PHASE 6

Business English Teacher Training (BETT)

Introduction

It’s important for the trainer to facilitate the training session in a manner
that would build the rapport with the participants. If the trainer is able
to make an impact in the first few minutes then the training session can
be engaging. It’s important for the trainer to create a positive
impression, have the presentation skills and the rapport building
techniques in a way that would make the trainees feel motivated to
attend the training session. How the trainer approaches the training
session is important because the trainees start developing impression of
the trainer from the inception of the training session. The trainer should
be forthcoming and the trainer’s personality can create an impact in the
minds of the trainees. The classroom management plays a pivotal role in
the training session. It’s important to have a sound understanding of the
requirements of the trainees. The trainees would hail from different
walks of life and some may hold important designations so the approach
should be appropriate. In the training session, it’s all collaborative
learning and engaging the participants by designing various interactive
activities. This module certainly takes into account all the vital aspects.

Classroom Management

 Creating rapport – sensitivity to needs

 Modeling instructions
 Creating interactive activity
 Varying activities
 Being a facilitator

Introduction

Effective classroom management forms the backbone of any successful

training project. Classroom management precisely means “people
management” while training and directing the participants collectively
towards the goal set by the trainer with the objective of learning in mind.
This is the skill of organizing and managing the class, having a friendly,
relaxed manner and maintaining discipline.

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There is a clear relationship between the content and process of the lesson,
and the management of the class. The lesson planned should aim at
catering to the needs, interests of the participants in totality, keeping with
their pace of learning as well. This should include anticipation, even
expectation, that participants may diverge from the trainer’s lesson plan in
directions that might be followed, as well as, potential diversions to be
avoided. A lesson that engages the participants in activities that interest
and challenge them seldom presents the problems that require us to resort
to ‘extraordinary’ management methods.

In a training scenario that is diverse and definitely short of being

perfect, classroom management is expected to consider the spectrum
of tolerable behavior based on the factors like:

 Trainer’s patience with disorder

 Requirements of the institution
 Expectations of the learners for a safe and comfortable learning
environment

The successful Classroom management is composed of the basic

features like control, discipline, interest, involvement, integration of
unit, dealing with daily problems, sitting arrangement, planning and
time management. Classroom management is influenced a lot by
participants’ expectation.

General principles of classroom management:

 An effective way of dealing with classroom behaviour is to keep

emotion out of the dynamic. In a scenario where it is but obvious
to come across certain unacceptable or wrong behavior, it is
more productive to deal with them rather than making
judgments. The trainer/trainer should be able to demarcate
between “behaviors” and “judgments.” Participants “talking”
may, or may not be “disrupting the class.” Non-participation may
mean that the participant is not paying attention, or it may mean
that the participant is reflecting on the lesson. Two colleagues
engaging in personal chitchat might interrupt the class, but it is
not necessarily “bad.” It may merely be a sign that the trainer is
moving too slowly to engage them.
 The trainer/trainer needs to establish classroom order and
discipline at a level appropriate to his/her own feelings and

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 beliefs, in combination with the convenience of the trainees as
well - a system that both the trainer and the trainee can live
with. The concept of discipline imposed upon the class is also
influenced by the personal list of ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ of the
trainer. Being aware of our individual “values” is critical for
making appropriate decisions about classroom management.
 To the degree possible, the trainer should negotiate classroom
rules and procedures with the participants. This might start with
groups or a committee making suggestions. Regular, or, ‘as
needed’ returns to the groups should be included to revise, add
or delete rules. That does not mean that the trainer will be ruled
by participant recommendations, but that the trainer will solicit
participants' ideas, respect them and include them as
appropriate. Ultimately, the trainer must be the final word.

A business English classroom would look for the basic attributes like:

Establishing rapport and sensitivity to needs of the participants

Rapport between the trainer and the participants (and between the
participants themselves) plays an important part in determining if a
class is successful and enjoyable. Participants are more likely to
contribute and take part in the lessons when the atmosphere is relaxed
and they get on well with the trainer. While the participants play a
large part in setting the atmosphere in the classroom, it can be
encouraged and stimulated by the general attitude and approach of the
trainer. Making a positive initial impression is of primal importance.
Getting to know the participants and establishing a collegial
relationship is not only the first step, but an ongoing challenge that
faces the trainer.

Some practical ways to help establish rapport and class spirit –

 When making seating arrangement, the interpersonal

relationship between the individual participants should
preferably be considered.
 Make sure the participants know each other’s names and a little
basic information about each other.
 Have an ice-breaking activity at the beginning if the course.
 Choose materials and activities that involve the participants
talking to each other and sharing personal opinions / ideas.
 Use plenty of pair-work and group-work activities.

