Here is my third entry related to the book “Proud to be tvmbo” (2011, Tanner, R. & de Graaff, R.), this time with 12 important recommendations for tvmbo teachers and schools.
1. Use English 100% of the time.
2. Encourage students to use social and popular media in English.
3. Design lesson material which encourages students to make, do and create.
4. Stimulate real communication in English.
5. Speaking first, writing later.
6. Spend more time doing things in English than talking about English.
7. Keep reminding students they are also working on improving their English.
8. Encourage fluency.
9. Praise, compliment and reward students for using English.
10. Give more thinking time than in Dutch classes before students are required to answer questions.
11. Link classroom work to real life and contemporary events.
12. Be aware of the language level of your students and select materials accordingly. If your students are at A1 or A2 level, don’t choose texts which are appropriate for students at B2 level (on the Common European Framework of Reference or CEFR).
Read about the CEFR. To examine the CEFR scales, click on CEFR illustrative Descriptors and scroll to page 5 onwards.
Tanner, R. & de Graaff, R. 2011. Proud to be tvmbo: Teachers’ and students’ opinions about good practice in bilingual secondary vocational education (tweetalig vmbo). Centre for Teaching and Learning,
. ISBN 978-90-393-5566-4 Utrecht University
Obtain Proud to be tvmbo.