The seven ‘R’s are Relationships, Rules, Routines, Rights, Responsibilities, Respect and

Rewards.
If you consider this combination before teaching your class, you will, without doubt create a
dynamic and positive learning environment.  Your students will never forget you!
Relationships
The relationships that you establish with the class as a whole, and with the individuals that make up
each class, lie at the heart of establishing a healthy and happy working environment and managing
children positively.
On asking a number of children over the years the question “What makes a good teacher?”  The
answers indicated the following:
“Knowing that the teacher likes me”
“Being funny”
“Strict but never gets angry”
“Doesn’t make me feel stupid if I make a mistake”
“Kind, patient, helpful”
Here are some more tips to ensure that you receive positive feedback from your young learners.
 Learn the children’s names as soon as you can and always use them.  This may sound easy
however, if teaching in China for example; you could have a class of  forty children!  All
with difficult to pronounce names so getting each child to write their name in English on a
large piece of paper and sticking it to their desk on the first day is one suggestion.  You
could also make small badges yourself and ask the kids to wear them for the first week to
help you.
 Avoid having favourites (or at least make sure that this doesn’t show).
 Listen to what the children have to say (if a child wants to tell you something at an
inappropriate moment, postpone till later but don’t then forget, as this will give the message
that you’re not really interested).
 Challenge the children appropriately and encourage them to believe that they can succeed.
 Be patient if you need to explain or give instructions more than once.
 Create time for personalised moments in which you convey that you know and care about
each child as an individual. This may be, for example, at the start or end of lessons, before
or after formal teaching begins or while children are working individually.
 Model the behaviour that you would like the children to adopt. For example, be polite and
courteous, use please and thank you when you ask them to do things, smile and greet them
whether in or out of the classroom.
 Use praise appropriately to provide feedback and encourage participation and effort.
 Use humour and show a sense of fun.
 Be fair and firm about enforcing rules and acceptable classroom behaviour.
 Keep calm at all times if possible; try not to raise your voice or shout.
 if you tell a child off, make it clear it's their behaviour that you don't like, not them.
 Be consistent. If you say that you or the class will do something, make sure it happens.
 Mark and return work promptly. Be constructive in your comments and respond to
children’s intended meanings, rather than just language accuracy or spelling. As you
develop your relationship with different classes and children, it is a good idea to get into the
habit of monitoring yourself and how things are going. Through reflection and analysis of
your own behaviour, you will be able to identify different aspects of your teaching that make
your relationships work better and produce a more positive response in the children.
Rules
As discussed in module 1, there are a number of different approaches to establishing rules. We
discussed the idea of asking the learners which rules they think would be useful within the
classroom.
With teaching children however, they often like to know the ground rules from the start.
Providing clear boundaries helps children to feel secure so, when teaching a new class especially,
this area needs to be a little more prescriptive.
Rules may either be imposed by the institution or instigated by you. It is usually best to have as few
rules as possible and to make sure that the rules themselves are clear to everybody
e.g. We must put up our hands if we want to speak – as well as the reasons for the rules – e.g. If
everyone is talking at the same time, we won't be able to hear what anybody is saying.
It is important that any rules you establish are perceived as fair by the children and that you can
actually enforce them.
For example, with teaching adults, a rule which states We must always speak English in class may
be perceived as unfair by children if, for example, they have something they desperately need to
say. It may also at times be impossible for you to enforce. You don’t want to set yourself up for a
fall and then lose control.
In this case, a communication rule formulated differently – e.g. We must ask if we need to speak
Spanish (May I speak Spanish, please?) – might be more effective.
This version of the rule will not only establish English as the main language of communication in
the classroom, but will also encourage the children to think twice before giving you a signal that
they need to resort to their mother tongue.
The most effective rules are those which are expressed using inclusive language (our rules for our
classroom) and for which the children feel ownership.
It also helps when rules can be expressed positively rather than negatively in order to highlight
desired behaviour.
For example, in a rule such as We mustn't shout in our classroom, the immediate association is to
think of shouting, whereas if it is expressed positively, e.g. We must talk quietly in our classroom,
the same rule is more likely to work.
Routines
Routines are established patterns of behaviour in which everyone knows what is expected of them
and what they should do.
The introduction of classroom routines is instrumental in setting up working parameters which
function effectively.
It is vital that routines are established during the ‘honeymoon period’ before patterns of
behaviour are set.
In order to introduce and establish routines successfully, you need to have a clear plan of the areas
these will cover and the form they will take. For example, you may like to think of routines for such
things as:
  greeting the children
 taking the register
 starting lessons
 getting into pairs or groups
 moving from one part of the classroom to another
 doing particular activities, e.g. those involving movement or stories
 getting the children’s attention
 starting and stopping activities
 giving out and collecting in materials
 looking at and/or correcting children’s work
  collecting in and returning homework
 going to the toilet
 tidying up
 ending lessons
Familiar routines help to make children feel secure and confident in the classroom. They promote
co-operation as, for example, when we all help tidy up together. They also foster a sense of
community and belonging, in the sense that we all know and share the way we work and do things
together in the classroom.
As children become increasingly familiar with routines and what is expected of them at different
stages of learning, they begin to act more independently.
This helps you to manage your classes positively. It also helps save your energy and your voice
(highly important if you are teaching full time) as, in some areas at least, once routines are
established, children will only need a prompt to know what to do.
Rights and responsibilities
Rights and responsibilities are often two sides of the same coin. Here are some examples from the
children’s perspective:
 If you have the right to join in the lesson, then you also have the responsibility to remember
to bring your books.
  If you have the right to speak in the classroom and have others listen to you, then you also
have the responsibility to listen to others when they do the same.
