Student Teacher Questionnaire on Target Language Use 

 The purpose of this brief questionnaire is to elicit student teachers’ views on the use of the target language in foreign language classrooms. Please answer the questions as honestly as you can. 

 

Not everyone agrees on the extent to which foreign language teachers should speak in the target language in their classes. Some people maintain that teachers should speak in the target language nearly all the time, while others argue that it is neither possible nor desirable to do so. What are your own feelings about speaking in English in your classroom? 

a. What factors might discourage you from using the target language (English) in class? Understanding, difficulty in bringing the right messages across. 

 

b. What might be the advantages of using the target language (TL) in class? Give 3 possible reasons. Use of the language becomes more natural, authentic leaning experience and it gives more meaning to the language they learn in class. 

c. What might be the disadvantages of using the TL in class? Give 2 possible reasons. Pupils find it hard to communicate in the target language, are insecure to use the language. The pupils might find it difficult to use TL or are not comfortable using TL. 

 

d. Picture yourself teaching a second year VMBO T class. 

For each of the following activities, indicate whether you think you would conduct the activity nearly all in English, mostly in English, about half English/half Dutch, mostly in Dutch, or nearly all in Dutch. 

  

Activity Nearly all Mostly ½ Dutch Mostly Nearly all Dutch Dutch ½ English English English 

a. Starting class / conducting daily routines ☐ ☐ X ☐ ☐ 

b. Engaging in casual conversation / building rapport with students ☐ X ☐ ☐ ☐ 

c. Giving instructions for classroom exercises or activities ☐ ☐ X ☐ ☐ 

Activity Nearly all Mostly ½ Dutch Mostly Nearly all Dutch Dutch ½ English English English 

d. Evaluating with the whole class after pair- or small-group activities ☐ ☐ ☐ X ☐ 

e. Correcting students’ work as a class (exercises, homework, etc.) ☐ ☐ X ☐ ☐ 

f. Explaining instructions for assignments, activities or projects ☐ X ☐ ☐ ☐ 

g. Teaching new vocabulary ☐ ☐ X ☐ ☐ 

h. Explaining grammar concepts ☐ X ☐ ☐ ☐ 

i. Conducting pre-reading or pre-listening activities ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ X 

j. Asking questions to check students’ reading or listening comprehension ☐ X ☐ ☐ ☐ 

k. Presenting information about the English culture ☐ ☐ ☐ X ☐ 

l. Offering praise and compliments ☐ ☐ ☐ X ☐ 

m. Giving individual help to students ☐ ☐ X ☐ ☐ 

n. Providing clarification when students don’t understand in English ☐ X ☐ ☐ ☐ 

o. Dealing with discipline problems ☐ X ☐ ☐ ☐ 

 

3. If you were to set a goal to speak in the target language, what percentage of the time would it be? 70%