How to avoid talking too much when teaching English

Summary

In this video, the focus is on reducing excessive teacher talking time during lessons, especially with low-level or shy students. Teachers are encouraged to give students more thinking time and allow them to take charge by using strategies such as concept checking questions. The video suggests ways to balance teacher explanation with student practice, emphasizing activities where students can actively engage in tasks like explaining language points or talking about their daily routines. This approach helps foster student participation, reduce stress, and improve language acquisition.

Takeaways

• 😀 Teacher talking time can take away valuable practice time from students, so it’s important to minimize it.
• 😀 Giving low-level or shy students extra thinking time can help reduce stress and improve their responses.
• 😀 Avoid standing in front of the whiteboard for the entire class—allow students to take charge occasionally.
• 😀 Encourage student-led explanations and tasks by asking a keen student to explain a language point or give instructions.
• 😀 Instead of repeatedly asking 'Is that clear?' or 'Does this make sense?', use concept checking questions to check comprehension.
• 😀 Concept checking questions also give students the opportunity to speak more in class.
• 😀 For example, after teaching the present simple, ask students what word describes something done every day (routine).
• 😀 After discussing routines, ask students to identify the tense used to describe them (present simple).
• 😀 Use concept checking questions to promote active student participation rather than relying on long explanations.
• 😀 By minimizing teacher talking time, you give students more space to practice and speak in class.

Q & A

Why is it important to avoid too much teacher talking time in class?

Too much teacher talking time can take away valuable practice time for students, which is crucial for their language development.

What is one challenge teachers face when working with low-level or shy students?

Teachers often feel tempted to help low-level or shy students when they are struggling to find the right words, which can make the students feel stressed.

What is one strategy for helping students who are struggling to speak?

A good strategy is to give students more thinking time before they are asked to speak, allowing them to prepare and rehearse what they want to say.

How can teachers change the way they use their position in the classroom to encourage student participation?

Instead of standing in front of the whiteboard the entire class, teachers can try sitting at the back and letting students take charge of the class.

What is one way to give students more responsibility in the classroom?

Teachers can ask a keen student to explain a language point or give the instructions for the next task.

Why should teachers avoid repeatedly asking 'Is that clear?' or 'Does this make sense?'

Repeatedly asking these questions doesn't actively check students' understanding and limits their chance to speak. Instead, teachers can use concept checking questions.

What is the benefit of using concept checking questions?

Concept checking questions not only assess students' comprehension but also encourage them to speak more in class, enhancing their language practice.

How can teachers use concept checking questions to help with understanding the present simple tense?

After teaching the present simple tense for routines, teachers can ask questions like, 'What’s a word to describe something I do every day?' and 'What tense do we use to talk about routines?'

What could be a follow-up activity after teaching the present simple tense?

After teaching the present simple, teachers can ask students to talk about some of the things they do every day, reinforcing the use of the tense.

Where can teachers find more tips and resources related to teaching English?

Teachers can visit the British Council Voices website or their Teaching English website for more tips, discussions, and resources.