5 SIMPLE RULES FOR THE LANGUAGE LEARNING CLASSROOM By Nicole Long

1.A safe environment It can be scary to use a new language in front of others so teachers should create a safe place. Teachers should;  Provide encouragement  Give positive feedback  Share your own language mistakes.

2. Students need to be active In a language class students should be actively practicing the language 70% of the time. Teachers should only be the focus of attention when;  Presenting an activity or language point  Answering student questions  Correcting student errors Learning is best facilitated when students can actively participate in what they are learning.

3. Be structured A language learning class should follow a set structure which allows students to learn target language, practice the target language and then produce it. Warm up: 5-10 minutes to introduce or review target language Warm up: 5-10 minutes to introduce or review target language Limited practice: Target language is practiced in a limited activity Limited practice: Target language is practiced in a limited activity Practice: Students practice the target language with more control and freedom Practice: Students practice the target language with more control and freedom Free Practice: The target language is produce by students in a task-based or contextual activity. Free Practice: The target language is produce by students in a task-based or contextual activity. Warm up Example: Today we’re going to practice ‘past tense’. Let’s start by reviewing some root verbs. Each team has picture cards. Take turns quizzing each other with the cards. How many can you get? Warm up Example: Today we’re going to practice ‘past tense’. Let’s start by reviewing some root verbs. Each team has picture cards. Take turns quizzing each other with the cards. How many can you get? Limited practice example: Now we’re going to look at a dialogue. Step one – listen to the tape. Step two – fill in the missing words. Step three - Check your answers with your partner. Step two – practice the dialogue with your partner. Limited practice example: Now we’re going to look at a dialogue. Step one – listen to the tape. Step two – fill in the missing words. Step three - Check your answers with your partner. Step two – practice the dialogue with your partner. Practice Example: Here is an empty calendar for last week. Under the calendar are questions using the past tense verbs, eat, watch, do and go. Ask as many classmates as possible and write their names on the calendar. Practice Example: Here is an empty calendar for last week. Under the calendar are questions using the past tense verbs, eat, watch, do and go. Ask as many classmates as possible and write their names on the calendar. Free Practice Example: Now we’re going to interview our partners. Step one – write five questions about the past. Step two – interview your partner Step three – change partners and tell what you learned about your first partner Free Practice Example: Now we’re going to interview our partners. Step one – write five questions about the past. Step two – interview your partner Step three – change partners and tell what you learned about your first partner

FOUR: Keep it interesting Most students find a long class boring so here are a few tips to keep things interesting.

FIVE: Be Understood To participate in class, students must understand your instructions so….

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