TO GET STUDENTS TO USE ENGLISH IN CLASS?

Some teacher believe that english only policy and some of them believe that to learn English, student need to interact only in English. Therefore, teacher of english have done many things to teach their students. Some put up signs that say, for example, “This is an English only-zone!” others point at the student and say, “Speak English!” other iniate a “chip system in which students can cash in poker chips at times they want to use their native language. Still others make use of a “party fund” in which students give a coin toward a class party each time they speak in their native language.

A. WAYS TO ENCOURAGE MORE USE OF ENGLISH IN CLASS
Getting students to use English in the classroom is one of the biggest challenges of teaching. At first you might get frustrated when students speak their own language in class. Those are some ways that can be used in the class :

1. Establish your 100% goal from Day 1.
On the first day of class make your expectations clear to your students. We can make the students a pact with both us and themselves. The students read the promises (see below) and we elaborate on each a bit. Next, the students sign their names in agreement.

My Promises
I promise to try to speak as much as possible.
I promise not to be afraid of making mistakes.
I promise not to speak any Indonesianese
I promise to use English to communicate.
I promise to ask questions when I do not understand.
I promise to try to have fun!
*Copyright 2003 Talk a Lot, Book 1, EFL Press.

we can go back to these promises from time to time throughout the course as necessary

2. Remember the students' names.
We will not be able to control the class well if we don't know our students' names. If a student is speaking in their native language we need to be able to quickly say, "Lisa--are we speaking English?" This should not be said in an angry tone, but rather in a friendly, almost joking tone. Remember the students name is the first priority.

3. Teach Classroom English early on.
In the second or third lesson students should be taught useful classroom English. The students should thoroughly memorize and practice using these expressions. It is essential that you explain that these expressions are not just for use with the teacher, but for use with each other as well. Some examples of useful classroom English are:

Do you have a partner?
Let's be partners.
How do you spell...?
What does ... mean?
etc.

4. Start (almost) every class with free conversation.
This is the most effective and the best choice for getting students motivated and speaking in English. Have the students sit facing a partner and tell them they have to talk on a topic for a set time. They absolutely must not speak any native language during this time! Possible topics are yesterday, TV, movies, sports, etc. We can do do this for 2-3 minutes at the beginning of a course and build up to 10-15 minutes by the end (for false-beginners). Free conversation works because it warms the students up, and it gives them the sense that English can be used for real communication.


5. Arrange the classroom so that students are sitting in rows facing each other.
Ideally, there will be no desks or barriers between the students, only chairs in two rows facing each other (see diagram below). There is something magical about this arrangement that gets the students talking. It may work because the students are out in the open and have nowhere to hide and so feel obliged to speak only English. Also, sitting face to face affords direct eye contact which somehow improves communication in English.

Another advantage of this arrangement is that it allows for a very easy and fair way to change partners. Students simply stand up and move in a clockwise direction a set number of chairs and end up sitting across from a new partner.

6. Do the "Speaking Marathon" at least twice during your course.
We can do the speaking marathon in the fourth or fifth lesson and after that once or twice more as needed.

SPEAKING MARATHON
Work with a partner. You can talk about anything you like with your partner, but you can't stop talking! If you stop for more than 3 seconds, your team is out! Also, if you speak any native language your team is out! Which team can keep talking the longest?!
*Copyright 2003 Talk a Lot, Book 2, EFL Press.

We tell the students they can say anything when they can't think of what to say, but they must fill in the silence. They can say "umm...", "Let's see...", "chicken", "kitchen", and so on. Amazingly, students usually pause very little. During this activity we must act as a "policeman" and go from group to group counting off three seconds and noting when a group has spoken native language or has stopped for more than three seconds. However, it's best if you don't tell a group when they are out so that everyone continues speaking for as long as possible. There is simply no better way to build students' speaking confidence than the speaking marathon.

7. Have the students write down every word they say in native language.
At the start of class pass out small slips of paper about the size of a post-it note. Explain that they are to write down every word, phrase, or sentence that they say in native language during the class. Tell them that at the end of the class you will collect their slips and count how many native language entries they have made. Writing down what they say in native language helps students to monitor their output, and this heightened awareness helps to decrease the amount of native spoken.
As a variation, write some of their native language on the board and then teach them how to say the expressions in English.

