10 Essential books for Teaching English

1. The one book you absolutely need to get started:

How to Teach English by Jeremy Harmer

This is the one: if you do no other reading before embarking, make sure you read this. This book is simply the complete manual of teaching English as a foreign language.

If you’re a native English speaker who’s worried about coming to terms with the grammar of the language this book will be a life saver, as it takes a practical approach, concentrating on examples of teaching and teaching practice rather than on detailed analysis of learning theory. Don’t start without this!

2. The other book you absolutely need to get started: 

Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener

This is the other one! Together with Jeremy Harmer’s book, Learning Teaching is the essential guide for your first years as a language teacher and will remain an invaluable resource for your continuing career.

Again, the really practical approach makes it a perfect introduction to teaching English as a foreign or second language.

3. The book to stop panicking about not knowing English grammar:

Grammar for English Language Teachers by Martin Parrott

Let’s face it… we need to talk about grammar! The beauty of Grammar for English Language Teachers is that it is designed to help trainee teachers develop their knowledge of English grammar systems.

It encourages teachers to appreciate factors that affect grammatical choices, as well as evaluating the kinds of ‘rules of thumb‘ that you’ll see presented to learners in course materials. The consolidation exercises provide an opportunity for you to test these rules against real language use and to evaluate classroom and reference materials. If you’re stressed by the prospect of having to teach grammar, buy this book!

4. The go-to-guide for all things Grammar:

Practical English Usage by Michael Swan

One thing I can guarantee you is that you will be asked questions about grammar that you can’t immediately answer… a state of being that will probably continue for many years! That’s where Practical English Usage comes to the rescue!

This classic reference guide succinctly – and comprehensively – addresses all of the problem points in the English language as encountered by learners and us as teachers. It gives information and advice that is practical, clear, reliable, and easy to find. Don’t leave home without it.

5. The reference guide to teacher training courses;

A Course in English Language Teaching by Penny Ur

What do you need to know about language teaching and what will you encounter? If you want a text that will act as an easy to read and easy going book reference guide discussing the various methods of teaching English, this is the book for you.

While this is ideal for your initial teacher training, it will remain a useful reference for when you become a fully-fledged teacher. The book combines theory and practice, with each unit containing tasks that encourage reflection and discussion, plus action tasks such as classroom observation and practice

6. The orientation:

The CELTA Course Trainee Book by Scott Thornbury and Peter Watkins

While the purpose of this post is primarily to list the books you should be reading before undertaking teaching, I hope the message is also coming through that you should get cracking in advance and not wait until you’ve started!

The course itself may probably represent the most difficult month of your life, so reading this title – which wasn’t available when I did my course, unfortunately – will enable you to orient yourself in advance and know exactly what to expect when you get started. A word of caution: reading this won’t enable you to take the course easily; you’ll still have a huge mountain to climb.

7. The comprehensive introduction to how to teach listening:

Teaching Listening Comprehension by Penny Ur

Listening isn’t something you’ll necessarily have given much thought in your non-language teacher phase of life… so be prepared for a bit of a shock when you have to teach listening in the classroom.

Luckily, the wonderful Penny Ur is here to help us with this fantastic text in which she defines the characteristics of real-life listening, analyses the problems encountered by language learners, and discusses the considerations involved in planning successful classroom listening practice. The book also contains loads of example tasks to give you plenty of ideas about how to deal with listening in class.

8. The comprehensive introduction to how to teach reading:

Developing Reading Skills: A Practical Guide to Reading Comprehension Exercises by Francoise Grellet

Reading isn’t something… aagghh, just see the above paragraph and replace the word ‘listening’ with ‘reading’! Developing Reading Skills is the kind of book that you’ll want to keep close at hand whenever you’re planning a reading lesson.

This is a comprehensive reference handbook offers a wide range of sample reading comprehension exercises which will enable you to incorporate meaningful reading into your lessons. I was using this book years after my certificate course when I did the DELTA and still refer to it on a fairly regular basis.

9. The ‘slow burner’:

Discover English by Rod Bolitho

Get your thinking caps on and be ready to be in this for the long haul. This is one of the first books I bought and it took a while for its usefulness to sink in.

