Planning peripheral perception - 3 of 4

A few examples of how best to use the "imperceptible" plane of communication:

a. In giving out texts to be studied, give out long , but not necessarily difficult, ones. This suggests that the subject matter is easy and that the students are highly capable. All anxiety is avoided as the target language has a parallel translation in the native tongue. Relieved of the fear of not understanding, the students are favourably disposed to the text, and "a good beginning is half the battle."

b. Always correct indirectly , with the emphasis on communicating, not on grammar. A typical example: Student: He gone to Canada. Teacher: He went to Canada?? Student: Yes, he went with my sister.
(Often the student does not realise s/he has been corrected, but starts using the correct form to speak the way the teacher does. The kind of situation that could cause a student to feel embarrassed and close down psychologically is thus avoided.)

c. Camouflage all repetition, as repetition could mean that the student's pronunciation is inadequate, that the structure is difficult and must be worked hard at, or other negative suggestions. The following procedure is an alternative to mechanical repetition.