meaning from context. You can also get learners to think about ways in
which they read effectively in L1. By talking about good reading strategies,
you give learners the option of attempting to use them consciously.
8 Talk about text structure. If you are working with many examples of a
particular type of text, you may find that their organization has things in
common. For example, is the same section of the text the one which carries
the most important information? Do the texts open and close in routine
ways? (For example, letters.) Insights into text structure can make reading
much easier.
9 Teach dictionary skills. This means not only when to use a dictionary, but
how: practice in looking up words, and in understanding the information and
examples, will give learners confidence to read outside class. Many learners
start off by using a bilingual dictionary; this can indeed be useful, but a good
monolingual one is even more so. By studying its explanations and
examples, learners can gain a richer picture of the meanings of words they
do not know.
10 Encourage reading for pleasure. Include this as a class activity
occasionally, with short texts. Then help learners to choose suitable books,
magazines, etc, from the school library or self-access centre and ask them
sometimes about their reading. Find out what they like to read in their first
language, and see if you can guide them to accessible L2 equivalents.17 Teaching speaking
In many ways you can’t teach speaking. In real time, spontaneous oral
production, there is little chance for conscious reflection—learners must rely on
what has already become automatic for them. In class, your most important role
is to provide practice opportunities for speaking. The following tips should help
you to see how.
1 Run the class in English. The more English your learners can use in class,
the better. If English is the language of classroom management, they will
need to speak it to get things done. That said, a monolingual group will
inevitably prefer to use L1 at times and you need to be sensitive about this.
L1 use can also have an important social function for your group: to gain an
insight into this, try to notice the circumstances in which they tend to use it.
2 Use plenty of group and pair work. For obvious reasons, this maximizes
the class time available for learners to speak. Each format has its own
advantages: a pair puts pressure on both parties to contribute, whereas a
group gives practice in negotiating more complex interaction patterns. See
7, Using pair and group work.
3 Make activities as spontaneous as possible. Most talk in the world outside
the classroom is unplanned, and learners need to practise this kind ofLANGUAGE WORK IN THE CLASSROOM 33