Action In this section of Action Plan for Teachers we’ll be looking more closely at putting planning theory into classroom practice. We examine classroom methodology, the use of technology in English lessons and provide further ideas for practical activities.
M e t h o d o l ogy There is no single correct way to teach English. There are different theories as to how students learn, so there are different ideas as to what can and should be done in the classroom. In this section you will find some basic ideas which are common in modern communicati ve methodology. We consider the following areas:
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Use of the mother tongue Eliciting Board work Drilling Pronunciation Organising student practice Exploiting listening and reading texts
Use of the mother tongue Everyone has a different opinion about when, how and how often a teacher should use the mother tongue of her/his students. It clearly makes sense to use English as much as possible in the classroom if we want our students to progress rapidly. It is surprising how little the mother tongue needs to be used if we keep our classroom language to a minimum and use plenty of non-spoken devices such as gesture, mime and pictures. You may find it necessary to give instructions or explain certain items of grammar in the mother tongue. However, think carefully about how and when you use it and take every opportunity to expose your students to English. Make it clear to students when you expect them to use English and encourage and praise them at all times when they make serious effort to practise their English in class.
Eliciting This is a popular technique which encourages the learners to become active participants in language production. It involves the teacher encouraging the students to produce the target language rather than supplying it her/himself. If, for example, you were aiming to teach the word ‘chair’, you could point to a chair in the classroom and ask students to say if they think they know the English word. You may well find that one or two students already know the word or have a rough idea. Approaching the new language like this, rather than immediately telling students, focuses their attention on the item, gets them thinking to see if they know the word in English and motivates them to learn the word when it is finally established. If no students know the word, this is not a problem. You can supply it and students will be equally ready and motivated to learn it. Eliciting can be done through a variety of techniques depending on the type of language you are teaching. For example:
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you can draw on the board or use pictures to elicit such things as rooms, methods of transport, etc. you can use mime to elicit such things as sports, everyday activities, etc. you can work backwards from answers to elicit question forms. e.g. Write ‘She's a doctor’ on the board to elicit ‘What does she do?’