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  Shuffle pairs frequently so that learners have a chance to
interact with a verity of people developing interpersonal skills.
 Elicit from participants and get them involved.
 Give clear instructions.
 Ask for comments and opinions from the participants.

The trainer’s conduct

Professional behaviour and dress is an absolute requisite for a

business English trainer who caters to participants / trainees from the
professional world. Participants have expectations and view about
how their trainers should act and dress. They need to resemble a
professional consultant and coach concerned with meeting the client’s
need. The trainers here therefore should re-evaluate their personal
appearance. Dirty shoes, T-shirts and carrier bags can make a bad
impression on well-dressed business English participants. They can
what is considered appropriate in the local or corporate culture with
careful observation and informal chat with key personnel and are
expected to represent conventional and relatively conservative models
of behavior and dress that would necessarily reflect the corporate
stature. ‘Making a statement’ as a trainer may cost more than it’s
worth in terms of credibility and respect.

The trainer must get to know the individual participants sufficiently to

personalize the relationship with each participant. Knowing the
participants' names is one of the most effective ways of establishing
rapport with your class, and maintaining control during the lesson.

Here are some ideas -

1. Name games. Get participants in a circle. Each participant

introduce themselves saying their name with one liner on
previous work experience (if any) or current job profile, and the
name and profile of the previous participants who have spoken
as you go around the circle. It gets harder as it proceeds, but it
does focus everyone on the task. A variation here is to have a
name association like “Andrea, from the finance department” to
assist the memory process.
2. Taking role. Sounds pretty traditional, but I expect has been the
mainstay of trainers for years to remember and use names in the
classroom. This can be made more fun with something like
“bullet questions – i.e. quick questions fired at each participant
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 that relate to the previously studied or known language. It can
also be fun to involve the participants in role play so it is not just
trainer-centered activity.
3. Picture. Some trainers make a photo album at the beginning of
every class semester, and keep it handy for reference. With
digital and computer technology this is becoming an even
handier option.

“Response-ability” –

The trainer should be capable of responding to the participants with

immediacy and aptness. It not only speaks high of the trainer but also
helps in capturing the motivation of the participants.
This would require the trainer to consider his participants as
individuals who have valuable life experience to offer and opinions
that matter. Draw on participant’s opinion and experience before
working on any new performance area by asking them what they
know before information is given. It is also important to ensure that
the participants are not merely manipulated with a series of seemingly
impressive training procedures. Even if it takes a little extra time, it
should be checked that everybody understands the rationale behind
any training procedure the trainer uses by rechecking their relevance
with the participants and by simply explaining the rationale behind it.
The trainer should try to understand the participants’ motivation for
learning English not only be asking about their precise job needs but
also by asking them how they feel about learning English and by
finding how they manage to fit this extra study into their busy life.
While attempting to tune into the participants in these ways, the
trainer will feel confident about making decisions for the class. With
knowledge of language learning higher than the participants, the
trainer will have a clearer perspective of how much progress is being
made.

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Be prepared

The teacher should be prepared with the lesson plan, materials, and
resources. This is self-evident, but often forgotten in the everyday
routine of training. Sometimes, familiarity with a class can lead to lack
of preparation since the trainer falsely believes that he can work
something out as the class goes along. The trainer should make sure
that all the handouts and OHTs are carefully produced and copied with
no shaded edges or errors. Pre-cue tapes and pre-test equipments
should be handy so as to avoid embarrassing mid-lesson glitches.
Another common diversion from planning, is re-training a lesson that
has been done with other classes. Whatever the case, there is no doubt
that the best classes are preceded by the best lesson plans. This means
that the trainer has carefully considered,

1. The context of the lesson in the learner’s terms

2. Modeling and target language
3. The objectives of the lesson in participant terms
4. What the participants will do at each stage
5. How the trainer will facilitate what the participants ‘do’
6. The potential problems that might arise at each stage
7. Approximate timing for the lesson activities
8. The sequence of activities in terms of learning and participant
engagement
9. The amount of material needed to fill the allotted time and offer
alternatives

Lesson planning is the first consideration in classroom management

since engaged participants seldom require “problem management.”

Developing a collaborative learning group

The group learning dynamic must reflect positive cooperation between

the participants, and between the participants and the trainer. Because
of the structured corporate culture, some ‘leveling of the playing field’
is often useful, but care must be taken not to step on the toes of the
senior staff.

