The use of L1 in English teaching

Vocabulary

• Happy:

• Happy = שמח

invent take place something to eat break a record take part team my favorite

להמציא להתקיים משהו לאכול לשבור שיא להשתתף נבחרת, קבוצה האהוב אלי

Mistakes

• Pupil
• Yesterday I go to my friend.
• Teacher
• אתמול אני הולך לחבר שלי? זה מה שהתכוונת?

Explaining mistakes

• Pupil
• They are living in Haifa for four years.
• Teacher
• ככה אומרים בעברית, באמת, משתמשים בהווה: הם גרים בחיפה 4 שנים, תרגמת מעברית.
• אבל באנגלית לא אומרים כך: כשזה כולל גם זמן שעבר, אז אומרים
• They have been living …

3. TO HELP LEARNING

• Practising language forms meaningfully
• Addressing problems of L1 interference

Dictation

• friend because people
• bicycle mother beautiful
• always one eight
• Where?

Grammar exercises

Exercise 1	Exercise 2
Write the verb in the past: go went give ____________ say ____________ write ____________ come ____________ eat ____________ see ____________	Write in English: 1. הלכתי I went 2. הוא ראה ____________ 3. היא כתבה ____________ 4. אנחנו באנו ____________ 5. אכלתי ____________ 6. (אתה) אמרת ___________ 7. הם נתנו ____________ I, you, he, she, we, they

Exercises

• How do you say in English…?
• יריד ספרים book fair
• עוגת תפוחים ___________
• רשימת מילים ___________
• רכבת נוסעים ___________
• עץ תפוזים ___________
• חדר ישיבות ___________

4. TESTING

• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension

Test: present simple question forms

• Translate into English:
• האם אתה מבין?Do you understand?
• האם הוא אוהב לשחק?________________
• האם יש לכם זמן? ____________________
• למה אתם רוצים ללכת?______________
• היכן היא עובדת?_________________
• מתי אנחנו מתחילים?________________

• We are in Mexico. We are dancing a Mexican hat-dance.
• Felix the cat dances, and Morris the mouse plays the guitar.
• “Whee! This is great!” says Morris the mouse.
• “I’m hungry,” says Felix the cat. “I want to eat something.”
• “Oops!” says Morris the mouse. “I hope you aren’t thinking of eating ME?”
• “No, no,” smiles Felix. “I want some Mexican food!”

• איפה אנחנו? ___________________
• מה הבעיה של פיליקס? __________________________________
• מוריס העכבר חושש ... ממה? ______________________________
• מה פיליקס אומר שהוא רוצה בסוף? __________________________

5. MOTIVATION

• Translation of ‘chunks’ or short texts
• ‘Fun’ puzzle-type activities based on L1/L2

• Who is this? Superman!
• Superman looks down and sees a small child at a window. The child is going to jump! She will fall!
• The mother is down in the street. She sees the child. “Oh no! My baby!”
• “Don’t worry!” says Superman. “I am coming!”
• The child jumps. She is falling … falling … falling
• WHOOSH!
• Superman flies down and catches the child.
• “My baby! Oh Superman, thank you …”

BEGINNING READING
1 taחina פּiצa פּ asta	2 הerצlia Tel Aבiב Aשdod	3 פiat Toיota פord
4 שoקo קoקa-קola soda	5 Istanבּul בּ erlin מanצ'ester	6 traקtor הeliקoפּter tanק
7 מadonna Sarit חadad Suבּliמinal	8 פּ aris מadrid London	9 קanגaroo זeבּra גorilla

When does use of L1 get counter-productive?

• When we’re using L1 to say things the pupils could understand perfectly well in English
• When pupils are saying things in L1 they could in fact (with a bit of help?) manage in English.
• When it leads us to neglect teaching basic English interactional language (e.g. instructions, useful requests from learners)
• When we’re using L1 instead of making the effort to rephrase in simple English and be understood.

Some tips

Tip 1

• Teach ‘classroom management’ English
• Teach one useful interactive ‘chunk’ every other lesson, and insist on using it thereafter.

Useful interactive language for pupils to understand:

• Listen / Read / Write / Talk about …
• Number / page / Students’ book / Workbook / notebook / pencil
• Exercise, text, words, sentences, story
• Right / wrong
• Do you understand?
• Are you ready?
• Raise your hands
• Open your books at page …
• Sit down
• Work with a friend / work alone
• Write in your notebooks
• Answer the questions / circle the right answer / fill in the answers
• Do you have a problem?
• …etc.