  If you have the right to use the classroom scissors, crayons and glue, then you also have the
responsibility to share them with others when they need to use them as well.
  If you have the right to have a turn in games, then you also have the responsibility to
respect the turns of others when they play.
  If you have the right to see the pictures when the teacher tells a story, then you also have
the responsibility not to block the view of others.
 If you have the right not to be mocked or laughed at, then you also have the responsibility
not to mock or laugh at others.
Although it is unlikely to be appropriate to talk about rights and responsibilities explicitly with
children, it is important to model through your own behaviour the way you value these.
For example, with responsibilities, if a child constantly forgets their book, it may be necessary for
the teacher to issue frequent reminders and reprimands. Reinforcement through positive interaction
will help encourage the child to be a more responsible student. The desire for praise and approval
can be a strong motivator. Show that you value a student’s actions by offering praise and
specifically identifying what they have done so well.
For example, many children are forgetful. Students may forget to bring books to class. If you have a
forgetful student that shows up with their book, make sure to comment on how well they have done
to remember their book.
A quiet word of praise – e.g. Well done for remembering your book today, Juan! – is much more
likely to reinforce the behaviour you want than saying nothing, which may leave the child
wondering why he bothered to bring his book anyway or whether you even noticed or cared.
Similarly with children’s rights, it is important to show through your behaviour that you value these
and are willing to protect them. If, for example, a child mocks or laughs at another child in the
class, you need to make it clear that this behaviour is completely unacceptable.
In this case, it may be also be worth explicitly discussing the reasons for this, possibly in a private
moment after the class, and inviting the child to consider the situation from the other child’s point
of view by asking how they would feel if the same happened to them.
Encouraging children to reflect on their behaviour and see things from someone else’s point
of view means they will be more likely to act towards others in a responsible way.
Respect
Respect is the glue which underpins and holds together all the other ‘R’s.
Respect cannot be taught explicitly, but it can be modelled in all your behaviour, such as using the
children’s names, being polite, respecting personal space, valuing diversity, recognizing that
children contribute and participate in different ways and understanding that they have feelings and
‘off days’ just like you.
The most important thing about fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect as part of managing
children positively is to remember that respect works two ways.
If the children feel that you respect and treat them like individuals rather than a class to control,
they will also respect and respond to you as individuals, rather than with a collective group
mentality which is always much harder to manage positively.
Rewards
It is usually best not to use any system of extrinsic rewards to raise motivation levels and/or ensure
good behaviour, at least at the outset.
This gives a positive message that you expect everything to go well and could also mean that you
have to spend a fortune on chocolate and sweets to get your class to do anything!
However, there may be times with some classes when introducing a reward system can be an
effective way to reinforce appropriate behaviour and/or to add an additional, motivational and
competitive feel-good factor to things that are already going well.
Reward systems can be devised in all kinds of different enjoyable ways, e.g. using stars, stickers,
points, smiley faces, raffle tickets or marbles in a jar.
If used effectively, they can help promote collaboration, appropriate behaviour and individual as
well as class effort.
However, if used without care, they may also have the opposite effect and create a divisive
atmosphere of ‘winners’ and ‘losers’, in which some children become obsessed by collecting stars
or points, while others adopt a strategy of opting out, which has a correspondingly negative effect
on their motivation, effort and behaviour in class.
The kinds of reward systems which generally work most effectively are ones which are
designed to involve each child working cooperatively for a prize or pay-off which will be won
by the whole class.
For example, in the case of collecting marbles in a jar, individual children, pairs or groups may be
awarded marbles during lessons for such things as working well, making an effort to speak English,
helping others, completing their work carefully or whatever you decide.
As soon as the jar is filled with marbles, the whole class gets a reward.
This may be something as simple as watching a favourite video, having a quiz, playing a favourite
game or whatever else you and the children choose.
The jar for the marbles should not be too big, so that the reward is attainable over a reasonably short
period of time, for example a week or, maximum, two.
If it takes a whole term (a long time in the life of a child!) to fill up the jar and earn the reward, then
they are likely to lose interest and enthusiasm.
Giving a reward is best done instantly as an ongoing part of your teaching, so that the association
between the reward and the reason for it is always fresh in the children’s mind, e.g. Great work,
Daniel and Antonio. I only heard English in the game. Two marbles in the jar for you!
The effect of individuals collecting rewards for the benefit of the whole class creates an atmosphere
in which there is positive peer pressure to make an effort, work well and produce appropriate
behaviour.
A collaborative reward system like this can also be made fun by your challenging the class,
e.g. Can you fill the jar by Friday? I don’t think so. Show me I’m wrong!
If you do decide to use a reward system such as the one described above, it is a good idea to vary
the system you use for accumulating rewards (marbles, raffle tickets, stars, etc.) regularly, as, if you
always use the same one, it is likely after a while to lose its associations of pleasant expectation,
surprise and fun.
It is also essential always to use reward systems in the positive way in which they are intended, i.e.
as rewards, rather than negatively or punitively, for example, by taking or threatening to take
marbles back out of the jar once they have been awarded.

Module Questions: Reflection Time

As you use the storytelling and drama activities in this section with your classes, you may like to
think about the following questions and use your responses to evaluate how things went and plan
possible improvements for next time:
1. Interest: Did the story engage the children’s curiosity, interest and attention? Why? / Why
not? If so, how was this sustained?
2. Participation: Did the children participate actively? What factors encouraged – or
discouraged – this?
3. Creative thinking: How did the children respond to activities which invited a creative or
imaginative response? Did this affect the way they used language? If so, how?
4. Kinaesthetic learning: How did the children respond to activities involving mime and
movement? In what ways did such activities seem to help or detract from the children’s
learning? What were the reasons for this, do you think?
