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The big list of discipline classroom language

The big list of discipline classroom language

This article provides a list of useful phrases for English language teachers to maintain control of a class without using L1. It covers various aspects of classroom management, including dealing with noise, listening, manners, safety and more.

This is a list of phrases you can use to keep control of a class without needing to use L1. The most useful phrases are underlined.

 

Useful classroom language for dealing with noise

  • “Shh”
  • “Quiet, please”
  • “Keep the noise down (please)”
  • “One point to the person/ the team who can do it most quietly”
  • “(Everyone) fingers on your lips (and be quiet)”
  • “What does this gesture/ this sign mean (in English)? (That’s right. Be quiet, please)”
  • “Why am I covering my ears?/ Why do I have my fingers in my ears?”
  • “The next person to speak has to...”
  • “Move your chairs quietly, please”
  • “(The class) next door can hear you”
  • “Mr/ Ms... is going to complain about the noise again”
  • “Touch it with one finger, not your whole hand”
  • “Tiptoe!”
  • Move your desks apart so that they don’t bang into each other
  • Stop talking, please”
  • “Why are you talking?”
  • “I’m waiting (for everyone to be quiet)”
  • “Could you please not talk when I’m talking?”
  • “What do you do while the teacher is talking?”
  • “Speaking while the teacher is talking is rude, isn’t it?”
  • “(Put your) hands up (if you want to speak)”
  • “Don’t shout out!”
  • “One at a time, please”
  • “Good. One more time, but (even more) quietly”
  • “What was that noise?”
  • “Did I hear...?”/ “Can I hear…?”
  • “What does shh mean?”
  • “Stop tapping (your fingers/ your pen/ your…) (please)”
  • “Please read silently”
  • “It’s quiet time”
  • “No shouting”
  • “No talking”
  • “Make sure the other teams can’t hear you/ If the other team can hear you they will...”
  • “Whisper (the answer/ …) (to me/ to your partner/ to…)”
  • “What’s the rule about talking (during tests/ during story time/ during handwriting practice/ during…)?”

 

  • “Listen (to...)”
  • “Make the listening gesture”/ “Do the listening action”/ “Put your hand round your ear like this”
  • “Stop what you’re doing and listen, please”
  • “(Can I have your) attention, please?”
  • “What did I (just) say?”
  • “Please repeat what I (just) said” FROM HERE
  • I think somebody wasn’t / some people weren’t listening to the instructions.
  • Okay, start now. What? You don’t know what to do? Maybe you should listen more carefully!
  • What do you have to listen to? What do you have to do while you listen?
  • Can you listen and speak at the same time?
  • Are we listening to you, John?/ Are you the teacher?

 

  • “Say sorry to...”
  • “No pushing/ punching/ kicking/…ing (…)”
  • “What happens if you push/ punch/ kick/ …?”
  • “Shake hands and make up”
  • “No fighting!”
  • “I didn’t see him do it, I saw you do it”
  • “You have made him/ her/… cry”
  • “What’s the punishment for fighting?”/ “What happens if you fight?”

 

  • “Put your hand over your mouth (like this) (when you...)”
  • “Go to the bathroom (to do that) (please)”
  • “(Please use a) handkerchief/ (paper) tissue (if you…)”
  • “What’s the magic word?”
  • “(Take your) feet off the chair (please)”
  • “Say please/ thank you/ sorry/…”
  • “I beg your pardon!”
  • “Do you do that at home? (Really? Maybe I should check with your parents)”
  • “English manners in English class!”

 

  • “Please turn the scissors round (before you give them to someone)”
  • “Be careful (of the/ with the...)”
  • “That’s dangerous”
  • “What dangerous things shouldn’t you do (with a...)?”
  • “Can you... with a...? (No? Why not?)”
  • “Watch out (for…)!”

