Teaching Ways Of Achievement For The Language Objectives Development In Grades I-Iv

Abstract

Taking into account the complexity of the pedagogical act of cultivating language through the educational process, we consider that it is necessary to know the main objectives according to which the whole general and special didactic methodology is acquired. Thus, I have analyzed in this study the main ways of achieving these objectives, because we considered it necessary to specify that language development and assimilation of the mother tongue should not be seen as a task that belongs only to the Romanian language and to the subjects included in this study. Both the lexical, the semantic and grammatical sides are achieved through all the objects of the study and all the activities and extra factors to the instructive-educational process. Aiming at the formation and education of language, as a major goal, with all its functions, a trained pedagogue will take into account both the enrichment of vocabulary, the expansion of semantic and polysemantic interpretation, as well as the completion of the grammatical structure of spoken and written language and expressiveness due to the context. Language represents the foundation of communication between people carrying deep emotional and cultural connotations, values contained in a vast literary, historical, philosophical and educational heritage. Language technology requires specific research or development methodologies in accordance with standards or existing recommendations.

Keywords: Language development, objectives, teaching methods

Introduction

The possibility and the need to learn to communicate are intrinsic to human nature. The universe of communication expands through learning “the most diverse contents and instruments by means of man's informational contact with nature, with the self, with others, with the products of social and scientific knowledge” (Neacșu, 2017, p. 241).

In the years spent by the child at school, under the influence of the educational process in which the child participates, there is a rapid assimilation of different aspects of language; thus developing new functions and forms of language. Here the child talks more with other children about what he saw, heard, did, and thought. In this way he gradually moves from situational language to contextual language (communication, which has a predominant role over the first), and as the child explores the world around him, he increasingly exceeds the limits of experience, detaching himself from the influence of the present moment.

Language, a specific form of human activity, achieved through language and all its resources, ensures good communication between people and between children. According to Vraciu (1980), we know that the basic, natural and concrete form of language is speech, meaning the verbal realization of the communication process. Speech is one of the aspects of language, the most important, the concrete form in which the language manifests itself, therefore is the act of individual and concrete use of language, within the complex process of language.

Problem Statement

I considered that through the means of carrying out language enrichment and nuance activities (stories, memorizations, didactic games) one can reach the development, precision and activation of vocabulary, the development and education of the spirit of observation, fantasy and creative imagination, so necessary in school activity, but also in life. At the same time, however, it must be emphasized that “vocabulary development is not only one of the conditions for understanding and constructing discourse, but also a consequence of it” (Pamfil, 2016, p. 58).

Using language as a means of intellectual, moral, aesthetic education, the teacher develops the necessary speech in the process of communication and knowledge of the surrounding life and at the same time perfects their expression, corrects pronunciation, enriches vocabulary and helps students to acquire practically the grammatical structure of the Romanian language.

According to Neacșu (2017) education and learning, as communication processes, in turn involve exchanges of substance, behavior, images or knowledge, all of which have a certain meaning (p. 241).

The goal of the communication process, of the teachers-pupils interaction during the teaching tasks, is “to achieve positive results and to bring new changes into the mentality, attitude and behavior of the interlocutors, as well as forming and developing the pupils’ personalities through creating a proper educational climate” (Geantă & Ionescu, 2019, p. 1623).

Research Questions

It is known that each child has his own pace of speech development, so we started with a few questions: Are we doing something wrong? Does student X have a problem? What could I do better to help students develop their speech and language? What are the effective methods of developing students' language?

Purpose of the Study

The development of speech and the correct learning of language is a permanent concern on the part of teachers. In this study, I set out to support their work with methodological guidance focused on some essential aspects of this vast and complex field of activity, given the need to deepen the theoretical-methodological elements that form and guide the instructive-educational work.

Based on these considerations, Crețu et al. (1981) proposes a list of general objectives of language development, among which we mention:

development of the perceptual capacity, in order to discriminate the simple and compound sounds specific to the Romanian language;

fixing and expressing notions with varying degrees of generality, which reflect classes of objects, beings, phenomena, relationships;

permanent enrichment of vocabulary, activation of the lexical fund and its capitalization in various contexts;

formation and fixation of correct expression skills, both orally and graphically;

formation and improvement of the grammatical side of the language, of the ability to exercise control over speech in the morphological and syntactic aspect, reflected in the construction of sentences and phrases used in all forms of expression.

According to Lăscuș (2022) the framework and reference objectives of the curriculum are guidelines or measurement tools, formulated on experiential domains, following the child’s development (p. 5).

