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Introduction
Classroom language is that collection of phrases used for communication among teacher
and students, from "Open your books to page fifteen" to "May I go to
the bathroom?" While emphasis is usually placed primarily on the target language,
classroom language, too, can be an invaluable way of promoting English as real
communication, student involvement in the lesson, and active language learning skills.
Part 1 will summarize three steps in encouraging classroom language use, and
Part 2 will show how an activity can be modified to
encourage the four different kinds of classroom language (requests, choices, leadership,
and manners and values).
1. Practical Purpose for Students: Enabling Students to Get Things Done
Students can be encouraged to use classroom language independently under two conditions:
it helps them to express themselves or have their needs and wishes met, and the lesson
structure enables them to make decisions and requests. Below are some examples of lesson
structures and the classroom language they enable.
A. Requests
This is perhaps the most familiar condition, in which students use expressions such as
"How do you spell ____?" or "Can you repeat that?" to express their
needs to the teacher. Through activities such as TPR, this can be expanded beyond the
lesson to other areas, such as room conditions ("I'm hot. Can I open the window?")
and restroom needs.
B. Choices
Given a coloring worksheet with, for example, numbered items of clothing, rather than
dictating what students should do, teachers can create opportunities for students to make
choices and even tell other students what to do. In this case, a student might say,
"Let's color the . . . pants . . . um, pink!", or, at a more basic level, simply
say the elements, "Number 6, pants, pink!"
C. Leadership
Once students get accustomed to an activity, a student rather than the teacher can be in
charge, whether as caller for bingo or slap, or as roll taker.
D. Manners and Values
Although this involves set expressions ("Thank you," "You're welcome,"
"I'm sorry," "That's okay"), it is also important to respect feelings
and express appreciation.
For an example of how an activity can be modified to incorporate these four types of
classroom language, see Encouraging Classroom Language Use - Part
2.
2. Selection of Expressions: Few, Frequent, and Systematic
I've worked mostly with students in their first or second year of English study from ages
4 to 9, who came for weekly, hour-long lessons. The most frequently used phrase is
"please," and one reason is that students need to ask for everything: worksheets,
game pieces, crafts supplies, the next item for bingo or slap, permission to wash their
hands. Next is "What is it?" I used to teach "I don't know," but some
students, particularly those with low self-confidence, tended to use it all the time to
avoid answering. "What is it?", on the other hand, allowed students to ask for
help, and in reply I would give the answer, provide hints, or invite the other students
to help. The student in question would then be able to give the answer with confidence.
Two other well use phrases are "What's next?" and "Again, please."
Both are used during activities such as dictation or bingo, when students must request the
next item and ask me to repeat when they can't understand.
Part 1: Page 1 | Page 2
Part 2: Page 1 | Page 2
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