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dyak · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 630

From the FAQ section of 'International Language Schools of Canada'... interesting policy!

Does anyone teach in a school with a similar policy?
Is this the way to go?

The schools in London would be empty within a week.

Do you have to speak English when you are in the school? Even when you are not in class?

YES! We have a strict English only policy at ILSC. You are here to learn English. In Montreal, it is a strict English or French only policy where students are expected to adhere to the spirit of the rules. If you are an English speaking student studying French, you are expected to use French only. Same for French students studying English. The English only rule is in effect throughout the school and is enforced by staff and student volunteer "language patrols". If you are caught speaking your native language you are given a warning the first time. If it happens again, you are given a one week suspension (you do not get your money back for this time). If you are caught a third time you are expelled from the school.

joshua2004

valley_girl · Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:33 pm Post subject:

That's a common policy for full immersion programs, particularly in Canada. I attended French immersion years ago and they did have a "three strike" policy - two warnings and then an expulsion. They also had a Wall of Shame in the cafeteria, where the names of those who'd been caught (once, twice, or three times) speaking English would have their names posted for all to see. It was a bit amusing, actually. (For the record, I never had to see my name on the Wall of Shame. Cool

)

In our program, we do have a language policy that includes not speaking any language other than English in class. We also don't allow students to have bilingual dictionaries or electronic translators in class. If they are caught using any of these crutches, they lose half a point from their participation mark (10% of their final). It could mean the difference between passing and failing in the end, so we've found this to be effective. My colleagues and I agreed to implement this policy because we believe strongly that translating into L1 is actually going to slow the students down. We want them to become immersed in the language and to sharpen their reading and listening skills so that they will be able to figure out what is being said without the aforementioned crutches. Things like guessing the meaning from context, using prefixes, suffixes, and root forms of words, or even recalling a previous encounter with a word or phrase are much better, and faster, ways for students to learn their L2 and the best ways to become fluent overall. Furthermore, translations are not infallible. Far too often, students will come up with the wrong definition or the wrong word or phrase because they translated word for word.

I think "English only" is a great policy to have. Students may balk in the beginning, but sooner or later they will (hopefully) see the value in it.

JMHO Smile

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

Which is better, for a student to look up a word in a bilingual dictionary (electronic or otherwise), or for a student to sit in stony incomprehending silence?

Bilingual dictionaries are a language learning tool. Banning them seems counter-productive to me.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

English-Only policies are common in Vancouver schools. I worked at a school similar to the story posted, only stricter. They could not even speak their native language on the street within a block of the school and we as teachers were to enforce that if we heard it in a nearby Starbucks. Yeah right!
However, the rules were generally appreciated by students and students' expulsions were very rare (once in the 2 years I was at the school). Basically the student opposed any effort to speak English. What were they doing at the school any way?

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

My wife attended a French immersion program in Quebec where they had one warning and then they would be placed on the next plane back and no credit for the course. They could only speak French 24 hours/day and "spies" would listen outside their doors to make sure they didn't speak English. She could only speak English while making a long distance phone call.
Draconian, yes but also effective.

Chris_Crossley

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

[quote="lajzar"]Which is better, for a student to look up a word in a bilingual dictionary (electronic or otherwise), or for a student to sit in stony incomprehending silence?

Bilingual dictionaries are a language learning tool. Banning them seems counter-productive to me.[/quote

Finally a cmmonsensical question!

My answer would be:
Yes, students SHOULD use dictionaries, though I would prefer monolingual ones such as Cobuild, an Oxford Pocket dictionary for English learners or a Webster. Not a L1/l2 dictionary, if it can be helped!

But I note that many of my colleagues even frown on the dictionaries some of my more enterprising students do use. Why? OK, in conversation classes, this is not ideal, but in writing lessons I thoroughly advocate it.

On the other hand, strict English only policies - that sounds very much like regimentation and boot camp! It is similar to imposing a smoking ban - people will do it secretly, or be cast out!
It's an authoritarian approach!