5. Collaboration: Did the children collaborate and work well together? What factors influenced
this?
6. Enjoyment: Did the children enjoy the story and related activities? Why? / Why not? What
effect did this have on their motivation, confidence and self-esteem?

Unit 1: Teaching with limited resources

There is nothing worse than arriving at your new school, all full of enthusiasm and ideas for great
hand-outs, only to realise that your school does not have a photocopier!
This has happened to many an EFL teacher (including the writer of this module!).  On completion
of this course, some of you will be jetting off to schools in all five continents of the globe.
If you are planning on teaching in a developing country, or a very small school, it would be a good
idea to consider the very practical notion of teaching with limited resources.
To follow, are a number of practical ideas and techniques to ensure that your students are still
engaged and learning despite you only having perhaps some broken bits of chalk and a blackboard!
A–Z
A firm favourite with all my students, especially with large classes who are not used to getting up
and moving around in the classroom.       
 Choose a lexical set like sports.
 The student at the front of each line must run to the board and write a sport beginning with
A, hand the chalk to the student behind them and then go to the back of the line.
 The next student goes to the board and writes a sport beginning with B, hands the chalk to
the next student and goes to the back of the line and this continues until students reach Z.
 Other students in the team can help the person writing if they cannot think of a sport. If
nobody can think of one, they go on to the next letter in the alphabet.
 The winner is the team with the most sports written on the board by the end of the game.
Tip: use large lexical sets for this game: food & drink, jobs, things you can find in the house,
countries, parts of the body NOT furniture or musical instruments which are limited and will
frustrate all the players!
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a fun, creative strategy for teachers with limited textbook resources. It involves the
entire class in a creative project. Able to input their own ideas, students become energized and
enthusiastic. A typical brainstorming session would go something like this:
 Decide upon a theme and write it on a dry erase or chalkboard for the entire class to see. For
example, use the theme of a mountaintop camp-out.
 Divide the class into two teams.
 Instruct students to take turns making a quick dash to the board to write a word or phrase
that could be used in a mountaintop camp-out story. Examples: backpack, climb, struggle,
rope, echo, fire.
 Create a time limit, such as 5 minutes. Whichever team has the most words or phrases at the
end of the time limit wins.
For an additional exercise, use the students’ work in the brainstorming race, and have them craft
their own versions of a mountaintop camp-out story.
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Unit 3: Teacher roles

Unit 3: Teacher roles
Why have we placed this Unit in this Module: ‘Classroom Survival Tips’?
Plainly and simply, it’s because there’s more to your role than you might think.
You’ve already studied what it takes to be a competent and effective teacher – and you will be if
you take all our ideas on board and marry them with your own ideas. And we have already
discussed the key knowledge, ability, skills and habits elements you require to deliver up a
successful lesson.
However, there are other skills you need to have to ensure success. It would be very pleasant if your
role simply comprised of passing on information, creating an enjoyable atmosphere and other
pleasant activities. It would be truly wonderful! However, it’s not as easy as that.
There are other personal and supervisor- type roles and activities you will be responsible for and
these require skill and energy. They come with the job, as they say.
The range of teacher roles
Assessor:
 assessing progress
 correcting errors
 allowing students to demonstrate their mastery of the material in different ways
 diagnosing what needs to be done in follow-up lessons
 preparing and delivering tests and examinations and marking them, as required
 communicating grades/results/progress with sensitivity and support
 ensuring that you too can meet any required external standards or inspections
Controller:
 ensuring that the whole class is tuned into what needs to be done, e.g. starting off a new activity
 ensuring that classroom order is maintained
Facilitator:
 knowing what facilitation really is
 stepping back and allowing students to find their way along the language journey, whilst still
monitoring and motivating as needs be
 being available and ready to act as a resource when needed
Guide:
 guiding those who are unsure of what to do
Manager:
 ensuring all the nitty-gritty elements that underpin a successful lesson are carried out, e.g. giving
effective and coherent instructions, arranging the most effective seating, ensuring instructions are
carried out as planned, and ensuring that tasks are completed as planned
 ensuring group dynamics skills are utilised to provide efficient classroom routines, smooth
transitions and different types of groupings to encourage specific types of learning
 ensuring a sense of community and belonging in the classroom
Materials producer and collector:
 producing more appropriate, more relevant and often much better materials than a coursebook
offers
 ensuring a variety of material mediums – paper/image based, audio and video, realia, where
appropriate
Monitor:
 observing and analysing ongoing interactions – on a daily basis
 monitoring what’s going well and what’s not going so well – on a daily basis
 reflecting on the evidence and deciding what needs to be done in a feedback session later
 being able to deliver effective, constructive and timely feedback to all students you are responsible
for
 recognising when there is a need to act as a counsellor, providing emotional support as needed to
help learners feel confident in their learning
Motivator:
 motivating some of the students who may not be so keen on the activity or who may be tired or are
thinking elsewhere, perhaps due to the stresses and strains of life outside the classroom
 understanding that lessons should be interesting, meaningful and stimulating and should respond
to the learners’ emotional, cognitive and linguistic needs
 remembering that the whole person comes to school, so even the intrinsically motivated person
yesterday may not be the motivated person today
Needs analyst:
 identifying the learning needs expressed by the learners
 accounting for differing language ability levels and varying backgrounds, interests, and needs
 Remember: Learners may have other needs that you may identify, e.g. behavioural or social needs,
but here we use the term ‘needs analyst’ primarily in relation to learners’ learning needs.
