With some French and some English speakers (and some hard to understand UK accents) we wanted to be sure that learners could hear and understand everything they were being taught. Jarlath initiated his ‘traffic light system’, whereby everyone was given a piece of paper with a red light drawn on it. They were asked to hold up the red light if they couldn’t hear or understand what was being said. It works well with learners who are too polite to say they don’t follow.
We are very lucky to have such senior instructors involved with NICHE. Their breadth of experience is humbling for those of us still hanging on their coat tails, they can adapt their teaching style to any situation, they are supremely patient with the learners and they never, ever, pass up an opportunity to pass on skills and knowledge – even if the only flat space available is a windowsill a few floors up (thank goodness it’s only a manikin).