Oftentimes, our roles in class are thinking up games or activities to make practicing a phrase or short dialogue set fun and kid oriented. But there is the other English that you should also nurture in your class. The every day English, also known as classroom English - it's what the students use as part of the lesson but isn't the lesson, it's what helps communication throughout the class.

Encouraging this type of English means you can often feel like you are training the students by rote - but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Many things we say in the course of a conversation are purely reactionary anyway - no thought needed.

Also, the rote part is just the first step. You need it to be a natural reaction, then it starts to feel natural, then you're fluent. Well, that may be a simplification but the point is, it's helpful for the students.

You probably have your own phrases you encourage every class. I hope you comment and add to this list. Here's some of my suggestions.

English every day


Words/PhraseUsage explanation

Hello! How are you?

Use this as the daily greeting before you start every lesson. (And yeah, I know, everyone already does!)

I know! or I've got it!

Encourage kids to say this when you ask them "What's this?" kind of questions.

I don't know

If kids can't answer, try getting them to use this. Watch out for kids copping out with this one though. Rather than try, they might just fall back on this.

Left, right, (up and down)

You may do a lesson on this but it's also something easy enough with enough daily uses that you can get kids to use it anytime you have to choose something.

Junior high

Words/PhraseUsage explanation

High school

Words/PhraseUsage explanation

Please leave a comment and share what words or phrases you think students should be encouraged to use every day.

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