One key strategy for achieving a good working relationship in the class
is remixing groups on a regular basis. This allows everyone to get to
know each other from different perspectives depending upon the
group tasks and group interactions during class activities. It also builds

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rapport between participants helping them to work together
effectively and therefore, make good progress.

Group work

Group work is an extremely useful, communicative learning activity. It

is natural and engaging for most people to exchange and develop ideas
in a group. If the trainer encourages a collaborative, helpful
atmosphere, the peer exchanges in groups can be of critical
importance in developing language competence. It is likely that much
of the “scaffolding” dialogue between participants occurs in this
format, with the sharing of ideas, vocabulary, language form and usage.
Group work is often the best answer for large classes and difficult
participants. The activity itself is engaging, and it allows the trainer to
focus attention where it is most needed for both input and control.
Group work needs to be carefully planned and executed.

Things to consider:

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  Preparations –
Group work needs to be linked to the context and target
language that has been modeled and practiced with the class.
The participants should know clearly what they are expected to
do, and have language models and resources available. For
example, in the “Expanded Lesson Framework” the group work
stage is modeled by the listening activity – i.e. the participants
are expected to produce their own dialogue that matches the fill-
in listening dialogue they have just completed. Another
possibility is for the trainer to show a completed, or partially
completed, example of the work that the participants are
expected to do. Working group size is normally between 4 and 7
participants. Do not be overly concerned if the participants use
L1 in the group, as long as the “product” – for example a poster
of presentation – has to be in English.
 Focus or “tasking” of activity –

It must be clear to the participants what they are doing in the

group. They must have a clear task – for example, making a
poster, preparing a group dialogue, drawing and labeling
pictures, or writing a story. One of the easiest devices for doing
this is poster paper. Asking participants to develop dialogues,
lists, mind maps or writing on posters gives the group a visual
focus, and at the same time, provides the trainer with clear
evidence of what the group is doing. Using poster paper and
markers makes the task large enough for the entire group to see
and contribute to. The trainer can often elaborate the poster
focus by providing a picture, symbol or format (like columns) for
the participants.

Sometimes participants may play themselves in role-play interactions,

and at other times they may play another role. Getting participants to
take on different roles is one of the ways that the trainer can engage
the participants and provide variety in participants’ interactions

In most types of Business English classes, the following procedures

and activities can particularly be useful for rapport building between
participants:

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METHOD – Experience exchange

Participants talk about their experience of using language in the

workplace before practicing in class. As well as motivating
participants, this procedure also helps you to understand the nature of
the problems participants face. Time taken for the practice should be
10mins.

Procedure

Give participants a stimulus to remind them of a particular situation

they may encounter at work. The stimulus could be a video snippet
(e.g. of a meeting), a short newspaper article about an issue (e.g.
downsizing after being bought up by a multinational), a short listening
(e.g. a telephone conversation about a complaint), or anything else
which seems suitable. Focus briefly on the stimulus by asking basic gist
and detail comprehension questions, then invite participants’
comments by asking: What do you think? Is that a familiar situation?
Finally ask participants how they get on in the same situation. Ask Do
you enjoy…?, How do you feel about being in this situation? After
everyone’s comments have been heard, remind participants of the
importance of the area and tell them you will be practicing it in the
lesson.

METHOD – Word board Springboard

This is a good warm-up activity if participants are reluctant to talk

Participants are provided with a safe springboard for conversation
through a guided preliminary task and are then free to talk as they
wish. Time taken for the practice should be 10mins.

Procedure

Choose several words which relate to the topic of the lesson. Write the
words on the board, then ask What do you think of when you see these
words? Write participants’ initial suggestions around the first word on
the board, and then get participants to continue on paper in pairs,
producing word boards for the other topics. Finally, get participants to
explain their word boards to other pairs. When discussion is flowing,
lead into the next stage of your lesson, which should be topically
connected. Some examples of word boards to be explained:

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METHOD – Introductions

Working in groups of three, participants practice introducing each

other. Time taken for the practice should be 10mins

Procedure

Ask participants to get into groups of three. Get them to check that
they all remember each other’s names! Alternatively, give every
participant a new name – written on a card, with brief notes about the
person (e.g. Clare Williams, Marketing Manager, Taipei office).Standing
in clusters, as if at a welcome party (e.g. before a conference),
participants then introduce each other using appropriate language,
such as the following:

Peter: Hello, John! This is Clare Williams from the Taipei

office.She’s the Sales Manager there. Clare, this is John
Benn. He’s is your counterpart, here in Paris.
Clare: (Shaking hands and smiling) How do you do?
John: It’s good to meet you at last. Have you just arrived form
Taipei?

