Language II (English)
Language II English tests comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and the pedagogy of teaching English as a second language at primary level.
Core rules
- Communicative competence comes before formal grammar: expose children to meaningful listening and speaking first.
- Phonics and sight-word recognition are complementary; neither alone fits every word.
- Teach grammar in context: tense, articles, prepositions, subject–verb agreement and question forms are noticed in sentences, then practised.
- TPR (Total Physical Response), rhymes, picture stories and pair work lower the affective filter.
- Assessment should test use, not just labelling: fill-in-the-blank alone does not show whether a child can ask or answer.
Worked example
“She has been living here since 2018.” The verb is present perfect continuous because the action began in the past and continues now. Since marks a point of time; for marks duration (“for six years”). The reasoning: the sentence answers “how long?” with a starting point, so since + 2018 is correct; has been living shows ongoing duration, not a finished action.
Traps
- Confusing since and for.
- Teaching rules first to beginners who have had no listening input.
- Over-correcting pronunciation so children stop speaking.
- Assuming English is the child’s first language.
- Testing isolated grammar labels instead of communicative use.
- Using translation as the only method.