Teaching beginners a foreign language is a little bit difficult. After discussing this theme, two views have been stated: one says that the best way to teach beginners a foreign language is to use only the foreign language when in class. The other says that the best way is to use native language to translate som words so that the learner would understand easily.
So, what do you think?
many thanks!
Teaching beginners a foreign language
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
Teaching beginners
I really believe that it depends on how often you see the students each week. If you only see them two times a week, for an hour a day, I think that it is good to describe major concepts in their native language. You have to make the most of your limited time. If you see the students for a couple of hours more than two times a week I think that you can really do the immersion thing and do everything in the target language.
Andrew Lawton
http://drewseslfluencylessons.com
Andrew Lawton
http://drewseslfluencylessons.com
Immersion works in an ESL environment, but you are not teaching in an ESL environment. EFL is drastically different from ESL.
Immersion is RIDICULOUSLY hard on children. Having worked with ESL children in the U.S., a good part of our job was to provide support for the ESL students, as they are in an extremely stressful, no-escape situation.
The fact that they have no escape from English, makes immersion work. If the children were given a way out, I'm positive 90% of them would take it.
In my experience, in an EFL environment, immersion-type classrooms work with motivated learners.
Unmotivated learners in an EFL environment have numerous methods of escape, and do not need to listen to or speak in English at all if they so choose, and thus an immersion-type classroom will only serve to make those students dislike English, and do the bare minimum to pass by.
Gauge your learners, and use what will make them comfortable in your classroom. You want your classroom to be a place where they feel comfortable using/exploring/listening to the language. If explanations in their native tongue will do that, I suggest you use them. If they are highly motivated and want you to use as much English as possible, then do that. Just do not go in with an 'English only!' attitude just because you believe that's the only way they'll learn - it is not. This will turn many learners off the language, and once people are turned off something, turning them back on is quite a chore.
Immersion is RIDICULOUSLY hard on children. Having worked with ESL children in the U.S., a good part of our job was to provide support for the ESL students, as they are in an extremely stressful, no-escape situation.
The fact that they have no escape from English, makes immersion work. If the children were given a way out, I'm positive 90% of them would take it.
In my experience, in an EFL environment, immersion-type classrooms work with motivated learners.
Unmotivated learners in an EFL environment have numerous methods of escape, and do not need to listen to or speak in English at all if they so choose, and thus an immersion-type classroom will only serve to make those students dislike English, and do the bare minimum to pass by.
Gauge your learners, and use what will make them comfortable in your classroom. You want your classroom to be a place where they feel comfortable using/exploring/listening to the language. If explanations in their native tongue will do that, I suggest you use them. If they are highly motivated and want you to use as much English as possible, then do that. Just do not go in with an 'English only!' attitude just because you believe that's the only way they'll learn - it is not. This will turn many learners off the language, and once people are turned off something, turning them back on is quite a chore.
Cautious use of translation.
I'm not sure I'd recommend translating 'words', but cautious use of translation, particularly of phrases, expressions, sentences and whole paragraphs, conversations & stories... not too often, but at times, can be very useful.
I've worked both ESL and EFL, in the UK, Aus, Japan and Hong Kong and I'm not sure i would 100% agree with jimbobob.
I can quite understand the strain that immersion in a culture can put on families immigrating to the US or Australia. However, I think that the strain comes mainly from other factors rather than the language learning. The resistance and active dislike some students show towards the language they feel 'forced' to learn is understandable.
However, in most cases, I think there is little reason to think that teaching only in the target language will put students off. Of course, motivated students will always benefit the most, but I think everyone benefits from the important message that it is possible to have fun and communicate in the target language.
If I were to advise a non-native English teacher teaching within his own native culture, I would always recommend trying to avoid slipping into the language you share with your students, and trying to model what you want your students to achieve. If you keep your students level in mind, and keep your instrucitons and explanations suitable, I think they should feel some achievement in correctly following those instructions and begin to think themselves succesful language users.
I agree it's faster, but I don't think the pay-off is worth it.
I can quite understand the strain that immersion in a culture can put on families immigrating to the US or Australia. However, I think that the strain comes mainly from other factors rather than the language learning. The resistance and active dislike some students show towards the language they feel 'forced' to learn is understandable.
However, in most cases, I think there is little reason to think that teaching only in the target language will put students off. Of course, motivated students will always benefit the most, but I think everyone benefits from the important message that it is possible to have fun and communicate in the target language.
If I were to advise a non-native English teacher teaching within his own native culture, I would always recommend trying to avoid slipping into the language you share with your students, and trying to model what you want your students to achieve. If you keep your students level in mind, and keep your instrucitons and explanations suitable, I think they should feel some achievement in correctly following those instructions and begin to think themselves succesful language users.
I agree it's faster, but I don't think the pay-off is worth it.