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