Double Meaning of ‘Right’

To recycle the use of imperatives in giving directions, I showed students a map (see below) and asked them how to get from point A to point B. 

When I elicited step 4 from my students, they answered “Turn left.” I responded “Right.” as they got it correct. However, a number of students immediately said, “Miss Ngan, it should be left!” I was confused and told them, “Yes, the answer is left.”, and they responded “But you just said ‘right’!” I was puzzled and then one of the students, Henry (pseudo name), put up his hand and explained, “When Miss Ngan says ‘right’, she means ‘correct’, but not ‘right’ as in ‘left or right’!”

My students know that ‘right’ has several meanings. However, when ‘right’ is used in a particular context of giving directions, they will naturally and immediately associate ‘right’ with its meaning of ‘somewhere to the east when the person or thing is facing north’. Henry was able to point out the alternative meaning of ‘right’ and explain it using the appropriate language and make a clear comparison between the two meanings. I should be more aware of my word choice so as to minimize confusions in class.