Target Language Teaching

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Permalink Reply by David Jahner on March 28, 2010 at 6:38pm

I've spent a good bit of my career trying to get MYSELF as well as teachers to think about teaching in the target language. After all, the students only hear the language (primarily) for that 45 - 90 minutes that they are in class each day, so we need to maximize that time as much as possible. At the same time, I think we need to empower teachers to be DELIBERATE in how they use English in the classroom. For example, I think the use of English in using Kylene Beer's "Think Aloud" strategy is an example of effective use of how you can use English in the classroom; also, if the teacher spends 15 minutes explaining a communicative activity in the target language, how much instruction time has been wasted that prevents STUDENTS from producing language.

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