General ideas and strategies
to promote student use of the
Target Language
Sarah Brown MFL AST
Strategies for Promoting pupil’s
use of the target language
• In year 7 plan into SoW basic classroom instructions/vocab/useful
phrases.
• Support this by having visual stimuli around the room
(displays/hanging signs/washing lines etc)
• Practice repeatedly and expect pupils to then always use them in
the T.L.
• Give rewards for good usage! Eg sticker charts.
• Revisit briefly at the beginning of every year. Can be extended in
subsequent years-both amount and complexity of phrases.
• Use key phrases to apply to different contexts.
• An “active” washing line of useful phrases/key structures that crop
up in lessons. New items can be pegged up as they occur and taken
down when v. familiar.
• Pupil’s have a dedicated page at the back of their books or booklets
to note down useful phrases. Especially authentic, useful things
that they really want to say. Gives them real motivation for
speaking!
Further ideas…..
• Greet pupils at the door and engage in T.L. conversation
(differentiated according to ability of pupil).
• See how long (use a timer) the class can keep talking only
in the target language before someone starts to speak in
English. Keep a record each lesson for them to try and
beat.
• Competition idea from immersion group- divide the class
in half or (filles v garçons). Keep a record each week of
target language use-pupils receive a point for their team
for good usage and can challenge for a ”penalty”-a point
to be deducted if they hear someone talking to the
teacher in English. Can only do so if they use the phrase
“Je peux parler/expliquer en anglais?” Winning team
receive a treat at the end of each week!
And some more…….
•
Use of “place mats” to scaffold and support. Eg year7/9/10
peer assessment mats.
•
Ideas from book called “Something to say”. Have a display
space for pupils to “build” a wall. Every time a pupil is heard
using a good TL phrase they write it on a “Sprechbaustein”. See
eg. And it is stuck up on the wall.
•
Forfeit system. Appoint a police officer each lesson without the
class knowing who it is. At the end of the lesson the police
officer reveals him/herself and reads out any expressions in
English he/she has heard. These are then stuck onto a “rubbish
bin” poster and the person who said them has to find out the TL
equivalent and write it up!
•
Use humour, mime, huge gestures, ridiculous suggestions to
create positive, non threatening atmosphere and encourage
pupils to react spontaneously.
• Lessons carefully planned with clear objectives (in
French?)
• Planned opportunities for TL use in the lesson. Eg. Peer
assessment year 7 / to explain small grammar points –
parce que c’est masculin/féminin/pluriel. / older pupils .il faut + infinitive