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TEYL course material

The role of routine in helping children to learn a new language.
Routine and first language:
If you monitor how children learn their first language, you find that a lot of what they learn
comes from their everyday routine. Most of the language we use in our daily lives is
repeated in some way. We request food and drink every day, using almost the same or
similar language. Similarly, we give instructions to the baby and play using almost the same
or similar language. The situation makes the language meaningful for the learners, and they
start to make sense of what you say. This repetition of language in a clear context makes a
space for language growth.
Routine and a second language:
In the second language class, the routine can have the same role and impact on the
students' language development. The classroom involves a great deal of natural and
authentic language usage. We come to class, greet the students, check attendance, ask
students about the date, and we probably come across a problem, such as a latecomer, or a
situation, such as when it is one of the students’ birthdays, etc. These are common
classroom situations and are usually repeated in any language class.
Some teachers take the easy option and speak in the students’ first language. Other teachers
exploit these situations to speak naturally in English. However, someone might say, “What if
the students are not aware of the language used in the situation?”
The familiarity with the situation makes the language meaningful
and helps learners understand the teacher, though they may not
have yet learned these language items. For example, when the
teacher goes to the board in the area where the date is usually
written and asks, “What is the date today?” Then he says, Is it
Sunday? Monday? Then the students get the idea. Then he moves
to ask, ‘7th or 8th?’ April? No March? Yes. So the situation and the
teachers’ elicitation make the meaning of language clear. This
simple practice helps the learners to be aware of the meaning and helps the students
develop an understanding of the teacher’s language.
However, is this use of language enough to make students able to write the date or tell it
themselves alone? The answer is Yes, but only on condition that the teacher does this same
thing every day as a classroom routine. The repetition of the action daily makes students
very aware of how to say and write the date. This knowledge could be reinforced if the
teacher passes this routine later to students by asking them to write the date in their
notebooks daily and compare it with the teacher’s when he comes into class and writes it.
Plenty of language items, phrases, and expressions are learned similarly, without direct
teaching, but through classroom routines.
Examples of classroom routines:
Starting the lesson:
- Greetings:
Good morning/ Good afternoon/ Good evening / Hello / Goodbye / See you
tomorrow / How are you? How is it going? Are you enjoying your time? How was
your weekend?
- Checking attendance:
Who is absent today? Is Ali here? Where is Marwa? Is Amr absent? What’s wrong
with him? Anybody knows? OK, I hope he is well.
- Checking homework:
Who has done the homework? Please, raise a hand if you did it.
Did you face any problems? What?
Would you like to have a look at an answer key? Ok, great, let’s check our answers
together first, then I will show you an answer key.
Are you OK with the answers? Any problems? Any questions?
- Checking birthday:
Any birthdays today or this week? Oh Manar, really, Great news here. Happy
birthday. Many happy returns of the day, etc.
- Asking for help and thanking for help:
Oh, guys, I need some help. Could anybody help me?
Great. Thanks a lot, Heba. I appreciate your help.
Ahmed, could you please lend me your pencil sharpener for a moment?
Sara, do you mind closing the window? It’s freezing in here.
I need a pair of scissors. Who has one?
- Giving feedback, praising students, and showing incorrectness
Check your answers in pairs!
Check your answers with other pairs!
Check answers in groups!
Check your answers against the answer key
Do you have any questions?
Is there something you need to ask about, or are you confused about?
Good
Good job
Great job
Excellent
Wonderful answer
Interesting
Fine
Ok, but …
Well, I do not completely agree, but good effort…
You may need to think again.
Would you like to skip this question and go for another one?
 Setting up activities:
- Grabbing students' attention before you give instructions:
- OK, now
- Listen, please
- Well, now let’s move on to the next activity:

Asking questions and giving instructions

- Work alone, Work in pairs, Work in groups of three.
- Mingle around the classroom.
- Read, listen, write, speak, discuss, compare, open your coursebook, and match the
pictures with the words.
- What is another word for ………(happy)?
- What is the opposite of (happy)? What is the word for ‘not happy’
- Raise your hand if you know the answer.
- Raise your right hand if you agree with the answer.
- Raise your left hand if you disagree.
- Say ‘WOW’ if you loved one of your friend’s ideas.
- Do you need extra time?
- Do you need to listen again?

- Students’ requests and needs:

- May I drink?
- Can I go to the toilet?
- Could I answer?
- Do you mind if I close the window? I feel so cold.
- I am sorry for being late.
- Could you please repeat this point? I didn’t get it.
- What is the meaning of…………………?
- How could I read this word…...?
- What is the past of …………...?
- Do we have to answer all the questions?
- What do you mean by…………?
- I forgot my book; can we share yours?
- I lost my pen; do you have an extra one?
- Could I use your eraser?