 

  • “Whose... is this (on the floor)?”
  • “Where does rubbish go? That’s right, in the bin.”
  • “Where do books/ bags/ craft supplies go?”
  • “Hang your coats/ bags (on the hook/ on your chairs)”
  • “Put them (back) on the shelves/ in the cupboard (please)”
  • “You can’t.... until you have all cleared up this mess”
  • “Stand in a straight line please. (Hands at your sides and bags on your backs)”
  • “Put the tables together (properly) (like this)”
  • “Legs under the table”
  • “Chairs under your tables”
  • “(Put your) shoes back on”
  • “Colour slowly/ carefully/ inside the lines”
  • “Legs crossed (like this)”
  • “Arms crossed (like this)”

 

  • Hands on your heads”
  • “Statues”/ “Dead lions!”
  • “The first person to move has to...”
  • “Stop rocking on the chair”/ “(Four/ All) chair legs down (on the floor, please)”

 

  • “What time is it? (Look at the clock)”
  • Say “Sorry I’m late (teacher/ everyone)?””
  • “The next time you are late,..”
  • “This week’s punishment for being late is...”

 

  • “No game (for you)”
  • “Okay, homework books out (because you...)”
  • “Go and stand in the corner/ sit in the corner”
  • “Hands on your heads”
  • “Minus one point (for...)”
  • “You lose (the game) (because you...)”
  • “(I’m going to give you/ You have to do) extra homework”
  • “Go to the back of the line (because you…)”
  • “(I’m going to give you a) black mark”
  • “I’m going to take away your...”
  • “(Two/ Five/ Ten) extra minutes (after class)”
  • “I am going to separate you (two)/ split you (two) up”
  • “Move your desks apart”
  • “No working with/ sitting with (for the rest of today/ this week/ this month/ this term)”
  • “Go and stand outside/ sit outside”
  • “Go the head teacher’s office”
  • “I’m going to phone/ talk to/ send a letter to your parents”
  • “I’m writing this in your report/ student record book/ homework book”
  • “The punishment for... is/ will be...”
  • “Write... .... times”
  • “I’m going to throw this away and make you do it again”
  • “Rub that out and do it again”
  • “Sit next to me/ at the front of the class”
  • “Sit between... and ...”
  • “You have to..., and if you do it again you have to...”
  • “You’re not going to get the... that I promised you (now)”
  • “You get zero out of ten/ a D for this work, because...”
  • “I warned you about..., so now...”
  • “Someone is going to be doing homework while everyone else is playing a game”
  • “Would you like to spend your break time with me?”
  • “Somebody is/ some people are going to get a detention/ extra homework”
  • “See me after the lesson”
  • What are the class rules (about...?)”
  • “Why are you losing points/ being punished?”

 

  • “Because you... we are going to play a game. (Which game would you like to play?)”
  • “One point (for...)”
  • “The first person to finish/ The person with the best work can...”
  • “You can be teacher/ team captain”
  • “You can decide the next game/ story/ song/…”
  • “Here’s a sticker (to put on the chart/ in your book)”
  • “You get a prize”
  • “You don’t have to...”
  • “You can leave first”
  • “Points for good behaviour/ for...”
  • “The best-behaved person/ team will get...”

 

Useful classroom warnings

  • “(This is your) last chance/ last warning”
  • “Yellow card!”
  • “Strike two!”
  • “I’m watching you”
  • “I’m going to stand next to you and make sure that you...”
  • “I’m going to let you off this time, but...”
  • “If that happens one more time/ If you do that one more time...”
  • “If you’re not finished in two minutes,...”

 

Other useful discipline classroom language

  • “Behave yourself”
  • “I want you to be on your best behaviour today”
  • “Serious faces please”
  • We will not start until everybody is ready”
  • “Is that how we...?”
  • “Stop being silly”
  • “How old are you? (Are you three years old?)”
  • “Stop copying/ cheating/…”
  • “Put your chewing gum in the bin please”
  • “Get on with your work please!”
  • “That’s enough messing about/ singing/ talking/…”
  • “This is not your best work/ You can do better than that”
  • “Please try harder/ make more of an effort next time”
  • “This looks messy”
  • “(Please) do it again, but this time with fewer mistakes/ with neater writing/ following the instructions/…”
  • “Walk slowly!”
  • “Stop it/ that plea”
  • “What did I tell you about...?”
  • “What happened when you... last time?”
  • “You’re making me feel tired/ giving me a headache”
  • “Don’t do that!”
  • “What's the matter?”
  • “What's going on (over here/ over there)?”
  • “What's the problem?”
  • “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (Okay/ Too late)”

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