Heuristic Language Categories

We talked about this in class. The following are categories of heuristic language that teachers use. Remember, heuristic language is "the language used to talk about learning, understanding another language." It's a kind of 'meta-language.'

 

Starting and finishing the lesson 

Giving instructions 

Asking questions and eliciting 

Using classroom management language 

Correcting students 

Presenting new language clearly 

Now, the task for us is to list the language patterns that fit under these categories. Any one want to help? Please comment below.

Comments

I have always thought that heuristic language is very important and useful, so we, teachers need to teach many basic heuristic expressions to our students from the beginning of our school year. It can help our students and also reduce teachers' extra effort (introducing and explaining the expressions to our students - 1: 1 again and again.) The following expressions are the ones I use myself in my class.

1. Starting and finishing the lesson.
- "What did we study in the last class?"
"Today, we are going to study ~."
"We've studied ~."
"Could you summarize today's lesson?"

2. Giving instructions
- "Open your textbook to page ______."
"Listen and repeat after me."
"Write your name on your worksheet."
"Submit your homework now."
"You can start the sentence with _________."
"If you want to ask me about the spelling of a word, please say 'How do you spell _______?"
"If you want to go to a restroom during my class, it's OK, but you should ask me first, 'Alice, may I go to the restroom?"

3. Asking questions and eliciting
- "Do you have any question?"
"What's your opinion about _______?"
"What's the key word in this dialogue?"
"What's the topic of this passage?"

4. Using classroom management language
- "Come up to the front."
"Go back to your seat."
"Calm down."
"Be quiet, please."
"Show your respect to your classmates."
"I want to talk with you after this class."

5. Correcting students
- "What did you say? Oh, do you mean _______?"

6. Presenting new language clearly
- "We should pronounce this word as ________."
"_____ means __________."
"Can you guess what this English word is in Korean?"

Your comment is wonderful! I totally agree with your thought. Yes, by using this expressions from the first class, for teachers and learners, it would be beneficial and practical; also, as you mensioned before, we can save our energy and time. I want to make lists which I want to use in class, and I will use effectively.
I also think that it is important to teach heuristic language. For pair work and group work, I use these expressions in class:

・Listen.
・Be quiet.
・Look at ~ .
・Open your textbook to page ~ .
・Repeat.
・Write your name on your worksheet.
・Let's ~ in pairs/ groups.
・Don't show your card /worksheet to your partner.
・Do you understand?
・Any questions?
・Make pairs. / Make groups of four.
・Face your partner.
・Ask your partner.
・Stand up, please.
・Are you ready?
・Three, two, one. Go!
・Any volunteers?
・Raise your hand.
・Come up to the front.
・Who's next?
・Your turn.
・Good job. / Nice. / Great.
・Are you finished?
・Time is up.
・Turn over your cards. Collect your cards.
・Exchange your card.
・Let's count.
・Who won?
・Go back to your seat, please.
・Did you have a fun?

            

Don't be intimidated TEFLers, just give a few suggestions, or you can make a general comment on how you would use or teach 'heuristic language' to your students.
Previous comments are useful and I got lots of information from those. And I also want to share some expressions which we can use in a class. I promise last expression is the most useful one!

- Turn your attention to... (or) Please give your attention to...
- Could you all please...? (or) Everyone needs to...
- In the meantime, don't chat with your partner. (or) In the meantime, sit still.
- Would you care for...?
- Feel free to...
- I recommend you do a Google search.

I think heuristic language plays an important role in language learning especially for young learners.
In the process of language learning, learner should negotiate and modify their conversation breakdown and miscommunication. If learners know these expressions, they feel more comfortable with their learning. For this task, I surveyed my two daughters. The following expressions are used in their classrooms. They are authentic.