Planner/organiser:
 preparing lesson plans for the class or age group you are assigned to
 accounting for differing language ability levels and varying backgrounds, interests, and needs
 embracing a multicultural perspective in the planning and encouraging this in the learning episodes
 accounting for maximum student interaction within the plans
 ensuring that there is plentiful opportunity for authentic and communicative language use
 setting out the roadmap for the lesson and organising all the tasks and activities for all the learners
Sometimes, many of these skills and roles are required in the one lesson. The ability to seamlessly
master the skill of multi-tasking will make your lessons more fluid, more effective and more
enjoyable.
You may have picked up some of the skills necessary for your teacher role already in another job or
activity, so that experience will serve you well.
If not, you should consider delving into these areas before you take up your teaching post. Our
course will help you with some of these personal and supervisor- type skills in some areas, e.g.
assessment, motivation, planning and you’ll likely have friends who use other skills in their job and
can help you.
A good book on general supervisor or management skills will also be of benefit.
The majority of inexperienced TEFL teachers setting out for their first teaching post have often
given little thought to this. Perhaps their course did not make them aware of this. It’s then a severe
shock to their system when they realise they’re unprepared in some of these skills areas.
But you won’t be unprepared!
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Unit 4: Discipline in the classroom 1-10

While more movement of students and more communication amongst students have had a positive
effect in the communicative classroom, they have also increased the potential for things to go wrong
in the classroom, leading to possible problems relating to student discipline and behaviour.
These issues of discipline and student behaviour are the most frequently mentioned concerns of
inexperienced teachers.
Gradually, you will develop your own strategies and techniques for dealing with inappropriate
behaviour.
Often, indiscipline arises due to confusion over:
 weak classroom rules, or lack of them
 roles and expectations, i.e. your and your students’ roles and expectations
In essence, inadequate classroom management is likely to be at the root of it, most of the time.
1. Teacher attitudes to discipline
Although it is a bit of a generalisation, there seems to be two main categories of teachers with their
differing attitudes to discipline.
There are those who see the learner as the recipient of information that the teacher, as the fount of
knowledge, has to provide. They see the learner's role as relatively passive. They control. They tend
to accept the need for minor punishments as an incentive to learning.
On the other hand, there are the teachers who see learning as a process that requires the active
commitment of the students. These teachers try to avoid punishment, relying on the students'
interest in the work to keep them out of trouble.
These teachers see themselves more as guides than controllers, and so they seek to maintain
discipline through persuasion and by tapping into the students' basic good nature.
Experience tells us that if you genuinely care for your students (as you will), and communicate well
with them in not only their subject content but in all social ways, you will bring out the best in your
students. When you keep these goals in sight, you will often get the better of even the most
troublesome student.
You’ll decide on your approach.
2. Key issues that can affect student behaviour negatively
Here are some common issues for you to reflect on:
 You try to be liked instead of respected.
 An innate urge among some teachers to control students rather than elicit their respect for
authority
 Some teachers never seem to develop effective strategies for dealing with unacceptable
student-created problems.
 Confusion over rules, roles and expectations – on both sides
 Poor teacher-student communication
 School supervision and discipline policies which are unbending, i.e. zero tolerance
 A lack of school supervision and discipline policies
3. Strategies for preventing/minimising discipline issues
It is pretty impossible to provide a set of rules and procedures that will work in all student situations
and settings. But there are many practical strategies that work well.
Here’s what to do, and what not to do:
1. Good planning and organisation
The teachers who are most successful in maintaining discipline in class are not those who are good
at dealing with problems, but those who know how to prevent problems from occurring in the first
place.
Careful planning and organisation are the keys to preventing problems arising.
Careful planning and organising promotes a constant momentum, pace and a feeling of purpose
which keeps the students' attention on the task at hand and does not allow the formation of a
`vacuum' which may be filled by distracting or counter-productive activity.
An awareness that everything is planned and you know where you are going contributes a great deal
to your own confidence and to your ability to win the trust of the students.
Because the bulk of your students are motivated by your quick-paced and organised momentum, the
misbehaver is often ignored by the rest of the class. He has no audience to perform to and will give
up his counter-productive activity.
2. English-only environment
Cultivating an English-only environment as much as possible will go a long way towards creating a
classroom that does not get side-tracked with L1 usage. But there may be some occasions where
you will allow L1 usage.
3. The skill of distraction
Creating a distraction is an almost guaranteed way to close the curtains on the misbehaving
performer. His performance will stop abruptly.
Always have some already-prepared distractions up your sleeve.
This can be achieved in a number of ways:
 Hands up those who want to see this amazing picture.
 The first group to put these words into a proper sentence, and write it on the board, will get
10 points added to the best group end-of-term award.
 Ah! I forgot the box. Who wants to be first to see what I’ve got in my box?
 Let’s try this out. I’m going to whisper something to Adriano. Then he must whisper the
same thing to Alanza, and then Alanza to another member of the group and so on. The last
person in the group must stand up and tell me what was whispered. Are you ready?
 Who wants to hear about something funny that happened to me yesterday?
He’ll want to be a part of this new activity, like everyone else.
4. Clear and succinct instructions
Clear and succinct instructions are critical. Too much hesitation and mind-changing on your part
can easily distract students.
5. Stay alert at all times – for negatives and positives
You need to be constantly aware of what is going on in all sectors of the classroom, keeping your
eyes and ears open. Don’t fall into the trap that some teachers fall into, using the time in class to
mark previous work. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Your role is to facilitate learning at all times in the classroom. When you’re up and about, you will
be fully alert as to what’s going on.
But it’s not only negative behaviour you should be keeping an eye on. Look out for positive
behaviour too. When you see good, specific examples of positive behaviour, praise your students.
Don’t just praise them with a common phrase such as Well done, group B. Tell them why you are
praising them: Well done, group B. I’ve noticed that everyone is doing a separate part of the task.
