Print

Mail

wiki links

Keeping it English in the classroom

MOST ENGLISH TEACHERS agree that English is best learned through interaction and communication. For this reason, the more students use English, the better, especially in a conversation class.

Compared with large-group discussions or traditional teacher-centered activities, group work with four students or less allows more students to practice listening and speaking. However, breaking students into small groups who all share the same first language such as Mandarin has its problems -- the main one being that some students speak Mandarin instead of practicing English with their partners unless (or even if) the teacher is watching.

If this happens too often, it's difficult for English teachers (especially those whose first language isn't English) to use interactive activities.

There are several reasons for this phenomenon. Some students are reluctant to speak English because they feel that it is pointless to practice speaking English with their peers since the peers aren't proficient in the language and cannot correct their mistakes. They are afraid to make uncorrected errors and build bad speaking habits.

Another reason is that sometimes students enjoy the discussion topic and really want to say something, but they give up trying to use English and switch to Mandarin to express their opinions.

What can teachers do if students keep using Mandarin in an English conversation class?

First of all, English teachers and students should discuss the fact that using too much Mandarin in conversation necessarily means that students will use less English. After all, most students learn how to speak English by actually speaking it. If students don't speak English in the classroom, they won't speak English outside the classroom and they'll never improve.

English teachers should convince students to speak English in class by combining persistent persuasion with pressure.

For persuasion, teachers might point out that the main difficulty in speaking arises from students struggling to form their thoughts quickly into English sentences. This kind of practice does not require the listener to be a native speaker. In fact, it doesn't require any listeners at all. Some teachers suggest that their students talk to themselves in public if they don't mind receiving a few funny looks.

As for pressure, a prescription of moderate nagging in group discussion -- such as "Billy, that doesn't sound like English" -- and frequent pep talks might work. Or a teacher might choose to ignore any questions asked in Mandarin, or ask that they be repeated in English before answering.

During student discussions, teachers should walk from group to group, encouraging the students to use English and offering help if necessary.

Continually asking students to use English in speaking exercises will gradually decrease any uncomfortable feelings that students may have about using English.

Last but not least, English teachers can make it clear by their own behavior that they want to hear English. They can respond to the students in English even if students speak in Mandarin. After a period of time, students will be more comfortable speaking in English.

Some Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers (NNEST) might consider it a challenge to speak English for an entire class period. Nevertheless, NNESTs should try to speak English as much as possible so that their students can get accustomed to different English accents.

One of the main duties of teachers is to create a warm and embracing environment that encourages students to speak English, no matter what their levels may be.

It is not easy to push students to use English during group discussions. Therefore, it is important for teachers to be realistic about how much English their students will actually speak.

Teachers should also try to devise authentic contexts to promote meaningful interaction. Students are most likely to speak more English when they feel that they are participating in real communication rather than just role-playing in a simulated situation.

Kao Shih-fan is an assistant professor at Jinwen University of Science and Technology.
This story has been viewed 1051 times.