I think it is very important, as a teacher of English as a foreign language, to teach polite English to my students, however old they are. One of the many things I’ve learned over the years is that I want them to be confident that they can use their English in a useful and practical way. They need to know how to express themselves in a polite English with other people even in a different culture and environment from their own. If you’re teaching children of any age, this is a really good opportunity to teach them good manners in English, just as their parents are probably teaching them good manners in their own language at home. So here are some fun and easy ways to teach polite English in your classes from preschool right up to teenagers.
How to teach polite English and good manners in your class
If you insist on certain phrases and words right from the beginning with your class, even very little children will soon get in the habit of using them too. This means that, should they ever find themselves in an English speaking country or with English speaking people, they will be able to use them and, as well as impressing people with their English skills, will also be seen as polite and well educated children.
So, what is the best way to start teaching polite English in your classes with kids? What are the practical ways you can use to ensure that they are speaking politely and then help them remember this?
Insist on please and thank you
Surprisingly maybe, in some languages, saying please and thank you is not as usual as it is in English. This obviously doesn’t mean that people are being rude. However they have different ways of structuring sentences to show that they are being polite even if they don’t actually say please or thank you. In English though, we give a lot more importance to these words and you risk being seen as rude if you do not use them. I think therefore that it is imperative to teach them and insist on them being used by the children in my class.
If you’ve got children of your own, this probably seems instinctive. Every time you give something to a child or they ask for something, you insist that they say please and thank you. It’s not as easy with other children, but try and get into the habit of insisting on it and don’t give in. At the beginning this may mean things take longer but even little kids will soon get the hang of it especially as it means they get what they want quicker. If you want a fun way to teach how to ask for things, the Please and Thank you Song by The Singing Walrus is a good way to practice this. And don’t give in, insist every time.
Saying Hello and Goodbye
It’s important for children to greet you in English and say goodbye to their parents at the start of each class and not just wander in without acknowledging anybody. Make sure you set a good example by saying Hello to them as they arrive and then make them say Hello back. There’s no need to make a big thing of it or embarrass them. Just a quick “Hi, how are you?” or a high five as they come in is fine. Again, they will soon get in the habit and it will become automatic. At the end of the lesson, it’s the same thing. Don’t let them rush out without saying goodbye to them and them saying it to you.
Asking to go to the toilet
OK, now be careful with this one! If one of your 3 year olds needs to go to the toilet and is jiggling in front of you with crossed legs, don’t risk a messy accident. But for older kids who, hopefully, have a bit more self control and better timing, do insist on them asking in English if they can go to the bathroom. Teach it in your first lesson of the year, start right from the beginning and it will soon become an automatic way to ask. Obviously teach it to the smaller children too, just be a bit more flexible when using it.
Smile!
Everything is so much more positive when we’re smiling and people react so much better. Be positive with your class, even when they’re making loads of mistakes and you can’t understand a word they’re saying. It’s not the end of the world. I really think that a huge part of speaking a foreign language is having the confidence to speak it and not be scared of making a mistake. If the children in your class see English as something fun and enjoyable, if they like speaking it and smile confidently when they are using it, people will react to them so much more positively. So smile a lot at them and make them smile when they’re speaking to you and to each other.
Give them a skill for adulthood
It’s not always easy to insist on good manners and polite English in a busy class. I do think it is important to persevere though as it is an important part of learning a new language. If it becomes something automatic that you insist on, the kids will just see it as a normal part of the class and will do it without even really thinking about it. It makes the classroom a more pleasant and positive environment and gives the kids a real practical skill that they can use every day and in the future.
What do you insist upon in your classroom? Do you think it’s important to teach good manners and polite English? Or do you think that there are other things that are more important? I’d love to hear from you in the comments. To stay up to date with new posts and teaching ideas, you can follow the GoogooEnglish Facebook page. Alternatively, sign up for email updates below.