Classroom Language Journal

INDEX
CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
JOURNAL
Rocío Fernández García
de Prado
rociofgp2013@usal.es
654 66 33 11

Classroom Language Journal
1.Lesson Language
1.1 Greetings & Starting
the Lesson
1.2 Organizing the
Classroom
1.3 Ending the Lesson
2.Developing Social
Skills
2.1 Behaviour Patterns
2.2 Feelings
2.3 Personal Hygiene &
Health
2.4 Showing Respect
2.5 Sharing & Participating
2.6 Tying shoelaces
3. Listen and Do
3.1 Giving Instructions
3.2 Listening & Identifying
3.3 Listening & Doing –
Total Physical Response
3.4 Listening & Performing
– Miming
3.5 Listening & Responding
games
4. Listen and Make
4.1 Listen & Colour
4.2 Listen & Draw
4.3 Listen & Make
5. Speaking with
support
5.1 Using Classroom
Phrases
5.2 Rhymes & Sons to
Practice: Pronunciation,
Stress and Intonation
5.3 Practice New
Vocabulary
5.4 Playing Vocabulary
Games
5.5 Practicing
Pronunciation of New
Sounds
6.Speaking More
Freely
6.1 Cognitive Development
& language Learning
6.2 Starting to Speak
Freely – Eliciting Personal
Information
6.3 Speaking Games
6.4 Children Speaking in
Groups
7.Reports
 Total Physical Response
 Sample Lesson
 Classroom Management
1

•Hearvoicesfromthetimetheyareborn.
•Respondtothevoicesoftheirmother,fathereor
carer.
•Listentoalotofsounds.
•Playwiththesoundsandpractisemakingsounds
•Begintoassosiatesoundswithwhattheyseeand
understand.
•Begintouselanguagewithothersandgetwhat
theywant
Babies
•Saywhattheyhearotherssaying.
•Pickuptheaccentofthosearoundthem.
Young
Children
1. LESSON LANGUAGE
When children start school they already have good control of their
first language besides their short age and can make themselves be
understood. Their “expertise” in the language is due to the fact that
since they are born they are being exposed to that language 24/7,
this helps them acquire their first language.
So if very young children are able to communicate, meaning this they
have successfully acquired their first language, why not help our
students acquire a second language the same way?
There are similarities in the role parents and teachers when it comes
to helping the children acquire a language. In both cases the adult is
the one who does most of the talking, much more than the child and
they both provide a secure, encouraging and supportive
environment which will make the child feel confident to try out the
language.
More specifically teachers will have to take into account that their
students will:
 Only acquire the language they hear around them.
 Need to hear a lot of English
 Look on us, their teacher as their new carer.
1

Caretaker
talk
features:
Repeat phrases
already said
Keep child's
attention by
asking
questions
React positively
to what the child
says
Recast, Adds to,
Improve what
they say
The more English they hear the more they will learn
They will learn gradually. NOT PERFECT START
TEACHER TIPS
 Listen to us and make sense of
what we say.
 Sound like the people they listen
to.
Recording 1A:
Journal AudiosLesson 11A Eliciting.3gpp
I. Caretaker talk: Simplified language, sentences and
vocabulary in order to help acquire language naturally. Anyone
who interacts with young children will intuitively modify their
language. It can come from older siblings too.
 Use English in class as the main language for
communication.
 Use gestures actions and pictures to help
understand.
2

