FEATURES OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN OLDER PRESCHOOLERS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION

Abstract

Mental retardation is one of the most common mental development disorders in children. According to various data, about 3% of preschool children have developmental disorders of the delay type. In addition, it is difficult to establish the number of children with cognitive developmental features who do not have an established diagnosis. Such children enter the system of general education, including preschool, where they face the need to learn English. Some experts insist that due to the specifics of mental development, the study of foreign languages should be postponed until the time of normalization of higher mental functions. However, as demonstrated in the article, the study of a foreign language already at the senior preschool age can be quite successful. And not just to form a child’s skills in a new language, but also to say favorably on the development of cognitive skills in general. The paper shows that despite the low level of readiness to learn English, subject to certain rules and recommendations, taking into account the specifics of the structure of the mental retardation defect, creating special educational conditions, children with mental retardation can successfully learn English. It also presents the program for teaching English speaking skills (elementary skills of monologue and dialogic speech) for children of senior preschool age with developmental delay. The program was implemented by the group of children attending kindergarten; the results of the implementation are also presented in the article. The results were obtained that children of senior preschool age with mental retardation are able to successfully master elementary speaking skills (elementary skills of monologue and dialogical speech) in English with a special organization of the educational process within the framework of the preschool educational institution.