[clivehawkins]

I have a group of 60+ year old women at intermediate level.
They are all retired teachers.
This is their third course with me.

They aren't particularly fluent, certainly not as they should be.
The problem I have with the group is that between themselves they are ultra-competitive and are all too ready to jump in and correct the others when they make a mistake . Apart from being infuriating on my part, it's completely killing off the speaking activities - most of them are afraid to open their mouths!

I've asked them not to do it, I've told them not to do it, I've begged them not to do it. They still do it. I can't really blow my top at them (delicate sensibilities and all that) so WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP THEM?

[susan53]

Two possibilities :

1)This would have to be done in a smiley joking way, and only if you think they'd take it OK - depends on their personalities (and yours) and your relationship with them - but I've done it with one class and it worked ...

Wait till it happens again and then ask the person involved to stand up and come out to the front of the class. As they do so, go and sit in their place, with an Oh well ... type of look and gestures. When they look puzzled, invite them to go on with the lesson as they obviously want to be the teacher and you feel quite redundant.

If you do this every time someone makes a correction, they soon get the point.

2) Another possibility : for each activity leave one person out (a different person each time). She acts as the language monitor and must write down anything she hears that she thinks is a mistake, together with the correction. No-one else is allowed to correct because you are "testing" that person's ability to identify mistakes. At the end of the activity she passes the list of things she's overheard to you. You select some of the things which you think it would be worth the class noticing, and focus on them. You can leave out any mistakes that you know come from insecure students and select only those made by students who will appreciate it. You also focus on anything she's miscorrected.

This "channels" the unwanted behaviour into something more positive, and places it back under your control.

Hope that helps.
Sue

[livinginkorea]

Damn, teachers are hard to teach. I know exactly what you mean except mine were younger. Some were acting like kids.

Seriously there is that saying that you turn into the people that you are around most and they are all elementary teachers. One woman was answering a question that I had asked to the class and some teachers thought that it would be a good idea to make some pig sounds (not even behind her back) while she was answering me. They thought that it was so funny and it was so annoying. I nearly blew a fuse.

I will never teach teachers again!

BTW they were doing that correcting thing as well. I don't correct everything 'cas it takes too long and besides I want them to build up their confidence but a few teachers kept correcting each other, showing off how good they are. I made a point to correct them on everything they said and they got the point soon enough

[clivehawkins]

Quote susan53

2) Another possibility : for each activity leave one person out (a different person each time). She acts as the language monitor and must write down anything she hears that she thinks is a mistake, together with the correction. No-one else is allowed to correct because you are "testing" that person's ability to identify mistakes. At the end of the activity she passes the list of things she's overheard to you. You select some of the things which you think it would be worth the class noticing, and focus on them. You can leave out any mistakes that you know come from insecure students and select only those made by students who will appreciate it. You also focus on anything she's miscorrected.

This "channels" the unwanted behaviour into something more positive, and places it back under your control.

There's no way I could do the first option as they'd be mortally offended, but I'll give the second one a go. This is also a great solution for where there is an odd number of them - it avoids a group of three or me having to take one of them.

I'll let you know how I get on.
Thanks a lot.

[clivehawkins]

Quote livinginkorea

BTW they were doing that correcting thing as well. I don't correct everything 'cas it takes too long and besides I want them to build up their confidence but a few teachers kept correcting each other, showing off how good they are. I made a point to correct them on everything they said and they got the point soon enough

I've explained to them that it's counter productive, especially when they wrongly correct someone who hadn't even made a mistake! However, they just can't leave it. The rooms big enough to separate them when they do speaking activities but somehow their hearing becomes razor sharp and they still hear (more like listen out for) the others. They're only deaf when it suits them

[livinginkorea]

Quote clivehawkins

I've explained to them that it's counter productive, especially when they wrongly correct someone who hadn't even made a mistake! However, they just can't leave it. The rooms big enough to separate them when they do speaking activities but somehow their hearing becomes razor sharp and they still hear (more like listen out for) the others. They're only deaf when it suits them

Maybe you can break them up into pairs more often?

Or have a time out where when one is taking nobody can intrude on them?

[clivehawkins]

Quote livinginkorea

Maybe you can break them up into pairs more often?

yeah, I'm trying that but like I say they suddenly have the hearing of Superman!

[Eric]

i have a similar suggestion to Susan53. Instead of having just one student write down the errors they hear, have them all write down the errors they hear other students make.

at the end of class, collect the lists and go over them without mentioning the name of the students who made the error. just read the error and the solution and ask the class if the solution is correct.

eric