That’s what group work is all about. Thank you!
And, of course, communication with parents and carers is paramount. If school policy allows it, find
time, on a termly basis, to send a note to parents/carers, telling them what the students have done
well. This will be discussed at home and will provide further motivation to your students.
6. Set and agree a code of behaviour in the classroom
This should be set with the students, where possible, so they know the consequences of their
behaviour should it not be socially acceptable to the rest of the group or to you, e.g. in relation to
homework, letting others speak without interruption, sticking to routines etc.
Also, be wise and present to the class your code of behaviour too, e.g. how you will behave at all
times (be patient, never shout etc.). This acceptance by you that you too will follow a code will
build their trust in, and respect for, you.
7. Fairness and consistency
Be fair and consistent at all times with all of your students. The classroom rules for dealing with
each aspect of misbehaviour need to be applied consistently at all times, no matter if the misbehaver
is normally one of your best students.
8. Focus on the behaviour, not on the person
Don’t make any comments about the person who is misbehaving. Stick to commenting on the
behaviour.
9. Encourage even your misbehaving students
When they are behaving well, catch them doing that. Tell them: Well done, Juan. You’ve got some
very good examples there.
10. Use your body language
Often, there is no need to speak. Most students will stop misbehaving when you:
 stare at them at length
 clap your hands, once
 shake your head, signalling No!
 use a tool agreed in the class rules, e.g. ringing a bell

Unit 5: Culture and its implications

In this final course Unit, we will explore two key cultural aspects, both of which are important for
classroom survival:
 Appropriateness: cultural contextualisation
 Cross-cultural aspects in the classroom
1. Appropriateness: cultural contextualisation
In the language arena, there are several meanings of the word ‘appropriateness’. Here our focus is
on cultural contextualisation.
A subtler aspect of meaning that often needs to be introduced to learners is whether a particular
item is appropriate for use in a certain context.
Appropriateness of a speech act is measured against sociocultural norms. The norms may vary
somewhat within a given group of society, but they are generally recognised within the society as a
whole.
However, the same speech act in one society's culture may not be considered appropriate in another
culture.
There are possible repercussions arising from a learner saying words that would be viewed as
inappropriate in another culture and society. If repeated many times, the learner would probably be
viewed negatively by the native speakers in that culture and society.
For this reason, you must make your learners aware of possible cross-linguistic problems.
Thus, it is important that your learners know that a certain word or phrase is very common, or
relatively rare, or ‘taboo’ in, say, polite conversation. Or, perhaps, the word tends to be used in
writing but not in speech; or that it is more suitable in formal than in informal discourse.
For example, weep is virtually synonymous in denotation with cry, but it is more formal and poetic,
tends to be used in writing more than in speech, and is much less common.
But what does this mean for YOU?
Here’s what you need to know and reflect on to ensure you get cultural contextualisation right
first time:
1. Remember this:  Communication is culture bound. The way an individual communicates and the
words and structures she uses emanate from her culture.
2. Students with different cultural norms are at risk if you have little knowledge, sensitivity or
appreciation of the diversity in communication styles. You may perceive differences as problems
and respond to students' diversity with negative attitudes, low expectations and culturally
inappropriate teaching and assessment procedures.
3. Remember: Cultures vary internally and are changeable. There are usually many cultural
differences within a single race or nationality. Avoid stereotyping your students.
4. What is logical and important in your culture, e.g. always tagging on please to a request, or
taking turns to speak, may seem irrational and unimportant to learners in another culture.
5. In describing another culture’s language, teachers tend to stress the differences and overlook the
similarities. Ensure you do not fall into this trap.
6. Avoid some inappropriate cross cultural communication barriers:
 Be aware of words, images and situations that suggest that all or most members of a racial
group are the same.
 Be aware of possible negative implications of word/colour symbolism and usage that could
offend people or reinforce bias. For example, terms such as black magic or black market can
be offensive in some cultures.
 Avoid words that have questionable racial or ethnic connotations. For example, a phrase
such as you people may have a racial overtone.
 Be aware that words, objects, characters and symbols may reflect different beliefs or values
for different groups. For example, the confederate flag and Uncle Remus stories may offend
African Americans because they reflect the culture of slavery and the Old South.
 Be aware of different rules for taking turns during conversations. For example, some
cultures frequently perceive ‘breaking in’ to reinforce or disagree with another's point to be
perfectly permissible, indeed desirable.
 Cultures may use different standards for loudness, speed of delivery, silence, attentiveness
and time to respond to another's point. For example, Far East societies place high value on
contemplation and tend, therefore, to feel little responsibility to make immediate responses
during conversation.
Understanding another culture’s language appropriateness is a continuous process.
2. Cross-cultural aspects in the classroom
An awareness of cross-cultural aspects in your classroom is vital.
Here are some practical guidelines to ensure you get it right:
  Cross-cultural aspects play a key part in the classroom dynamics. Handle these aspects right
and the class will be on fire. Get any important cross-cultural aspect wrong and the learning
may well be disrupted.
 You will need to be sensitive to cultural differences and cultural elements at all times,
particularly as they pertain to the host culture, since they can influence overall student
learning behaviour.
 It is important that you are fully aware of the environment in which you are working and
don’t judge the students on the basis of your own cultural background and educational
experiences.
 If you are not aware of cultural nuances, it can prove to be detrimental to your success.
 You cannot assume that your expectations of the classroom will be the same as the learners'
expectations.
Remember: The comments below are general comments – every single student from a particular
culture won’t necessarily display the same behaviours.
Examples of cultural differences
Here are some cultural differences that can come up in class. It will all depend on where you are
teaching and the cultural background and educational experiences of your students.
This information will serve you well, so reflect on this regularly.