• Starting and finishing the lesson
We’re going to practice _________
I want you to learn ___________
We’re going to learn about _______

• Giving instructions
Can you do this for me please?
Let’s try this.
Guys, I am going to pass out ___. Directions are up on the board.
• Asking questions and eliciting
Do you understand what I am trying to day?
Are you with me?
Are we on the same page?
Are you following me?
Do you have any questions?
Tell me about what we just ____

• Using classroom management language
Guys please be productive.
Get your ears up here.
Can I have your attention please?
Guys, quiet down.
Please be respectful.
You are distracting the class.
We talked about this. I want to talk to you again.
Guys, really?
Please go outside and collect yourself?
Please go outside and gather yourself?
Either calm yourself down and do your work or go to the office
You guys, either ca lm down or go to talk to _____
Okay, you are out for the day. Leave the classroom please. I’m not going to continue this class until you (guys) goes outside.
Either you be quiet and do less work or, I give you more work. Which one is it?
• Correcting students
Try again.
Not quite.
Anyone else ?
Repeat after me.
Good. Now you say after me.
• Presenting new language clearly
Who knows what this word means?
Can anyone tell me what this word means?

I think heuristic language plays an important role in language learning especially for young learners.
In the process of language learning, learner should negotiate and modify their conversation breakdown and miscommunication. If learners know these expressions, they feel more comfortable with their learning. For this task, I surveyed my two daughters. The following expressions are used in their classrooms. They are authentic.

• Starting and finishing the lesson
We’re going to practice _________
I want you to learn ___________
We’re going to learn about _______

• Giving instructions
Can you do this for me please?
Let’s try this.
Guys, I am going to pass out ___. Directions are up on the board.
• Asking questions and eliciting
Do you understand what I am trying to day?
Are you with me?
Are we on the same page?
Are you following me?
Do you have any questions?
Tell me about what we just ____

• Using classroom management language
Guys please be productive.
Get your ears up here.
Can I have your attention please?
Guys, quiet down.
Please be respectful.
You are distracting the class.
We talked about this. I want to talk to you again.
Guys, really?
Please go outside and collect yourself?
Please go outside and gather yourself?
Either calm yourself down and do your work or go to the office
You guys, either ca lm down or go to talk to _____
Okay, you are out for the day. Leave the classroom please. I’m not going to continue this class until you (guys) goes outside.
Either you be quiet and do less work or, I give you more work. Which one is it?
• Correcting students
Try again.
Not quite.
Anyone else ?
Repeat after me.
Good. Now you say after me.
• Presenting new language clearly
Who knows what this word means?
Can anyone tell me what this word means?

I think heuristic language plays an important role in language learning especially for young learners.
In the process of language learning, learner should negotiate and modify their conversation breakdown and miscommunication. If learners know these expressions, they feel more comfortable with their learning. For this task, I surveyed my two daughters. The following expressions are used in their classrooms. They are authentic.

• Starting and finishing the lesson
We’re going to practice _________
I want you to learn ___________
We’re going to learn about _______

• Giving instructions
Can you do this for me please?
Let’s try this.
Guys, I am going to pass out ___. Directions are up on the board.
• Asking questions and eliciting
Do you understand what I am trying to day?
Are you with me?
Are we on the same page?
Are you following me?
Do you have any questions?
Tell me about what we just ____

• Using classroom management language
Guys please be productive.
Get your ears up here.
Can I have your attention please?
Guys, quiet down.
Please be respectful.
You are distracting the class.
We talked about this. I want to talk to you again.
Guys, really?
Please go outside and collect yourself?
Please go outside and gather yourself?
Either calm yourself down and do your work or go to the office
You guys, either ca lm down or go to talk to _____
Okay, you are out for the day. Leave the classroom please. I’m not going to continue this class until you (guys) goes outside.
Either you be quiet and do less work or, I give you more work. Which one is it?
• Correcting students
Try again.
Not quite.
Anyone else ?
Repeat after me.
Good. Now you say after me.
• Presenting new language clearly
Who knows what this word means?
Can anyone tell me what this word means?