GREETINGS
- Good morning,
- Good afternoon,
- Hello,
WAYS OF
ADDRESSING
Children
Everybody
Boys & girls / Girls & boys
TEACH
ER
GREETINGS
- Good morning,
- Good afternoon,
- Hello,
WAYS OF
ADDRESSING
Miss/Mrs/Mr/Ms +
surname.
First name.
Teacher.
CHILDR
EN
 Children need to talk to learn – Let the use L1
specially to start.
 Recast in English what they say in their mother
tongue.
 Answer in English as much as possible.
 Use mother tongue for support when you do a
new activity or if no one understands.
 Talk about: where things are, what they are doing
and what they will do next, pictures or things
they can see….
Out of this we take that in order to help our students acquire English
we have to speak English from the very first minute we get to class
until the last one. This leads to different points with language we can
use depending on the point of the lesson we find ourselves in:
Greetings & Starting the lesson, Organizing the lesson and Ending the
lesson.
1.1 Greetings & Starting the Lesson
Whether we are class teachers or specialist teachers we always have
to say hello to our students when we come into the classroom. Here
are some ways in which we can greet and address to our children and
ways for them too.
Greeting Language:
3

Recording 1B: Journal AudiosLesson 11B Greetings.3gpp
Recording 1C: Journal AudiosLesson 11C-A Question of
Routine.3gpp
After saluting we can start our lesson in many different ways. We can
use some fix activities such as checking attendance and combine
them with rhymes, songs and games to
wake them up and get them moving or just
to get their attention.
Checking attendance Language:
Let’s call the roll
Let’s take the register
Let’s check to see who is here.
Remember to answer with “I’m
here”
Thank you, everybody.
So, everyone is here except….
So, only two people are away.
Is everybody here?
Is anyone away?
No-one is absent
today?
Who is missing?
Let’s all count to see
if everyone is here –
girls first, then boys
Oh good……., you’re
back.
Nice to see you
Are you all right
now?
Oh…… is away. Who
knows why?
Is he/she ill?
So, how many is ….
And ….?
Maybe he’s gone to
the dentist. What do
you think?
Is that more than
yesterday? Or Less
than yesterday? Or
the same?
4

CheckattendancetaketheregisterSayarhymeSingasong:Hello,weatherdonsg,daysoftheweek..PlayagameDoquestionroutinesRearrangetheclassroom
TEACHER TIPS
Ok… Yes?
So that is ….
altogether
Ways of Starting a Lesson Langugae
CLASS TEACHER SPECIALIST TEACHER
 Do something different so
they know it’s time for
English
 Plan something familiar in
English at the beginning of the
lesson – easier teacher change
 Wear something special
during the lesson: badge ….
 Use a special name chart to
check attendance
 Stand in a different place or
arrange the room differently.
 Prepare routine that the
children like: songs rhymes.
 Put up pictures or get out
toys children will associate
with English.
5

Leave
these/your…
…
.here
Putyourpenorpencilsd
Take
your…
. out.
Tidyupyourdesk
TEACHER TIPS
1.2 Organizing Your Classroom
 Everyday Instructions Language:
1.3 Ending the Lesson
Ending Lesson Language:
 Make a list of classroom language for each
activity.
6
1. Ok, that’s all for now
2. We’ve no time for anything
else – don’t do anymore
3. Now stop! We haven’t enough
time to finish… So stand up
4. That’s all for today. On
Monday there’ll be more
5. Children, make a line to say
good bye, following the
leader. Bye bye.
6. Just one more thing before
you go to break.
7. Ok, pick up all your things-
and put the book in the
cupboard.
8. Just one more time and then
that’s it.
9. It’s break-time, but first line
up quietly.

 Prepare to say all of this in English during the
lesson.
 Use song & rhymes when you change activity
 Encourage pupils to use English for routine
classroom requests by praising any effort
they make.
 Use wall charts/ posters to help remember
what they are doing in the English class.
1.4 Very Young Learners & Young
Learners
7

Very young
learners
Introduce English slowly
with enjoyable activities.
Support with gestures,
movements, facial
expresssions.
Help the children feel
secure.
Repeat in English possible
L1.
Use a puppet that "doesn't
understand Spanish".
Drawings and photos.
Tell lots of stories using
pictures.
Young learners
Adapt the approaches
udes with VYL and:
Explain in L1 why usin
English in the lesson.
Teach the class useful
phrases about language
use.
Plan for success and
positive experience.
alk about own
experiences.
8

2. WORKING SOCIAL
SKILLS
It’s necessary to develop social skills in children in order to build a
certain profile person as we will be trying to create a community. By
using this displays with classroom rules we will be creating habits with
the remember to caption.
2.1 Behaviour Patterns
9
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.