If participants are using language inappropriately (e.g. How do you do?

I’m fine , thanks) or incorrectly , both of which are highly likely, stop
everyone and do a quick language focus, eliciting appropriate phrases
and responses and writing these up on the board. Role-play a few
conversations with volunteers before getting participants to continue
practicing in their groups of three. Insist on appropriate, ‘interested’
intonation throughout.

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At any time during a course it is important to encourage good group
dynamics by helping participants to work together and by giving
sensitive and appropriate feedback. The trainer can help participants
to share their strengths asking stronger participants to work with
weaker participants and by asking them to perform or comment when
appropriate. As for feedback, the trainer should make sure that it is
balanced and honest. In other words, give credit and praise whenever
it is due so as to help participants to feel comfortable about
‘performing’ in a potentially threatening group situation and avoid
praising participants when performance is unsatisfactory, giving your
training objectives and the participants’ general level. Tolerating or
praising poor performance in a misguided attempt to save individuals
embarrassment may mean that participants end up silently mocking
each other. This will, obviously, do nothing to improve group dynamics
so is to be avoided at all costs.

 Choreography –
Setting up the group. The most common practice is probably
“bunching” – the trainer groups together 4-5 participants sitting
close to each other. While this is OK, it may be better to count off
the participants and then group them by number – i.e. all the 1’s
together, all the 2’s together, etc. This has the advantage of
separating friends, which often makes the groups work better.
Changing group make up occasionally is also recommended,
although groups would normally remain consistent for a given
activity or task.
 Sharing info –

Another feature to be choreographed is sharing group

information and products. Some possibilities -

o Poster sessions. Put posters on the wall and walk around

o Spies. Each group sends “spies” out to find out and report
on what the other groups are doing
o Pyramiding. Putting two groups together to exchange or
present what they have done
o Class presentations
o Immigrants. One member of each group “emigrates” to
another group taking along information about what their
original group was doing.

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 o Trainer elicitation to the board.
 Products -
Focused group work needs a task, as mentioned above, but there
must also be a product, or result, that puts the participants the
spot to do something with what they have produced. This could
be,
o A presentation
o A role play
o An audio or video tape
o A fishbowl discussion (the rest of the class observes but
does not participate)
o Interviewing native speakers outside of class
o A simulation – an elaborate role-play involving multiple
characters and roles.
 Timing –
How long? This will depend upon the class, but something the
trainer should plan careful and review as the class proceeds. In
some classes the group activity may take up less than 10%-20%
of the class period. In other classes the majority of the time may
be spent in groups. Some of this will depend upon level. Usually,
lower levels need more modeling and controlled practice time,
and thereby, less group time. More advanced classes may spend
most of their time in groups with the trainer coaching each
group individually. The critical question is how much input is
needed for the groups to function. If a lot of input is needed, then
the trainer will have to spend “whole class” time doing this with
models and practice. Group time will follow other class activity.
The proportion of group time will increase, as the need for input
becomes less.

When in the lesson? Just about any time is fine. A class could
begin with participants brainstorming ideas and vocabulary, and
then go on to modeling of core materials and controlled practice
activity. Brainstorming could follow the introduction of a core
dialogue to develop additionally vocabulary in the middle of a
lesson. Groups could come at the end of the lesson to prepare for
presentation or role-plays in the following class.

Management.

Once the trainer has established the group task and checked with each
group to assure understanding, the best step is probably to step back
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and take stock of what is happening. Trainers often feel compelled to
be doing something, and this may translate into getting involved with
the group work. While this may be helpful, initially it may be best to let
the groups work a bit on their own while the trainer observes
monitors and determines when and where intervention is needed. If
things are going well the hardest job may be to do nothing. Trainers
need to encourage independence and self-sustaining group activity.
Another factor is the need for the trainer to encourage and show
appreciation for what the participants are doing. Thus, while the
trainer should intervene only as necessary, careful monitoring and
attention are important.

Modeling instruction

Rather than simply speaking to explain, it is more effective for the

trainer to show, or act out what is to be done. This is also an important
subtext to participants who may have to ‘explain’ directions in English
to someone else.

Gestures

Most effective trainers have developed a set of classroom gestures to

indicate what they want participants to do. These gestures are often
more effective than voice directions, and at least reinforce voice
directions. Unnecessary trainer talk and directions actually tends to
raise classroom ‘hubbub’ and ‘clutters’ the atmosphere with unneeded
noise.

