Can We Talk?
Research (not to mention common sense) tells us that to become proficient in a second language we need to practice speaking it. Often times in our ESL classrooms the teacher does a command teaching performance of explanations, modeling, assigning, anecdotes, and the list goes on. Unfortunately our captive audiences are only with us for a precious few instructional minutes each class session. Many times I feel like the class time has flown by and wonder how it could already be time to leave. When this happens, it gives me pause to think about how much teacher talk versus student talk took place. Time flew because I was having a good time, but were my students benefiting from our minutes as much as they could have been.
In the past few years I have revised both my teaching philosophy and the manner of transmitting my lessons to students. When I taught lower grade students I enforced strict rules of silence when tests were given. Lest someone be guilty of the major felony of CHEATING, I patrolled the aisles for any signs of miscreants. Today in my level three ESL class, we often share tests. Partners sit together and collaborate on answers. The answers may be correct or not but this is not a major concern. The important outcome is that they have actively engaged in speaking English, negotiated problems, and actually worked up a sweat making themselves understood in an authentic situation. Answers will be checked and corrected later. I tried this out as something of a lark in our summer session, and it was so successful that I now give many tests in this manner. Another change I’ve made is how I offer dictation practice. The research is somewhat mixed on the efficacy of even doing dictation with ESL students. In prior years I would do a dictation and have students share answers with each other, then put them up on the board for everyone to see and help correct if needed. At a TESOL conference a few years ago, a presenter suggested students dictate to each other, sitting face to face with file folders open and separating their work. This has been very successful and popular with the students. They still put the finished product on the board, but they have also spent much more time talking about it.
When giving instruction, or explaining a fine point of grammar I used to ask for questions, or carefully monitor guided practice for concerns. It occurred to me many years ago that there are levels of understanding and filters which construct insurmountable barriers between students and teachers. I was taking an advanced statistics class once and try as I might the figures wouldn’t line up, and the teacher’s explanations didn’t make sense no matter how many times he patiently explained. Luckily I had two good friends in the class who were also suffering. We decided that we could go on asking him the same questions and he would obligingly give us the same unintelligible answers. We tackled the problem together by meeting before class, each explaining the piece we understood. Voila! Oddly enough we each had enough of the whole to make sense and lead us to, if not complete mastery, at least a passing mark in the class. With this thought in mind, I began having students teach each other lessons I have just explained. I listen carefully for errors. I invite them to give examples on the board, and class discussions sometimes become very lively. Where in the past I was the sole dispenser of knowledge, students now are invited to share in information gathering and disseminating. They are taking responsibility for their own learning, and on a metacognitive level they can see what they need in ways I am not privy to.
I am always looking for ways to involve students more in the conversation through games, activities, discussions and learning situations. In answer to Joan River’s signature comedy routine, “Can we talk?” My students would respond with a resounding, “Yes we can!”