Classroom English: 50 phrases for running a lesson in English

Why a fixed set of phrases works

Children understand classroom English long before they can produce it, as long as it is predictable. If "Make pairs" always comes with the same gesture, by the third lesson nobody needs the Japanese. A small, consistent set beats a large, varied one. Choose the phrases below that suit your class and resist the urge to say the same thing five different ways.

Starting the lesson

• "Good morning, everyone." / "Hello, class."
• "How are you today?" (with a feelings chart on the board for answers)
• "Stand up, please." / "Sit down, please."
• "What day is it today?" / "What's the weather like?"
• "Let's start." / "Are you ready?"
• "Who is absent today?"

Giving instructions

• "Look at the board." (point to your eyes, then the board)
• "Listen carefully." (hand behind your ear)
• "Repeat after me."
• "Say it together." / "One more time."
• "Open your textbook to page 24." (write the number on the board)
• "Close your books."
• "Take out your pencil."
• "Write your name."
• "Raise your hand." / "Hands down."
• "Turn around."

Pairs and groups

• "Make pairs." / "Make groups of four."
• "Face your partner."
• "Rock, paper, scissors. The winner starts."
• "Change roles." / "Change partners."
• "Group leaders, come here, please."
• "Move your desks back."

Games and activities

• "Let's play a game."
• "Team A, it's your turn."
• "One point for Team B."
• "Ready, set, go!"
• "Time's up." / "Stop, please."
• "Who won?" / "Good game, everyone."
• "No peeking!"

Checking understanding

• "Do you understand?" (better: "Show me thumbs up or thumbs down.")
• "Any questions?"
• "What does this mean?"
• "How do you say it in English?"
• "Can you say that again?"
• "Louder, please." / "Slowly, please."

Avoid relying on "Do you understand?". Most students will nod whether they understand or not. Ask them to show you instead: point to the right picture, hold up fingers, or answer a quick either-or question.

Praise and encouragement

• "Good job!" / "Great!" / "Excellent!"
• "Nice try!" (for wrong answers given bravely)
• "Almost! Try again."
• "Good idea."
• "I like your answer."
• "Give them a big hand."

Praise effort and specific actions as well as correct answers. "Good voice!" or "Nice eye contact!" tells a student exactly what to do again.

Managing behaviour

• "Quiet, please." / "Eyes on me."
• "One, two, three, eyes on me." ("One, two, eyes on you.")
• "Wait, please."
• "Be careful."
• "Please listen to your friend."
• "Let's clean up."

Ending the lesson

• "That's all for today."
• "What did we learn today?"
• "Please put your things away."
• "See you next week." / "See you on Friday."
• "Goodbye, everyone."

How to introduce classroom English

1. Add three or four phrases at a time. Use them every lesson for two weeks before adding more.
2. Pair every phrase with a gesture. The gesture carries the meaning until the words take over, and you can fade it out later.
3. Post them on the wall. A small poster of today's instructions with pictures helps students who are unsure.
4. Turn them into a game. "Simon says" with classroom instructions ("Simon says, open your textbook") is excellent revision.
5. Hand them over to students. Once a phrase is familiar, let a student leader say "Stand up, please" at the start of class.

A note for team teaching

If you teach with an ALT or a Japanese teacher of English, agree on the phrases together. When one teacher says "Make pairs" and the other says "Find a partner", students hear two instructions instead of one. Writing your shared list into the lesson plan keeps both teachers consistent.

Tip: Do not translate an instruction straight after saying it in English. If students know the Japanese is coming, they stop listening to the English. Gesture, model and wait a moment first.