Not the immediate go-to-guide that you’ll get with most of the titles I’ve mentioned here, Discover English operates as a language-awareness workbook which highlights and explores selected areas of grammar and vocabulary. The exercises are designed to confront myths and preconceived ideas, and to explore common areas of difficulty, while commentaries offer support to all users, especially English teachers. Think of this as a course for you to take to learn about the language :trust me, you’ll almost certainly need it!

10. What’s your number 10?

I’ve noticed that these lists tend to work best when I leave the final choice open to you.. so here you go! There have been some great suggestions so far.

10.1 Grammar Practice Activities by Penny Ur

David Harbinson recommends this title:
"I think it is especially good for new teachers who have no real idea about English grammar because it contains a lot of great activities that will help the teacher to discover the grammar along with the students."

10.2 Clear Speech: Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension in North American English by Judy Gilbert

Claudie Graner has this suggestion:
"Understanding the ‘content’ of pronunciation was the most difficult issue I faced as a beginner teacher. Grammar and methodology were familiar (I had learned grammar and been taught by progressive teachers!) but pronunciation was tabula rasa… this gave me somewhere to start."

10.3 Sound Foundations: English Pronunciation (Methodology) by Adrian Underhill

Sinead Laffan has this to say:
"Gimme, gimme, gimme! [Agreed... this would have been my 'natural' number 10 if I hadn't left it open to you all]"

10.4 Vocabulary in Language Teaching by Norbert Schmitt and Vocabulary Myths: Applying Second Language Research to Classroom Teaching by Keith Folse

Gordz O’Doberman explains his choices:
"For me, trainee, novice and experienced teachers all need to be aware of the primacy of lexis in language learning (and teaching)."

Good reads everyone!

9 Ways to Correct Students Without Correcting Them

Try These 9 Simple Ways to Correct Your Students Without Correcting Them

1. 1

   The Stare

   If a student answers a question incorrectly or grossly mispronounces a word, fail to respond to him and rather stare blankly or with a raised eyebrow, like you heard no words. You will convey there was a failure in communication without correcting with your body language cues, and those cues are actually a more powerful way of encouraging a second, third, and even fourth attempt for a right answer. The student will naturally want to try harder to communicate with you.
2. 2

   “Is There Another Way to Say That?”

   Do not tell her she is wrong, but ask if maybe there is another way (with the implication of better way) to answer your question or communicate. The question will trigger a thought process in which she scans her mental thesaurus.
3. 3

   “What Word Did We Learn Yesterday?”

   This question inspires recall of lessons taught, and your student will not think you are correcting her, only seeking a different answer based on your lesson plans. It will trigger her brain to replace the incorrect word or usage with what you taught as well.
4. 4

   “Does Anyone Else Have A Thought?”

   Do not correct your student, but immediately ask if anyone else has a different answer. Keep asking until someone gives you the right response. Positively respond to all of the participation, but very positively respond to the correct answer once you find it and stop asking for more answers. The final answer will sit in their heads as the best and the most correct.
5. 5

   “Who Else Thinks That Answer Is Correct?”

   Turn it around on your students! Poll who thinks the answer is correct. The correct answer will emerge, but the student who was wrong will have commiseration from classmates that voted for her answer, diffusing the culpability in a lighthearted way.
6. 6

   “I Do Not Quite Understand You”

   This phrase indicates that the student is on the right track, but is not quite conveying what he wants to communicate. He will keep trying and rephrase his words or try another grammatical construction naturally to attempt to explain. This is much more effective than “That is not how you say that” or other negative correction tools.
7. 7

   The Repeat

   Nod in agreement with the student and then repeat what she is trying to say correctly. This shows she said it well enough to be understood and that her communication was relayed, but the correct pronunciation or grammar will stick in her mind. For example, if she asks, “I go to bathroom?” say, “Can I go to the bathroom? Yes you can go to the bathroom.”
8. 8

   Ask Someone Else

   If someone answers incorrectly, just ignore her and ask someone else until you receive the right response!
9. 9

   A Game with Rewards

   Do not correct wrong answers, but reward the right answer. This is the oldest teacher trick to inspire participation. Give candy, points, prizes, etc. if students answer you correctly, but do not even acknowledge wrong answers.

With a little bit of practice, you can succeed at never correcting your students but always finding the right answer! You will notice higher participation in your activities as well as increased learning in your classroom by employing these techniques and always making wrong right.

More from the author Devon Reeser

10 Tips to Improve Behavior Management

1 Be in charge.

As the teacher, and the adult, you are ‘in charge’. It is your classroom and you must actively and consciously make the rules and decisions, rather than letting them happen out of habit, poor organisation or at the whim of the pupils.