Self-control: My indoor voice
10

2.2 Showing
Respect
11

2.3 Feelings
12
Thins song will help feelings
with young students.
Feelings song.mp4

2.4 Personal Hygiene & Health
13

2.5 Sharing & Participating
14

2.6 Tying shoes
Shoelace video rhyme.mp4
3. LISTEN AND DO
15

SITTING DOWN
& STANDING UP
Come in please and
sit down.
Sit down now please
Seat down at your
tables/over there.
Turn round and face
the front.
Stop talking now and
listen carefully.
Please stand up, and
don't make too much
noise.
Everybody up! Stand
still!
Stay in your places!
Stay were you are.
MOVING
AROUND
..... can you come
here please?
Come out here to the
front of the class
Get into a line.
Stand in a line
I wnat you to make 2
lines, along here. Nice
and straight!
One behind the other.
Move up a bit. Come
forward a bit.
A bit further apart, not
too close.
Can you make a
circle? Nice and
round.
Now go back to your
places
By using listening and do activities we are promoting an active and
enjoyable acquisition of the English language and will help us
maintain our students’ attention and engaged towards the activities
and therefore the learning of the language.
Using the language for a purpose, we will be using real language the
student will be able to use as well in any situation outside the English
classroom. It will also help him t better and absorb sounds patterns
more naturally for a future better pronunciation.
When we ask our students in English to do something we are giving
them opportunities to show they are understanding each time they
follow the instructions given as at first they might not be able to
speak in English and they are preparing to do so when they are ready.
They also use non-verbal clues to interpret our message.
3.1 Giving Instructions
Basic everyday instructions like the ones used in between activities
and when we are organizing our children are important as they are
easy to learn and it’s a way to start off teaching them English. At first
we can use gestures instead of translating to their mother tongue, but
they will quickly learn what it means and will not need them.
Ways of organizing children in the classroom
language:
16

TEACHER TIPS
3.2 Listening & Identifying
Listening activities can help:
 Practice basic language skill – LISTENING
 Make sense of English words and phrases.
 Develop the children’s vocabulary
 Acquire meaning and sound together.
This type of activities can be used to promote the development of
vocabulary and to initiate the students in grammatical awareness.
For Vocabulary Development
We can use the following:
 The child can see: charts, displays, pictures,
flashcards…
 Cuisenaire rods, colored bricks
 Objects they can bring: toys, food…
 Objects they can draw or create with craft material.
There are two stages to these activities:
1. Talking about the thing we want them to learn
2. Asking them to point or show the thing when we name
them.
We want them to associate the phrase we are saying to
the object they have in their hands. Later, once they are
confident in this association level, we can make them
repeat and eventually they will say it on their own.
 Repeat a lot.
 Keep everything moving quickly.
 Change the language as when asking the
children for different things.
For Grammatical Awareness
With this type of activity, we can focus on basic
grammatical concepts such as distinguishing singular and
plural, gender pronouns and even adjective position in
English sentences. Little by little they will acquire a feeling
17

Listen carefully to
instructions.
Enjoy doing the
actions.
Groups or
individually.
TEACH
ER Do not have to
speak.
Understanding
because movement
and language go
together.
PUPIL
of what is grammatically accurate without the need of a
formal explanation.
Being good- Positive approach to discipline
language:
 Please stop talking now – Calm down…. Much better
 No more talking for a while.
 Good you lot. Nice and quiet.
 We need to be quieter to hear….
 Lots of hands raised. Excellent.
3.3 Listening & Doing – Total Physical
Response
Total Physical Response is a great approach to start using English.
Children learn English by being exposed to the language and learn
it its learnt best when the it is accompanied by doing things
physically. The first stage is for comprehension and taking in the
language, it is called silent period and then they produce.
Here are some examples of Total Physical Response activities:
Follow the leader: See & Understand together.
Topic based: Vocabulary practice
TPR Routines: Wake them up or have a break
18

