Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Second Edition

Suggestions for further reading
P. Christophersen, Second Language Learning, Harmondsworth:
Penguin, 1973.
P. Strevens, New Orientations in the Teaching of English, Oxford
University Press, 1977.
P. Trudgill, Sociolinguistics, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1974.

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12
Chapter 2
In the Classroom
The previous chapter has described something of the role of
English in the world today. It is against this background and
in the kinds of context described that English language
teaching goes on and it is clearly part of the professionalism
of a teacher of English to foreigners to be aware of the
context in which he is working and of how his teaching fits
into the scheme of things. However, for most teachers the
primary focus of attention is the classroom, what actually
happens there, what kinds of personal encounter occur
there—and teaching is very much a matter of personal
encounter—and especially what part teachers themselves
play there in facilitating the learning of the language.
It may be helpful, therefore, to sketch briefly one or two
outline scenarios which might suggest some of the kinds of
things that happen in English language teaching classrooms
around the world.
Lesson 1
First then imagine a group of twenty-five girls in a Spanish
secondary school, aged between 14 and 17, who have been
learning English for two years. Their relationship with their
teacher is one of affection and trust which has been built up
over the year. They are about halfway through the second
term. They are familiar with the vocabulary and structures
necessary to describe people, jobs, family relationships and

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In the Classroom
13
character—in very general terms, also to tell the time,
describe locomotion to and from places and to indicate
purpose.
Phase 1
The teacher has a large picture on the blackboard. It has been
enlarged, using an episcope, from one in What Do You
Think? by Donn Byrne and Andrew Wright. It shows a queue
outside a telephone box. The characters in it are to some
extent stereotypes—the fashionable bored girl, the pinstripe-
suited executive with his briefcase, two scruffy lounging
boys, and a rather drab hen-pecked husband type. The girls
and the teacher have been looking at the picture and
discussing it. The girls have identified the types fairly well
and the teacher is probing with questions like ‘What’s
happening here?’ The English habit of queuing is discussed.
‘What time of day is it?’ The class decides on early evening
with the people returning from work or school. ‘Who are the
people in the picture? What are their jobs? Do we need to
know their names? What might they be called? Where have
they come from? Where are they going? Who are they
telephoning? What is their relationship? Why are they
telephoning? What is the attitude of the other person? How
does each person feel about having to wait in the queue? Is
there any interaction between them?’ and so on.
Phase 2
The girls are all working in small groups of about four or
five. The teacher is moving round the class from group to
group, supplying bits of language that the pupils need and
joining in the discussion. There is some Spanish being
spoken, but a lot of English phrases are also being tried out
and when the teacher is present the girls struggle hard to
communicate with her in English. There is also a good deal of
laughter and discussion. One girl in each group is writing
down what the others tell her. The class is involved in
producing a number of dialogues. Most groups have picked

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In the Classroom
14
the teenage girl who is actually in the phone box as the
person they can identify with most easily, and each dialogue
has a similar general pattern: The girl makes a request of
some kind, the person she is telephoning refuses, the girl uses
persuasion, the other person agrees. However, there is one
group here who have decided their dialogue will be between
two of the people in the queue…
Phase 3
The girls are acting out their dialogues in front of the class.
Two girls from each group take the roles of the people
actually speaking, the others, together with any additional
pupils needed to make up the numbers, form the queue, and
are miming impatience, indifference, and so on.
This is what we hear:
(The talk with the boy friend—first group)
Ring ring…
Ann:
Hello, is Charles there?
Mother:
Yes, wait a minute.
Charles:
Hello, who is it?
Ann:
Who is it? It is Ann.
Charles:
Oh, Ann. I am going to telephone to you now.
Ann:
Where did you go yesterday?
Charles:
I stayed at home studying for my test.
Ann:
Yes,…for your test…my friend Carol saw
you in the cinema with another girl yesterday.
Charles:
Oh no, she was my cousin.
(Man taps on glass of phone box. Ann covers mouthpiece. To
man:)
In just a moment I’ll finish.
(to Charles:)
No, she wasn’t your cousin, because she lives
near my house and I know her.
Charles:
Oh no!
Ann:
I don’t want to see you any more. Goodbye.
Charles:
No, one moment…
Ann:
Yes.

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In the Classroom
15
(Ringing home—second group)
Jane:
Hello, is Mum there?
John:
No, she’s at the beauty shop. What do you
want to tell her?
Jane:
Well, I’m going to the movies with my
boyfriend, but we haven’t any money. Can
you bring me some money? I promise you I’ll
give it back to you tomorrow.
John:
You are always lying. I don’t believe you any
more. You owe me more than £9.
Jane:
I’m going to work as babysitter tomorrow,
but I need money now. Please hurry up—I
have no money for the phone and there are a
lot of people waiting outside.
John:
All right.
(Leaving home—third group)
Monica:
Hello, grandfather. How are you? This is
Monica.
Grandfather: Hello, Monica. What do you want?
Monica:
I need money. Help me.
Grandfather: Money? Why do you need it?
Monica:
I need, because I want to go out of my home.
Grandfather: What?
Monica:
Yes, because my parents don’t understand
me. I can’t move.
Grandfather: Have you thought it?
Monica:
Yes, I thought it very well.
Grandfather: You can come to my house if you want.
Monica:
Thank you, grandfather. I will go with you.
I must go now. A lot of people are outside.
Bye Bye.
(The pick-up—fourth group)
Man:
Excuse me, have you got a match?
Girl:
No, I don’t smoke.
Man:
Oh. (pause) It’s a long queue.
Girl:
Yes, it’s very boring to wait.

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In the Classroom
16
Man:
Do you like to dance?
Girl:
Sometimes.
Man:
Would you like to come to dance with me
tonight?
Girl:
No, I shall be busy.
Man:
We can dance and then go to my apartment
and drink champagne.
Girl:
I don’t want. Go and leave me. You’re an old
Pig.