Demonstrate your ‘in-chargeness’ by the position you take in the room; keep on your feet as much as possible and be where you can watch everything that is going on. Pupils should be convinced you have eyes in the back of your head! Pick up the good things they are doing (see number 3 below). Keep moving around the classroom to establish yourself as the focal point of interest and authority.

Remember that the pupils need to feel safe; they can only do this if you are in charge. Do not justify or apologise for your rules, your standards or your insistence on compliance.

2 Use positive classroom rules.

Pupils need to know what is expected of them in your classroom. Establish a set of rules, no more than 4 or 5, which make desired behaviour explicit; display them prominently in the room and refer to them frequently so that they don’t disappear into the wallpaper!

The rules should tell the pupils what to do, rather than what not to do, eg

O Don’t call out.

          P Put up your hand and wait to speak.

O Don’t walk around the classroom.

          P Stay in your seat.

O Don’t break things.

                    P Look after classroom equipment.

Praise good behaviour and refer to the rule being followed. Use the rules to point out inappropriate behaviour, “Remember our rule about …”

Have a ‘feature’ rule now and again, written on the board and tied to a special individual or class reward to be given to pupils who follow the rule.

3 Make rewards work for you.

Give pupils relevant rewards for desirable behaviours, starting tasks, completing tasks, following class rules, etc. The goal is to establish the HABIT of co-operation. Standards can be subtly raised once the habit has been established. The easiest, quickest and most appreciated reward is descriptive praise.

Other possible rewards, besides those used as a school-wide system are:

• a note home to parents
• name on a special chart which earns a later tangible reward
• being given special responsibilities
• being allowed to go first
• having extra choices

4 Catch them being good.

Praise is the most powerful motivator there is. Praise the tiniest steps in the right direction. Praise often, using descriptive praise, for example, ‘It can be annoying having to look up words in the dictionary. I can see you are getting impatient but the dictionary is still open in front of you. You haven’t given up.’ Or, ‘I can see you don’t want to come in from break, but you are facing the right direction for coming in.’ Be willing to appreciate the smallest of effort and explain why it pleases you.

Pupils will not think you are being too strict and will not resent your firm decision making if you remember to smile, to criticise less and to praise more. Tell the pupils there will be positive consequences for positive behaviour, then follow through and show them.

Stick to your guns and don’t be ‘bullied’ into giving rewards that haven’t been earned.

Some positive behaviours are easily overlooked. Try to remember to praise pupils for:

• homework in on time
• homework in late but at least it’s in
• working quietly
• good attendance
• neat desk
• not swinging on chair
• smiling
• contributing to class discussion
• helping another pupil
• not laughing at another pupil’s mistakes
• promptly following your instructions
• wearing glasses
• using common sense

Use the reward systems of the school consistently and fairly.

5 Be specific and clear in your instructions

Get a pupil’s full attention before giving instructions. Make sure everyone is looking at you and not fiddling with a pencil, turning around, looking at a book, etc. Only give instructions once; repeating can unwittingly train a pupil to not bother to listen properly the first time. Smile as you give instructions.

Don’t be too wordy and don’t imply choice when there actually isn’t a choice by tacking ‘Okay?’ on the end, or sound as though you are merely suggesting, ‘Would you like to …?’ ‘How about …?’  ‘Don’t you think you should …?’

Be very clear in all your instructions and expectations. Have a pupil repeat them back to you.

6 Deal with low level behaviours before they get big

Low level, or minor, behaviour infringements will escalate if they are

not dealt with quickly and consistently. A pupil’s behaviour is reinforced

when he gets attention for it, but don’t be tempted to ignore it. Find a

calm and quiet way to let the child know that you see exactly what he is

doing and that there is a consequence, without making a fuss, getting

upset or sounding annoyed.

Give your instructions once only. If the pupil continues to misbehave, instead of repeating your original instruction, try one or more of these actions:

• point to a place (eg on the board, on a post-it in the pupil’s book, a note on your desk) where you wrote down the original instruction at the time you first gave it
• use a description of reality, ‘Alfie, you are tapping your ruler.’
• stop everything and look at the pupil pointedly and wait for them to figure out why
• descriptively praise those who are behaving appropriately, praise the target pupil as soon as  he complies
• ask other pupils what is needed (the squirm factor)

Always follow through, even on minor infractions, so that pupils know there is no point in testing. They should know what will happen. Only give second chances after a period of good behavior.

