An interview with...

Teaching them a Lesson

Mrs. Hoover is widely regarded as Britain’s leading landlady (or ‘host mother’) for overseas students on English language courses in the U.K. Although she has never been inside an ELT classroom, she has strong opinions on language learning through immersion in the British cultural experience. In this hard-hitting interview for the prestigious journal English English, she brings her homely wisdom to bear on some of the urgent questions that preoccupy ELT practitioners today.

Can you suggest some guidelines for teachers to use when evaluating English/foreign language textbooks? What do you think is the most important ingredient of a text book? What do you think teachers can do if the textbooks they are required to use do not reflect the cultural diversity of the language learners in their classrooms?

Speaking as a non-teacher, but with lots of experience of language learners at the domestic end of things, so to speak, I would say that a good text book should be very thick, with lots of pages in very small print, and not many illustrations. It should look serious and ‘difficult’ in order to show students that they’ve got a hard task in front of them and that they’d better knuckle down and get on with it.

Too many of the books I see, the ones students bring back to the Hoover house from their language schools, try to make language learning look ‘fun’, which it isn’t! As often as not these books are full of big glossy colour pictures of other smiling youngsters from all four corners of the globe, and not much else besides! I wouldn’t bother with them.

As for cultural diversity, I can’t see the problem. As long as the text book shows us plenty of examples of British people speaking and writing British English in a way that expresses British values, what more could you want? After all, we are the original native speakers and still quite clearly the best role models when it comes to ‘good English’, whichever part of the world you’re talking about. As I tell the students who lodge with me at number 179 Davigdor Road, “I’m all for cultural understanding: we’ve got the culture – it’s up to you foreigners to understand it!”

How does a content-based approach to ELT differ from a skills-based approach? In what kind of teaching situation should a teacher use one or the other approach?

Sorry, dear, you’ve lost me there!

Can you explain what a pedagogic task is, and then give us some examples of pedagogic tasks that would be appropriate for beginning, intermediate, and advanced adolescent learners of English?

I’m not sure what you mean, but in my experience it’s difficult to get adolescents to do any kind of task, whether it’s carrying their dirty plate into the kitchen or picking their pajamas up off the bedroom floor in the morning. I can’t imagine you’d have much luck getting them to do a pedagogic task (whatever that is) unless it involved texting their friends or destroying alien life forms in a video game!

Now that English has become an international language, do you believe that there should be one or one small group of standard varieties of English, based on British or American English usage, or should local varieties be used as the standard in countries where English is used as a lingua franca?

If you want tonic water in your gin, you buy Schweppes; if you want cornflakes in your breakfast bowl, you buy Kellogs; if you want a vacuum cleaner, you get a Hoover. Why? Because the original is always the best. It’s the same when it comes to learning English: beware of imitations! Which would you rather speak — the English of Queen Elizabeth II, or the English of Sylvester Stallone? Exactly! We British have been setting the standard for correct English usage since the days of Geoffrey Chaucer (particularly those of us who live in my corner of East Sussex!)

What does an ELT professional need to know about language learning in order to design a successful speaking class? Can you offer us some ‘tips’ for dealing with mixed ability classes?

I’m not sure I’ve ever met a so-called ELT professional who could get his students speaking English as quickly and effectively as I do at number 179 Davigdor Road. As far as I can see most language students sit in the classroom while their teachers bombard them with difficult grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation exercises with the result that they clam up for good! With me, on the other hand, learners really ‘live’ the language: mowing the lawn, emptying the bins, washing my husband’s car or just peeling the potatoes for the evening meal. It’s called Learning by Doing, and what they learn is Survival English — quite literally in some cases!

As for ‘mixed ability’, let me say there is no discrimination at the Hoover house. Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced — they’re all treated as equals (as long as they pay on time and don’t use all the hot water).

What ‘arts and crafts’ would you suggest for ELT teachers dealing with young children of all levels? How can language teachers use music, drama or literature to enhance their language lessons?

Oh, it’s singing, without a doubt. Every evening after dinner the students at number 179 gather round the piano with me and my husband, Leslie, and we sing traditional English songs made famous by the likes of Helen Shapiro and Megadeath. I call it ‘Singlish’ – ‘Sing in English’ – and, believe me, it’s the fun way to practise the language. What’s more it creates a lovely group spirit. My lodgers call me their ‘hostmother’ (and, indeed, they are like a family to me, only not as messy and dysfunctional). I always say to them, “Remember, the family that sings together, clings together.”

What are some of the similarities and differences in learning a first language as an infant, on the one hand, and learning a second language as a child, on the other hand?

I’m glad to say that, being a native English speaker, I’ve never had to learn a second language, but I imagine it must be very tiresome.

How can teachers provide quality language instruction when they are under so much pressure to prepare students for language proficiency tests?

Oh, don’t worry – I’m sure they’ll do their best.

What one important piece of advice can you offer to English / foreign language teachers to help them become even better at their jobs?

Learn to play the ukulele, and do more cooking in class. (English recipes, obviously).