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Materials

Paper and pen

Aims

Raise student awareness

Identify demotivating triggers

Set achievable goals

Procedure

Stage 1 - Preparing

1. In pairs or groups, students discuss:

What are the benefits of working in English? (3)

What helps you to work in English? (2)

What do you want to achieve by working in English? (1)

2. Feedback from whole class

3. Introduce "A Simple Tool" to help us work in English in class.

4. Go through the aims (above)

Stage 2 - Setting Up

1. One grid per group. Nominate a group monitor.

2. The monitor writes the group members’ names down the left-hand side.

3. Every ten minutes, the monitor puts a tick next to the name of the students who speak only English for the full ten minutes.

4. If a student speaks in L1 at all, the monitor leaves that ten minutes blank. NOTE: Do NOT use crosses, frowny faces or other negative imagery.

Stage 3 - Reflecting

1. At the end of the lesson, go back and look at the blank spots.

2. Discuss what the “triggers” were for speaking L1 in those moments.

3. Think about how we might avoid or manage that next time.

4. Teacher reflection: What do these grids tell me about my students?

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I conducted a survey of 10 teachers who had used this system in their classes.

Class specifications

Bridging English programs

Academic English

Predominantly Chinese language background students

Intermediate-Upper Intermediate level

Below is a selection of their comments.

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Vicki Bos (she/her) has over 25 years’ experience as a teacher and teacher trainer in the TESOL sector, and has taught in Australia, Japan, Macau, Brazil, and Chile. She is passionate about teaching English through music and song, conducting action research, innovating in learning design, and developing language assessment.

She currently works as a Teacher Professional Development Specialist with The Queensland Institute, directs the UQ School of Psychology mental health research choir UQ Voices, and works in assessment writing with Cambridge University. She also runs education consultant services through her website and YouTube channel Teaching in Harmony, aiming to foster joy and creativity in language learning and teaching.

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If you're after some tips and ideas for the language-teaching classroom, check out the Teaching in Harmony YouTube channel.

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5 3 Challenges Students Speaking English

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For free, fun creative activities using songs in the language classroom, check out the Teaching in Harmony website.

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Facebook
Vicki Bos Teachinginharmony

Instagram
@teachinginharmony
@thequeenslandinstitute

Email
vicki@thequeenslandinstitute.com
vickibos@teachinginharmony.com

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Beyond the Red Card

Empowering learners to work in English in the classroom

How can teachers encourage students to work in English in the classroom? When checking answers with a partner, engaging in speaking activities or participating in group discussions, learners sometimes struggle to work in English, even when they are motivated to do so. While some peer discussion in L1 can be helpful when learning a language, students do appreciate learning strategies to help them and their peers stay in English during class activities. This interactive workshop presents a simple paper-based tool devised specifically to empower students to work in English in the classroom. Underpinned by positive behaviour support principles, this innovative tool enhances student self-efficacy by raising awareness of good learning habits, identifying demotivating triggers, and encouraging students to set achievable and measurable goals. Attendees will gain insights from teachers who have implemented the approach and have an opportunity to discuss best practices. Participants are encouraged to explore and implement the tool in their own classroom context, empowering students to take charge of their use of English in the classroom.

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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections to land, sea and community. We acknowledge the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples upon whose land we are gathered today. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.

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LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

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Welcome to The Queensland Institute! We are a private education and training provider based in Brisbane, Australia.

We’re on a mission to empower global educators.

Specialising in teacher development, we support international education strategies and language education goals for schools and universities in Australia and 14 countries worldwide. Our programs are proven, impactful and efficient in helping global educators teach with confidence and creativity.

We provide:

Courses that inspire innovation in teaching and learning

Consultancy that supports your development goals

Connections that continue beyond the classroom

Contact us to learn more HERE.

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The Queensland Institute | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

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View The_Queensland_Institute's Linktree. Listen to their music on YouTube, Spotify here.

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We aim to answer these questions.

1. Why/When/How do we want our learners using English in class?

2. What are the relevant principles of Positive Behaviour Support?

3. What is a simple, effective, positive way to encourage learners to use English?

4. What other ideas do we have?

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Workshop

Working in English (Is it always necessary?)

