classroom language

Classroom Language

By Natalia Guerreiro - Freguesia Branch

What you say

Can I go to the toilet?

Can I drink some

water?

Can I borrowa pencil?

A: Thanks.

B:No

worries.

A

B

Help me please!

?How do you say

“árvore” in English?

Wait please!

I have a question.

?

?

Can I speak Portuguese?

What the teacher says

Listen.

Look (at me/at the board).

In pairs.

In groups.

Check (with your partner).

Open your

books to page 10.

Teacher’s Guide• Target: entry levels (Jr A, Bas1, CEX1), but also other elementary groups (Jr

B, Jr C, Bas 2, CEX2).• Procedures:

– Presentation: Use the slides to elicit/teach classroom language. With non-entry levels, skip the section “what the teacher says”. With entry levels, skip the slides you don’t find that relevant not to overwhelm them.

– Practice: Elicit all they can remember and write it on the board. Have them test one another in pairs (either by gestures or translation).

– Games: There are many possible games for this.• Charades: divide class in two groups and have them mime the expressions you give them in slips of

paper.• Run & Sit: ask sts to line up in two different rows. Show a slide. The first of each line has to run and

sit on the teacher’s chair to give the correct answer. (A variation of this game for small groups is have them compete individually. The person to answer will be the one to first grab an object you designate beforehand, for e.g., a teddy bear or your pencil case.)

• Run & Find: spread the sentences around the classroom (either on the floor or on the walls). Show a slide. The group that first grabs the sentence scores a point.

Tip: Use the last slide to guide them around the book, to tell about the homework part, etc.