8. Let the students go 5 minutes early if they speak 100% English.
From time to time, especially when the students are lapsing into native language too much, we can stop the class halfway through the lesson and announce that if everyone speaks 100% English for the rest of the period everyone can leave early. The students don't always make it, but having this goal cuts down the amount of native language significantly if not completely. You may think that the students would be afraid to speak out at all in this situation, but they will speak out more after announcing the possibility of leaving early.

9. Mimic your students when they speak native language.
You will be able to control your students much better if you can mimic their native language slips and then say, "Is that English?" and supply how to say the phrase in English immediately. More often than not students quickly realize they already know how to say the word or expression they said in native language.

10. Be enthusiastic about your students speaking only English.
At times you must be more of a coach than a teacher to motivate your students. Until you have begun to modify their behavior you will have to constantly remind them not to lapse into native language. You must be continually aware of what is going on in all areas of the classroom monitoring all student output. Periodically I give "pep talks" to encourage the students when they are speaking too much native language and also try to motivate them at times when they have failed. Don't give up--change will not come overnight, but slowly the students will respond to your enthusiasm.

11. Pick topics and activities that your students find interesting and useful.
None of the techniques elaborated above will be successful in getting your students to speak English if your students simply don't want to talk about the topic you've given, or if they don't find the topic useful. Motivating and practical activities and topics are necessary to get your students talking in English.
12.Always present yourself as an English speaker, right from the start.
• Don’t be tempted to lapse into the students’ language to explain, regain control or reply to a question. Patiently reply in English.
You may feel put off when they call to each other in their mother tongue What’s she saying?” Use pictures, gesture, facial expression and rephrasing to get your message across.
B.ACTIVITIES TO ENCOURAGE ENGLISH
Here more ways to create opportunities for simple communication in English lessons: are
• Start each lesson by asking students about their week, weekend or previous evening. Talk about yours in a natural way: “Did anyone see that funny film on TV last night?”
• Ask students about their area or information you may need to know. Simple requests for help, such as: “Does anyone know if there is a bank open on Saturday here?” Ask for suggestions for places to visit . Even with beginners, opportunities can arise: ask for the time, the date, how to get to places nearby etc.
• Ask for explanations in English whenever students are able. This stretches students.
• Involve students in board work, asking them to spell aloud a word you are writing, inviting younger learners to complete a summary, write a question or correct a mistake on the board.
• Avoid asking YES/NO questions like : “Do you understand?” Try to get more comments with questions to check understanding: “Why is there an 's' on this verb?” or “Can you pronounce this word?”
• Get students to refer to an English-English dictionary (take your own if necessary). Play games involving definitions (eg. Guessing a described object; animal, vegetable or mineral?; or What’s my line? with job descriptions.) Do simple crosswords with clues.
• Play games where use of the mother tongue loses points for the team.
• Practise and encourage all common classroom requests: “Can I have another piece of paper?” or “May I go to the toilet, please?” - Students may not use English requests amongst themselves but insist they do with you.
Encouraging students can eventually pay-off. If they enjoy your lessons, their attitude to speaking English will improve over time.


Ways to Help Your Students Who Use English as a Second Language -- and Everyone in the Process

As many as half of the undergraduates at the University of Toronto use English as their second (or third or fourth) language, and many are still in the learning stages of mastering English. Some also need to make a cultural transition to a different type of educational system.
While a few students may need specialized help to make the most of their education in English, the practical teaching techniques set out below can make a difference in any class. They benefit all students by accommodating different learning styles, while at the same time helping those facing linguistic and cultural challenges. We offer them here in the knowledge that many U of T instructors already use them with success in both large and small classes.
1. Here are practices that assist all students to follow lectures and class discussions.
o Outlining lectures schematically to show their organization and purpose.
o Presenting information in both oral and written forms where possible: for instance, writing key words on the board or on an overhead. Students may not hear the difference between sulphate, sulphite, and sulphide.
o To help everyone follow the overall movement of thought during class discussions, rephrasing or summarizing student responses occasionally.
o To get fuller participation in class discussions, asking students to come up with questions or answers in groups of three or four. Depending on the size of the class, all or some groups can report back to the class as a whole. This can encourage shy students to share their ideas, help with problems of understanding strong accents, and confirm to everyone that other class members share their puzzles and concerns.
o Referring students to the conversation classes at the International Student Centre and to other student activities (e.g. clubs, choirs) that involve informal listening and speaking in English.