Learners’ expectations
Learners from more traditional educational systems may expect you to behave in a more formal and
authoritarian fashion during classes.
They may also want you to engage in extensive correction of grammatical form or pronunciation
during all activities rather than at specified points in a lesson, or not at all.
In some cultures, e.g. Brazil, Norway and Spain, students are expected to be vocal and pro-active in
the learning process; in other cultures, such as Japan and Korea, learners are expected to be silent,
passive recipients of knowledge.
In some cultures, silence is taken as a sign of respect and a willingness to learn; in other cultures, it
is seen as boredom and a refusal to participate.
In some cultures, asking a question is seen as disrespectful, challenging and inappropriate; in others,
asking a question is seen as an important sign of students taking responsibility for their own
learning, and something to be welcomed.
Teachers’ expectations
Similarly, you bring to the classroom your own expectations regarding teacher behaviour. This
includes your views on appropriate learner behaviour within your culture in general, as well as in
the classroom.
You may unconsciously attribute these same expectations to your students, which can heighten the
potential for conflicting expectations and evaluations of behaviour between you and your learners.
Gender, age and status-related issues
You need to find out whether your learners have ever experienced mixed educational groupings;
whether they expect male and female teachers to behave differently; and how different classroom
activities, including various group configurations or activity types, such as role plays, might affect
learners due to native cultural constraints. Research this before starting off.
You may encounter reluctance from both men and women from cultures in which women have
historically been constrained by social roles that do not promote active participation in mixed-sex
settings, e.g. Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia
In some cultures, if some students think that women (especially younger or other lower status
women) are lower in the ranking, that will exaggerate any negative reactions they have to being
interrupted, corrected, told to do things in the classroom that are unfamiliar etc.
Some students might feel they cannot interrupt or correct students who are older, in a high-status
job, are male etc. or may be shocked when you (or another student) do not pay attention to such
distinctions.
Inappropriate topics for discussion in various countries - general
 Religion
 Politics
 Dating, sexual relations
 Gender roles
 Civil strife (where some students are refugees from this strife)
 Immigration (where some students are in the process of this and may be unsettled by
questions about their personal details)
 Freedom and democracy
 Human rights issues
 Conflicts with other countries
 Discussing opinions and beliefs
There are some cultures in which the reaching of a group consensus is more highly valued than the
statement of personal opinion, so discussion-type tasks should be used with care.
The cultural make-up of your class will determine your approach; when well used, of course, these
activities can be very successful.
Gestures
The main point to note with gestures is that people do not stop finding a gesture offensive just
because they understand that it means something else in other countries.
Impulsiveness v reflection
In some cultures, such as most of the USA, children are encouraged to give an answer to any
question quickly, while in other cultures, e.g. Japan, reflection is encouraged before answering.
Proxemics
Each culture has its own norms for the distance between two people standing and conversing, and
these norms may also differ between you and your students.
Eye contact
In some cultures, respect is shown by avoiding eye contact, or shortening the length of contact,
while in others making eye contact is evidence of honesty and respectfulness. One frequently
misunderstood example is that East Asian students often close their eyes when concentrating.
Your failure to make eye contact with students in some cultures could be interpreted by some
students as you lacking in confidence.
Active participation
Verbally expressing ideas and asking questions during class can prove difficult for students
unaccustomed to this form of active participation.
Communication styles
You must become aware of the cultural differences in reasoning and communication. There are
patterns of expression and rules of interaction that reflect the norms and values of a culture. A lack
of understanding of these communication styles could lead to confusion, anxiety and conflict. Two
key communication styles are Direct v Indirect and Attached v Detached.
Direct: straightforward, no beating about the bush, avoiding ambiguity v Indirect: meaning
conveyed by subtle means, stories, and frequent use of implication.
Attached: communicating with feeling and emotion, subjectivity is valued, sharing one’s values and
feelings about issues is desirable v Detached: communication should be calm and impersonal,
objectivity is valued; emotional, expressive communication is seen as immature or biased.
Motivation and memorisation
You will already be thinking of many different ways to motivate students which, in the main, will
work. Be aware that in many schools in China and Taiwan, there are numerous learning strategies
based entirely on memorisation - the greatest motivator is success in exams and is based on how
much students can remember.
Writing
In many cultures, students are not encouraged to express their opinions and ideas. They may have
little experience with creative writing to bring from their native language.
Interrupting
In some cultures, several students talking over each other is normal, whereas others will wait until
there is complete silence before making their contribution.
Volume
Another variant is the volume at which people pitch their voices for ‘normal’ conversation. This can
vary widely, even among subcultures, and will also put a learner at a disadvantage if either speaking
too softly or too loudly is viewed negatively by you.
Autonomy
You will tell your students that they should take charge of their learning, that you are a helper and
guide rather than the source of knowledge and authority. Yet these wishes may not fit with
educational traditions from different cultures.
Movement in class
If you are accustomed to walking about the room to monitor your students’ performance and crouch
down to help a student, and if you are teaching in a culture that views this as somehow offensive, it
will be your responsibility to modify your technique to conform to the expectations of your
students.
Summary
 Be aware of culture at all times.
 Increase your learning of culture in the classroom.
 If ever asked about any subject we have suggested as taboo, simply reply: I’m sorry. I’m a
guest here in your country and I don’t think I’m in any position to comment.
3. Handling any cultural issues in the classroom
If any cultural issues come up in class, then go into your memory bank and decide if it’s any of
those areas mentioned above: e.g. religion, politics and democracy
If it is, it’s closing time and you need to close down the conversation or debate straight away.
1. Do it courteously.
2. Empathise with the student(s) involved that their point is important, worrying, concerning
-whatever emotion is stated by the speaker.
