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[Mia Xanthi]

I am looking for information from those who have taught in IEPs in English-speaking countries. Does your IEP (or did it) have a policy insisting that students speak only English in the classrooms, hallways, break rooms, etc? Were teachers encouraged to admonish those speaking their native languages? Were students punished or fined for not speaking English? How did the students react to the policy? Has the policy continued over time? I am very interested in this subject as it relates to language rights, and I welcome all stories whether they have positive or negative outcomes. Thanks for your help.
Mia (yes, I have returned!)

[tttompatz]

[rtm]

[Denim-Maniac]

I teach adults only in a private training centre in China and we have such a policy. It covers the classroom, hallways, dining hall, pretty much all of the premises actually.

The punishment is a yellow card given to offending student(s). These cards are offset by reward cards, or the cost of each card is deducted from the room deposit when they leave (assuming its not offset by the reward card values. Each reward card is equal to one yellow card).

Although we do have language 'policemen' (school admin staff) roam the corridors in break-time and at lunch, it isnt enforced as much as it should be. Chinese teachers are one of the main cuplrits of course. They speak far too much Chinese in and out of the class.

Interestingly, one of the main complaints from the students is that the program isnt enforced. They would prefer both teachers and staff would much tougher in enforcing the rules as it would make for a better 'English-Only' environment in their eyes. It used to be far stricter with ordered seating at lunchtimes etc, but we have since moved premises and also have foreign students studying Chinese which upsets the atmosphere...they naturally want to use Chinese to communicate with the English students. There is some segregation at lunchtimes for them, but the system used to work much better than it did now.

[scot47]

State schools in Gaelic and Welsh speakimng areas of Her Britannic Majesty's increasingly Disunited Kingdom. It has cghanged now - but only when it is too late to sdavve gaelic as a living spokenand writtn language.

[gator07]

In the university IEP programs that I've worked they did have an English-only policy in the classrooms. However, how that was implemented was up to individual teachers. In hallways, breaks, etc. it was always encouraged for students to speak English and faculty would go around and remind them, but it wasn't enforced at that time.

[santi84]

[johnslat]

Dear Mia,

Welcome back - I teach adults here in Santa Fe and our program has no "official" policy in that regard. In fact, at the lower levels (e.g. literacy, ESL 1), the coordinator tries to assign teachers who can speak Spanish.


I always request my students to speak only English in the classroom, and it helps if I have other than Spanish students in a class (but often that's not the case.)

I also like to tell them why it's important (in addition to the obvious fact that they're in class to learn English, not to practice Spanish). I use the example of a student who didn't hear or understand something asking (in Spanish) a classmate what I'd said, and the classmate answering incorrectly. I tell them, "If you speak English, I can understand if you tell your friend something that's incorrect, but I can't if you're speaking Spanish."

I'd never "shame" a student - but if one were being persistent and/or doing it a lot, I'd likely have a private talk with him/her.

Regards,
John

[Mia Xanthi]

Nice to hear from you again, John. Thanks for the useful and detailed post!

[Chancellor]