FISA DE LUCRU – GIVING INSTRUCTIONS

Work with a partner. Look at the following checklist for instructions. Put one instruction
from the previous slide as a title in the checklist.
1. SHOWING IS BETTER THAN
TELLING_____________________________________________________________________
________________ Use pictures, handouts or worksheets, gestures or demonstrations.
2. ___________KEEP INSTRUCTIONS SHORT AND
SIMPLE______________________________________________________________________
____ Don’t say anything that isn’t really necessary or relevant. Monitor your own language level
– grade the items of vocabulary and the structures you choose to use so they suit the lowest-level
learner in your class. Find the most logical order of instructions and stage them. Don’t give too
much information at the one time. Avoid echoing (repeating) what learners say to you. Be clear,
unambiguous and as succinct as possible.
3. __________BE
CONSISTENT_________________________________________________________________
__________ Keep to the same ‘signals’ – e.g. ‘OK, listen’, ‘Right’. Teach ‘classroom language’
if necessary.
4. MAKE SURE LEARNERS ARE
LISTENING___________________________________________________________________
_______________ Be firm but polite. Use your voice and changes in volume, stress, pitch and
intonation to signal to learners.
5. _____CHECK IF LEARNERS
UNDERSTAND________________________________________________________________
____ But not by asking ‘Do you understand?’ Demonstrate a task with a strong or confident
learner. Ask questions that check the instructions and nominate learners for a response. For
difficult instructions, nominate stronger learners first and move on to weaker learners, asking the
same or similar questions. Elicit examples rather than give.
6. CHECK IF INSTRUCTIONS ARE BEING
FOLLOWED___________________________________________________________________
__________________ Monitor quickly to check that everyone’s doing what you want and how
you want it done. Then monitor a little more slowly around the room, helping and noting errors
for feedback at the end of the task, where appropriate.