Motivating students to complete assignments and actively participate in classroom activities is a challenge that every TESOL teacher faces. One psychological and pedagogical tool that can be both subtle and effective is the “double bind.” In a classroom context, a double bind is a strategy that presents students with two (or more) choices—both (or all) of which lead to a desirable outcome. Though the term “bind” may sound restrictive, it can actually offer students a sense of control and autonomy in making decisions.
This article aims to provide clear insights into how TESOL teachers can use double binds ethically and effectively, ensuring that learners feel empowered rather than manipulated. We will define the concept, outline potential benefits and pitfalls, and share specific examples you can use directly in your classroom.
What is a Double Bind in Education?
In the traditional sense, a “double bind” can sometimes carry a negative connotation in psychology—where a person is faced with two conflicting messages, leading to confusion. However, in an educational setting, a positive double bind reframes this concept and offers students a win-win situation. Instead of feeling cornered or tricked, a well-crafted double bind invites students to make a choice that helps them learn.
A classic double bind format involves posing a question or instruction like, “Would you rather do X or Y?”—where both X and Y are beneficial, realistic, and lead to learning outcomes you desire.
Why Use Double Binds in TESOL?
- Student Autonomy: By offering choices, students feel they have some control, fostering a sense of independence.
- Reduced Resistance: Students who might otherwise resist a teacher’s directive are less likely to do so when the sense of imposition is softened by choice.
- Confidence Building: Presenting two do-able tasks helps students feel more competent. Once they’ve chosen and followed through, they gain confidence in their abilities.
- Time Efficiency: A double bind frames the question in a way that usually leads directly to action, minimizing off-task behavior and hesitation.
Key Principles of Using Double Binds
- Both Choices Should Be Positive: Ensure both options (or more, if you offer several) lead to productive outcomes. You don’t want students to feel they’re forced to choose something “bad.”
- Keep It Simple: Too many options can create confusion. Stick to two or three clear, parallel choices.
- Use Natural Language: Double binds should flow naturally from your instructions or conversation. Overly formal or contrived phrasing might alienate or confuse learners.
- Respect Cultural Sensitivities: In TESOL contexts, be mindful of cultural norms around decision-making, authority, and individual vs. group choices.
- Focus on Empowerment, Not Manipulation: The goal is to motivate learners, not trick them. Ensure your tone and phrasing communicate empathy and genuine care for their progress.
Examples of Double Binds in the TESOL Classroom
1. Homework Completion
- Scenario: You want students to write a short paragraph.
- Double Bind: “Would you like to write your paragraph at the beginning of the lesson today, or would you prefer to write it after our reading activity?”
- Outcome: Whether the student chooses to write before or after reading, they will still complete the assignment. Additionally, you respect their personal inclination or energy levels.
2. Oral Practice
- Scenario: You want students to practice speaking in pairs.
- Double Bind: “Would you like to practice with a partner now for five minutes, or would you rather come to the front of the class and do a quick role-play with me?”
- Outcome: Both options involve oral practice, allowing shy students to choose the smaller setting, or more confident students to volunteer with you. Regardless, speaking practice happens.
3. Vocabulary Building
- Scenario: You have a list of new vocabulary words that students need to learn.
- Double Bind: “Would you prefer to study these new words by writing them in your notebooks, or by creating flashcards with pictures and examples?”
- Outcome: Both writing and flashcards lead to vocabulary retention, catering to different learning styles.
4. Reading Comprehension
- Scenario: You want students to focus on reading comprehension tasks.
- Double Bind: “Do you want to read the text and work on a graphic organizer individually, or read with a partner and then create a joint summary?”
- Outcome: Students are actively reading and summarizing, but have the choice of doing so alone or collaboratively—both methods help build reading skills.
5. Listening Exercises
- Scenario: You plan to use an audio clip in class.
- Double Bind: “Shall we listen to the clip once through and then answer questions together, or would you like to try answering the questions as we listen for the first time and compare answers afterward?”
- Outcome: Either way, students will hone their listening skills, but they can pick the approach that they feel more comfortable with.
Implementing Double Binds: Step-by-Step
- Identify the Desired Outcome
Before framing any double bind, be clear about the goal. Do you want students to speak more, write more, or gain confidence? Let this goal guide your choice design. - Craft Your Options
- Ensure both options are pedagogically beneficial and feasible.
- Keep the language level appropriate to your learners.
- Be sure the choices do not create confusion (“Should we speak for 5 minutes or do the reading for 10 minutes first?” can lead to timing issues if not clearly explained).
- Present the Options Clearly
- Use direct, simple language (e.g., “Do you want to… or…?”).
- Maintain an encouraging tone and positive body language to show genuine interest in their choice.
- Reinforce Autonomy
- Emphasize that it’s the student’s decision.
- If they respond with a third option, listen respectfully. If it’s still aligned with your goal, accommodate it; if not, gently guide them back to the two original choices.
- Check for Understanding
- Ask follow-up questions to ensure the student knows what each choice entails (e.g., “Okay, if you choose option A, that means you’ll…?”).
- Encourage them that there’s no “wrong” choice, as both paths lead to learning.
- Follow Through
- Once the choice is made, provide any materials or guidance they need.
- Monitor progress and offer feedback.
- Reflect
- After the activity, reflect on whether both choices effectively met learning objectives.
- Ask yourself if students felt genuinely empowered or if they appeared confused or hesitant.
Possible Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Overuse: If every instruction is framed as a double bind, students may become suspicious or feel overloaded by constant choices. Strike a balance.
- False Choices: Avoid scenarios where one choice is clearly better or easier than the other, unless you’re intentionally scaffolding. Students should feel both choices have equal merit.
- Cultural Context: In some cultures, students are used to more direct instructions or might feel uncomfortable making personal choices. Be sensitive and gradually introduce the idea of choice.
