English Only in the Classroom: A Good Idea?

[Harold Schiffman]

Thursday, April 10, 2008
English Only in the Classroom: A Good Idea?

Whether you are studying English in your home country or overseas with
a mix of students from many countries, a common concern is how to
improve students' speaking skills and student relations under such
situations. Personally, you can have students from one particular
group learn English just fine if they are motivated and disciplined to
use English only; a mix of different nationalities is not needed.
However, what I often see as a teacher in the US is that certain
students speak their language amongst themselves, and this can
alienate students from other countries. Furthermore, these students
tend to hang out together after class and don't use English except to
order an occasional cheeseburger from McDonalds. So, is having an
English-Only policy in class a good idea? How can teachers help
students improve their English under similar situations?

Randall

http://esl-lab.blogspot.com/2008/04/english-only-in-classroom-good-idea.html
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