Novice Teachers' Classroom English: Part 2

For an introduction on this very much needed aspect of ELT, namely classroom English, please, you are invited to check my previous blog post here.

Below are a few key expressions that novice teachers can use. They are classified according to headings regarding various language functions related to ELT classroom interaction. In this post, I suggest sample expressions that have to do with aspects of Organisation namely Giving Instruction, Sequencing, and Supervision. In coming blog posts, I present example phrases concerned with Interrogation, namely Asking Questions and Replying to Questions, Explanation, namely Metalanguage and Reference, and finally Interaction, namely Affective Attitudes and Social Ritual.

A- Organization:

• Giving instructions: The teacher gives appropriate instructions related to recurrent classroom activities, e.g. using textbooks, blackboard work, group work.
• Sample Expressions:

                                  - Open your books at page 52.
                                  - Come out and write it on the board.
                                  - Listen to the tape, please.
                                  - Get into groups of four.
                                  - Finish this off at home.
                                  - Let's sing a song.

• Giving instructions: The teacher can control the students' behaviour by means of commands, requests, and suggestions. Usage should correspond to native-speaker usage. 
•  Sample Expressions:

                                 - Could you try the next one.
                                 - I would like you to write this down.
                                 - Would you mind switching the lights on.
                                 - It might be an idea to leave this till next time.

• Giving instructions: The teacher can vary the form of instructions in order to show the range of possibilities in the foreign language. 

•  Sample Expressions:

                               - Everybody, please.
                               - All together, now
                               - The whole class, please.
                               - I want you to all join in.

• Giving instructions: The teacher can offer the students alternatives, i.e. different working methods, themes, groups.  

•  Sample Expressions: 

                               - Who would like to read?
                               - Which topic will your group report on?
                               - Do you want to answer question 3?

• Sequencing: The teacher can sequence the lesson effectively and communicate this sequencing to the students. 

•  Sample Expressions:

                               - First of all today...
                               - Right. Now we shall go on to exercise 3
                               - All finished? 
                               - O.K. For the last thing today, let's... 

• Sequencing: The teacher can check, what stage the students have reached, whose turn it is, and so on. 

•  Sample Expressions:

                              - Whose turn is it to read?- 
                              - Which question are you on?
                              - Next one, please.
                              - Who hasn't answered a question yet?

• Sequencing: The teacher can introduce the class to a new activity and new stage of the lesson.

• Sample Expressions: 

                              - Let me explain what I want you to do next. 
                              - The idea of this exercise is for you to make...

• Sequencing: The teacher can set time-limits related to various activities 

• Sample Expressions:

                             - You have ten minutes to do this.
                             - Your time is up.
                             - Finish this by twenty ten.

• Sequencing: The teacher can check that all students are equally capable of starting the next stage of the lesson. 

•  Sample Expressions:

                             - Can you all see the board
                             - Have you found the place?
                             - Are you all ready? 

• Supervision: The teacher can direct students' attention to the lesson content. 

•  Sample Expressions:

                            - Look this way.
                            - Stop talking.
                            - Listen to what Ahmed is saying.
                            - Leave it alone now!

• Supervision: The teacher can give warnings and threats. 

•  Sample Expressions:

                           - Be careful of the lead.
                           - One more word and... 

Reference: Handbook of Classroom English
Author: Glyn S. Hughes
Publisher: Oxford University Press (April 1, 1981)
ISBN-10: 0194316335
ISBN-13: 978-0194316330