- Clarity: Make sure your directions for each option are clear. If students don’t understand what’s expected, they could become frustrated rather than motivated.
A well-used double bind can be a gentle yet powerful strategy in the TESOL classroom, helping students overcome resistance by offering them meaningful choices. By framing assignments and tasks with structured, positive options, you create a classroom environment that emphasizes autonomy and respect for students’ individual preferences.
Remember, the goal is to empower—double binds should feel like an invitation, not a trap. With careful planning, clear language, and a genuine commitment to your students’ success, double binds can become a valuable tool in your teaching toolkit—one that encourages students to complete assignments and excel in their language learning journey.
Try This in Your Next Lesson
- Identify a lesson objective (e.g., practicing a specific grammar point).
- Brainstorm two activities that equally address this objective.
- Present them to your students as a positive double bind: “Would you like to practice the new tense through a dialogue role-play or by writing an email scenario?”
- Notice their engagement and reflect on the experience.
Using double binds thoughtfully can transform a seemingly mundane assignment into a choice-filled, motivating experience that fosters both language skills and learner autonomy. Enjoy experimenting with this technique in your TESOL classroom.
5 Positive Double Binds
These examples all present options that are equally desirable and support learning goals:
- Partner vs. Teacher Practice
- “Would you like to practice today’s dialogue in pairs with a classmate, or would you prefer to practice it with me in front of the class?”
- Why it’s positive: Both choices offer speaking practice. One is smaller scale (pairs), and the other is a more public challenge with teacher support.
- Writing Strategies
- “Would you like to outline your paragraph using bullet points first, or would you prefer to mind-map your ideas before writing?”
- Why it’s positive: Either approach helps students organize their writing; both foster essential pre-writing skills.
- Homework Timing
- “Would you rather complete your homework right after class for 10 minutes, or do it first thing tomorrow morning at the start of class?”
- Why it’s positive: The student completes the task regardless of choice, and timing is under their control.
- Reading Approach
- “Would you like to read the story independently and then answer the questions, or read it aloud in small groups and discuss together?”
- Why it’s positive: Both options require reading comprehension; students can pick the method that feels most comfortable or engaging.
- Vocabulary Practice
- “Would you prefer to create illustrated flashcards for the new words, or write a short sentence for each word in your journal?”
- Why it’s positive: Both tasks require active engagement with vocabulary; one is more visual, and the other more writing-focused.
5 Negative Double Binds (to Avoid)
These examples present choices that either feel punitive, manipulative, or lack truly positive outcomes:
- Threat-Based Choice
- “Do you want to follow these instructions or get a zero on your assignment?”
- Why it’s negative: One option is punishment; there is no genuine, empowering choice.
- Exaggerated Consequences
- “Would you like to practice your pronunciation now, or would you rather I call your parents about your lack of effort?”
- Why it’s negative: The second option is a threat that can create fear rather than motivation.
- Disproportionate Task Loads
- “Would you like to do 50 grammar exercises, or would you prefer to do all the exercises in the entire textbook?”
- Why it’s negative: Both options are excessive, leading to frustration rather than meaningful learning.
- Public Embarrassment vs. More Work
- “Do you want to come to the front of the class and speak now, or stay after school and write a 5-page essay?”
- Why it’s negative: One choice pressures a potentially shy student into a highly uncomfortable situation; the alternative is overburdening them.
- Condescending Framing
- “Would you like to behave, or should I treat you like a child who can’t do anything right?”
- Why it’s negative: It’s demeaning, offering no constructive, respectful choice.
How Scaffolding Helps Students
Scaffolding is the support structure a teacher puts in place to help students tackle tasks just above their current ability level. It ensures that whichever choice students make (in a double bind or otherwise), they have the resources, guidance, and confidence to succeed. Here are a few ways scaffolding intersects with double binds:
- Modeling the Task
- Before offering a choice, demonstrate how each option works. For example, if you’re giving students the option to practice a dialogue in pairs or perform a short skit, show an example of each so students know what is expected.
- Providing Resources
- For writing tasks, offer sentence frames, graphic organizers, or vocabulary lists. For speaking tasks, provide key phrases or a conversation script. This ensures that both choice A and choice B feel attainable.
- Gradual Withdrawal of Support
- As students become comfortable, reduce the level of scaffolding. For instance, after modeling with sentence starters, encourage them to generate their own sentences in subsequent activities.
- Checkpoints and Feedback
- Whichever option students choose, build in small checkpoints to review progress. Offer feedback that is specific and constructive to keep them on track.
- Encouraging Reflection
- After the task, ask students to reflect on what helped them succeed. This reflection reinforces their metacognitive skills and helps them approach future tasks more confidently.
Example of Scaffolding with a Positive Double Bind
Suppose you give the students this double bind:
- “Would you like to practice the new vocabulary by creating a dialogue in pairs or by writing a short paragraph individually?”
Scaffolding steps:
- Model: Show how to construct a short dialogue and a paragraph.
- Key Phrases: Provide a list of 5–10 key phrases or sentence starters.
- Mini Practice: Let students try a quick example (one line of dialogue or one sentence) with your support.
- Choice: Now they pick either dialogue or paragraph writing.
- Ongoing Support: Walk around the room, offer language help as needed.
- Reflection: Discuss which option they chose and why, reinforcing that either path boosted their vocabulary skills.
Final Thoughts
When used appropriately, positive double binds can empower English learners by offering them a sense of agency and control over their learning process. Avoid negative double binds that hinge on threats or manipulation, as they undermine student confidence and motivation. Through effective scaffolding, you ensure that whichever option learners choose, they have the tools, support, and feedback necessary to succeed. By blending these strategies, TESOL teachers can create a more engaging, supportive, and student-centered classroom environment.
