Monday, 6 October 2025

Make your own game, kiddo!

Trying to make a game...the lad succeeded but I need to go back to the drawing board slightly!

I made this game!
Two ways of trying to achieve the same thing - read! Acquiring the vocab relatively 'easy' given the fun presentation tools in Oxford Phonics World...I really wanted to make sure we implement 'look at the words' and 'flip between the pages' fluency.

Personalised art work was lovely (but a week later "What's this?" had us both a bit stumped - bear?!)

Obviously, I've nicked this idea from somewhere (apologies & willing to add a mention but I've forgotten where the brain wave came from!). I do recommend it as a way to slow down a class/build in solid review (yeah, the old drill baby drill concept!). 

Game 1 was to match a word against his drawings (my writing, 1st letter in red, as I also 'edit' the class books/workbooks) from a choice of 16 word cards...intended to be unique so each card could only go in one place (top/bottom/left/right - but I messed up!).

I can do this!
Game 2 was the other way around. Match the book's flashcards to the four templates. No children were harmed making this game - but many brain cells were fired into learning mode :)

Give me a thumbs up if you like this idea?!


Saturday, 4 October 2025

An away day - Cambridge in Nagoya

I don't recommend insisting on a formal dress code in Aichi/Gifu/Chubu region in the middle of summer - quite likely to have people passing out on parade, even with the air-con turned up...step outside you you melt like a cheap ice cream!
The Chubu SE team with Hyogo assist
Nevertheless, great to see speaking examiner team that has been together for quite some time now, tackling ALL levels between them from Young Learners to C2:Proficiency. Obviously, YLE is close to my heart as we at Luna offered these exams for 20+ years to our students in Matsumoto & around the country to numerous schools & venues; a whole generation of learners across Japan. Sadly no nore.

OK from the boss!
Our team 2025 also briefed on how to potentially deliver & assess exams remotely, in case of emergencies or unavailable local staff. Not easy to achieve, for technical & logistical reasons, but another 'can do' we have made sure we can provide if necessary.

As you can see, Jim's boss at JP026 is pretty happy with things - so let's hope Jim gets asked back to Nagoya next year?! Good news too - looks like candidature will be rebounding 2026, so I hope we will also be recruiting new talent to join the team. Get in touch if you are interested in examining for Cambridge.

Tuesday, 30 September 2025

Postcard from Hakata, Kyushu, Japan

Hakata ramen
I don't usually post 'food porn' pics, but I know Luna students well be jealous again! 

Here I am in Hakata, Fukuoka for work and enjoying Hakata ramen (shop in the huge train station as good as any, which the queue to get in suggests!) with a cold beer after a busy 'Cambridge' day, decompressing with my boos - from Fukuoka = she's an ideal food guide!

She also showed ne around the yatai area along the river - overpriced and pushy (ask you to hurry up & eat/drink after you've waited for a seat for ages in the drizzle)...food is OK but only for the outdoor eating experience & banging elbows with strangers - no Michelin stars here!

I'm not complaining though - I love visiting Kyushu, and Fukuoka people are really laid back & cool!

Hakata River yatai (food stalls)








Monday, 29 September 2025

Saaya's favourite animal is...

 Check out Saaya, telling her classmates about her favourite animal!

Great pic, lovely answers...outcome from an after reading project of her graded reader (Crocodile in the House).  Animated version created with Duck Duck Moose's app 'Chatterkid', which my learners could manipulate immediately!

Nice work Saaya!

Sunday, 28 September 2025

Shizuku's animated Lion - after reading project

 After reading Crocodile in the House, and a confused robot, Shizuku couldn't wait to talk about her favourite animal, a lion. Lovely drawing and great answers written dow, this interview with a classmate was a first take success! Reading/talking aloud the final act to complete an after reading project - no performance pressure or stumbling over unknown words - rather, unstoppable keenness to get it said!

Nice work Haruki, getting over the giggles to ask the questions quickly. Another stunning Friday success story at Luna!

