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      How do you stop your students using L1?
      Submitted by KarineV on 17 January, 2012 - 21:21

      I try different things for different students and would like to hear some creative ways of making people speak only English! 

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      Heath's picture
      Heath
      Task integration
      Submitted on 21 January, 2012 - 09:48

      I personally feel pretty strongly about not forcing students (especially kids and teens) to use English for two reasons:

      1. 'The silent period'.
      2. Unless their English is already quite strong, forbidding their own language can equate to forbidding the basic human right to communicate.

      So I think any approach to getting them to speak in English should be about making them want to.  One way is to design productive tasks that require English - such as information gap tasks.

      For example, staff-to-customer role-plays that involve both students having handouts or cards with different information that they need to exchange.  Eg. In a role-play about parent-teacher interviews, student A can be the 'teacher' and student B can be the 'parent'.  Student A gets a handout with a school-child's report and comments about what that child does well and what the child needs to improve.  Student B gets a handout with the child's report from a year earlier and questions about why the child has lower marks this year, etc.  With this, the easiest way to complete the task is with English.

      But don't forget the importance of achievement too!  Once they start feeling successful at English, they'll be more likely to use it even when it isn't essential to the task.

       

      KarineV's picture
      KarineV
      Hi Heath!
      Submitted on 21 January, 2012 - 18:48

      I totally agree with you about not forcing students speak English but making them want to speak! I do have experience in teaching kids and when I let them speak they just keep doing it all the time.

      So, I thought I needed to think of some ways to limit the usage of L1. I personally think that this helps students to focus on English and try (they sometimes are lazy and just don't even try).

      I definetly agree with you about prioductive and task based assignments. I think role cards is a great idea!!! I need to be using them more often!

      I would really like to know how to have my students feel successful in using English? I currently teach Business English to adults and it's really important for me to motivate them at this point. Any suggestions???

      Thanks:-)

      Stephen Greene's picture
      Stephen Greene
      A couple of ways to reduce L1
      Submitted on 31 January, 2012 - 17:57

      I agree with the posters here about not forcing students not to use L1 but instead trying to encourage it.  There is no magic strategy that you can use to achieve your goal, just lots of different ones that when they all add up might make the difference.

      Three that I have found useful are the following;

      1.  Talk to your students about why it is important that they try to speak in English as much as possible.  If they are adults they wil usually respond to this and teenagers usually respond to being treated like adults.

      2.  'Ignore' people who use L1, especially if it is something you know they know in English.  I have put 'ignore' in inverted commas because obvioulsy you are not going to totally ignore them.  Instead you can ask them to say it again in English or address another comment that was made in English first.

      3.  Sensitive correction and lots of encouragement when students attempt to use English.  I have posted a blog piece on my site about correcting with sensitivity called 'On Being Wrong'; http://bit.ly/zSjDgT

      I hope these are useful.  

      Stephen Greene

      www.tmenglish.org

      KarineV's picture
      KarineV
      Lack of confidence?
      Submitted on 1 February, 2012 - 20:09

      Hi Stephen Greene!

      Thanks for the ideas! I think with my students it's just a matter of habit. I want them to develop this habit of speaking English during the classes. They are adult learners, I have talked to them several times, but they can't help it...It's not that they don't want it, it's just they feel they can't. There is a lack of confidence I think, and I want them to develop some confidence.

      Can you help me with this?