Effective Instruction-Giving

• Mastering instruction-giving is crucial for effective teaching
• How instructions are delivered can determine a lesson's success

Importance of Instruction-Giving

• Instruction-giving impacts learning; lessons fail if students don't understand directions
• Good instruction-giving is challenging for both native and non-native language teachers
• Both novice and experienced teachers benefit from focusing on instruction-giving skills

Instructions in the Mother Tongue

• Opinions vary on using the first language (L1) for instruction in a second language (L2) classroom
• Some believe L1 use is permissible for instruction-giving
• Others argue students should learn English from the start to view it as a means of communication
• Using L1 can be efficient but may lead to over-reliance and hinder English comprehension in the long run
• Using L1 might aid beginners but could impede progress if continued for too long

Using Total Physical Response (TPR)

• TPR involves language teaching through commands and actions
• Starting with TPR for common instructions helps students understand classroom language and improves management
• TPR activities shouldn't be limited to the beginning of a course and should align with students' proficiency levels

Preparation Stage for Good Instructions

• Clear instructions are essential for effective teaching
• Writing out instructions during lesson planning ensures clarity and conciseness
• Use familiar words and aim for one sentence per main point for clarity
• Balance being comprehensive versus simple

Additional Input

• Gestures, visuals, and written instructions can aid understanding
• Consider cupping hand to ear while saying "Listen" or provide relevant pictures

Materials

• Avoid handing out materials before instructions to maintain attention
• Sometimes materials are needed to understand the activity

Delivery Stage

• Arrange groups and furniture before giving instructions to avoid confusion during activity setup
• To help students pay attention, use techniques such as ringing a bell, or standing still
• It is key to speak clearly

Model Instructions

• Demonstrate what students should do

Extra-Linguistic Devices

• Use gestures, tone and body language to give clear directions

Step-by-Step Instructions

• For multi-step activities, provide instructions one step at a time

Time Limits

• Set time limits before starting activities to help students manage their task

Check for Understanding

• Instead of asking "Do you understand?", use concept-checking questions with short answers
• For example; "How many students are you going to interview?"

Avoid Being Vague

• Provide specific tasks, rather than general instructions such as "Get into groups and have a discussion"

Post-Delivery Stage

• Monitor the activities to make sure instructions are understood
• If students don't understand, repair without being hostile

Sample Set of Instructions

• Write five sentences about what the student did last weekend
• For each sentence you wrote, you are going to try to find a classmate who did the same thing

Examining Own Practices

• Use self-reflection, self-observation, and peer observation to assess instruction-giving skills
• Using evaluation check lists after the lesson can provide value insights

Workshop Activity

• Teachers write, deliver, and reflect on instructions to improve their effectiveness