Saturday, 27 September 2025

An away day with Cambridge - Jim on the job in Kyushu

Fukuoka cadre B1 & B2 Speaking examiners

 My apologies for not being 'at work' once or twice recently. I know it looks like I was only having fun ridinng the shinkansen, eating Hakata ramen or climbing hills looking for castles...the side-benefits to being asked to do a really important role for Cambridge Centre JP026 (Kawaijuku) which is to train English teachers to become speaking examiners.

In late August I was asked to train a group for B1:Preliminary & B2:First levels, with the number of candidates likely to rise significantly in Kita-Kyushu. The weekend was the culmination of months of recruiting. A group of teachers, some of whom had met in 2024 training for A2 Key, but also 60% 'new' teachers to the Cambridge team. Blending previous learnings with wide-eyed "what's this all about" is tricky, but fun...made all the easier by the ample preparations by JP026 and a proper interview & induction process avoiding unecessary disappointments or FAQs slowing us down.

Hakata headaches? A2 team
Needless to say, a lot of hard work involved by all participants, but a team we did construct after a follow up certification process on the Sunday. This group will be heading out to high schools in northern Kyushu later this autumn to deliver speaking tests cheerfully to nervous first-time exam takers, encouraging a lot of 'can do' and applying universal assessment criteria for valid, globally accepted results. I'm really looking forward to seeing this group of professionals in demonstrating their skills soon, and to welcoming their debuts in-person (yes, another weekend away - I know you won't miss me, as Kazumi will again be entertaining my students!). 

Thursday, 25 September 2025

Meet Moe's (talking) pet dog!

 
Check out Moe's project from her reading book (OUP's "Read & Imagine" series 'Crocodile in the House'). In this Chatterkids talking photo, she's interviewed by her classmate to read her own answers from the prompts provided. Yes, one word answers would 'do' but why not 'go for it' and fully exploit the chance to say more?!

Cute drawing, and lovely pronunciation = great job Moe!


 

Wednesday, 24 September 2025

Postcard from Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan

View from Otaru Station
 A very quick side-trip to the lovely (touristy, usually?) & historic port of Otaru, just west of Sapporo. I was already going to be in Sapooro for work over the weekend, so what's another little train trip?!

19th century western influence immediately obvious around the canal (not many of these in Japan that are not actually moats), with stone warehouses & factories I guess, as well as remanants of Hokkaido's first railroad (to haul coal to the port, I think - sorry, not a planned trip but a whim!).

Charming unrushed feel to the place - a lovely sunset over the old dockyard...some yakuza having some sort of ceremony stylishly in a car park...tourists jostling to get into a 50m boat cruise along aforementioned canal!

Canal cruises - not ocean going!

Had to go for seafood - sushi & tempura - after sundowners in a German-style "beer garden" - my size of steins for once!

Shrimp tempura - divine!


Tuesday, 23 September 2025

Postcard from Iwakuni Castle, Yamaguchi Pref., Japan

This concrete "Moji" recreation of the medieval castle originally built here in 1608, was started in 1962. It was a "Yamajiro" or hill-top castle, as opposed to a flat-land "Hirajiro" castle. Kikkawa clan leader Hiroie was responsible for its construction, under the Mori banner. I think!

The oringinal pile only survived for seven years, for some reason incurring the displeasure of the Shogun and being ordered destroyed. Pity - stunning location atop Mount Shiroyama command the view over the Seto Sea & defensively, the Nishiki River curls aound the foot of mountain's steep slopes just right!

Thank god there's a ropeway up he 200m climb these days - only takes a few minutes. The actual climb in mid-summer would have been brutal, let alone 400 years ago trying to build, service or even worse, attack the place.

Kintaikyo Bridge nestles at the foot of the hill, itself a fabulous medieval construction and well worth a visit. The castle itself  boasts the largest dry moat, "Hakabori", around any Japanese Castle. Most of the lower mountaintop defences are overgrown and home to poisonous snakes - no place for sandal-shod visitors! Mostly unbothered by tourists, this is a peaceful spot, and the outlook from the top of the castle well-worth the effort. There are interesting displays of samurai swords, photos of other Japanese castles & detailed explanations of the castle's history & construction. The legend of the place + more photos on Flickr

My tip = if you've got time, a worthy day-trip from Hiroshima, beyond Miyajima (itself, a stunning day out!)...bit more off the beaten track in Japan without being inaccessible. Easily found by local train & bus :)

Monday, 22 September 2025

Haruki's after reading project

Listen to Haruki being interviewed by his classmate Moe, about his original artwork & description of his favourite animal!..Unusually for most japanese kids his age, he likes snakes...budding herpatologist?