While I was trying to post this, it didn't work out. I kept pasting and pasting. Now it was posted three times. Please remove same thing. I am so embarrassed.
I think the expressions from my classmates are so useful for teaching. In addition to the expressions, I want to use expressions for cheering up students.
You did a great job!
Your idea is very creative!
It's a nice work!
Oh! You're a genius!
You did extraordinary works in your project!
You're so focusing on your work!
Your story's very interesting!
With these expressions, I want to build up children's self-confidence. In Korea, there is a proverb, 'Praise can make a whale dancing'. I think it is really important to praise children's works in class.
A lot of useful expressions have already been provided here, so I no longer have good idea. I like expressions for cheering up Sung Ah suggested.
I have experienced that I couldn’t understand what an ESL teacher instructed. I was so embarrassed. Therefore, I think that teachers should use a few expressions at first in order to reduce students’ anxiety. Gradually other expressions should be used.
Ah, I have just one expression! “That’s all for today!”
I didn't know the importance of Heuristic Language expressions until I learned TPR last quarter. What an interesting and unforgettable experience we had last quarter ! A woman spoke unfamiliar language without any explanation. We were very embarrassed but she didn't give up making us understand. She just repeated and repeated until we understood completely. We began to understand her utterances. The effect is so powerful that I still remember most of them we learned at that
time.

Learners get to know soon what teachers intend to say under different situations.
Meta-language can help learners internalize the basic rules of the target language naturally without any stress.
Teachers' elaborate and patient effort can make learners' ears and mouth open.
Let's not give up using meta-language. Small and trivial thing can make difference.

OK I will try again.
As Noriko mentioned, I have same experiences when I took ESL. Every time ESL teacher said when they started to explain activity " First of all, ~~~~", I misunderstood because I heard " Festival". Also, I had many expressions that I could not understand. So I felt I was left behind in class. Even if I learned English many years, this experience made me feel embarrased and disappointed. When I took English at school, teacher used only "Repeat after me." "Open your text book ~". Therefore I think teachers( Even if they teach in their native language), they should use these heuristic language in class, and they sould give hand out these expression at first class.
Joy said..
I totally agree with Sung Ah’s opinion. When a teacher compliment a student on his/her work, performance, or progress, I think that time is very good to use heuristic language because the student more concentrate on teacher’s words than ever. Not just words but positive feedback papers are powerful tool to learn language for learners. In the feedback papers, students can see and learn the words as Sung Ah mentioned above. Heuristic language with a compliment, encouragement, or attention from the teacher can affect students positively.
In addition, it is helpful to let students decorate the classroom with the objectives of the course, what they’ve learned this week, or some classroom rules such as ‘Participate actively’ or ‘Speak out in English’. In this way, students can see and reflect their learning concretely.
Since the biggest intention of mine to take Tefl program is to learn how to 'learn' foreign language well, I sometimes see the classes as ESL classes too.I am trying to catch many useful expressions from my teachers during the class. Today, I picked up an expression "my hands are tied". I had heard that before Safineh said it earlier today, but I 'learned' it within a right context today so that I can use it in the future. The point that I am trying to make here is not only heuristic langugage but also every word that comes from teachers mouths is equally important in students' L2 learning.
I read so many useful classroom expressions from our classmates and I want to add a few more.

- We talked about ______ today. (Finishing the class)
- You use this word / expression when ______. (Presenting new language claearly)
- Please work with your partner/group. (Classroom management)
Please do not look at each other's paper while ______ (Classroom management)
- Please raise your hand, if you don't understand.(Giving instructions)
- Is there any volunteer? (Eliciting)
- Who would like to go first? (Eliciting)

I learned lots of useful heuristic language from my classmates.
I use those kinds of language during i taught or many native esl teachers that i learned from them, they also use those kin ds of language in class. But i never try to knows these useful expression before. But after i learned about heuristic language, i try to find them during the class or even in my house. When i taught something to my daughtor in english. we read story book everyday, i also use lots of heuristic lanugage beggining of reabibg, in the middle of reading and the end of reading. It seems like we are in the small classroom. But using of heuristic language is huge parts.
I also agree that heuristic language is really important from very first class.
A teacher should give the clear instruction and then students can easy to understand and also can know what they should do next. As Joy mentioned before, heuristic language with compliment or encouragement, I think it makes student's motivation go up.It means,heuristic language gives better way both techer and students. Besides,since students should listen carefully what a teacher is saying,so students need to concentrate and pay attention to a teacher.
I can understand how Akiko's feeling that she mentioned. Sometimes it is hard to understand at the step of instruction. But by using heuristic language,it will go better way and make awesome class.

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