7 The consequences of non-compliance.

Help the pupil to do whatever you’ve asked him to do. If he has thrown pencils on the floor, help him to pick them up.

If a pupil does not obey instructions straight away, do not give up. Keep waiting. Praise every little step in the right direction, even the absence of the wrong thing. For example, if you’ve just asked a pupil to stand up and he’s not doing it, you could say, ‘You’re not swearing now, thank you.’

Do not protect the pupil from the consequences of his action or lack of action. The pupil is making a choice and you will have told him this, and given a clear warning of the consequence.

A consequence should be uncomfortable and not upsetting enough to breed more resentment. The purpose of the consequence is to prompt the pupil to think, ‘I wish I hadn’t done that.’

Have a ready repertoire of easy to implement and monitor consequences. These might include:

• loss of choices (eg where to sit)
• loss of break time
• loss of a privilege
• sitting in silence for a set amount of time

8 Find a ‘best for both outcome’.

Avoid confrontational situations where you or the pupil has to back down. Talk to the pupil in terms of his choices and the consequences of the choices, and then give them ‘take up’ time.

‘Fred, I want you to leave the room. If you do it now we can deal with it quickly. If you choose not to then we will use your break time to talk about it. It’s your choice. I’ll meet you outside the door in two minutes.’ Then walk away and wait.

‘Joe, put your mobile phone in your bag or on my desk. If you choose not to do that it will be confiscated,’ then walk away and wait.

9 Establish ‘start of lesson’ routines.

Never attempt to start teaching a lesson until the pupils are ready. It’s a waste of everyone’s energy, giving the impression it’s the teacher’s job to force pupils to work and their job to resist, delay, distract, wind up, etc. Often this task avoidance is a ‘smoke screen’ hiding worries about what you are going to ask them to do.

Have a routine way of starting a lesson; a quiet activity that pupils can get right down to, without needing any explanation. Handwriting, copying the lesson objectives from the board, spelling practice (familiar key language from the current topic), mental arithmetic are good activities to set a quiet tone. Do not allow discussion or be drawn into discussion yourself – say there will be time for that later and make sure you follow this through.

If you take the time to establish this, lessons will start themselves! You won’t have that battle at the beginning of every lesson to get yourself heard.

10 Manage the end of the lesson.

Do not run your lesson right up to the last minute and then have to rush because the next class is waiting. Allow time to wind down, answer questions, put equipment away, refer to WILT and how this has been met, outline plans for next lesson, etc.

Have a short, educational game up your sleeve if there is time to spare.

Manage the pupils’ exit of the room, have them stand behind their chairs and wait to be asked to leave. Address each pupil by name and have them tell you some good news about the lesson, or you tell them something they did well today. Send them out one-by-one.

FORUM English Teaching Magazine

Here´s a great English Teaching Magazine: FORUM! Which is now in American English, read Volume 51 here:

English Teaching Forum 2013, Volume 51, Number 1

Paso a Paso con el PNIEB (Step by Step with PNIEB)

I found a resource book that it could help us PNIEB teachers to better understand what we have to do in the classroom and what expectations we are to meet.

It seems affordable and I think is worth checking it out at least. It’s called Paso a paso… PNIEB.  If you want to check it out, the webpage is libropnieb.com

Finally this month, I have been able to get hold of this book.

I haven’t finished it reading it. So far, it looks OK to get a better idea of what it is this PNIEB phenomenon. It has graphic organizers as printable appendix.

I have read it and it’s a great tool, but I won’t call it the BIBLE for the PNIEB teacher. The book helps you to grasp ideas, but it’s no miracle worker or a planning guide.

To have a better look, I am posting the index right here.

Information taken from the page: 
Teaching PNIEB… ideas and stuff

Tools to build vocabulary

Learning and most of all, acquiring new vocabulary is a matter of obsession for both, English Language Learners and Educators, here I share with you some useful strategies to help you deal with this matter.

How do you record new words? Do you use mind maps? Tables? Flash cards? Or some other way? Check out these tips and practice exercises to help you choose the best way for you! 

