Chapter 8: Teaching Teenagers who are still Learning English

On page 154, I disagree, for the most part, with the comment, " Don't worry about a noisy classroom--we need to talk!" This is acceptable sometimes, and other times inappropriate. It can be distracting to certain students while at the same time be productive to others--it is a tough situation to manage.

For teenagers who are still learning English they are going to want to talk a lot to their peers. There are sometimes when it is acceptable, although having a noisy classroom can be very distracting depending on the situation. If it is during a lesson, I do not want a noisy classroom. It is acceptable to have some students whispering as long as it is relevant to the lesson. Other times, such as class work time, may be an acceptable time to have a "noisy classroom" depending on what they are talking about and that it isn't bothering people.