TEACHER TIPS
TEACHER TIPS
TPR for Arranging the class: Get them used to directions.
3.4 Listening & Performing – Miming
Miming means acting silently without speaking. We can introduce this
activity when students are familiar with the vocabulary of a specific
topic. As it requires this previous knowledge from them, miming is
more complex than a normal TPR activity.
FREEDOM PROMOTE CREATIVITY
19
TOTAL PHYSICAL
RESPONSE
TPR WITH BIG
CLASSES
The first time we can
explain in their
mother tongue,
before starting the
activity.
Simple actions
Divide the class into
groups depending
on the space.
Groups waiting will
be watching
listening and
learning too.
MIMING
 One instruction at
a time
 Pretend you are…
 Increase nº of
instructions as
they progress
 Activities can be
simple or more
complex
 Using real things
makes it more
realistic
 Statues game.
 Use mime as a
speaking activity
to describe what
it is happening.
 Groups or
individually and
the rest must
guess.

Miming to Rhymes and Chants:
Listening and miming helps children understand during the process of
learning rhymes and chants.
Physical Break Chnts
 Use picture to help
remember the meaning of
the words
 Use movements to help
understand
 Use big gestures to help
enjoy the chant
 Once they understand
some words pictures can
be gradually removed
Change the chant by:
 Putting in different animals
or things to mime
 Making it shorter or longer
 Letting individual children
do actions.
 Turn giving language:
Everybody all of you….
Ready?
Just this row
…..Team… you start,
then….
…..Team your turn next
You two, then you two
next.
……. Your turn.
Anybody else? Hands
up..
One at a time… don’t
shout out
Class… this half first
Back row, then front row
Second, third….
20

TEACHER TIPS
3.5 Listening & Responding games
If we want to extend practicing listening skills, we can play games
that will demand attention and careful listening to understand the
instructions and how the game goes. With these games children are
having fun are the same time they are listening to you speaking
English.
We could play the following:
Right or Wrong / True or False: Instruction
Language:
Simon Says
We can change the word “Simon” to “teacher” or the name of a
pupil to make it more persona and motivate them. It is a great
game as they must listen very carefully to find out whether they
should respond or stay still. It can be played standing up or
sitting down depending on the instructions “Simon” gives.
21
If it’s false, not true /
I’m wrong
 Clap twice
 Shake your head
 Shout out NO
 Put both hands up
If it’s true / I’m right:
 Clap once
 Nod your head
 Shout out YES
 Put one hand up
 Explain in their mother tongue before
starting and then again in English.
 Once they get good at it make
instructions more complicated.
 Children can give the instructions.

Listening activities need action as a response to check understanding
4. LISTEN AND MAKE
Listening and making activities help interaction in English between
teachers and students and it is a perfect way for children to absorb
more real language that they will be able to use in their everyday life.
There are so many activities that they are suitable for all levels too.
They involve children in a more creative process in which:
 Children have to make decisions.  There is more time to think and
comment
 Opportunities for co-operation
between learners
 They have something to take
home at the end.
22

Howto
prepare
Prepare what to say
about the topic or
theme.
Collect things
needed
Practice explaining
in English: what &
how
Gestures to support
understanding
How to recast
possible mother
tongue.
Howtoset
up
Introduce the topic
or theme.
Explain in English
and show them
what they have to
do.
Repeat your
instructions:
1. Whole class
2. Small groups
3. Individually
Move around while
they work and
comment on their
work.
TEACHER TIPS
4.1 Listen & Colour
Make sure students have all the materials they need before
starting.
23
 Let them help give
out and organize
materials.
 DISPLAY all
children’s work
 POSITIVE comments:
That’s lovely! I
like…..!
 Plain flashcards to
colour
 Animals, food,
clothes that can be
cut out
 More challenging:
- 2 pictures, 2
instructions
- Give alternatives.
- 2 halves different
instructions each.

