Variety

Both within the lesson itself there should be several different things that are done and from lesson to lesson there should be differences. This variety should be done in a way in which the students see a specific direction. The older the students are the more there is a need for this direction. They shouldn’t feel that we are doing page 32 because yesterday we did page 31. That’s hardly a sufficient reason. But if they know at the beginning of the year that they are expected to accomplish a certain amount and that they will have a test which is important and it will be based on certain things which they have to know then they will be happy to work towards that goal, hopefully happy to work towards that goal and they will appreciate the variety that you will give them in each lesson. That should be the major goal. In other words, you told them what they’re going to be accomplishing during the year and the older they are the more specific you can be in telling them what they have to accomplish during the course of the year. They have to know where they will be at the end of the school year and they also have to know where they’re expected to be at the end of the first semester, and then you vary the lessons sufficiently so that it is easy to get to this goal.

During the course of the lessons, of course, if you can throw in fun things such as movies in English that do not have sub-titles in their native language or skits or plays which they can put on, then it will improve the general atmosphere of the class and they will have short term goals to work towards. These short term goals which are pleasurable should somehow fit in with the long term goals so that the things that they learn in their skit or the things that they learn in their play should be able to lead towards the general goal of what they are asked to accomplish that semester and that year. Altogether you have a nice well-rounded curriculum. Does this mean that there will be no difficulties or problems and that the students will welcome English? Of course not. We have a situation in which we are trying to maximize the positive elements and minimize the negative elements so we can have the best possible situation in our classrooms. But let us not expect to have perfection and let us not expect to have students who are going to always be happy about their studies.

Next section; Ground rules