How do you teach English through English?

Can you really teach English without knowing students' first language?

When I tell people that I've taught English in ten different countries, they sometimes ask me if I can speak ten different languages and the answer is that I can't. It really is possible to teach English through English without using the students' first language. Of course, there are challenges. Sometimes, it really can be tricky to get your message across to students, but that's exactly why you do a training course like CELTA!

One important thing to bear in mind is that most people who are learning English are not absolute beginners. Usually, people will study English for years on end and so you're just as likely to be asked to teach intermediate or advanced level students as you are to be asked to teach beginners. In fact, if a school recruits a new teacher who doesn't speak the students' language, then they'll often (but not always) avoid giving that teacher any beginners' classes for that very reason. And sometimes schools will set you up for success in this area, for example, when I was teaching in Vietnam, all the teachers worked with Vietnamese teaching assistants, which definitely helped a lot!

How can I communicate with students if I can't speak their language?

There are so many ways to convey meaning without translating:

• Visuals: you can use drawings, photos or videos. If you have access, you can use Google Images in class, and you'll have millions and millions of photos at your disposal.

• Mime and gesture: if you travelled abroad before the era of Google Translate, you'll have had to communicate using lots of gestures and mimes. It's entertaining and memorable, even if it's not quick!

• Definitions and synonyms: if we assume your students aren't beginners, then you could use simple definitions to convey meaning.

• Examples, contexts, opposites: again, most students aren't beginners, and so examples and contexts are really useful ways of getting meaning across.

How do I set myself up for success when working with students through English?

Start with classroom language. If you're going to successfully teach English through English, you'll need to be able to communicate your instructions to students, so one of your first missions is to teach students simple classroom language. You can start with the objects in the classroom - desk, chair, whiteboard, and then move on to the instructions you're most likely to use frequently - 'open your books', 'speak', 'write', 'stand', 'listen' etc. You can move onto more complex ones like 'fill in the gaps' or 'talk to your partner' once you've done these. Making sure classroom language is clear is a good start and will help you move on to much more complex tasks.

You can also set expectations to help you. Be clear with students on when they should use English and whether or not you expect them to (or will allow them to, in the case of children) use their own languages in class.

And remember

One of the reasons that schools hire people from overseas to teach English is because many schools and many students want an immersive experience and want English-only classrooms. So don't worry - people have taught foreign languages without using translation for longer than you've been alive!

Find out more about CELTA

About the author:

Dr Connor O'Donoghue hails from Ireland and he started teaching English as a foreign language in Poland in 2003 and he became a CELTA trainer in 2008. He has taught and trained in Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Slovenia, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Connor also holds a Masters and a PhD in Education from Trinity College in Dublin. He has previously managed large teacher training centres in Vietnam and in London before founding DC Teacher Training.