How can teachers bring modern languages to life in the classroom? Davinia Hardwick, formerly a British Council English language assistant and now Head of French at a UK school, gives us her tips.
1.Use the target language in lessons
The more you expose your students to the target language, the better. Occasionally, speaking English may be necessary, but a lot of the time, it is not. Immersing your students in the target language helps them use it more independently and this can lead to increased confidence and better vocabulary.
Language assistants are able to provide support to teachers, particularly those who haven’t spoken the language at a native-speaker level. They provide an authentic teaching resource and listening experience for students. Interactions between the language assistant and the class teacher inject linguistic spontaneity into the classroom.
2.Encourage students to adopt a hands-on approach to language learning
Students need to be involved in tasks they find interesting in an environment where active and successful learning is encouraged. Students make the most progress when they are enjoying themselves. Competitions and quizzes keep motivation levels high, and rewards for communicating in the target language in the various skill areas offer chances for constant self-improvement. The smallest of tasks, such as matching pictures to words or phrases, or even word searches, can be turned into competitions – against the clock, first to finish, fastest class, etc.
3.Never forget, grammar is the foundation for building language skills
Communication is a crucial part of language and so is grammar; they need each other. Effective lessons strike this balance between the two so that students can learn, enjoy and make progress in their target language.
Grammar is the foundation for building language skills. Learning grammar enables students to speak and write more accurately, confidently and fluently. I have found that asking students to explain grammar rules to each other and to the rest of the class gives them more confidence. It also indicates to the teacher whether the grammar needs clarifying or explaining. By teaching each other, they also consolidate their own knowledge or discover holes that need filling.
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