Today we are
going to
do some
colouring.
do some
drawing.
do some painting
do some sticking.
Look, like this…
Look at what we are going to
make.
Next, we are
going to
make a monster. Here’s one Class 3 made.
Look, here’s a picture for you
to colour.
Over the next
few lessons we
are going to
make an Easter
Card.
colour some
animals.
make a farm
make a circus
picture.
Here’s a sticker sheet for you
to share, one between two.
We’ll start like this….
You can all choose a different
animal.
Let’s do some together as a class
first, so you’ll see.
what I mean,
what it might be like.
What to do.
How to do it.
 Explaining and Demonstrating Language:
 Asking for Helpers and Giving Things Out
Language:
I need two helpers, please. So, can you give out these pictures?
One each.
Who’d like to help? You
three? Fine.
Can you pass round these sheets of
paper? so everyone has one?
………., can you help me? Can you give out the cards? Three
for each table.
………., you can help me. Hand these back down your rows.
Can you find the boxes of crayons
24

TEACHER TIPS
and give them out?
Can you collect in the cards?
Thanks.
4.2 Listen & Draw
Children can draw without instructions but that is not what we are
looking for. Once they have drawn we can:
 Talk about things in them to the whole class
 Put 2 up on the wall and ask about the differences
¿How many differences can you find?
 Make up a story about what is happening or might happen.
 Phrases Describing Position Language:
On the left
In the middle, a bit to the
left
In the corner, at the front
At the top of the tree
At the back
Next to the tree
Right at the front of the
picture
Behind the tree
On the right
In the middle, a bit to the
right
In the corner, at the back
Under the tree
At the front
By the bus stop
In the background, far away
In front of the tree
25
 After drawing let them compare
pictures and colour quietly.
 Go round and talk to students in
English as they colour and comment
on their work.

Perso
nal
Event
sSchoo
l
Event
s
Festiv
als
Specia
l days
 Asking Who Wants a Turn Language:
Who wants to start? Hands
up!
Whose go is it?
Whose turn is it to do a
mime?
One more go. Who wants
the las go?
……. team? But you started
last time.
……...again? But you’ve just
had a go.
Who has still not had a turn?
Who still wants a go?
Which group has not been?
4.3 Listen & Make
There are so many things children can make and with so many
different materials, such as plasticine, clay, paper and card…. Special
occasions like celebrations and festivals are great to do these things
which children love making.
26

Pencils, crayons, felt-tipped pens, markers,
Rulers, paints, paint-brushes, scissors,
Glue, plasticine, play-dough, paper,
Card, cleaning cloths, sponges…In boxes, in packets
In jars, in envelops
In plastic tubs, in folders
Ontheshelf,ontopofthecupboard
Onthetop/bottom/middleshelfinthepaintingcorner
Inthecupboardinthebookcorner
Onthetrayinthecornerneartherubbishbin
Making greeting cards.
Very popular in English speaking countries in special days:
 Christmas
 Valentine’s Day
 Mother’s Day
 Father’s Day
 Easter
 Birthdays
 Materials & Where they are kept Language:
27

TEACHER TIPS
Can you get the ________ out? Do you know where it is/ they
are?
Can you put the________ away? Do you know where it goes/
they go?
Yes, on the……
 Demonstration Language:
We’re going to do it
this way….
One between two
desks…
No…... Ok I’ll show
you...
Now look… see the
line…
Look, cut like this.
Only cut that bit….
Ok, fold it like that…
Cutting: round, up, down, on
28
MAKING THINGS
 Let children:
 Become familiar
with names of
material.
 Take charge of
materials
 Find materials
where they are
kept
 Talk to small groups
while they work

