, not to learning. Even if a teacher decides to correct some important mistakes, they do not feel uncomfortable, because the game is the most important.

For most learners, singing or reciting a rhyme is much easier than talking. This makes songs and rhymes particularly useful for practicing difficult sounds, and singing songs can also help the pupils to learn vocabulary and gain fluency. Songs and rhymes can be used with many different types of learners. Songs and rhymes are suitable not only for small children, but can also be used with older learners or even adults to encourage them to speak English without the fear of making a mistake, as attention is not on any individual person. Everybody can join in when they feel they are ready. Repetitions become a part of an activity , so are not boring. Songs allow no time for translation, so children do not try to translate everything, they guess the meaning of most words, expressions and collocations. They are meaningful; so pupils fix in the memory a lot of useful words and learn how to act in real-life situations in this way. The learners can also be given a poem or a song to write down or copy in their best writing, or they can be encouraged to learn the piece by heart. Rhymes and songs are memorable, if they are well taught, they are seldom forgotten.

Children who learn English as their first foreign language usually are not growing up in an English environment. Some things are quite unknown to pupils in many overseas countries where English is taught. Songs and rhymes often contain words and expressions connected with history , culture or tradition of different nations, so the teacher should explain the pupils necessary elements of the culture of Britain and/or other English speaking countries first. These elements of foreign culture or tradition can be sometimes strange or funny, but the more interesting and fun the activity is, the easier the learners will remember every part of it.

The length and complexity of the songs and rhymes should vary , certain themes or vocabulary items should be familiar to the learners. In the early stages, they should be short and easy to learn. Sometimes, the difficulty of a rhyme or a song depends on how easily its meaning can be demonstrated.

The most popular themes are animals, parts of the body or familiar daily activities. Almost all children love singing and will be drawn in even if they do not want to learn English. It encourages children to know that they can do in English something they do in their own language. Each rhyme or song should be thought of as an enjoyable piece of verse in its own right. The learner's attention should be spontaneously drawn to the use of language in them and to its expressiveness. The rhymes and songs are intended to be enjoyed for their own sake, even if some of them have specially been composed for drilling structures or vocabulary and can be used in remedial work on pronunciation with learners of all ages. The teacher need not make the young children aware of these particular aims, although it is sometimes necessary to tell the older learners what they are practicing and what results they are supposed to achieve.

The learner's sustained interest in the rhymes derives from the pleasure of reciting familiar and meaningful material. Some rhymes are more suitable for younger children, some for older children or adults. The teacher must decide what is best to suit the class, sometimes experimenting is the only way to learn this. Sometimes children like rhymes or songs which seem to be above or below their age level. But we should be aware of the fact, that what an English child might consider beneath his/her dignity may still delight a foreign learner of the same age.

Songs should be learnt only when the learners understand the meaning of the language items contained in them. Sometimes the theme of the song or even its cultural background should be introduced or the new vocabulary and the structures should be practiced in advance.

The children should understand what they are singing about and it should be an enjoyable experience. The teacher usually knows which words may cause difficulty to his/her learners and should teach them by using pictures, mime, gestures or translation, especially for ideas which are difficult to put across. The learners should listen to the recording and try to sing along. If the song has a chorus, it is sometimes easier to begin with it, especially if the learners know the tune of the song or are familiar with its theme. Teaching small children is usually accompanied by additional activity games, miming to the words and using some aids. These can also be used with the older learners. They may think it amusing to behave like small children, especially when the teacher is performing along with the group. Some of the activities can be given to do at home. Children are usually eager to teach their younger brothers or sisters what they have just learnt during the lesson. This will give the teacher less control over the situation, but allow the learners to become more independent, maybe to break down the fear of speaking in public. A lot will depend on the children's enthusiasm and imagination, which should be encouraged by the teacher. All activities should seem like games, not like exercises, although older children should be aware that they are learning English in this way. If the learners find this method pleasant and interesting, they will look forward to the next step, which may be preparing a performance and acting it in front of the class, recording the performances and observing their own progress or inviting friends to a party and singing popular English songs.

