 Re: Is it okay to speak the students' native language in class?
Oh yes, I always insist on maximum usage of English in class, it's just that 100% English only is counter-productive, as you say. And I would never risk speaking in their language, mangling the sense and totally destroying my credibility in the process - I have found that I have a tin ear for the pronunciation of other languages.
But my example of a grape is an actual memory of a time when I was being observed by my DOS. I was doing the dance of describing a grape, and the student said "Ah, uva?" and I said "Yes." Apparently I shouldn't have accepted that from the student...
Rules for teaching are like the "rules" for English - you can never be totally sure that they are 100% true all the time! |