The more English they listen, the better:
Actively Learning
Acquiring: understanding meaning
Absorbing: pronunciation and intonation
5. SPEAKING WITH
SUPPORT
Our aim now is to get our students responding and speaking in
English and gradually leaving aside their mother tongue. To do this we
need to encourage them by praising all their efforts to communicate
in English and listening carefully: not interrupting all the time to
correct their errors.
So again:
5.1 Using Classroom Phrases
The best thing we can do is introducing useful classroom phrases in
situations where they are normally used. We will be creating a context
in which those phrases can be used and therefore helping the child’s
memorizing process.
 What Learners Need to Say and Ask Language:
29

REPEATING leads to:
Getting used to saying English sounds
Practising intonation patterns
Gaining confidence.
TEACHER TIPS
CHILDREN
I haven’t got…
I’ve lost…
I’ve forgotten…
Look i’ve got….
….my pencils.
… my coulours.
… my book.
a new bag/pencil case.
some new felt tips.
Excuse me! Can you
help me?
Please Miss! Is this
right?
I don’t know what to
do!
Please can I ask in
Spanish?
TEACHER
Has anyone seen___’s
___?
Can someone lend____
a___?
Who’s got a spare____?
Don’t worry I’ve got s
spare____.
Did you leave it at home?
Never mind.
Here’s one. Here you are.
Go and get one from my
table
___ can __ look at your
book?
Can he share with you?
That’s lovely. Who gave
you that?
Yes, Of course, just
coming.
Wait a moment, I’m
helping___. Yes, what
do you need?
That’s fine like that.
Yes… What do you
need to know?
5.2 Rhymes & Songs to practice:
Pronunciation, Stress, Intonation
Rhymes and songs are an excellent for initiating children into a new
language as they will listen them and try to sing them by imitating
the sounds they here the best they can. This will give them a sense of
achievement. As teachers, we should take advantage of their
willingness to sing, move, participate and learn new songs.
We can work with songs in many ways: the whole class, in big/small
groups, different volumes, pitches, and this will offer plenty of new
language.
30
 Short rhymes at first.
 Related to topics they are learning.
 They should understand the general
meaning.
 Play with sounds
 Simple instruments
 Encourage practicing them outside
school.

GOLDEN RULE: Always sounds first
 How Loud? Language:
1. Now say it very slowly and quietly.
2. Ok, everybody whisper it! Just whisper!
3. Each person/group can take turns to shout their part.
4. Normal voices, nice and clear. Not too loud, not too soft.
5. Can you say it quietly, but very fast?
5.3 Practicing New Vocabulary
When we introduce new vocabulary, we can help our learner become
familiar with it by:
 Making them repeat it.
 Use gestures and the senses.
 Coloring pictures of the new word.
 Use those words in a context.
What this golden rule is trying to sum up is that even if our students
know how to read it is always preferable they remember the sounds
of the word first and then learn the spelling. With this we will be trying
to avoid our students start reading as if it were their L1.
 Eliciting Vocabulary Language:
1. Wh- questions: What’s this?
2. Questions using intonation only: A dog?
3. Questions using inversion: Is this an elephant?
4. Unfinished sentence questions with rising intonation: this was
31

TEACHER TIPS
a____?
5. Either/or questions: Is this an elephant or a kangaroo?
5.4 Playing Vocabulary Games
Playing vocabulary games is useful to aid children in the process of
becoming familiar and memorizing the new vocabulary, in a fun and
attractive way.
In our games, we can use objects, pictures and actions to get the
managed. When we explain how the game works they are listening
English that is being used for a real purpose of their everyday life as it
is playing and they will be able to use.
32
 Class DISPLAYS and memory aids
 Prepare to teach in a meaningful way, linking
with topics they are familiar with.

