TEFL Classroom Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'positive reinforcement' in the TEFL classroom context?
- Giving students extra homework for good behaviour
- Acknowledging and rewarding desired behaviours or correct language to encourage repetition (Correct answer)
- Using competitive grading systems
- Correcting only positive examples in writing
Correct answer: Acknowledging and rewarding desired behaviours or correct language to encourage repetition
Positive reinforcement (praise, encouragement, rewards) increases the likelihood that students will repeat desired behaviours or language use.
Question 2: What does 'nominating' mean in classroom interaction?
- Assigning students to groups randomly
- Specifically selecting a student to respond to a question or contribute to discussion (Correct answer)
- Voting for class representatives
- Choosing which grammar point to teach
Correct answer: Specifically selecting a student to respond to a question or contribute to discussion
Nominating (calling on a specific student) ensures equitable participation and keeps all learners attentive.
Question 3: A teacher uses 'open pairs' in class. What does this mean?
- Two students practise while the rest of the class watches and listens (Correct answer)
- All students work simultaneously in pairs
- Students choose their own pair partner
- Two mixed-level students are paired together
Correct answer: Two students practise while the rest of the class watches and listens
In open pairs, one pair demonstrates or practises while the whole class observes — useful for modelling tasks before closed pair work.
Question 4: What is an 'information gap' activity?
- A reading comprehension task with missing answers
- A task where partners each hold different information and must communicate to complete the task (Correct answer)
- An error correction exercise
- A gap-fill grammar worksheet
Correct answer: A task where partners each hold different information and must communicate to complete the task
Information gap activities create genuine communication need because each student has different information the other needs to complete the task.
Question 5: How should a TEFL teacher handle a consistently disruptive student?
- Embarrass the student publicly to deter the behaviour
- Address the issue privately, set clear expectations, and involve the school if needed (Correct answer)
- Ignore the behaviour and continue teaching
- Seat the student at the back and stop calling on them
Correct answer: Address the issue privately, set clear expectations, and involve the school if needed
Professional management involves private conversation first, clear boundaries, and escalation through official channels if behaviour continues.
Question 6: What is the purpose of using 'gesture cues' during a TEFL lesson?
- To entertain students
- To reduce TTT by communicating instructions or corrections non-verbally (Correct answer)
- To help students memorize vocabulary
- To demonstrate pronunciation only
Correct answer: To reduce TTT by communicating instructions or corrections non-verbally
Gesture cues (pointing to the board, counting on fingers, using hand signals) allow teachers to manage activities and signal corrections without speaking.
TEFL Classroom Management 3
What is 'positive reinforcement' in the TEFL classroom context?