Research Methods

The methodology of speech development lessons is commonly known today. If the objectives and specifics of the development of the different functions of the language are known, it is not difficult to establish the methodical line of each lesson, in so far as it must perform the specific tasks in the most efficient way. Thus, the lessons can be grouped as follows:

The lessons have as didactic task the formation of representations about the objects and phenomena of the objective world, with their properties, with the relations in which they are, aspects of plant life, animals, aspects of human life and activity, verbalization of observation results, expression adequate cognitive content, fixation in vocabulary of specific terminology;

Lessons aimed at knowing reality through the interaction of the two signaling systems - image and word;

Lessons that have as dominant objectives the development of the capacity to memorize some informational contents, implicitly of the lexical and grammatical structures;

Lessons aimed at training the ability to participate in dialogue limited to two people, then multiplied;

Lessons aimed mainly at training the ability to listen, reproduce a content of ideas, after a free presentation or after a reading;

Lessons aimed at reproducing informational content according to a given plan, then according to an independently developed plan;

Lessons whose dominant objective is to improve the skills of correct, coherent, fluent, expressive expression;

Lessons aimed at assessing students' progress in speaking and communicating.

The lesson, as a form of activity of the “teacher-student binomial" (Ionescu & Bocoș, 2017, p. 308), has occupied and occupies a privileged position among the forms of organizing the educational process, continuing to have a special importance for the steps taken to achieve the educational objectives.

Findings

The objectives set for each lesson indicate the basic method, pathways, and teaching methods that can be used. Usually, in the same lesson, some activities alternate, for well-known reasons, but which are not without logic. Everyone knows, for example, that observing objects or reading after pictures is closely related to speaking, especially in the first half of the school year, in the first grade, when intuitive speech support is imposed as a requirement derived from the specific language children have it at the age of 6-7. Thus, through observation, children acquire a system of clear representations about the objects and phenomena of the objective world, the clarity of representations, and the acuity of perceptual images increase the ability to verbalize and thus increase the strength of synthesis and generalization.

The observation consists in the systematic tracking of educational facts as they take place under normal conditions, in recording the data and findings as they are presented, in order to be able to capture them. It is used in all stages of research and usually accompanies all other methods, “providing additional data related to various aspects of the investigated phenomena” (https://academia.edu/36658292/Metoda_observatiei accessed on September, 11, 2022)

That is why, especially in the preparatory class and the first class, the lessons of speech development must be organized on a sensory sort as varied and rich in meanings as possible (natural objects, models, drawings, illustrations, paintings, tokens, slides, movies, drawings animated etc.). It is recommended that the advanced forms of conversation, memorization or storytelling be carried out on the basis of intuitive materials, within the limits imposed by the didactic logic.

In direct observation of objects and reading from pictures, students should be guided both in the formation of speech skills and in the practice of thinking operations, given the inseparable link between thinking and language. They must be helped, at first, to observe systematically, then to generalize the obtained data, to understand the topic and to interpret in as varied a way as possible the content of the data in the respective image / images. The material used must be in perfect condition, have an accentuated artistic note, the objects must be of the appropriate size, in order to ensure a clear perception of all students in the class, no matter in which bench they are located.

Of particular formative value are the problem-questions, “which are meant to direct the operations of thinking towards obtaining information based on one's own effort, analyzing, synthesizing or generalizing the data derived at the sensory level” (Crețu, et al., 1981, p. 11) Questions like where? When? It especially demands the cognitive function of language. In order to form the ability to interpret, to describe, to improve the semantic side of speech, it is recommended to ask student’s questions that have a great formative value, such as: what do you think? Why? What would you do if...? How could it be otherwise? “” (Ionescu, A., 2021, p. 223).

Conversation is one of the most commonly used verbal methods at the primary level. The concept of conversation is based on “a process that involves a chain of questions and answers” (Bloju, 2013, p. 54), depending on the purpose pursued during the Romanian language classes meeting several types of conversation. The conversation must ensure the participation of all students and comply with some requirements recommended by the literature, namely:

- Students must learn to express themselves clearly, in complete sentences, loud enough and in turn, so as to leave the opportunity to converse with his classmates;

-The teacher leads the conversation by ensuring the involvement of each student, encouraging them, creating a relaxed atmosphere that gives them the joy and satisfaction of expressing themselves.

Another specific form with maximum informative-formative efficiency is memorization, since the development of language does not mean in any way quantitative memorization of sound or graphic symbols, a numerical increase of the lexical background. The quality of memorizing, preserving and updating the lexical fund determines, consequently, the interpretive quality and through this, the language can successfully fulfill its role of “instrument of knowledge” (Cojocaru, 2018, p. 53). Memorization, as a didactic modality used in the direction of speech development, must be organized in accordance with the fundamental rules of memorization and, at the same time, with the general rules of learning as a psychic activity.