Finding pairs:
Cards are facing down, they
have to pick up two cards with
the same picture.
Shopping games:
Act put as shop assistants and
custoers in different shops.
Happy families:
Card game, in groups of 3/4
they have to colletct 4 cards of
the same family or topic.
TEACHER TIPS
GOLDEN RULE: Active use of NEW vocabulary

Instruction
for Games
Language:
Here are some
cards.
These are
picture cards.
These are word
cards.
Here are some
cards with
phrases on.
Here are some
cards with
actions on.
Can you…
Will you…
…. give them
out?
…. deal them
out?
…. share them
round?
…mix them up?
…put them face
down on your
own table?
Yous should
have ___ each.
Each pair should
have____.
Check you have
____on each
table.
Put the rest in a
pile, face down.
Don’t look at them yet.
Just look at your own.
Don’t show them to anyone else.
Don’t look at anyone else’s.
33
VOCABULARY
GAMES
 Show children how
to play the game
and give
instructions in
English meanwhile.
 New
words/phrases
need to be used a
lot after being
introduced:
 Use lots of different
games but use the
same vocabulary.

TEACHER TIPS
Spread them out so you can see
them all.
Which ones make a pair?
Whoops!
Oh dear!
Watch out!
Careful!
Wait a minute!
One’s gone in your
lap.
One’s fallen in your
bag.
One’s gone under
your chair
One’s fallen on the
floor.
You’ve got an extra
one.
You are one short.
Can you pick it up?
Can you reach it?
Who hasn’t got all six?
Who’s got one
missing?
Who’s got one extra?
Shopping game: Advanced Learners
Can I help you? What colour?
5.5 Practicing Pronunciation of New
Sounds
Pronunciation and Intonation are acquired naturally y listening to the
language e absorb the sounds but they will not produce perfect
sounds at first. They will need to try out the language, by mimicking
and playing with it, with its sounds to achieve a good pronunciation.
So, the younger they start the better. They will be also in the first
stages of acquiring their mother tongue, therefore it will be easier for
them to absorb the sounds and get their mouths used to the different
positions for a natural pronunciation.
34
 IN THE CLASSROOM:
 You can arrange pictures of words
with the same sound.
 If they can read, add the written
word underneath
 Use actions to help children
remember face movement that
produces the sound.

6. SPEAKING MORE
FREELY
This section is about how to help students speak for a longer time and
more fluently. To do this we can:
 Support & Encourage while they speak.
 Showing them how to ask and elicit.
 Playing games that encourage interaction.
 Using topic vocabulary, they are familiar with.
 Teacher led activities Pair work
Group work
35

6.1 Cognitive Development and
Language Learning
Children as learners.
It is fundamental we think of the child as a whole, get to know their
interests and what they already know to be able to build on and
extend that knowledge, promoting curiosity. This will help their
cognitive and educational development.
Children as language learners.
LEARNERS NEEDS: TEACHER CAN:
 Hear clear pronunciation and
intonation.
 Feel successful.
 Plenty of opportunities to
communicate.
 Enjoy efforts made to speaking
English.
 Know they have achieved
something useful.
 Speak a lot of English
 React to the meaning of what
they are trying to say.
 Encourage by showing them that
what they are saying is
important.
 Approval of all pupil’s speaking
 Fun activities that have a GOAL
and END PRODUCT to feel proud
of
6.2 Starting to Speak Freely – Eliciting
Personal Talk
Children enjoy very much talking about themselves: hobbies,
families…and listening to their peers do the same.
At first, we can start with teacher led ativities and onces they are
confident we can follow asking the children to ask questions to each
other. So normally the initiation and follow up moves are these:
 Initiation: question from the teacher
 Response: comes from the children
 Follow up: feedback from the teacher
36

