Many third level teachers of language at Irish universities come from very different learning contexts to those of their students. Their expectations of how language classes are conducted can be different from their students’ particularly in relation to target language use. This task aims to help teachers to reflect on their use of language in the classroom within the context of the third level sector in Ireland.
Note: Journal access required
On completion of this task, teachers will have a clearer understanding of their own target language use. They will be informed about first-year students’ experiences of language learning at post-primary level and be aware of their expectations resulting from this. Teachers will develop strategies to enhance their target language use based on current research and the teaching context.
- Write down your thoughts on target language use in the language classroom. Why is the target language important? Do you feel that the target language should be the exclusive medium of communication? Are there times when the students’ first language may be appropriate? Can the students’ first language be useful in the language classroom?
- Consider the students’ language learning backgrounds. One study (Riordan 2015) found that the Irish education system advocates the exclusive use of the target language in post-primary language classrooms. However, classroom observations found that teachers actually used the target language less than half of the time with some classes comprising less than 20% teacher target language use. Read the article and consider how the students’ experiences may affect their performance in your classroom.
- Read the article by Macaro (2009). How does Macaro characterise the use of the target language? How much target language should a teacher use? According to this author, when is the students’ first language useful? How do your thoughts on target language use differ from those of the author? Explore more literature on the use of the target and first languages in the language classroom.
- Develop strategies to enhance your target language use. Having considered the students’ backgrounds and the literature, think of some ways to enhance your target language use. We suggest developing a learning agreement with your students where you discuss the benefits of target and first language use in the language classroom, and agree on a plan for how much target language the class will use.
- Share your ideas with colleagues and develop guidelines for target language use for your department.
