Teaching english through arts and crafts to third grade public school children at Institucion Educativa Suroriental de Pereira

Abstract

This classroom project embarks on the search to implement communicative methodologies in language classrooms by developing the use of Arts and Crafts through authentic materials in the English language classroom. The participants of this project were thirty six learners, between eight and ten years old, third graders from a public school in Pereira, Colombia. The classes were planned based on the school’s curriculum, embracing authentic materials as the tool for exposing English language learners to new vocabulary related to activities done in class. This project encouraged learners to understand and produce language focusing on meaning rather than grammar rules. Nevertheless, it was noticed that to design this type of activities can be time demanding, and that constant reflection in language learning theory is required to obtain good results.