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Getting teenagers talking
teachingenglish.org.uk /print/480
Getting teenagers talking
Submitted by TE Editor on 16 August, 2011 - 14:02
Getting teenagers to use English in class can provide a
considerable challenge to most teachers. This articleexamines some
of the reasons why it can be so difficult and makes some
suggestions for overcoming these
problems.
Why it's important
Long-term and short-term memory
Language fitness & ag ility
Authenticity
Why they don't use English
Peer pressure
Lack of motivation
Lack of support
How we can get students talking
Explain why it's important
Confidence tricks
Attainable goals
Conclusion
Why it's important
Long-term and short-term memory
Theoretically, we retain information in two ways: In short-term
and long- term storage. We transfer information from
one to the other by convincing our brains that facts in the
short-term memory are valuable enough to be put in long-
term storage - otherwise, the information is discarded.
Our native language is stored in the long-term memory. New
information about a second language, however,
is stored in the short-term until it is transferred.
To understand the new information quickly, we often translate
into our native language. However, this makes it
more difficult for the brain to accept the new information into
the long- term memory. The result? We quicklyforget the information
about the second language.
Students need to translate less often. If they get used to
speaking English - this helps the new information to
be stored more quickly and for longer.
Language fitness & agility
Language learning and maintenance uses a surprising number of
muscles - most importantly, the brain, and the
more obvious muscles in the mouth and jaw.
It follows logically that just as with any other muscle, the
more you exercise it, the easier it is to use.
So how often do teenagers exercise the muscles required for
speaking English? If their only opportunity isEnglish class, they
need to maximise on the time to exercise as much as possible.
Authenticity
Speaking is a way of expressing ourselves in whatever language
we use. The most motivating language to learn
therefore enables us to talk in a way that is true to our
personality. Even the best coursebook cannot provide this
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resource for every individual in every class!
Students bring their personalities to every class - if we can
keep English as the language medium, their
authentic language requirements will become apparent. This means
accepting their personalities - in terms of
topic (e.g. music, fashion, gossip), and function (e.g.
exaggerating, exchanging anecdotes).
If they don't have the tools to express themselves in English,
they'll use the tools they do have - their native
language.
Why they don't use English
Peer pressure
Even native speakers take years to master their language, so
it's no surprise a foreign language learner has to
make a lot of mistakes before even managing to produce anything
approaching good English. The spontaneous
nature of speaking means you're likely to make more mistakes
than you would otherwise. So generally we're asking
our students to stand up and make fools of themselves at a time
of their lives when they are a t their most self-
conscious.
Lack of motivation
If you ask a teenager why they think they should speak English
in class, what's the most likely answer? Stunned
silence, a disdainful look, or a droned 'because we have to p
ractise'? They're following o rders - and for what? So
that in two or three years they may be better able to
communicate effectively with another English-speaker? Not only
is the motive external, but the end goa l is too distant for
many teenagers. For many students, instant rewards forspeaking
English are much more motivating.
Lack of support
There are two kinds of support: Classroom atmosphere and
linguistic support. It may not be realistic to expect
teenagers to provide the generous and patient atmosphere ideal
for language practice, but it is possible to
encourage them to support each other, for example by working in
teams.
It is easier to provide linguistic support, in terms of words
and phrases that are required for classroom interaction.
Classroom language (e.g. 'Sorry I'm late', 'Can you repeat that,
please?' etc.) is the only English they will need to
repeat throughout the whole course, and it has an authentic
context - it would be a waste not to capitalise on it!
How we can get students talkingExplain why it's important
Only you know how mature your class is and how well they will
respond to the rationale behind your methods.
However, it's often worth giving even a less mature group a
chance to understand what you're trying to achieve. Not
all students will react in the same way - the underlying theory
may motivate smaller groups within the class, even
though it might not appeal to the class as a whole.
Confidence tricks
This involves rewarding them for using 'easy language' - making
them believe the goal is easy to achieve.
Classroom language is ideal for this, as are pronunciation
games.
Drilling has a particular appeal, as the student's voice is safe
in a crowd of voices, and it is the sound of theEnglish (not their
English) that is strange or amusing.
Along the same lines, choosing a buzzword for a class can
encourage even the weakest student to try to use
their English. The word could either be very useful, or sound a
bit strange or be a key word in the group of
vocabulary just learnt. The use of the word then has to be
rewarded - and how you do that is up to you.
Attainable goals
Obviously the lower the level of the group, the less English you
can expect them to produce.
For very low levels, the aim may be to spend only five or ten
minutes speaking English per class. Initially this
may be spent presenting and practising classroom language, which
then allows them to extend 'English time'
for themselves.
For higher levels, it is still worth identifying when it is more
important to be using only English and when it is
good to use their native language. This should be indicated by
some kind of visual to remind them when to
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do what.
Conclusion
As with most techniques concerning teenagers, it's important not
to give up! For all concerned, the task is not easy
but it isn't impossible either. The aim is simply to try and
increase the amount they speak English - this could be from
20% of the class to 40%, but it could also be from 0% of the
class to 0.5%. Either way, you have had a positive effect
on their oral English - so recognise it!
Catherine Sheehy Skeffington, British Council, Barcelona
This article was first published in 2004
British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN, UK
BBC World Service, Bush House, Strand, London WC2B 4PH, UK
