Page 148 - Teaching English at Primary Level: From Theory into the Classroom

Inside the Language Classroom

Table 9.3 Pupil-Induced Classroom Communication
Pupil – Teacher Pupil – Pupil
Idon’t understand. May I borrow your pen?
Pardon me? Can you lend me your pen?
Can you repeat that? Yes, of course. Here you are.
Sorry, I am not sure. It’s my turn now.
Please speak more slowly. Can you repeat that, please.
Sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Who will start?
How do you say ‘opica’ in English? Who will present this?
What does ‘ferret’ mean? Can you help me?
May I go to the toilet? Just joking.

Giving Instructions
Teachers are often reluctant to use the target language in giving instructions.
As Scrivener (2011) argues, they find that there are so many difficulties with
comprehension, especially with complex instructions, that they prefer to use
their mother tongue instead. Gibbons (2002, p. 54) also points out that giv-
ing instructions in the target language is not an easy task, it ‘may seem very
obvious, yet it is often at the setting-up stage that even a well-designed task
can go wrong.’ Indeed, giving clear and understandable instructions is cru-
cial for the success of an activity and failure to do so may lead to confusion
and considerable time waste.
On the other hand, most teachers and researchers see clear benefits in de-
veloping the target language through classroom communication. A teacher
giving the learners instructions on how to carry out a task may be said to be a
typical example of classroom interaction. In addition, this kind of interactions
serves a clear purpose and reflects the use of language in a real-life situation.
In an environment in which teachers tend to give instructions in the target
language,learnersareconstantlyexposedto anumberofcharacteristiccom-
munication patterns in the foreign language which can clearly be exploited
for language teaching purposes.

Reflection Point
1. Discuss how you could improve this instruction. Which language is un-
necessary? Which strategies could you use to make the instruction more
efficient? ‘Ok now, listen to me carefully, I’d like you to do this activity in
pairs ... turn towards your neighbour and work together, in pairs. Do you
understand? This is a game, you’ll play a game together, ok? Now, take you
notebook and a pencil. You will draw an animal in the notebook and your
partner will guess what it is, ok? You can draw any animal you want, ok?’

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