First, in order to avoid mechanical memorization, students must be prepared for memorization. In this sense, the understanding of the content of the poems, the real message of the verses must be facilitated by the prior explanation of the metaphorical or new words and expressions for the students. This involves either a dialogue on the topic, the use of appropriate intuitive material, or the repetition or updating of representations that serve as a support for understanding. Another rule is how to unify stored lyrics. A verse (a logical unit) once saved is resumed when the next verse has been saved, and then the stanza is reproduced in its entirety.

Next, I propose to use hearing (audition) as a way to develop speech, appreciating it as valuable for the positive formative effect, with strong resonances. Listening to the reading or presentation of a literary text, a story or a fairy tale is one of the ways with direct effects on the ability to concentrate. The instability of attention at a young age is one of the main features and in these conditions the sound presentation of an emotional content, either by direct exposure by the teacher or through the disc or tape on which the artistic reading is recorded is the value of elective stimulus, which determines the orientation and concentration of attention without difficulty.

On the other hand, reading or exposition, respectively storytelling is “an objective way of highlighting school performance and a means of regulating the learning activity, providing the information necessary for language development” (Gora, L.C., 2019, p. 5) But the hearing requires the observance of pedagogical requirements, namely: - first of all, the creation of a favorable climate for understanding the received ones, the assurance of good acoustic conditions, the volume of the auditory material to be related to the students' age and the content of ideas. Reading to be analyzed, interpreted, formulated the necessary generalizations and then integrated into the system of previous generalizations. Ideas can be reproduced either in the sequence in which they were communicated or selectively, accompanied or not by illustrations or paintings.

Another method, more precisely a form that the presentation takes for the purpose of oral communication of a system of ideas is storytelling, being used in all classes of primary education, for its multiple informative-formative values. Through the story, students acquire “a circle of representations about objects, phenomena, facts, events, situations, which cannot be perceived as such” (Crețu, et al., 1981, p. 16) When presented in a grammatically and stylistically appropriate form, the story becomes a model of speech, it is the way in which students assimilate most poetic expressions, accumulate countless words, enriching their vocabulary. From a moral point of view, the story is a valuable way to influence students' consciousness, by the fact that heroes and fairy tale situations become true role models for children.

In this regard, we should focus on carefully selecting the literary products proposed for the story (content, form, size, orientation, etc.), alternating the story with other related activities, introducing appropriate teaching aids to the text and objectives and establishing an appropriate plan to carry out the modalities and techniques of processing, of informative-formative verification of the story.

According to Norel and Bota (2012), the story, unlike the sketch, fables a closed story, involving a conflict, a crescendo to the climax and an outcome (p. 176).

Unanimously recognized for its special contribution in the training of students is the didactic game, also included in the system of teaching methods with very important results, due to the fact that it responds in the happiest way to the age peculiarities of young schoolchildren and for that the fun element stimulates the interest and curiosity of all children. Due to the fact that the student accumulates a large amount of knowledge without feeling the effort, learning through play is effective, the game being considered by Norel and Bota (2012) a set of actions and operations aimed at achieving specific educational objectives in the cognitive, affective-motivational or psycho-motor and relational fields (p. 218).

The game stimulates the intellectual functions, through which the knowledge of the objective reality is realized, it stimulates and models the affective-motivational processes and cultivates the communication function of the language. But the game, as a didactic way, requires a serious training of the teacher; improvisation based on momentary inspiration is just as harmful as random laboratory experiments. Games can also be used both for the “consolidation and clarification of knowledge, for the formation of correct and coherent speech” (Stan, 2019, p. 263).

The forms of activity through which the evaluation of the students' vocabulary is carried out, in the highest degree, are the original compositions and exercises. Differing from exposures in that they render their own ideas in a personal form, the compositions imply an act of individual creation.

The level of originality of a composition made by students, either orally or in writing, is largely determined by the type of composition. It is known that it engages students' creative imagination in different ways. Since we refer to "composing", it is understood that the elements of creation, original, of composition, must represent the main criterion assessment of all the work that students do, either in class or outside classes, both orally and in writing.

The compositions make on the one hand a synthesis of everything students learn at communication (grammar), literature, as well as other subjects chosen in terms of correctness of expression. On the other hand ”.” (https://dokumen.tips/documents/development-vocabulary-of-primary-education.html accessed on June 10, 2022)

Another approach that has been successfully used lately is reading or additional reading lessons, which aims to train the ability to understand a text, to assimilate that text. The act of reading means ”immersing oneself in the world of text and discovering this world for the purpose of understanding and interpretation” (Pamfil, 2016, p. 250). Although it involves all school subjects, the realization of the reading act begins during Romanian language classes, through the ability to build meaning at the level of the sentence, phrase, text, but also the ability to identify the main and secondary ideas or to narrate a non-literary text.

Beyond the reading activities during the Romanian language classes, the teacher can mediate the encounter with the world of books through “book holidays”, organized according to the model described in the second volume of (Onojescu, 2007).

