Classroom Language For Teachers and Students of English

• Can I come to your office?
• How should I pronounce “…”?
• How do you pronounce this word?
• Would you pronounce the word “…”?
• How do you spell “…”?
• What does UK stand for?
• Would you give us an example?
• How do you spell that?
• Could you explain a little bit more about that?
• What do you mean?
• What is the difference between “a” and “b”?
• I didn’t understand today’s lesson.
• I don’t understand the homework.
• Just a minute/second/sec.
• When is the homework due?
• Execuse me, can I talk to you for a minute?
• I’m sorry I am late.
• Can I go to the restroom?
• Can I change seats?

Classroom Language For English Teachers

Classroom Language: The beginning of the lesson

• • Good morning, everybody.
  • Good afternoon, everybody.

• Hello, everyone.
• Hello there, John.

• How are you today?
• How are you getting on?
• How’s life?
• How are things with you?
• Are you feeling better today, David?

• My name is Mr/Mrs/Ms Kim. I’m your new English teacher.
• I’ll be teaching you English this year.
• I’ve got five lessons with you each week.

• Let’s begin our lesson now.
• Is everybody ready to start?
• I hope you are all ready for your English lesson.
• I think we can start now.
• Now we can get down to work.

• I’m waiting for you to be quiet.
• We won’t start until everyone is quiet.
• Stop talking and be quiet.
• Settle down now so we can start.

• Close your books.
• Put your books away.
• Pack your things away.

• Who is absent today?
• Who isn’t here today?
• What’s the matter with Jim today?
• What’s wrong with Jim today?
• Why were you absent last Friday?

• Where have you been?
• We started ten minutes ago. What have you been doing?
• Did you miss your bus?
• Did you oversleep?
• Don’t let it happen again.

Classroom Language: Simple instructions

• Come in.
• Go out.
• Stand up.
• Sit down.
• Come to the front of the class.
• Stand by your desks.
• Put your hands up.
• Put your hands down.
• Hold your books/pens up.
• Show me your pencil.

• Pay attention, everybody.
• You need pencils/rulers.
• We’ll learn how to …
• Are you ready?
• Open your books at page…
• Turn to page …
• Look at activity five.
• Listen to this tape.
• Repeat after me.
• Again, please.
• Everybody …
• You have five minutes to do this.
• Who’s next?
• Like this, not like that.

• It’s time to finish.
• Have you finished?
• Let’s stop now.
• Stop now.
• Let’s check the answers.
• Any questions?
• Collect your work please.
• Pack up your books.
• Are your desks tidy?
• Don’t forget to bring your … tomorrow.

• First
• Next
• After that
• Then
• Finally

• Are you ready?
• Are you with me?
• Are you OK?
• OK so far?
• Do you get it?
• Do you understand?
• Do you follow me?
• What did you say?
• One more time, please.
• Say it again, please.
• I don’t understand.
• I don’t get it.
• Like this?
• Is this OK?

Classroom Language: The end of the lesson

• It’s almost time to stop.
• I’m afraid it’s time to finish now.
• We’ll have to stop here.
• There’s the bell. It’s time to stop.
• That’s all for today. You can go now.

• The bell hasn’t gone yet.
• There are still two minutes to go.
• We still have a couple of minutes left.
• The lesson doesn’t finish till five past.
• Your watch must be fast.
• We seem to have finished early.
• We have an extra five minutes.
• Sit quietly until the bell goes.

• Hang on a moment.
• Just hold on a moment.
• Stay where you are for a moment.
• Just a moment, please.
• One more thing before you go.
• Back to your places.

• We’ll do the rest of this chapter next time.
• We’ll finish this exercise next lesson.
• We’ve run out of time, so we’ll continue next lesson.
• We’ll continue this chapter next Monday.

• This is your homework for tonight.
• Do exercise 10 on page 23 for your homework.
• Prepare the next chapter for Monday.
• There is no homework today.
• Remember your homework.
• Take a worksheet as you leave.

• Goodbye, everyone.
• See you again next Wednesday.
• See you tomorrow afternoon.
• See you in room 7 after the break.
• Have a good holiday.
• Enjoy your vacation.

• Get into a queue.
• Form a queue and wait for the bell.
• Everybody outside!
• All of you get outside now!
• Hurry up and get out!
• Try not to make any noise as you leave.
• Be quiet as you leave. Other classes are still working.
• It’s tidy up time
• Line up

Classroom Language: Language of classroom management

• Look this way.
• Stop talking.
• Listen to what … is saying.
• Leave that alone now.
• Be careful.

• Where’s Bill?
• Is Bill in the kitchen?
• Tell me where Bill is.
• What was the house like?
• What do you think?
• How can you tell?

• Yes, that’s right,
• Fine.
• Almost. Try again.
• What about this word?

• What’s the Spanish for “doll”?
• Explain it in your own words.
• It’s spelt with a capital “J”.
• Can anybody correct this sentence?
• Fill in the missing words.
• Mark the right alternative.

• After they left the USA, the Beatles …
• The church was started in the last century.
• This is a picture of a typically English castle.
• In the background you can see …
• While we’re on the subject, …
• As I said earlier, …
• Let me sum up.

• That’s interesting!
• That really is very kind of you.
• Don’t worry about it.
• I was a bit disappointed with your efforts.

• Good morning.
• Cheerio now.
• God bless!
• Have a nice weekend.
• Thanks for your help.
• Happy birthday!
• Merry Christmas!

Classroom Language: The language of error correction

• Very good.
• That’s very good.
• Well done.
• Very fine.
• That’s nice.
• I like that.
• Marvellous!
• You did a great job.
• Magnificent!
• Terrific!
• Wow!
• Jolly good!
• Great stuff!
• Fantastic!
• Right!
• Yes!
• Fine.
• Quite right
• That’s right.
• That’s it.
• That’s correct.
• That’s quite right.
• Yes, you’ve got it.

• It depends.
• It might be, I suppose.
• In a way, perhaps.
• Sort of, yes.
• That’s more like it.
• That’s much better.
• That’s a lot better.
• You’ve improved a lot.

• You were almost right.
• That’s almost it.
• You’re halfway there.
• You’ve almost got it.
• You’re on the right lines.
• There’s no need to rush.
• There’s no hurry.
• We have plenty of time
• Go on. Have a try.
• Have a go.
• Have a guess.

• Not really.
• Unfortunately not.
• I’m afraid that’s not quite right.
• You can’t say that, I’m afraid.
• You can’t use that word here.
• Good try, but not quite right.
• Have another try.
• Not quite right. Try again.
• Not exactly.

Classroom Language: The language of spontaneous situations

• I hope you all have a good Christmas.
• Happy New Year!
• All the best for the New Year.
• Happy Easter.

• Hard lines!
• Never mind.
• Better luck next time.

• Do you feel better today?
• Are you better now?
• Have you been ill?
• What was the matter?

• I’ll be back in a moment.
• Carry on with the exercise while I’m away.
• I’ve got to go next door for a moment.

• I’m afraid I can’t speak any louder.
• I seem to be losing my voice.
• I have a sore throat.
• I have a headache.