Micheal, 

I rarely teach low level classes, so my students usually have enough English to speak only English in the classroom, so this is generally not a problem for me.  However, most of my classes have students with at least 6 or 7 L1s, ( I've had as many as 17!)so working with a class like you describe would be nearly impossible in most schools in the Pacific Northwest.   

Given the world I teach in, I agree with Rosemary that teachers using one L1 in the classroom is rude, unless it is only for clarification or short explanation. Any lesson information should be in English only unless you can translate it for all languages represented in the the classroom.

Regardless of the "community" you build in the classroom, I think a consistent focus on one L1 would have a negative impact on those with a different L1.


Mikal Steinbacher
Instructor, ABE/ESL/English
Lake Washington Technical College



-----Original Message-----
From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Michael Gyori
Sent: Wed 10/7/2009 10:10 AM
To: The Adult English Language Acquisition Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 5049]  Can using the L1 be rude?
 
Hello all,

Rosemary wrote, I think it is rude to speak a language in class that all students do not understand.

Two people can prepare a dish using the same ingredients. Everyone finds one dish to be delicious, but no one can bear more than a small bite of the other.

As long as all learners acknowledge and respect the characteristics of a particular class (with appropriate facilitation by the teacher), much more might be accomplished than imposing a set of rules that, according  to the best judgment of the teacher, would mean depriving some of the students with what he or she believes to be best practice.

The use of L1 in a class comprised of more than L1 group is a wonderful example of how important it is to develop a sense of community among learners by engaging them with one another. There are many ways to accomplish that without a perception of rudeness arising in the process.

Michael

 
Michael A. Gyori 
Maui International Language School 
www.mauilanguage.com


      

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