Teaching tip: When introducing language targets, a useful technique David Paul recommends is to simply put the language out there. For example, rather than carefully pre-teaching to ensure no mistakes are made, we can look at a child, smile and say [language target]. If she cannot answer, smile again and ask other children. Aim to generate the feeling, “Here is an interesting puzzle to be solved. Trying to solve it could be fun.”
In this way, students, from the very outset, experience dealing with the unknown and making mistakes along the way as an integrated part of learning, rather than something to be avoided.