This is a project derived from an after reading task, following up 'completing' his OUP Read & Imagine graded reader "Crocodile in the House". I'm a big fan of getting 'more from less' - here exploiting the Chatterkids app to anonymously add audio to a picture, and to have to hurry up within a 30 second limit. Thus, no teacher pressure to get on with it - a timer. Ideal, as this means students can practice, restart, retry before agreeing that they could do it to their own satisfaction (not the teacher's!).

Great practice for Cambridge exams or any speaking activity; personalised and with a peer, importantly not getting interrogated!

 

Postcard from Omiya, Saitama Pref., Japan

 Hi everyone at Luna, and fellow trainspotters & "anoraks"!

Hokuriku line - Asama
I was lucky enough to finally get the train to Sapporo for work - Cambridge speaking examiner training & certification - and thoroughly enjoyed the trip (although I stupidly left my tickets sitting on my desk in Matsumoto...another story some day?!). I have taken this Tokkaido line before, but only as far as Hachinohe. I've wanted to experience the whole extension to Hakodate & the Seikan Tunnel for absolutely ages.

I still cannot believe how quickly the shinkansen rolling stock for the Hokuriku line were replaced after 1/3 of the fleet were converted to submarines by flooding from Typhoon Hakibis = first leg of the bullet train love-in. Asama still smell new!

Shinkansen fans will love Omiya station (and its nearby railway museum - which I should visit...). Shinkansen constantly pulling in & departing (precisely on time, of course), of all sleek shapes & liveries.

Conjoined Shinkansen
There was a national panic recently when ONE coupling failed and the whole JR infrastructure was in danger of falling to pieces...NOT. Its the amazing safety record of these things that a single mishap shines the light on incredible maintenance & attention to detail! Such conjoined trains decouple further north to split onto different routes (as a passenger you do not notice - unless you're sitting in the wrong half of the train and end up in Yamagata...)

My Hayabusa whooshed out of Omiya & within an hour was pulling up at Sendai, smooth as silk. Frustratingly for work though, the wifi is really rubbish & I was in a middle seat without a power socket. The northern part of Honshu glowed green in late summer, with the approaching typhoon now 'behind' me. Diving into the Seikan Tunnel was prefaced with an announcement over the PA - and then darkness & loss of signal, pretty much like the dark side of the moon! A welcomely uneventful 58km of sensational engineering, 250m below the seabed!

Jewel in the crown - Hayabusa

Soon enough, detraining at the Shin-Hakodate terminus for a the rattler ride on to Sapporo, and the  contrast of  the local line to shinkansen construction work yonder; paused I've heard because the tunnel borer has got itself jammed into a tunnel & can't reverse out...might take a while then! 

Verdict = a lot more relaxing than flying, and not divorced from bags or having to check in & sit around with an over-priced coffee. An awesomely smooth journey!




Friday, 19 September 2025

Postcard from Berlin, Germany

 Dear Jim sensei,


It is sunny with clear blue sky in Berlin. This must be the best season to visit here. Not too cold, not too hot...just comfortable!

We came here for usiness, but we had chances to visit many famous places like Brandenburg Gate and East side gallery.

We walked around everyday, as our phone told us it's over 18,000 steps per day! We believe we became healthier during our stay in Berlin.

Ritsuko and Tomoko

Thursday, 18 September 2025

Postcard from Kintaikyo, Yamaguchi pref., Japan

Hi everybody at Luna,

Magnificent Kintaikyo Bridge
I had a long train journey and I wanted to break it up with a scenic detour - and take another train and a local bus! 

This famous medieval bridge has been on my photographic bucket list for a long time, and I couldn't go past it yet again without stopping by.