Positive Behaviour Support

A Simple Tool

Challenges

Reflection

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Follow-up questions

Is it necessary/desirable for learners to operate 100% in English in class?

Should our classroom (or school) have an "English-only" policy?

How could using learners' first/other languages help them learn English?

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Sources

ACER - Australian Council for Education Research

E4L - Evidence for learning (Australian not-for-profit education research organisation)

PISA - Program for International Student Assessment

Report

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Gloss box

self-efficacy - confidence or belief in your ability to control your own motivation, behaviour, performance or social environment

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Classroom management haiku

This is a "We" thing

Not just "You should" or "I will"

In this together

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What could we do if...?

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... students are hostile/indifferent to speaking English?

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... students "lie" and give each other unwarranted ticks?

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... students don't have the language level to speak English for the whole class period?

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What other ways could we empower and support students to work in English in class?

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Aims

Raise awareness of learning behaviours

Identify demotivating and focus-reducing triggers

Set achievable and measurable goals

Positive behaviour support

Personalisation: know your students and their influences; differentiate between learners; give specific praise and feedback

Learning guidance: explicitly teach effective learning behaviours; encourage ongoing reflection

Classroom management: develop classroom routines; establish clear expectations; employ strategies that foster learning

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For more on the linguistic, cognitive and cultural benefits of using a learner's first language as a tool in the language classroom, check out this excellent presentation by Amy Brown for English Australia.

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Using students’ first languages in the multilingual classroom to build confidence a

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ACER and E4L: Effective behaviour supports

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ACER and E4L: Effective behaviour supports

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A summary of recommendations for supporting positive behaviour in schools, from researchers from the Australian Council for Education Research and not-for-profit organisation Evidence for Learning

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QLD government guidelines: Positive Behaviour for Learning in the Classroom

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QLD government guidelines: Positive Behaviour for Learning in the Classroom

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Effective classroom management

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) provides the framework for a whole-school, evidence-based approach to behaviour support. PBL takes an instructional approach to behaviour, recognising that schools need to teach the behaviours needed for success at school and beyond. School-wide PBL provides the foundations for the implementation of effective classroom management, which can be described as the consistent implementation of proactive, research-informed practices for classroom management.

Infographic which says "positive relationships", with the following phrases around it

Classroom organisation

Differentiated teaching and learning

Behavioural expectations

Explicit teaching of social skills

Positive reinforcement

Active engagement

Active supervision

Consistent and fair consequences

Examples of differentiated behaviour supports

Prevention strategies

Pre-correction

Positive greetings

Providing choice

Modifying task difficulty

Transition routine

High probability requests

Student self-monitoring

Establish-maintain-restore

Prompts - visual and verbal

Non-contingent attention

Behaviour contracts

Teaching strategies

Teach and practise the social skills needed to be successful

Teach and practise the academic skills needed to engage with tasks

Teach a replacement behaviour

Reinforcement strategies

Targeted behaviour specific positive feedback

Feedback on achievement of goals

Privilege provided

Tangible reward

Consistent responses to problem behaviour

Problem-solving conference

Restorative chat

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positive behaviour for learning; pbl in practice; whole-school framework; positive behaviour; safe and supportive learning environments; pbl framework; classroom pbl;

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Positive Behaviour for Learning in the classroom

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Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) provides the framework for a whole-school, evidence-based approach to behaviour support. PBL takes an instructional approach to behaviour, recognising that schools need to teach the behaviours needed for success at school and beyond.

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Monash University: Positive Behaviour Support strategies in classrooms

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Monash University: Positive Behaviour Support strategies in classrooms

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Materials: Positive Behaviour for Learning resources for teachers

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Materials: Positive Behaviour for Learning resources for teachers

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Although these resources are mostly designed for school-aged students, they are adaptable for learners of any age or level.

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Positive Behaviour for Learning | SEN | Australian Resources

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Use these resources to encourage positive behaviour for learning among children in your class, and to help them become respectful and effective learners.