Some typical gestures are:

 Listen - hand cupped behind the ear

 Repeat in chorus - sweep of the hands like an orchestra director

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  Stand up - raising the hands palms upward
 Sit down - motioning downwards with the palms down
 Get into pairs - hand or finger movements to show getting
together
 Stop - clap or time out sign
 Good - thumbs up or smile and nod (Watch out for...!)
 Not right - facial expression, plus shake of head or finger
 Nearly right - outstretched hand rocked side to side or thumb
and fore finger lightly apart
 Interesting idea - raised eyebrows and nod
 Eliciting - beckoning with the cupped hand
 Say again - circling motion with hand to one participant
 Missing word - “fingers” – one finger for each word indicating
that one word is missing

Remember, when you meet a class for the first few times they will be
unaccustomed to you and your gestures. You will have to reinforce
your gestures with spoken directions, and there may be some initial
hesitancy or confusion.

What is to be avoided:

1. Be careful not to use any words, gestures or body language,

which is offensive to your participants.
2. Be conscious of, and try to control, any “tics” which might irritate
or distract the class – for example, rapid movement around the
class, saying “OK”, “Right, right”, “Good job” or other repeatedly.

Generating interactive activity

The generative factor of participant interaction is critical. Participants

should interact because they are ‘engaged’ in an activity, not because
of the trainer says so.

The activity must have intrinsic value “in and of itself”, that is clear to
the learners, and motivate them to interact using English. They must
see that these interactions are connected to their goals in learning
English – i.e. the competence to DO something they couldn’t do in
English before.

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Eliciting

This is a common activity in classrooms all over the world. It is used to:

 Get participants involved and interested

 Check on participant level
 Focus on topical, situational or functional areas
 Personalize the lesson with participant input
 Encourage initiative

At the same time, it is important to realize that eliciting, in itself, is not

training. In other words, if the participant can answer and provide
words or ideas in English, then they are already known. Getting partial
responses or individual words, may be a starting point to build on.
Alternatively, it is a way that participants in a class can share and build
their store of vocabulary and expressions. For this reason, it is
important that the trainer choreograph the situation so that the
vocabulary and expressions offered by the participants are recorded
and shared. This is done by:

 Eliciting to the board

 Brainstorming on poster paper
 Participants writing on the board

Pair work

Pair work is an important interactive activity because it:

 Gives the participant a chance to practice, and experiment with

what they are learning.
 Allows the trainer to withdraw and monitor participant
performance and progress
 Encourages rapport and collaborative learning
 Builds affective competence (confidence)
 Encourages shy or withdrawn participants to participate
 Encourages learner autonomy
 Adds variety to the lesson
 Allows the participant to “invest” in the lesson and personalize

Trios

Mini-groups of three’s is a great alternative to group work since it

focuses the speaking activity more. It is an improvement on pairs since
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one of the participants can watch and listen, while the others speak.
The observer in the trio may in fact be learning more than the
participants. At least, the individuals get to make some choices about
who speaks and when, plus the additional input from another
participant.

Varying pace and activity.

All learning groups have a cycle of activity that ranges from very
intensive to more relaxed. The trainer must factor this varying cycle of
activity into their lessons. As well, it is important to vary the dynamics
of interaction - e.g. pairs, trios, groups, whole classes, individual teams,
group-to-group, group-to-class, etc.

There should also be an integrated but varied use of language skills –

listening, speaking, reading and writing. The trainer can vary the “role”
that participants might play in any given class between:

I. patient (listening)
II. agent (speaking, directing others)
III. reciprocator( discussing)
IV. referee (observing in group activity, ready to participate)

To sum up therefore, the class activity should vary as to intensity,

dynamics of interaction, language skills used and participant roles.

Being a facilitator the Business English trainer needs to get

participants involved in interactive language situations, and then back
away to act as a facilitator, coach, monitor and resource. The facilitator
role is sometimes uncomfortable for language trainers because they
are accustomed to a more active role in directing participants.