Kintaikyo Bridge is a remarkable structure, first contructed in 1673 to replace previous spans across the Nishiki river. Several had been washed away, as indeed was this one in 1950 by typhoon flooding...and it was painstakingly rebuilt to its original design three years later (and subsequently restored 2001-3).

Stone paving & pillars, wooden arches
It truly blends into its surroundings, steep wooden arches atop stone paving & pillars - phenomenal engineering & craftsmanship, intiated by Hiroyoshi Kikkawa (3rd lord of Iwakuni domain).

Dimensions? 210m long along the arch; 193.3m in a straight line. 5m wide, sitting on pillars 6.64m high.

I think you'll agree it's uniquely beautiful, and well worth a detour if you are in the Hiroshima region!

(Thank you Kazumi for teaching my classes - I'm sure I wasn't missed!)





Friday, 5 September 2025

The latest update on Anna Delvey

 Anna Delvey posted some pictures on Instagram. The photos caused her trouble. She’s not scamming anyone, but her latest scandal was made by little bunnies in Brooklyn.

Earlier this summer, Anna did a photoshoot with some of the rabbits. When someone later found the same bunnies in a park in New York City. People started blaming Anna for leaving them irresponsibly.

An assistant for the photo shoot eventually admitted to leaving the rabbits in a park. They thought the rabbits would be fine there, but Anna quickly distanced herself from the situation.  

Anna said she doesn’t eat meat and didn’t help get or move the rabbits. She said she doesn’t support what happened. However, Anna is now selling “#Bunnygate” T-shirts on Instagram. The shirts cost $38.99 and show a cute bunny with the words:

“Missing. Have you seen me? #Bunnygate.”

I think she didn’t really pay for her crimes. After getting out of prison, she earned money from a Netflix series and even walked in a fashion show. Now, she’s become as famous as she aspires to be.


Thursday, 28 August 2025

Big 'scam' by Toyota Shoji

 When you search the scam happened in Japan, you can see many articles about the scam by Toyota Shoji Co. Ltd. Toyota Shoji engaged in door-to-door sales of gold in the 1908s. They first made sales calls by phone to identify households that may have the possibility of making a contract. Their main targets were elderly people living alone.

Salespeople visited their homes, sometimes even helping with personal chores, gradually building close relationships, and they sometimes forced customers into signing contracts. Even after contracts were signed, the customers could not receive the gold. The gold was kept by Toyota Shoji, while customers only received certificates in return. In order to gain trust, they used the company name starting “TOYOTA” to make it seem like it's an affiliated with TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION and aired many TV commercials to appear a stable and reliable company. The number of victims reached tens of thousands, and the total damage amounted to 200 billion yen, which was the largest at that time.

Looking back now, it is surprised that people were deceived so easily, but in the 1980s, when door-to-door sales were often done and there were no cell phones or the internet, it was difficult for victims to realize they had been defrauded.I want to remember that a “get-rich” opportunity never comes only to me.



Postcard from...Bristol, England

Dear Luna International,

I'm studying English in Bristol now. My dormitory is called ....It is okay, bu there are a few problems. My classmates are very kind, but communicating in English is difficult for me.

My teacher is called Thomas. his class is easy to understand for me. He is a very good teacher.

The food in England isn't so delicious. I miss Japanese food.

The United Kingdom is very beautiful. I went to Cardiff, Bath, and Thorpe Park. Also, I did sightseeing in Bristol. It was very fun.

The weather is nice here. It's not hot and comfortable. I'm happy here.

See you in Japan,

Miyu

Wednesday, 27 August 2025

A poet buffeted by war

 Hiroshi Ota was a Japanese poet and army officer. His life became deeply connected to the tragic story of the Himeyuri Student Corps during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II.

Ota began his carrier as a banker and poet. He was conscripted into Japanese army in 1942 and later sent to Okinawa as a second lieutenant in an anti-aircraft artillery unit.

