Teaching in the Target Language

One of the biggest challenges for me thus far has been teaching entirely in French. The French Department at ISD has established a policy that only French is to be spoken in the classroom. In fact, some teachers have gone so far as to never speak English at school- or at least when there are students within earshot- to the extent that some students are not even aware that their French teachers actually speak English! It often sounds like kids are debating the existence of Santa Clause, with one student saying something like “I heard Madame D. speak English,” and another responding incredulously “Don’t lie, she doesn’t speak English!” I was even shocked the first time I heard my cooperating teacher speak English to another teacher- not because I didn’t know she could, but because it sounded bizarre to me after only having heard her speak French day in and day out.
The idea behind the “only French” policy is that it makes room for acquisition in the classroom. The French department’s philosophy is that the best way to learn a language is to hear as much of it as possible. At the same time, this policy levels the playing field for the English language learners who make up 60% of the student body, ensuring that all students are equally confused. Most foreign language teachers adopt similar rules for advanced level courses (i.e. French III and beyond), but the jury is still out on whether or not this approach works in beginners’ classes. It certainly seems to take more time to cover the curriculum, but I think that the balance between acquisition and learning is important. And from what I have seen, it yields fairly positive results. Without being aware of it, the students seem to absorb vocabulary words and understand verb tenses before they are even taught. Yet while all of this is wonderful, I have to admit speaking only French in the classroom has been problematic for me for a number of reasons.
First of all, though I do everything I can to honor the department’s policy; I am unable to perpetuate the myth that I do not speak English. This is because I coached the school’s soccer team in the first trimester (practice was conducted in English) and did some substitute teaching at the school in between college semesters in classes other than French. So it is no secret that I speak English and I do not even try to hide it. That is why kids get more frustrated with me when I stubbornly refuse to explain something in any language but French; they know I am capable of speaking English even if they are not sure if Madame D. can. Sometimes I get the feeling that the department is unhappy with this, but there is nothing that I can do at this point.
Next, speaking only French in front of my cooperating teachers has been nerve racking for me. After all, they are completely Francophone (one is from France and the other from Mauritius), and I am terrified of making mistakes in front of them (and believe me, I do). I am even uncomfortable speaking French in front of the upper level kids for the same reason. I secretly worry that they will scoff at me when they realize my French is not perfect.
Speaking French for the upper level kids can certainly be scary, but teaching exclusively in French is even more difficult with the middle school beginners’ class. It is not that I fear that my vocabulary is too limited; it is that just that it is not easy to explain grammatical rules and vocabulary terms to kids who can hardly understand what I am saying. Imagine generating a vocabulary list with no English definitions to go along side the French words. It really requires me to speak slowly, choose my words carefully, and be creative. Add to this the fact that the kids get frustrated because they know I speak English and it begins to become clear how much of a powder keg the room can be in terms of classroom management!