Word cards: http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/exams/exam-grammar-vocabulary/word-cards
Mind maps: http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/exams/exam-grammar-vocabulary/mind-maps
Tables: http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/exams/exam-grammar-vocabulary/tables

Great vocabulary games!

Here´s an excellent page to find new ways to practice, review and recycle vocabulary, get flashcards and overall teaching ideas.

Hello fellow PNIEB teacher, here are some easy steps to correctly plan your social practice, let´s begin:

1. Identify the product for your specific competency
2. Identify the achievements for your specific competency. 

3. Analyze how these achievements are related with the product and the specific competency. 

Tip: The achievement must always be present and will be reviewed at different moments. 

4. Analyze the suggested product stages for your specific competency in the syllabus

a. Identify the opening, development and closure stages.

5. Select and write on separate pieces of paper the stages that will be used in your team’s planning. From the suggested stages, some may be eliminated, or additional stages can be included.

You should have at least 3 main moments: 

Initial

Development

Closing 

6. Review the contents for the unit being planned and relate them to the different project stages.

7. Identify which contents are necessary for the initial, development and closing stages of the development of the product. 

Contents may be repeated

8. Answer the following four questions:

Is the relationship between the product and the specific competency clear?

Do the stages on your plan guarantee the elaboration of the product and the development of the specific competency?

Are the three types of content articulated in the different stages?

Will the achievements be reached with this plan?

9. Decide how long the development of the product will take. 

10. Assign times to each product stage

11. Choose one of the stages of the product development to be designed.

12. Brainstorm different activities (communicative situations) that could be carried out to work on this stage of the product. 

Write a list of possible activities.

13. Plan a Stage.

14. Consider the following elements and write them on a sheet of paper: 

Clarify the purpose of this stage.

Determine the logical sequence of activities and the time for it.

Identify assessment methods.

15. Determine the final activities in your classroom.


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Teacher Christian P. Hndez.: Guidelines for new (and not so new) teachers Part ...

Teacher Christian P. Hndez.: Guidelines for new (and not so new) teachers Part ...: One of the most significant things you can do to affect student conduct is to establish effective daily events in your classroom. Doing s...





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Guidelines for new (and not so new) teachers Part 1

One of the most significant things you can do to affect student conduct is to establish effective daily events in your classroom. Doing so will allow you to be organized and appear in control. It will also allow students to take responsibility for themselves because they will know what to do. Time is also used more effectively in classrooms with established daily procedures. The tips that follow offer suggestions that will help you establish effective daily procedures in your classroom.

What You Should Do:
Set up procedures for the following classroom activities:

• Entering the classroom
• Taking roll
• Dealing with tardy students 
• Dealing with students who lack materials 
• Labeling student papers 
• Preparing to leave at the end of class 

  How To Do It: 

Entering the Classroom 

Begin each lesson with a brief warm-up or ice breaker activity such as a game, vocabulary review, etc, in the following link you can find many warm-ups or ice breaker activities to use in your classes:
Warm-ups and Icebreakers for classroom games and activities

Before students arrive, post the warm-up activity on the board and make a list of the materials needed for the lesson. If there is a new homework assignment, post it on the board, too. If necessary, remind students to sit in their assigned seats. It may be helpful (and even necessary) to attribute a small portion of a daily grade to these warm-up exercises, you can then include it as a participation grade, but being a fun, short and interactive activity, everyone would be delighted and eager to participate.

Taking Roll
Use a quick method of taking roll as students participate in the opening activity or as they turn in their homework. On the first day of school, set up a seating chart, which you can use to support the students in sitting in their assigned seats. Throughout the year, use the chart to take roll quickly. If students say someone is not absent, but the student is not in the room, simply state that to be considered present a person needs to be working or sitting down when the bell rings or when you enter the classroom.

Dealing with Tardy Students 
Have a plan for dealing with tardy students. An alternative would be to allow a small interruption, quickly update your attendance sheet and move on. Be sure to point out to the tardy student the consequence of habitual tardiness. You may be able to prevent a majority of late students by holding them accountable for lateness. For example, you might dock a student's participation grade by half a point for every three times tardy.

Dealing with Students Who Lack Materials
If you are unable to get extra copies of your books, have students who arrive without their book share with classmates whom you designate. But not bringing the school materials should have a consequence; permitting students get by without the required materials might send the signal that it is okay to leave materials at home.