- Making an apology
I am sorry. I am so sorry. I am sorry, I promise not to do it again. I am awfully sorry. I
had an emergency.

- Showing gratitude and responding:

• Thank you / Thank you so much/ I appreciate it / Much appreciated/ cannot be

more grateful.
 • Responding:
You’re welcome / Any time/ my pleasure/ Do not mention it/ the least I can do.

Ending the class:

Add some phrases here for ending your class:
- OK, now let me wrap up,
- See you later!
- See you tomorrow!
- Till we meet again, wish you good luck.
- Enjoy your weekend.
-
-
How can we make the routine language more effective?
To make the routine language effective, you need to follow the following tips:
1) Meaning first:
- Ensure the class situation is clear enough for the learners to understand the meaning. Refer
to the date writing example above.
- Use body language and gestures to support the context and clarify the meaning.
- Use high achievers to make the meaning clear. For example, if you ask a difficult question
or make a new request, and you find that only one student can answer, let him respond. The
response will make the meaning clear to other people in class.

- Could you please pass me the sticky notes? Yes, Rana, please.
= Here you are, Mr
- Thank you.

If the students do not know what sticky notes are, they will understand when Rana passes
them to the teacher.
2) Be patient
Do not expect too much from the students. Being aware of the meaning and able to
understand what the teacher says does not necessarily mean they can produce these
language items. Note also that some students are faster than others in using the language
they hear. Do not rush the learners because everyone learns and develops their language at
their own pace.
3) Be consistent with the routine
The main reason why routine is important is that it is routine. That is, repetition is the main
factor in helping learners develop their language. Teachers who keep repeating the language
regularly should be better able to improve and develop the students’ language.

4) Raise the bar over time:

Once students become confident in understanding and using some language items, aim to
introduce more complicated language. For example, when students are confident in using
and understanding ‘Thank you’ and ‘You are welcome’, as a reply, teachers should aim to use
more advanced language, such as ‘Much appreciated ' and ‘Any time’ or ‘My pleasure’ as a
reply. This should end up with students having a variety of language expressions that
contribute to advancing their proficiency level in English.

Using English this way regularly and consistently in class should help the learners acquire a
great deal of language items, even without the need to study. The regularity and the
repetition of the same items daily make those language items memorable. Teachers should
also encourage learners to use English in class by setting rules on the condition that they
help and support them whenever they need help.

- What other language can students learn from teachers using English as a main
language in class?

1. Personal questions and answers such as:

a) How old are you? I am ……. years old.
b) Do you have any brothers or sisters? Yes, No
c) How many brothers have you got? I have got (no/ one/ two/ three, etc)
brothers. What about sisters?
d) Who is your best friend in school?
e) What’s your father’s job?
f) Where do you come from?
g) What’s your hometown?
h) What’s your favourite hobby?
i) Who’s your role model?
j) What’s your favourite food?
k) What’s your favourite TV show?
l) What’s your favourite place?
m) What’s your favourite sport?
n) What time do you get up?
o) What time do you go to bed?
p) What is the last thing you do before you go to bed?
q) What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
 r) How do you go to school?
s) What do you usually have for breakfast?
t) How old is your mother?
u) Which family member do you feel more comfortable with?
v) Which family member do you feel less comfortable with?
w) What is your favourite cartoon character?
x) Do you like indoor or outdoor activities?
y) Do you like junk food or healthy food?
z) What kind of leisure activities are you interested in?

How to help students become confident in responding to and asking the previous
questions?
- Give the learners a suitable number of questions each time, depending on their level,
and practice them with the learners. (You can send them those questions before the
session on a video or handouts, and ask the learners to practice them and give them
an incentive or a challenge.
- In class, ask the learners to choose the question that they find comfortable to share
answers.
- Challenge the learners to say the questions as fast as possible. Or/ to give answers to
the questions as fast as possible.
- Use the questions regularly in class and ask learners to do some ‘Find someone who’
tasks regularly.
2- Questions about past events?
- Where did you spend your summer holiday?
- What did you do at the weekend?
- Did you do anything special yesterday? What?
- Did you make new friends last month?
- What was the most interesting thing you saw, heard, or did yesterday?
- What TV show did you watch yesterday?
To conclude, when using English becomes a classroom routine, Students acquire the
language items without direct teaching, especially if the teacher checks students’
understanding and encourages the learners to use English themselves in a safe environment
where the learners can make mistakes and take risks with the language.
Good luck