The children should be encouraged to learn and use English not only during the lessons, but also during the various activities. In the early stages, it is difficult to get the learners to use the language for their own needs. Adult learners usually learn English for their own purposes and they are fully aware of their aims. Young learners' interest derives mostly from the pleasure given them by a particular activity, so the teacher may encourage the class to exchange news, tell stories, compose little plays and imaginary conversations. The learners can also try to compose their own songs and rhymes. Even young learners can fairly quickly learn to write their own jingles.

Many rhymes and songs are elliptical and too condensed to be appreciated without some introduction. The simplest way of drawing the learners in is to tell the piece as a story first. In his/her introductory story, the teacher can relate the content of the song or the rhyme using familiar language and familiar experiences. The rhyme becomes a summary of a story that the learners understand and enjoy.

The children can draw or paint their own pictures to illustrate the story and show what they understood. They can try to tell the class what they have put in their pictures, compare the pictures and notice the differences.

5.4 Using computers

Sometimes it is possible to run the lesson in the computer room. The children may be encouraged to use computers to write or illustrate their works. They may also complete them at home, as their homework. Then, an exhibition may be arranged and the authors of the best works may be given prizes.

6.1 Small groups

Some methods used in teaching small children can be very useful in teaching teenagers. Teaching English through songs and rhymes can be very effective, but it is very difficult to run a' singing' lesson with a big group of pupils. So, the best way of achieving the aim, which is helping young learners to overcome their fear of speaking and improve their pronunciation, is to work in small groups, before or after the regular classes. It is easier then to explain problems, correct mistakes or do some oral exercises before the final part - singing a song or reciting a poem.

Pupils feel more comfortable when the teacher pays attention to what they are doing and appreciate that. It is very important to encourage the children to practice new skills and notice their slightest progress. Some of them have never believed they could learn anything in English, and are very surprised to hear that they are doing better and better. They hear their English sound' English' and other pupils can understand what they want to say.

Some children do not know how to learn, because they have never been told what to do. After giving them some advice and improving the most important mistakes in pronunciation, their English sounds better, so they are not afraid of speaking in public any more. During the additional lessons they learn something new that other pupils do not know, so they want to make a good show of what they have learnt. Their self confidence rises, so they start taking part in the activities during the lessons. Their progress encourages other pupils to make efforts and their achievements are the best illustration of the saying: 'Practice makes perfect'.

There are some pupils who are not very good at English because they are not able to remember any vocabulary or use any structures. They usually do not take part in any activities during the lessons, get bad marks and have problems with passing grammar tests. It is worth trying to draw them into the 'singing' or 'reciting' activities. It might turn out that some of them are very talented, can sing beautifully or play a musical instrument. They can develop their skills, take part in English Song Contests and win prizes. Thanks to their perfect hearing they can learn a lot through listening and singing in English.

Some pupils cannot sing but are very good at performing drama. Sometimes it is necessary to cooperate with the other teachers, especially the music and drama teachers. Teaching talented children is sometimes very difficult because many teachers have to cooperate and coordinate their efforts to achieve good results.

7.3 Benefits of after-class activities

Running lessons or activities of that kind takes a lot of time. It is not always possible to get the whole group together - the pupils and the teachers who usually have a lot to do after the lessons. But if the system works, we will achieve another important thing which is giving the children the opportunity to spend their free time effectively and develop their skills even if their parents cannot afford to give them private lessons. The children who go to some additional classes in the afternoon and do something useful or interesting make a lot of friends, learn how to get along with other people, and do not waste their time on things like fighting, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, shoplifting or stealing old ladies , handbags... but, that's another story.

1. Julian Dakin 'Songs and Rhymes', Longman 1991

2. Sheila Aristotelous Ward 'Dippitydoo', Longman 1990

3. Brigitte Schanz-Hering , Around the Year', Lektor 1995

4. Mario Papa, Giuliano Iantorno 'Famous British & American Songs', Longman 1990

5. Brian Abbs, Diana Webster, Anne Worrall 'Music Box', Longman 1995

6. YES,'British & American Holidays', Idea 1997

7. John Byme, Anne Waugh 'Jingle Bells', Oxford University Press 1982

8. Maria Kramarz, Jerzy Strzetelski 'It's a Must!', Universitas Krak6w 1992

11. Melanie Ellis, Marianna Niesobska, Anna Rak, Oxford University Press 1999

12. Ewa Lewandowska, Barbara Maciszewska, Longman 2000

13. Jolanta Dobrowolska, Cambridge University Press 2000