Labeling Student Papers
Ask students to write their name, the date, your name, the period number, and the assignment on every paper they turn in to you. You will probably need to remind students of this often. Don´t accept any unlabeled paper, returning it immediately to the student that turned it to you and asking him to write the proper information. Explain that if you cannot determine to whom a paper belongs or which assignment it might be, you cannot give credit for the work.

Preparing to Leave at the End of Class
Everything that has a beginning should have an end to be complete, have a signal for when students may prepare to wrap up the class. For most students, the bell means it is time to drop everything, stuff it all in their backpacks, and leave or wait for their next class, lunch, or home. You can ask students not to leave until you have signaled that class is over. Request that they not pick up their backpacks or other bags until they are dismissed. Allow time for closure and clarification of assignments. Then give your dismissal signal. Try always to include a game, a song, an activity which is fun, short and interactive as a wrap-up to leave them craving for more, but also that has something to do with the day´s lesson.

To be continued………………………

 If you have any comments or more ideas on this topics, please share your insights and knowledge!

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Some tips for English Language Teaching

The number of English Language Learners is growing  all over the world, as teachers we try to respond to the needs of these students, here are a few basic best practices that might help.  Using these practices makes our lessons more efficient and effective. I include a few "worst" practices in the hope that they will not be repeated!

Modeling

Do model for students what they are expected to do or produce, especially for new skills, vocabulary or activities, by explaining and demonstrating the learning actions, sharing your thinking processes aloud, and showing good teacher and student work samples. Modeling promotes learning and motivation, as well as increasing student self-confidence -- they will have a stronger belief that they can accomplish the learning task if they follow steps that were demonstrated.

Don't just tell students what to do and expect them to do it.

Rate of Speech and Wait Time

Do speak slowly and clearly, and provide students with enough time to formulate their responses, whether in speaking or in writing. Remember, they are thinking and producing in two or more languages! After asking a question, wait for a few seconds before calling on someone to respond. This "wait time" provides all students with an opportunity to think and process, and especially gives ELLs a needed period to formulate a response.

Don't speak too fast, and if a student tells you they didn't understand what you said, never, ever repeat the same thing in a louder voice!

Use of Non-Linguistic Cues

Do use visuals, sketches, gestures, intonation, and other non-verbal cues to make both language and content more accessible to students. Teaching with visual representations of concepts can be hugely helpful to ELLs.

Don't stand in front of the class and lecture, or rely on a textbook as your only "visual aid."

Giving Instructions

Do give verbal and written instructions -- this practice can help all learners, especially ELLs. In addition, it is far easier for a teacher to point to the board in response to the inevitable repeated question, "What are we supposed to do?"

Don't act surprised if students are lost when you haven't clearly written and explained step-by-step directions.

Check for Understanding

Do regularly check that students are understanding the lesson. After an explanation or lesson, a teacher could say, "Please put thumbs up, thumbs down, or sideways to let me know if this is clear, and it's perfectly fine if you don't understand or are unsure -- I just need to know." This last phrase is essential if you want students to respond honestly. Teachers can also have students quickly answer on a Post-It note that they place on their desks. The teacher can then quickly circulate to check responses.

When teachers regularly check for understanding in the classroom, students become increasingly aware of monitoring their own understanding, which serves as a model of good study skills. It also helps ensure that students are learning, thinking, understanding, comprehending, and processing at high levels.

Don't simply ask, "Are there any questions?" This is not an effective way to gauge what all your students are thinking. Waiting until the end of class to see what people write in their learning log is not going to provide timely feedback. Also, don't assume that students are understanding because they are smiling and nodding their heads -- sometimes they are just being polite!

Encourage Development of Home Language

Do encourage students to continue building their literacy skills in their home language, also known as "L1." Research has found that learning to read in the home language promotes reading achievement in the second language as "transfer" occurs. These "transfers" may include phonological awareness, comprehension skills, and background knowledge.

While the research on transfer of L1 skills to L2 cannot be denied, it doesn't mean that we should not encourage the use of English in class and outside of the classroom.

Don't completely "ban" students from using their native language in the classroom. Forbidding students from using their primary languages does not promote a positive learning environment where students feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. What you can do is turn it into a competition, assigning or taking away points for using L1.

This is certainly not a complete guide -- they are just a few of the most basic practices to keep in mind when teaching English Language Learners or a Second Language Learner.  If you agree with the previous tips and practices or would like to add more of your own, feel free to leave a comment!

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