A repost from Jody from last May:
I have never been an advocate of “allowing two words” (but, of course, I allow them, just not as a policy. My policy is “Speak the TL”).
My younger kids have zero discretion with a rule like “Two Words”. For them, two words might as well be ten words or a hundred words. If I say, NO English or TL ONLY, I still get English. Duh. I know that’s going to happen. I don’t get mad at them. I may ignore them (bad teacher), or laser point to the rule on the wall (first warning), or nail them with a mark in my book and the dreaded post-class meeting*. One way around me getting pissy every time they speak English is this rule:
If you absolutely, positively believe you must speak English, you must politely ask permission in the TL. It goes like this:
Student asks, “Please, may I speak English (in the TL)?” I pause, dramatically, and answer, “No.” Sometimes, I lift my hands as if conducting an orchestra and the class says “NO” with me. They already know what I’m going to say. We then laugh because this is a choreographed class joke. Student then asks, “Just a little? (in the TL)”. I say, “No.” Student asks, “Just two words?” I say, “No.” Student asks, “Just one?” I pause, exaggeratedly make a show of thinking, and say, “OK, just one.” (depending on who is doing the asking–If they are a champion English blurter, too bad–no way–the answer is No–the end. If they are a “truly trying” student who just can’t figure it out in the TL or I trust is not just making a goofy attempt for attention, I usually then allow that one or two words in English. Sometimes, I tell them they have 10 seconds to draw it on the board. That is often totally hilarious. Whatever happens, they have to work for the permission to speak English–which makes them think twice about asking. All of this is takes place in the TL and actually ends up being a bit of a Brain Break for the class–a change of state, as it were.
What often cracks me up is the the “one word” or “two words” are often something they could have figured out in Spanish, so my response is then to the whole class, “Somebody, say that in Spanish.”
What I have noticed, over the years of a Zero English policy, is that they speak less English. Duh. I keep it very light hearted, but serious. They greatly enjoy being on the inside of the joke with me. I have fewer and fewer requests as the year goes by because they really don’t want to stop the story**.
*that is my asterisk. I wanted to comment on this. This is true mastery teaching. She knows that the kid blurted, she doesn’t get upset, she lasers to the rule, if the kid then does it again, she has the remarkable presence of mind to prevent the kid from even getting out of the room without a little lecture.
** I would like to also comment on this. She just doesn’t go into English in this process. We can see how easy that if she went back and forth between language it would undermine this well-heeled daily policy. She makes it lighthearted but firm, she doesn’t break into L1 herself, and she makes them work so hard for the right that the bullshitters who like to hear their own voices give up on that particular way of getting attention. Compare that with what I sometimes do – I get confused and pissy when they fire out the English, I break into English myself, and I don’t have that little make-em-beg thing going on. I have high schoolers and hers are 5th/6th graders, but I do feel that these three differences, overall, bridge the age gap and are key if I am to get the no blurting piece going next year, a piece that, besides the metacognition piece I must have. Talk about self discipline and diligence while teaching next fall! It’s going to be a whole new ball game. No L1 means no L1. Get over it, Ben. Let me say it again – teach with love, be yourself, but don’t let English rain on all these past 12 years of learning the method. Just don’t do it.