As language teaching professionals, we're constantly on the look for ways, tips and techniques to improve our craft and our teaching. Here are two notorious areas where teachers may fall prey to practices which can actually have a highly negative impact on the learners' language learning and acquisition and cause them serious problems. In the article, "Three Mistakes Language Teachers Make That Cause Learners to Fail”, we discussed three of the principal ways teachers can derail their learners' progress. Here are two additional practices that need to be avoided on the part of ELT and other language teaching professionals.

Don't test what you teach

If you write your own exams be sure to include only what learners have actually been taught and the way it was taught and practiced if possible. If you don't write the exams your learners take, know exactly what has to be covered, the style of the exam and the types of questions and make sure to cover and practice the materials accordingly. Use the materials adapted as necessary for the learners to acquire it, then expand your reviews to practice it in ways similar to the exam style. Give exam simulations which match, as closely as possible, the conditions learners will have when actually presenting the required exam. This will do a lot to help overcome their initial anxieties on exam day. You will in fact, as prominent ELT author Stephen Krashen says, "significantly lower their affective filter” in relation to the evaluation process.

Use Too much Teacher Talking Time

On occasion we're all guilty of this one, but if you're a frequent or constant offender you can be doing more damage than good in your classroom. Since you're the teacher we'll assume that for the most part you're not the one who needs the language practice. (And perchance, if you DO need the language practice, your classroom isn't the time or place to get it) Many teachers just won't shut up and let the learners co

mmunicate. It's the learners who should be doing the bulk of the speaking, reading and otherwise communicating in the target language. Have a trusted colleague sit in during a class session to track your TTT.

I'm sure your Director or Language Coordinator will do it for you too, but you may be less than happy with the feedback. Either way, review your results. If you need to make an adjustment, then you know what to do. (If you're not sure how to plan and execute a TTT tracking session or you don't know how to minimize the problem, contact me for some ideas and suggestions) Remember the learners will always communicate more with clear instructions, opportunity for guided and unrestricted practice AND if you zip your flytrap and let them speak.

So, are you a stumbling block to your students' progress? If you are guilty of any of these problem practices in ELT or language teaching, make the needed adjustments to your teaching practice. Then watch your teaching and results improve like never before. And by all means, please feel free to contact me with your questions, comments or requests.

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