| How to avoid doing it:
| |
| | all the words and you won't be there to
|
| 1. Get the students to read the exercise
| |
| | help them. Then what will they do? (With
|
| completely before starting to actually do
| |
| | any luck they will be able to fall back
|
| anything. They can underline the words
| |
| | on all the useful skills you've taught
|
| they don't know, or (more positively)
| |
| | them in class.)
|
| underline the words they do know. 2. When
| |
| | Explaining new vocabulary
|
| a student asks you to explain the meaning
| |
| | As a last resort, give the students an
|
| of a word, don't. Ask the other students
| |
| | explanation of the new word or phrase in
|
| if anyone can explain it.
| |
| | English. It's a good idea to give them an
|
| 2. You could put the students in pairs or
| |
| | example sentence or two containing the
|
| small groups and get them to explain the
| |
| | word or phrase so that they can see how
|
| words they don't know to each other. This
| |
| | to use it. You may find it useful to
|
| sounds daft but it's quite logical really
| |
| | demonstrate or mime the word to convey
|
| - the words Gianni is having difficulty
| |
| | it's meaning quickly. Or maybe a quick
|
| with won't necessarily be the same ones
| |
| | line-drawing (of the "stick-man" type)
|
| that Marco is struggling with. (Beware of
| |
| | would convey the meaning more quickly?
|
| the students' tendency to translate the
| |
| | Sometimes a synonym (similar word) is
|
| words. See TT17 for info on Translating).
| |
| | useful (e.g. wealthy = rich) or an
|
| 3. It's a good idea to get the students
| |
| | opposite (e.g. wealthy = the opposite of
|
| to try to guess the meaning of the word
| |
| | poor).
|
| from the context it's in. (See TT6 for
| |
| | Extra info:
|
| further information on "deducing meaning
| |
| | If a student still thinks I should
|
| from context").
| |
| | explain all the new words to him I refuse
|
| 4. Get the students to look the word up
| |
| | and explain like this: If you give a
|
| in a (preferably English to English
| |
| | starving man a fish, you feed him for a
|
| a.k.a. monolingual) dictionary, should
| |
| | day. If you teach him how to fish he can
|
| such a thing be available (see TT20 for
| |
| | feed himself for life. (I explain
|
| further information about dictionaries).
| |
| | "starving" as "very, very, very hungry").
|
| Why to avoid doing it:
| |
| | In this case the "fish" is the
|
| 1. You are not a dictionary. You don't
| |
| | explanation of a word, given by you. The
|
| even look like one, do you?
| |
| | "how to fish" is the ability to guess
|
| 2. There's a world of difference between
| |
| | words from context, the confidence to ask
|
| telling someone something (spoon-feeding
| |
| | a peer (a classmate, a colleague etc.) if
|
| students who soon get into the habit of
| |
| | they know the meaning, and the ability to
|
| switching off, being passive, letting the
| |
| | use a dictionary.
|
| teacher do all the work for them and not
| |
| | Learning English is like learning to play
|
| bothering to try to remember a single
| |
| | the piano/to drive/to swim etc. When you
|
| thing) and teaching someone something
| |
| | want to learn to play the piano/drive
|
| (creating an environment and a set of
| |
| | swim is it enough just sit and watch
|
| circumstances in which someone can
| |
| | other people doing it or do you need to
|
| actively learn, practise new skills, and
| |
| | have a go yourself and make mistakes and
|
| develop confidence in his/her own
| |
| | practise a lot until you get it right?
|
| abilities).
| |
| | Speaking together gives you that chance
|
| 3. One day, out there in the big wide
| |
| | to have a go yourself and the time to
|
| world, the students will be faced with
| |
| | practice.
|
| situations in which they will not know
| |
| |
|