English
and the Mother Tongue in the English Language Classroom
Children
will use mother tongue when speaking to each other, except
during language practice activities.
Children
will use mother tongue to speak to the teacher until they
are ready to use English.
In
exceptional circumstances (such as when comforting a child
who is crying) the teacher will use mother tongue to speak
to an INDIVIDUAL child.
Do
you agree with these statements?
Of
course, our aim is to have a classroom in which the teacher
and the children speak English all the time. This is our
destination. But the route to achieve that destination is
somewhat different.
You
can conduct entire lessons in English with very young children
but your use of English must be consistent from the
very first lesson.
When
you meet your class for the first time, introduce yourself
in English. Say, "I'm [YOUR NAME]," and point
to yourself. Repeat this two or three times. Write your
name on the board and get the children to repeat your name.
Don't
pretend that you can't speak or understand the mother tongue.
It's just that you are an English teacher, so you speak
in English.
Don't
force the children to speak to each other in English except
during language practice activities. If the children speak
to you in mother tongue, understand what they are saying
and respond in English. When the children have some ability
in English, you might respond by asking them to try to ask
their question in English but never REFUSE to understand
them in their mother tongue.
If
you are a native speaker of English, it will help to learn
at least the basics of the children's mother tongue.
Can
I maintain discipline in English?
|
Communicate
your disapproval or anger with your voice, your eyes and
your posture. You don't need to use mother tongue.
What
should I do if my English is not very good?
|
Learn
some basic phrases for organizing the class. Diana Webster
and Ann Worrall in English Together suggest the following
'Classroom
Language' (110Kb PDF).
You
will discover that the children learn this classroom language
very quickly because they will hear you saying it so frequently!
If
you follow the advice above, you will find that the children's
comprehension of spoken English will develop rapidly. At
the same time, they will become more confident in their
own ability to understand. You will soon reach your target
of a classroom in which both teacher and children use English
nearly all the time!
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