Other attractive, recreational and dynamic forms used successfully to achieve the proposed objectives in the field of speech development are sitting and competitions. In essence, the seat is also a game, which concentrates all the features and formative functions of the game, extended to larger dimensions. It is the most appropriate framework for the free manifestation of students and, consequently, the most effective means of practicing and cultivating relationships of friendship, collaboration, trust. The seat requires, above all, the function of language communication, both in monologue form and in dialogue form, has a fun note, is an effective way to enrich knowledge and cultivate the ability to speak, stimulates and educates attention, wearing the imprint and the note of originality of the teacher.

School competitions are an integral part of the system of actions and activities included in the speech development program, leading to the stimulation of the competitive spirit, the capitalization of knowledge, the assertion of personality and the knowledge of one's own students. They contribute to the enrichment of the representation fund, systematize and generalize the knowledge, increase the communication capacity, constituting a powerful means of shaping the personality, in general.

Conclusions

In conclusion, it should be noted that, in order to achieve the specific objectives of speech and communication development, the methods described above represent some landmarks in the development of teaching strategies that, ultimately, are related to the mastery of each teacher. Methods and procedures must be combined and correlated so that the lessons are carried out with maximum efficiency, effectively contributing to the development of students' ability to cultivate their language and to acquire their mother tongue. Each teacher must take into account the permanent style of his own speech, first of all the care to correlate the specific procedures of language formation in all other lessons, imprinting on the students the attitude of self-control in speech, until it acquires a correct, coherent expression. I would conclude with the following statement: “any subject can be successfully taught to any child in an intellectually appropriate form, but the final decision and responsability rests with the teacher” (Bloju, 2022, p. 21).

References

• Bloju, C. L. (2013). Metodica predării limbii și literaturii române pentru învățământul primar [Methodology of teaching the Romanian language and literature in primary education]. Universitaria Publishing House.

• Bloju, C. L. (2022). Predarea disciplinelor Comunicare în limba română și Limba și literature română în învățământul primar (aspecte metodico-științifice) [Teaching Communication in Romanian and Romanian language and literature in primary education (methodical-scientific aspects)]. Casa Cărții de Știință Publishing House.

• Cojocaru, M. M. (2018). Rolul activităților de dezvoltarea vorbirii în vederea însușirii deprinderilor de citire și scriere în clasa I [The role of speech development activities in order to acquire reading and writing skills in first grade]. Rovimed Publishers Publishing House.

• Crețu, E., Iliescu, C., Nichita, S., & Popescu, S. (1981). Indrumător metodic. Dezvoltarea vorbirii la clasele I, a II-a și a III-a și activități recreative la clasa I [Methodical guide for speech development in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades and recreational activities in the 1st grade]. Didactic and Pedagogical Publishing House.

• Geantă, A. E., & Ionescu, A. (2019). The efficient didactic communication - an important step towards success. The European Proceedings of Educational Sciences, 67(19), 1621-1628. DOI:

  Google Scholar

  Crossref

  European Proceedings

• Gora, L. C. (2019). Modalități și tehnici de evaluare în învățământul primar [Evaluation methods and techniques in primary education]. Rovimed Publishers Publishing House.

• Ionescu, A. (2021). Methods and procedures used in oral communication. Language and Literature European Landmarks of Identity, 28/2021, 222-229. https://www.upit.ro/_document/207589/no_28-2021.pdf

• Ionescu, M., & Bocoș, M. (2017). Tratat de didactică modernă [Treaty of Modern Didactics]. Paralela 45 Publishing House.

• Lăscuș, E. (2022). Metode didactice moderne pentru învățământul preșcolar [Modern didactic methods for preschool education]. Emia Publishing House.

• Neacșu, I. (2017). Metode și tehnici de învățare eficientă. Fundamente și practici de succes [Effective learning methods and techniques. Foundations and successful practices]. Polirom Publishing House.

• Norel, M., & Bota, O. A. (2012). Didactica domeniului experiențial Limbă și comunicare [Language and Communication Didactics]. ASCR Publishing House.

• Onojescu, M. (2007). Lecturiada, vol. 2, Cercuri de lectură [Lecturiada, 2nd volume, reading circles]. Casa Cărții de Știință Publishing House.

• Pamfil, A. (2016). Limba și literatura română în școala primară, Perspective complementare [Romanian language and literature in primary school. Complementary perspectives]. ART Publishing House.

• Stan, R. V. (2019). Le developpement du langage chez les enfants prescolaires par le jeu didactique [Language development in preschool children through didactic play]. Language and Literature European Landmarks of Identity, 25/2019, 261-265. https://www.upit.ro/_document/40608/volum_nr._25_-_2019_1_1.pdf

• Vraciu, A. (1980). Lingvistică generală și comparată [General and Comparative Linguistics]. Didactic and Pedagogical Publishing House.