The 'Michaela method' revisited (article en anglais)

Focus strongly on reading from the start (in line with the whole school policy).
   Teach from the front; make little or no use of pair or group work.
   Do lots of fast-paced choral and individual ‘call and response’ activity (e.g.giving a phrase in English and getting the answer back in TL).
   Don’t use pictures, since focusing on words improves literacy and leaves no room for doubt.
   Use plenty of TL, but don’t be dogmatic about it. Students will often ask complex formulaic TL questions in class which they have practised repeatedly.
   Use plenty of translation, especially from English into the TL.
   Place a strong focus on phonics teaching, making links between sounds and spelling very explicit. They spend a lot of time working on letter combinations and how they relate to sounds: “yeux”, “deux”, “feu”; “boit”, “noir”, “oiseau”, and so on.
   Don’t worry too much about grading the difficulty of language; expose students to complex language from the start, e.g. beginners will quickly learn examples of the subjunctive in set phrases and be urged to use them.
   Get students to read aloud a lot; correct them very clearly.
   Read aloud a lot to the class and be the sole source of listening input, at least in the first two years.
   Insist on accuracy at all times.
   Avoid text books and published materials; write amusing texts.
   Include plenty of writing but especially later in the lesson.
   Do no creative writing in the early stages (since students can go wrong too easily).
   Use lots of memory tricks to help students retain language.
   Explain French usage by giving literal translations in odd English: “I have a question important”.
   Make very little use of technology since it’s likely to waste time and be less productive. Avoid PowerPoint.
   Emphasise the simplicity of the language at all times; do this by giving clear rules and using English where needed; leave no room for guesswork or uncertainty.
   Make frequent use of parallel texts so students know at every point what the TL means.
   Do lots of ‘low-stakes’ tests, e.g. vocab recall.
   No games; a key point for Michaela teachers is the notion of ‘return on investment’ or ‘opportunity cost’ – which activity will produce the most learning? Games are rejected as a point of principle.
   Use a mix of hands-up and no hands-up ("cold calling").
   Make lessons fun through the pleasure of learning together, not by doing ‘fun activities’; develop strong relationships.