Teach English in Renhe Zhen - Weihai Shi

This past year, I took a French class at my University. Having French-speaking relatives, some experience with the language, and previously visited two French-speaking countries, my motivation to learn was pretty high. My professor often used partnered role-play as an activate activity and while I always took the scenarios seriously, my partner and I would switch back into English as soon as we completed the activity. This was because my class was monolingual, much like the classroom I will be teaching in in Indonesia. Despite being in a foreign language class, English was used heavily, even by my teacher. And as a result, I missed out on opportunities to practice the language. Reflecting on my own learning experience caused me to ask: what are the specific challenges monolingual classrooms present, and how, as a teacher, I can best address these obstacles? Students in a monolingual classroom all speak the same language. This is a clear difference from multilingual classrooms, in which English is the only common language between students. A native Spanish and Somali speaker would have no temptation to slip back into their own language because their classmate would not be able to understand them. This difference means that motivation is naturally lower in monolingual classes and students will often be tempted to resort to their native language. As a teacher, it is important to remember that this is not done out of malice. It is genuinely easier for students, who may feel that they do not have the English for what they are trying to express. I can remember feeling similarly while studying French. And yet, these moments were important learning opportunities that I lost. Additionally, motivation may be lower because most monolingual classes take place in a non-English speaking country, whereas multilingual classes most often meet in an English speaking country. For most multilingual students, the importance of acquiring English is much more tangible and they have ample opportunity to practice outside of the classroom. While this is a disadvantage, reminding students that class time is likely the only practice they will get, especially with a native English speaker, can help to boost their motivation and participation in class. There is one clear contextual difference between my university course and my classroom in Indonesia: the teacher’s language ability. My French teacher was a native English teacher and used English as a common language to establish rapport, explain activities, and introduce lesson points. As a result, my classmates and I also used English as a common language. It felt awkward to speak to my classmates in French without being explicitly directed to do so. In my own classroom, I will not share my student’s native tongue and will be unable to communicate with them in any language but English. The expectation that students commit to speaking the new language will be much higher. However, engaging a monolingual class takes further intentionality. First and foremost, students need to understand why speaking English is important. On the small scale, it helps them get practice, which opens new doors for them on the broader scale. Another factor is keeping activities short and well explained. This way, students stay engaged in the task and will not be tempted to switch back to their native language to clarify the task to each other. One specific way of doing this is having one pair of students model an activity before the whole class begins. This allows the class to see what is expected of them. They will also have the chance to ask questions early on. Finally, monitoring works to keep students speaking English. Assigning one student to monitor language can help to keep the class on task. Teaching a monolingual class presents unique challenges to keep students motivated and speaking English. Minor slips are unavoidable, but like almost all issues that may arise in a classroom, there are many tangible ways of addressing the problem. It is important to make expectations for English clear, as well as cultivating an atmosphere in which students feel safe experimenting in a new language. Additionally, teachers should make sure instructions are understood and tasks use reasonable levels of English. Monitoring is also a useful way of keeping students focused. All-in-all, monolingual classes are an incredible teaching and learning opportunity. With intentional decisions to address challenges, students can get the most out of their English experience.