In 1944, Ota was stationed in Okinawa, and the Himeyuri Student Corps (female students who assisted the military) were assigned to the unit under his command. The young women engaged in unfamiliar civil engineering work. Ota was impressed by their intelligence and dedication, and his poetic heart was deeply moved. He wrote a poem titled “Farewell Song” , also known as “Song of the Shoushiju Tree”, which was dedicated to their graduation the following March.

This poem was set to music by Keii Kochihira and became a cherished piece among the students. It was meant to be sung at their graduation ceremony, but the ceremony never took place due to the intensifying war. Instead, the song was sung in underground shelters and caves as the students faced unimaginable hardship and death. 

In April 1945, after the U.S. military landed in Okinawa, Ota and Himeyuri Student Corps moved south during heavy fighting. On June 20, he died near Mekaru (now the Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman City) at the age of 24.



Wednesday, 20 August 2025

My favorite pet 【U-Pa-Ru-Pa】

 If someone asked me, “I want to get a pet. Do you have any recommendations?”

 I would say, “I recommend a Mexican walking fish!”

Do you know what that is? In Japan, it’s called an “Upa-Lupa.”

They look a little strange but very cute. On each side of their face, they have three pairs of fluffy gills. Most animals change their body as they grow, but Mexican walking fish stay the same from when they are babies in when they are adults. This is very rare.

They can also grow back their legs if they lose them. This amazing skill has caught the attention of doctors and scientists. Maybe one day, people will also be able to heal quickly, just like them.

Mexican walking fish love to eat red worms. When food in front of them, they eat it very fast. I usually feed them with tweezers, but I have to be careful so they don’t bite the tweezers by mistake.

They don’t know when to stop eating. Sometimes they eat too much and die. They eat so happily that I always want to give them more, but I try not to.

When you watch them in an aquarium, you can see them moving their small legs as they swim. They are so cute that you can lose track of time.

Why not think about having one of these adorable “Upa-Lupa” as part of your family.

If you care for them with love and responsibility, you’ll surely get to see just how adorable they can be!

Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Friday, 15 August 2025

A rabbit talks!

 Koharu wrote about her favourite animal, and talked about it/recorded herself using an iPad app (chatterpix) - as you can hear, her pronunciation is very intelligible with intonation across longer uttereances under control, and word stress + individual sounds clearly enunciated. All of which should add up to success in a #younglearners #CEFR_A1 #CambridgeMovers speaking test

 

Saturday, 9 August 2025

A talking platypus

Check out Minami's unseen platypus project, as an after reading piece for her graded reader (OUP Read & Discover) series. She narrates her illustration beautifully :)

 

 

Friday, 8 August 2025

Ten little fingers - maximizing wordwall

Wordwall keyboard skills
When half the class is away, the rest of us will play! 

Rather than push ahead and lose classmates, we circled the wagons and consolidated together :)

Luna's own brand on Wordwall is a dedicated series of materials per text book/readers that our students enjoy enormously; reusing the vocabulary in slightly different contexts/different images...pause for thought, reasons for openning our books & checking each others' spelling...any and every which way to recycle, drill, and thrill!

To polish off our fun, we played a Detective Game about a monster - arms, legs & ears all a bit strange! 

Moster time - Study Cat







Thursday, 7 August 2025

Postcard from - readers in China!

Hello Jim sensei!


Yumi & I have been in China factory this week. We've been busy for the meeting everyday. The Chinese that Yumi learned is "Ming Pai Ra"

See you next class :)


Graded readers on tour!

 

Wednesday, 6 August 2025

Postcard from... Kata Bay, Mie coast, Japan

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to explore this lesser travelled road down to the south of Nagoya, south of the Ise Peninsula. I took R42 to get south, then bailed onto the more rural R311...slow, windy, and unforgivingly beautiful vistas around every corner. An absolute gem of a coastline road, demanding frequent jaw drops/stops for pictures, and checking the map for shrines and the like.

Asuka Shrine, Katacho

Asuke shrine was one such beauty spot; unassuming yet pristine a few yards from the shore of Kata Bay. Not far away, the fishing boats of Sonecho sat in tranquil waters as the summer heat & humidity drilled into the day. And I say 'tranquil' with a very big Japanese caveat - exactly a week later this whole coast was under tsunami alert following the huge earthquake off Kamchatka...on any coast in Japan you MUST be aware of your escape route (uphill!) and heed any warnings seriously. My trip would have stopped instantly had I ventured along this coast a week later - happy to report, there was not a tidal wave of note, and no damage reported.

