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TEACHERS' INSTRUCTIONAL LANGUAGE

Instruction is strongly related to the process o i!parting "no#ledge and teaching$ It is

crucial to ensure teaching and learning goes #ell$ Students' responses and peror!ances are also

highly connected to teachers' instructional language$ In addition% instructions also lin"ed to

lesson planning$

&ased on !y o#n eperiences% once there are pro(le!s #ith the instruction% nothing is

going to #or"$ I ha)e eperienced #here !y o#n instructions in classroo! #as unclear% and

 (ecause o that% the students #ere una(le to respond appropriately$ There #as once% I accidently

said 'step up' instead o 'stand up'$ The students #ere unclear #ith the instruction gi)en and the

ended up staring at !e until i repeat the instruction (y saying *I need you to stand up please* and

only ater that they responded to !y instruction$

&ased on !y o(ser)ation% the choices o #ords used as instructions ha)e to !atch

students' le)el o proiciency$ The irst ti!e I entered !y class% I realised that !y instruction

#ere too co!ple or !y students$ They #ere as"ing the !eaning o each #ord in order to

understand the instruction gi)en$ Since that% I ha)e decided to use si!ple #ords and sentences$ In

addition% non+)er(al language is also crucial #here I use de!onstration or !y instruction

especially or groups' acti)ity and language ga!es$ The actions sho#ed through de!onstration

helps !y student to learn ne# )oca(ulary$ This is so!eho# unconsciously helping the! to

i!pro)e their language proiciency$

The co!!and gi)en (y the teacher is )ery i!portant$ As or teachers #ho ha)e lo#

 proiciency students% the instruction need to (e repeated at least t#o or three ti!es% and #hile

repeating the instructions% teacher ha)e to identiy #hich students ha)e pro(le!s to co!prehend

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the instructions gi)en$ There are a e# si!ple #ays to i!pro)e instructional language used in

class$ As or ea!ple% teacher can pro)ide ti!e or students to co!prehend and response to any

instructions gi)en$ This is (ecause students try to relate the #ords used (y English teachers #ith

their irst language% and then they #ill try to respond$ Other than that% as !entioned a(o)e the

choices o #ords or )oca(ulary$ Teachers !ay use si!ple #ords #hich suits the le)el o the

students$ A)oid sentence #hich is to co!ple and too !uch o (o!(astic #ords$ &esides that%

teacher can also introduce #ords that #ill oten (e used since the irst class such as the #ords or 

 phrases li"e sit in groups o$$$% copy the notes$$$% paste the paper$$$% etc$ This #ill seriously help

the students to co!prehend the instructions gi)en$ &esides that% teacher should also practice

rechec"ing students' understanding using si!ple ,uestions$ This is to ensure that students

understand #hat are re,uired (y the teacher$ Students #ith lo# le)el o proiciency #ill not (e

a(le to co!prehend or process the instruction or inor!ation ,uic"ly in order to !a"e their o#n

!eaningul notes$ Ho#e)er% teachers !ay highlight the "ey or !ain ideas$ Other than that%

teachers !ay also pro)ide #ritten instruction especially or #or"sheet and ho!e#or"$

In a nutshell% instructional language used (y English teachers in classroo! is one o the

actors that contri(ute to students' peror!ances and responses$ It is correlated to students

understanding and action$ Reerring to that% teachers ha)e to ensure they use the appropriate

language in order to gi)e instruction to the students$