3. However, state that you need to move on. Something like this: I’m sorry everybody, we’ll
need to move on. We’ve got lots to cover. I suggest the two of you continue the discussion
outside the classroom. Right, where were we?
Of course, if it’s a general discussion about superstitions or what foods are eaten in different
countries and appropriate areas like these, then you will let it run for a bit as real communication is
taking place.
Remember! Keep your eyes and ears open all of the time for any inappropriate discussion topics
starting and head them off at the pass quickly!

Pre-watching points 1-7

Before watching the video, this next section will help you to notice some of the key differences and
challenges of teaching large classes.  After watching the video, please go to the test and answer the
questions that are based on the video.
1. How can you maintain visual contact with all students in a large class?
This may be a problem because a large class usually means a large room and the students at the
back or the side may not be able to see the teacher clearly.  In large classes, the students are often
seated in rows (rather than in a semi-circle).  This means that other students’ heads will prevent
visual contact. 
Teaching technique to watch out for
Please notice that the teacher, Nick, stands throughout the lesson so that all the students can see him
and he can see them.  He also moves around the room so that he has regular, closer visual contact
even with the students that are sat at the back of the room.
2. How can you make yourself heard in a large classroom?
Smaller classes are more intimate and the teacher can usually speak at a normal volume.  In larger
classes this may not be possible because the teacher will not be heard.
Teaching technique to watch out for
Notice that Nick speaks at a volume slightly above normal but importantly, doesn’t not shout.  Nick
makes sure that he projects his voice to the back of the room.  He knows that if the students sitting
at the back can hear him, all the students in the room will be able to.
3. How can you make sure that students can see the gestures and body language you use?
Gestures and body language play a very important part in conveying the meaning of what you are
saying to students (e.g. instructions, checking the meaning of vocabulary etc.) Students sitting at the
back of the room may not be able to see the gestures clearly as there could be another student sitting
in front of them, blocking their view. 
Teaching technique to watch out for
Notice that Nick makes sure that all his gestures are ‘larger’ than would normally be the case in a
smaller class.  He stands throughout the lesson so that the students can see his upper body.  He
repeats many of the gestures he uses several times to give students more chance to interpret them
correctly.  He often moves into the body of the class as he repeats gestures (especially when giving
instructions for classroom management) so each section of the class has a clear view.
4.  How on earth do you remember all the students’ names?
One way of ensuring that all students feel personally involved in a lesson is to refer to them by
name.  In a smaller class the teacher should always ensure that they learn and remember the names
of all the students.  In a larger class this is often a problem because there are too many names to
remember.
Teaching technique to watch out for
The students have been provided with large ‘labels’ on which they have written their names and
these have been places on the desks in front of them.  Nick can refer to these when speaking to an
individual or when inviting one of them to speak.  Students will usually feel that the teacher is
giving them more personal attention even though they know he is reading their name from a card. 
After teaching a class like this for a period of months, you will probably get to the point where you
do actually remember their names.  Nicks solution though is definitely a good one for the first
couple of weeks at least.
5. How can you move students into pairs and groups?
In smaller classes, a teacher can gesture to all the students to show then the pairs and groups they
want them to work in.  In a larger class, this may be very time-consuming.  In a larger class,
students may be sitting at desks in rows which makes it more difficult for the teacher to move them
around the room.
Teaching technique to watch out for
In this lesson, Nick gives clear and concise instructions and speaks at a slightly higher volume.  He
moves away from the front of the class and into the rows to show a limited number of students the
groups he wants them in.  He uses ‘big’ and clear gestures.  The rest of the students are then left to
move themselves into appropriate groupings.  Notice as well that even though students move
themselves into pairs and groups, Nick is keeping a watchful eye to make sure they are doing what
is required.  If he feels they have moved into inappropriate groupings, he can intervene.  He does
not however, attempt to move all the students into groups himself. He generally gets students to talk
to the student next to them or to the students in front or behind.  In both cases, this is a simple
manoeuvre which does not involve changing the position of the furniture or moving the students too
much. Once students become aware that these groupings are used frequently during a lesson, they
will quickly be able to move themselves and not rely on the teacher to direct them.
6. How can you have contact with all the students?
It is important in any lesson that students feel they have contact with the teacher.  This is a problem
in larger groups because the teacher may be physically distant from them and /or they may feel
individually insignificant among so many others.  In addition, there are so many students in the
class that the teacher will not normally be able to have individual contact with all the students in
one lesson.
Teaching technique to watch out for
Notice that how Nick makes sure that he uses the names of all the students he speaks to personally
and, importantly, varies the students he speaks to.  On only one occasion does he ask the same
student to give an answer more than once. The students he has specific contact with are chosen from
different areas of the room which ensures that all the students know he may speak to them
individually at any time.  This allows even those sitting at the back of the room to have some kind
of (potential) connection with the teacher.  It is very important that the teacher frequently moves
into the rows while monitoring pair and group work and does not monitor the easiest areas that are
most convenient for him.
7. How can you drill language in large classes to teach pronunciation?
When drilling, it is very common in smaller classes for the teacher to ask a large number of
individuals to repeat the work/sentence.  This would be extremely time-consuming in a large group.
Teaching technique to watch out for
Nick relies on whole class repetition (choral drilling) rather than on individual repetition.  If more
individual work is needed, the teacher may choose to correct certain students when they are
working in pairs/groups.  Remember, it is important to select students for individual attention from
various parts of the room so that all students know that can be (potentially) personally involved in
the process.
8. How can you provide hand-outs and worksheets to all the students?
This is a problem in very large classes because of the number of copies involves.  Schools
(especially those in developing countries) may have a limit on the number of photocopies a teacher
is allowed to make.