Although steamingly hot, the blue skies reflected the azure sea; the inlets and bays are mostly natural (not the concrete monkey puzzles that blight Niigata's shoreline), alternating rocky headlands and forested scarps, with sandy beaches and tiny fishing ports. Ashamed to say, on this trip I was on camera safari with road to burn, not a culinary exploration (next time, when I slow down to tackle restaurants!).

Despite driving for hours, I barely saw a soul - and not a single influencer with a selfie stick :)

The beaches were bare, the rock pools inviting some snorkelling. Every single bay begging a go-slow vacation, reminding me a lot of the Tokushima coastline, south of the city itself. 

I was planning to blast along to see the shrines of Kumano - but decided they could wait for another day. This gorgeous day needed my full ocean-side attention. If you have the chance to drive this way, I couldn't recommend it more strongly. Don't be in a rush like me - stay local, go for a swim, and detox!

Sonecho fishing boats

Kajikacho fisherman's hut


Kata Bay

Monday, 4 August 2025

Off to the races - confidence booster

 How chuffed can a young learner possibly be! Only been teaching this lad a few weeks, but he's hit the Everybody Up Starter learning curve hard and sure!

His older brother & sister are already rock stars at Luna, but they'll have to up their game to stay ahead of this little tiger..I couldn't stop him diving into the next word he knew :)

 

Friday, 1 August 2025

Postcard from Oxford, England

 

Hi :)

It's already been almost three weeks since I arrived in Oxford!

For now, I'm doing well here (though I had been having a sore throat!).

I don't feel improving my English skill, but I'm going to keep studying hard!

I'll send you another postcard later.

Mitsuna

Thursday, 31 July 2025

Jim's weekend on the job - Tokyo

Delighted to report that I was involved with another training session for Cambridge Assessment English last weekend, as Team Leader for Kawaijuku JP026. On this occasion I was looking after A2:Key & B1:Preliminary levels

Speaking Examiner training team, July 2025 

I was annoyed that a couple of applicants didn't bother turning up (nor contacting us with an excuse/apology) as that robbed other people of the chance to join this otherwise fully booked event.

As it was, we had a very mixed group of English language teaching professonals join the team. Language school teachers,high school teachers, dispatch/ALTs, freelancers & directors of studies. Some people very new to the country, and other old-hands; some dedicated Tokyo-dwellers and others more transient - one participant actually living in Osaka made the trip especially. And six nationalities; more folks from Singapore & Atlanta Georgia than Yorkshire!

As ever, the various experiences of such a group only adds to the eventual outcome, with voices considering how to assess speaking tests vs standardised criteria; noticing different aspects of candidate output, removing personal bias/preferences; gaining exposure to other approaches & ideas...and also picking up best practice off each other in the interlocutor role, learning off each other & giving/recieving feedback.

It is never possible to cover everything an examiner needs to learn in the limited time available to us - a weekend seems like a long time, right? It isn't...Hence the very real need for all Speaking Examiners, globally, to recertify annually in order to build up layers or professional ability, fine tune perfomances and focus in more detail on certain aspects of interlocutor & assessor roles.

My next training session for Kanto area teachers will be Sept 20th, at B1:Preliminary & B2:First, which I'm really looking forward to!

My favorite pets - Bau and Alan

 I have had two dogs in my life. The first dog my family owned was named "Bau". Her name came from an animation named “Heisei Dog Bau’s Story”. She was a female Shetland Sheepdog. Although this breed is known for being intelligent and elegant, she often gave us trouble, such as eating mice or running away during walks. She had long curly hair, which made her difficult to spend the hot summers.


The second dog was named "Einstein," but we called her "Allan" for short. She was a female Beagle. Her floppy ears would flap, and her tail would wag every time she moved, making her always look cheerful—but she was actually quite moody. Beagles are the kind of dogs that want to play with others but can't make the first move. "Allan" also sometimes ran away during walks, which caused us trouble. She lived a long life, and we spent 16 years together.