TEACHER TIPS
GOLDEN RULE: Silent children are still likely to be listening and learning.
TEACHER TIPS
6.3 Speaking Games
Learning and using English doesn’t necessarily have to be boring. We
can make it attractive to students with games that involve interaction.
Pass the Ball
To play this game we need a ball and some music. Children can stand
up or remain seated while playing. They have to pass the ball one to
each other, it has to keep moving until the music is stopped. Then the
child who’s got the ball must answer a question or talk about a
picture. If the child doesn’t want to talk he can pass.
37
 Support children’s early efforts by:
 Waiting for their responses
 Repeating what they say in your
response
 Summarizing what different pupil
say.
 Give children lots of opportunities to
speak:
 Use words or phrases from a
topic the children are familiar
with.
 Use a story the children know
well and:
 Ask questions about
characters
 What will happen next.

TEACHER TIPS
Guess the Mime
To play this game we need pictures of people doing things, children
can work in pairs, choose any picture and perform the mime
together… The rest of the class has to try to guess which activity they
are miming.
 Asking Children to Remember or Guess
Language:
Who can guess what…...?
Can you say/ask them what…...?
Hands up if you can guess
what…...?
Can you remember what…...?
…. they are doing?
…. They are going to do next?
____ and____ were doing?
6.4 Children Speaking in Groups
All our students are different. They have different personalities and
language levels. Working in smaller groups has many advantages
when trying to promote speaking:
 Get more opportunities to speak
38
 Ask the children to
remember what their
classmates have been
miming

TEACHER TIPS
 Ask an answer questions
 Learn a lot from each other
 Those who are shy and less confident will feel
more comfortable speaking more privately rather
than to the whole class.
 Setting
up Pairs and Groups Language:
Are you ready?
Ok everyone,
So now everybody,
Quiet please!
Listen carefully,
You are going to do
this….
You are going to
work….
You will be playing
this….
…. in pairs.
…. in twos
…. in threes.
…. in groups of three
or four.
Here are two pictures,
but don’t look at
them yet.
Keep them face down!
You must not show
them to anyone else.
Keep them like this!
You can look at them
both/ all together.
So, you two together.
You two and you
three.
Go and sit with____
please and make a
pair.
 Children in Pairs and Groups Language:
39
 Make your instructions very clear.
 Show the children irst what you want them
to do.
 Help them acquire phrases to use when
talking to each other.
 Give them planning time.
 Let them rehearse if they are going to
speak to the class.

Child 1 Child 2
Who wants to start?
Whose turn is it?
Who’s next?
You’re next/I’m next!
Me! /Not me!
Mine! Yours! Ana’s!
Me! Ana!
OK
I’ll draw and you colour, OK?
I’ll ask and you answer, OK?
You first and then me, Ok?
Have we/you finished?
Yes
All right
Yes! /No, you first!
Yes! /Not yet! /Just a minute!
Can you pass me a blue pencil/a
yellow crayon please?
Can I have the rubber/the eraser
please?
Oh, I need the ruler/the scissors.
Who’s got the red marker?
Here you are.
Here it is!
Here you are/ Oh! Wait a minute.
Me! Here you are/ Here it is.
7. REPORTS
40

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE
 Everyone standing up at the front of the class, around the
teacher.
 Thanks to miming and visual support on the board the
students understand the meaning of the phrases. Memory
aid.
 At first order is important but soon they can do the actions in
any order and on their own.
 The advantage of it is that they learn the sentences quickly
thanks to the association they make of the sentence with the
movement. Linguistically useful.
 Motivating, catches the children’s attention
Physically occupied, mentally engaged
41

CLASSROOM
MANAGEMENT
TIPS
Establish
Consistent
Classroom Routins
Breackdown
lessons into the
smallest
components
Strategies to
redirect
Physical Proximity
- Avoid
distruptions
Individual
strategies - Feel
teachers support.
Group Strategies -
Possitive
Narration
Non verbal cues
Games that
involve competition
and get them
ENGAGED
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
42

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