Teaching English in English Marla Yoshida
English is a skill, not just information and knowledge. Students need to hear and practice using a language in order to be able to speak it well. The more English students hear and use, the better they’ll learn. If we create an English-rich environment in the classroom, it will help our students learn. Why should we try to teach in English?
Speak in a way that students can understand. Don’t talk like a book. You can use lots of English in class, even if the students are beginners. The present perfect tense is formed by combining the present form of the verb “to have” plus the past participle of the main verb.
Don’t just translate what you would have said in the students’ language. Use simpler language. Support your language with visual clues: Pictures, actions, gestures, and facial expressions.
What is a verb? Well, the English word “verb” comes from the Latin word “verbum,” which means “word,” so a verb is a word. This is a actually kind of indicative of the way English speakers think about verbs because verbs express an action or a state of being, and every complete sentence needs to have one. You can have a sentence in English that is exactly one word long, like “Stop!” and that one word will be a verb. If you don’t have a verb in your sentence, you don’t have a sentence. So in a lot of ways, they are the most essential part of the English language, which is really not a surprise that we get them from the word for “word” and that’s what you really need.
Use English for everyday classroom communication. Some students may resist at first, but don’t give up. Teach and use classroom English.
Introduce classroom English from the first day. Prepare a list of expressions to use in class. Introduce only a few expressions at a time. Review and practice every day. Remind students to use English. Praise them. Teach and use classroom English.
You may have resources in your textbook. This is a page from a junior high school English textbook, New Horizon Book 1
Find ways to display English in your room.
Babies can’t eat hard, crunchy foods like popcorn. They’re not ready. It’s not their fault. In the same way, you can’t speak in “normal,” full-speed English to beginning students. They’re not ready. If students can’t understand English in the classroom, it’s not because it’s English. It’s because it’s English that they’re not ready for. You can’t feed popcorn to babies.
Choose vocabulary and sentence structures that your students have already learned. Speak clearly and just a bit more slowly. Repeat if necessary. Use visual support for your words: Pictures, actions, gestures, and facial expressions. Give your students language they can “digest.”
Giving instructions effectively Get the attention of the class. Make sure you have everyone’s attention before you start talking, or no one will hear you. Keep your instructions simple, short, and specific. Explain each step. Pause after each step. Have the students repeat the instructions back to you.
Giving instructions effectively Demonstrate the activity with a more able student. Show what they should do. Write a shortened version of the instructions on the board. Tell students what they are responsible for doing, completing, or producing. Tell them how you will check to make sure they’ve done what you asked. Have a time limit for the activity.
Draw or show a picture. Act out or mime the word. Use gestures and facial expressions. Use realia to show the meaning of the word. Explain the meaning in simple English. Tell a simple story using the word in context. Teaching vocabulary without translating
1.protect 2.dolphin 3.cook (the verb) 4.future 5.countryside 6.dream 7.sick 8.festival 9.want Explain some of these words to your partner. Don’t translate.
Sometimes you may still prefer to use the students’ native language in the classroom. When might you use it?
How will you respond to students? Teacher, why are you speaking English? I can’t understand! Speak our language! All my friends’ English teachers speak in our language. Why won’t you?