3314. Communicating in the Target Language


 
I’ve told you all that I keep on learning English. Learning a language is life-long, I can assure you.
Something I carry out for my own learning that language is reading for example a novel. In some way reading a novel in English and enjoying it is like being in a country where English is spoken.
As well our foreign or second language classroom should be like a piece of those adorable countries where English is spoken, if that’s the language taught and learned. Think of it.
We should create an atmosphere where English is the vehicle language for communication between the teacher and his students, and among these latter ones.
So even if we have to give some announcement about logistics we should say it in that tongue we’re teaching and learning. If you think they didn’t understand, you can explain it in other words, with the help of the chalkboard or smartboard. Or have other students say the message in their own words in the target language!
So try first in the target tongue, only then we could reinforce the message in our common native language, Spanish in my case. The core point is creating, like I said, an atmosphere where English is the communication tool. / Photo from: KU Leuven

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