Through my experience of raising animals, I realized how important it is to think about others and to be kind to them. I am truly grateful to our dogs Bau and Allan. That’s why I feel concerned about animals being displayed and sold in pet shops. The small animals you see in such displays are undeniably adorable. Raising animals bring us many joyful moments, but we must take responsibility for their entire life.  At the end of their lives, we will need care. I hope people make the decision to become an pet owner only after seriously considering whether they can care / treat it with kindness until the end of their life.

Wednesday, 30 July 2025

Kenshin's platypus project


Check out Kenshin's description of Australia's very shy platypus (an animal he's never seen( but we read about in an Oxford Read & Discover graded reader - we can travel in our minds!
 

Yushin's snow animal


Check out Yushin's after reading project! How cool is his snow animal (in the middle of summer - we're melting!)

 

Postcard from Sydney, Australia

 

Hi everyone at Luna!

I arrived in Sydney in the middle of winter, but the weather is beautiful! I stayed near the fabulous Harbour Bridge in a traditional little hotel above a pub...perfect!

I took a ferry to Manly, across the harbour and had delicious fish & chips on the beach. The view of the Opera House from the boat was magnificent!

I'm going to see a rugby match tonight, then travel south to see my brother's family. hope you are not missing me too much?

Jim

Monday, 28 July 2025

Smashing phonics on a desktop!

 You got the idea straight away...

You know your letter sounds, and your homework was great...letter writing is spot on and your pronunciation is just right. But the other student in the class is absent today & I really do NOT want to move on until they can also get the input to proceed. So instead of doing this at home (which is tough, because you need a parent to help you on a PC (or use their device & find the link from Google Classroom)...lets have some fun in-class, so you can read/spell/pronounce all the words you know, set a high score & gain confidence with not only your English, but peripheral tech skills too!

Check out this task (and you can choose various ways to play & also use a number of print options too) as a review 'game' for CVC words with central /e/ from Oxford Phonics World 2. Piece of cake to make (but no need, I aleady created stuff for all chapters for the first three levels!) and many ways to implement one-to-one, group work, books open or closed, asynchronous, in class or at home!

Sunday, 27 July 2025

Hazuki talks about...her chimpanzee

 

Although we do not have chimpanzees native to Japan, we do have loads of monkeys up in the hills, and famously a monkey onsen in Nagano prefecture, which is a very popular tourist attraction

This is Hazuki's after reading project, where the task was to write about her favourite wild animal (and sketch it) then narrate using Chatterpix on (my) iPhone. As you can see & hear, a really good expansion beyond a graded reader, and a piece of work to be proud of.


Milking a glossary with Wordwall

Making the most out of even the simplest graded readers!
Familiar vocabulary recycled in any good graded reader series, but the secret is to make sure students can actually read and spell the words, use the vocabulary flexibly (not just recognise a particular picture & blurt it)!

We love using the various applications/games that wordwall offers, with the added twist of PC skils (mouse/keyboard), letter recognition (upper/lower case) & QWERTY layout (not a linear ABC from the poster on the wall). Have a go yourself here, and consider all the ways your learners can recycle, drill, revise (you know, the deadly sins of teacher talk!) both at home, or in the classroom when a buddy is absent.

Friday, 25 July 2025

Project Platypus - creative Kana

Check out Kana's fantastic artwork! Truly the best artist I think I've ever had in my English classroom...put her mind to Australia's most shy creature and also narrated her description of it, as an after  reading project (using Chatterpix). I love this app, as it is personal yet maintains our students' privacy :)

How would you rate Kana's work (I'm at A++)?


 

 

Thursday, 24 July 2025

Chalk man makes a come back - "This is me!"

We returned to old school project work recently, breaking out the chalk to add some reality to the 'our bodies' topic in Everybody Up 1...we 'traced' each other (as well as the Big Boy himself) in our car park and added details to profiles (importantly, eyes, ears, fingers.... AND pants!).

