👨🏽🏫 The use of English nicknames in the ESL classroom is pretty common for younger students. In multilingual classrooms, too, the wide variety of names can be tricky to pronounce and remember. English nicknames can lower barriers, but they can also feel like erasing cultural identity if handled clumsily, and teacher forums often feature debates over whether it is ethical to give students English names. Let’s swerve that and give the students the choice. It should be entirely up to them.
-If the student wants you to use their own given name, that’s great.
-They may want to make up their own nickname. That’s fine too (as long as they don’t change it every week!).
-In the case they want you, their teacher, to make an English nickname for them, let’s consider…
👨🏽🏫If they do ask, give them a sensible name. I’ve seen younger classes where students are given the zaniest names just for the amusement of their teacher. Not cool. Remember, some students may go on to keep the name you give them into adulthood. Think of the responsibility! One wonders whether Jack Ma, the founder of Ali-Baba, would have grown to be the global business leader he is if his ESL teacher had named him Monster-boy Mar!
When a student wants a nickname, try to choose a name that is similar to their own, so it is familiar to them. Another thing I like to do is give the decision back to the student by writing up a few names on the board that I think suit them and getting them to choose.
👨🏽🏫Sort and sweet, so it’s easy for you and them to remember, is preferable. Here are a few names to get you started:
Girls: Anna, Emma, Grace, Mia, Lily, Zoe, Kate, Nora
Boys: Ben, Leo, Max, Sam, Dan, Adam, Owen, Luke
Unisex: Alex, Taylor, Jamie, Jordan, Joe, Reese
Finally, it goes without saying to never force a name on a student.