Classroom Arrangements

The way in which you organize the position of the participants and
yourself is of great importance and largely depends on the following:

 Space available
 Type of chairs/tables
 Age of the participants
 Nationality
 Participant personality

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Seating arrangement

To create a learning community in your classroom you may want to

move participants around quite often. Once they become accustomed
to this, it should contribute to the level of interest and engagement in
activities since participants do not keep talking to only a few people.
The mixing of pairs is therefore an effective way of dealing with pairs
who do not work well together or become problematic when working
with each other. Even in a classroom where fixed seats may be
required or desirable, it is useful to move participants around
temporarily a few times during the class to create more interesting
communication dynamics. The trainer has the authority to arrange the
learners for the benefit of an activity, cohesion or discipline. With
business executives and professionals, this can be done firmly but
politely from the commencing of the course with regular reshuffling
when necessary, so that participants do not get used to sitting in one
place. However the purpose behind should be clear and convincing.
Certain issues are better considered while deciding on the seating
arrangement.

Things to consider:

1. Who sits next to whom?

2. Are seating positions fixed?
3. If they change, when and how often?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of fixed vs. flexible
seating?
5. How will it affect the classroom atmosphere?
6. Which arrangement allows participants to communicate without
interference from the trainer?
7. What activities might be suitable for each possible arrangement?

Separate tables

In Business English context, where corporate trainings are a regular

feature, participants seated in small groups at individual tables infuses
a combined aura of informality group dynamics in a classroom. It
becomes easy for the trainer/trainer to work at one table while other
groups continue their work.

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The trainer’s position

For a Business English trainer who is facing the participants who are
often his clients as well, it is important for him to be seen by all
participants and be approachable on an equal platform. The suggested
position and movement of the trainer during the following lesson
stages can be –

 Language presentation – the trainer will probably want the

attention of the whole class, therefore standing is the best
option.
 Giving instructions – As above, the trainer needs the attention of
the participants.
 Reading activities – When participants are reading, there is no
real need for the trainer to be in the forefront so much. Sitting
and occasional monitoring of progress would be appropriate
here.
 Activation stage – The trainer should relax control completely
and be available wherever needed. The trainer should remain at
a distance from the activity, preferably seated.
 Controlled practice – Occasional monitoring but otherwise the
trainer should allow the participants to focus on the activity.
 Checking work in progress – The trainer will want to move from
group to group but without intruding and stopping the flow of
the work.

Writing on the board

There can be a number of ways in which the trainer can reduce the
amount of time spent, with his/her back to the class, while doing
board-work.

 Indulge in using and overhead projector (OHP), which are easily

available in corporate offices.
 Prepare cards with variable and vocabulary as and when
applicable.
 Invite trainees to write on the board.
 Write on the board whilst participants are engaged on a different
task.
 Make sure that you always have chalk, board pens, or OHT
markers and erasers ready – they often get mislaid, ‘borrowed’
or won out.

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Trainer talking time and Participant talking time

The balance between TTT and STT largely depends on the context,
type of lesson / activity and the specific requirement of the
participants. In the classroom the trainer will speak more when:

 Presenting, checking, modeling or clarifying.

 Providing language input.
 Giving instructions, setting up activities.
 Establishing rapport.

Advantages and disadvantages of TTT

Exposure to the language is a vital component of its learning. The

trainer/trainer should be able to provide the participants with a
source of natural, correct English that is specifically geared to the
participant’s ability and requirement. Very few other resources can
provide such comprehensible language input.
However, the talking of the trainer is inversely proportionate to the
talking the participants. It reduces the amount of time available for
participants to speak and actively participate in the class. It is
therefore important to keep TTT to minimal levels while still realizing
that it plays a useful role. Therefore to avoid unnecessary TTT:

 The trainer can carefully choose the language for explanation

and instructions.
 Can use more gestures, pictures, illustrations.
 Can avoid being over-elaborative.
 Use language that is below the level being taught.
 Simplicity should be the baseline.

Monitoring

All classroom activities require trainer monitoring. While classroom

management involves “controlling” the class, and maintaining order
and focus, it also means monitoring - constantly checking - on the
progress of participant learning. One of the first things that trainers
need to remember is to pay attention to what their participants are
doing. This may seem obvious, but it’s not just watching over the
participants, but looking carefully at what they are doing. First and
foremost, participants are doing things to please the trainer. If they
don’t think the trainer is noticing and interested in what they are
doing, then they won’t be.
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Some points to consider.

 Back off a little bit in the beginning of group or pair work to

emphasize that participants should work on their own, and to
assess where your intervention might be most needed.
 Consider how you are going to check on progress with
participants who are not responding vocally.
 This often means having them write things, both as part of the
‘task’ involved, but also so the trainer can ‘see’ what is being
done.
 Move around the classroom so you have a chance to check on
each participant, and keep an eye on the rest of the class as you.
The problem here is that trainers often get so involved with one
group, that they ignore what is going on in the rest of the class.

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