You use your maternal language?

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ESL forum > Ask for help > You use your maternal language?

You use your maternal language?

Although difficult, it is definitely possible to conduct an English lesson in English only, even with beginners.

I teach in China, but don �t speak Chinese, yet I manage to get the necessary language across. Remember, students are not supposed to understand every word you say. If they get the main idea and most important vocab and grammar points, you �ve succeeded.

I feel that speaking students � mother tongue is often more of a hindrance to learning than a help.

18 Oct 2009

JudyHalevi

I speak in English in my classes, and only use Hebrew to explain the grammar, because that is the language they learn it in.

from Israel

Judy

18 Oct 2009

ants

I �ll explain grammar in French as that �s what the children learn here but I pre-teach vocabulary in English. We then play games and I insist on only English.

I give out stickers at the end of games or when they �ve learnt something off by heart and that makes my kids want to learn more and to speak English!!

Fiona.

18 Oct 2009

RabbitWho

Personally I �ve found the younger the students are as beginners the more easily they adapt to language immersion. They have a much better instinctive understanding of gestures and signals than adults do, and they are more willing and able to learn this way. Where as adults are cynical and get frustrated when they don �t understand every word you say.

I teach mostly adults English and I only have a B1 level of Czech, and I never ever ever use it in the class room. I think that A2 (pre-intermediate) is the last time you should hear any of your mother tongue in class.

Yes grammar should be explained in English. The students can follow this up in their own studies with bi-lingual text books if they like, but in class there should be only English.

You think you are helping your students by explaining things to them in their own language but you �re just wasting their time, they �ll remember it much better if it �s explained in English and they �ll become much better at understanding English in general.

28 Nov 2009

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