Teaching technique to watch out for
Nick overcomes this problem by reproducing his hand-out on the board and asking students to copy
it.  Teachers will often use and O.H.P. with the same effect.  This technique will work for simple
hand-outs but you should not attempt to ask them to copy a very complicated worksheet.  Nick also
gives students time to copy vocabulary items from the blackboard rather than giving students the
information on a printed sheet.
9. How can you easily distribute hand-outs and worksheets to all the students?
In smaller classes, the teacher is usually able to hand a copy of materials to each student.  This
would be extremely time-consuming in larger classes and would involves the teacher negotiation
around various obstacles e.g. furniture.
Teaching technique to watch out for
When Nick wants a hand-out distributed to all the students, he hands a pile to students sitting at the
front and asks them to pass copies back to others.  This saves time and makes the whole process
much more efficient.
10. How can the teacher ensure that students can be seen and heard by others in the room
when they are answering questions individually?
This is often a problem in larger classes (especially when students are sitting in rows facing the
front of the room).  In large groups, the individuals within the group may feel physically distant
from the student who is speaking and may not therefore pay much attention.
Teaching technique to watch out for
When students answer questions individually, Nick often gets them to stand up and this provides
visual contact for the rest of the class.  Visual contact is extremely important if the teacher wants
other students to focus more on what an individual student is saying.  He also asks students to
physically turn towards the body of the class while they are speaking which give the impression that
they are speaking directly to the others.  In this lesson, the students are provided with a microphone
but this may not be the case in other schools.  If the teacher thinks that others in the room haven’t
heard what an individual student has said, he can repeat their words or ask them to say it again.  If
he feels that some of the other students aren’t listening, he should (politely) tell them to do so.
11. How can you give instructions to the whole class?
In larger classes, students many not be paying attention because they hide more easily in the group. 
It may be difficult to see or hear the teacher.
Teaching technique to watch out for
As with all classes, it is important that instructions are clear, succinct and often backed up by an
example. In this lesson, Nick projects his voice effectively, speaking at a slightly higher volume that
he does at other stages.  He stands where all the students can see him and often moves into the body
of the class to demonstrate what he wants the students to do. He also  uses large gestures to support
the words he is using.
12. How can you re-gain students attention at the end of a noisy activity?
When a large group of people are all speaking at once, there will be a lot of noise.  This may mean
that it is difficult for the teacher’s voice to be heard above the noise.  If the students are engaged in
pair or group work, they will be focusing on one another rather than on the teacher.  If they are
sitting in rows and speaking to the person behind/ in front of them , they may not even be aware of
the teacher’s presence.
Teaching technique to watch out for
Notice how Nick claps his hands to attract the students’ attention.  This sound will be heard above
most other noise in the room and the students will recognise it as coming from the teacher.  He also
speaks at a slightly higher volume at this stage of the lesson.
13. How should teachers write on the whiteboard/blackboard?
The students sitting at the back of the room may not be able to see what is written on the board.
Also, if they are sitting in rows, the students may not have a clear view of the board. 
Teaching technique to watch out for
All the items that Nick puts of the board are written in large letters. He makes use of diagrams to
demonstrate the connection between one item and another because diagrams can easily be
interpreted at a distance.  It is important that the teacher uses those parts of the board that can be
most easily seen (e.g. the top rather than the bottom). As in any lesson, the teacher needs to plan
carefully in advance where they will put each item on the board. An alternative to using the board
would be to produce a clear O.H.T. and project it onto a surface clearly visible to all the students.
14. How can you respond to student’s problems when they are engaged in a listening activity?
In a large class, some students will be physically distant from the tape recorder or CD players and
this will affect their ability to hear the material.   If students are part of a large group, they many
feel less willing to ask the teacher to alter the volume or re-play part of the recording.  Most
students don’t want to ‘stand out’ as having problems or appear as ‘demanding’ when there are a lot
of others in the room. 
Teaching technique to watch out for
Nick re-plays parts, and pauses parts of the recording without asking the students if they want him
to. This is because he realises that individuals may not ask him to do so if they are having
difficulties. In addition, Nick has predicted that he will need to pause the recording because he
wants students to write the exact words they hear.  This would be too challenging for them if he
didn't pause the tape. Before going into class you will need to predict what problems students might
have and make sure that you have incorporated this into the practice elements of your lesson.  You
could, for example, play the recording and stand at the back of the room to check that it can be
heard, or check that your board work can be seen from all parts of your

Can do statements
Or you could give the students the following 'Can do statements' and ask them to tick which ones
they struggle with the most
1 = Unable to do this
2 = Have difficulty doing this
3 = Can sometimes do this
4 = Feel quite confident doing this
5 = Feel very confident doing this
Writing
I can… 12345
Examine the essay question and decide what type of essay is required.            
Organise my main ideas into paragraphs in a way that is clear to the reader.          
Write topic sentences that describes the main idea of the paragraph.          
Write body sentences that support the topic sentence.          
Write conclusive sentences that summarise the main idea of the paragraph.          
Summarise information from a text selecting the main points.          
Use punctuation and commas accurately          
Compare information in an academic text          
I know the between language used to express an opinion and language used to state a fact          
Correct and improve my own writing          
Vocabulary:
I can 12345
Record vocabulary in a way that help me remember             
Use my vocabulary accurately in the context of a sentence          
Use language for expressing an opinion accurately          
Speaking:
I can…   12 345
Discuss hobbies and sports fluently             
Create and use mind maps and notes to help me prepare for part two          
Talk about a range of topics, without hesitation          
Discuss peoples personalities and express my opinion without hesitation          
Paraphrase when I don’t know/can’t remember vocabulary          
(Adapted from  May, P. 1996 Exam Classes)
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