Good PR as mummies got out of cars/off their phones to ask what we were doing - "This is me!"..."This is my head, these are my legs" etc. Lots of laughs and genuine engagement, even for the artistically challenged (like Jim!)
Big Boy + Little Learners!

Where's my neck?


 


 


 

 

Wednesday, 23 July 2025

Yukihi's snow animal

 


Check out Yukihi's lovely after reading project - created with Chatterpix in a matter of minutes. Student's own design on paper, descriptive writing & then reading own work fluently :)

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

The news headlines (late June, 2025)

 A feature in The Guardian Weekly news magazine is a round up of global headlines ("Global Report") which I've been using to create a regular quiz on Wordwall - a matchng task which requires skimming and scanning reading techniques, as well as a good grasp of colloquial language & newspaper headline jargon, and flexibility with synonyms & geography. All-in-all, a jolly good challenge.

You, dear reader, do not have the articles to hand - so how well up on the news have you been keeping?

This particular challenge is from the end of June, 2025.


https://wordwall.net/resource/95023891

Sunday, 8 June 2025

China's snow bird - a writing & speaking project


 You've read the book, and enjoyed the thrills & spills with familiar characters...digested new vocabulary and recycled more; read bits out loud and shown understanding of the text.

Make your own character - a snow animal - including a bit of 'dictadraw' (add a scarf/hat etc), then write a description of your new animal with words from the glossary...and then read your work.

Win win using chatterkids app (students quickl learnt how to manipulate/edit/enhance their own creations!), following up our OUP Read & Imagine graded reader. After reading = fun activity & a legacy moment!

Friday, 6 June 2025

Talking text - Chiharu's Snow Rabbit

 


Listen to super Chiharu describing her "Snow Animal", an after reading project from OUP Read & Imagine graded reader "In the Snow". Extensive reading really works for our students' four skills and is an excellent outside of class  learning component; boosts language (grammar as well as vocabulary recyclying), imagination, reading large chunks of text & coping with comprehension questions quickly > great exam preparation too.

Creating this work = loads of fun as well - self & class as a group proof-reading & practicing, encouraging and giggling :)



Thursday, 5 June 2025

The Scarlet Letter - A brief biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was an American novelist and short story writer.
He is known for Dark Romantic novels and stories such as "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables".
His works often focus on history, morality and religion.
 
He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1804 and his family was a prominent Puritan
He was raised by his mother and relatives after his father died when he was four.
He enrolled Bowdoin College, graduating in 1825.
He published his first novel, "Fanshawe," in 1828 which is based on his experiences at Bowdoin College.
Horatio Bridge offered to cover the risk of collecting these stories in 1837 into Twice-Told Tales, which made Hawthorne known locally.
Regarding to his family, he married Sophia Peabody in 1842.
They had three children: Una, Julia, and Rose.
"The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables," were published in 1850 and 1851, respectively.
He was rewarded in 1853 with the position of United States consul in Liverpool shortly after the publication of Tanglewood Tales.
He died in Plymouth, New Hampshire, on May 19, 1864.



Postcard from...Taipei, Taiwan

 

Hi! Jim!

I'm visiting Taiwan, just two days.

Taiwan like Japan, so I can't feel like travelling abroad.

But, Taiwanese food is delicious and quite different from japanese foods, so I'm enjoying to eat!

See you next class!

Makiko  :)

Wednesday, 4 June 2025

Salem: where Nathaniel was born

The author of this book, The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel Hawthorne.  He was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804.  Salem is a famous historical place, where The Salem Witch Trials happened.  In 1692, some young girls acted strangely, and they claimed they were being hurt by witches.  The town of Salem set up a special court to decide who was a witch.  Many girls were arrested and put on trial, and 19 girls were executed.  Later, people realized the trials were wrong and all those were based on fears.  Through the Salem Witch Trials, many girls who didn’t do anything wrong were pulled to the court and wrongly sentenced as a witches.  Nathaniel’s great-great-grandfather was the Judge of the Salem court.  Nathaniel felt guilt for his family history, and he changed his family name by adding w to be different from his family’s dark past.  I think Nathaniel put the ideas from The Salem Witch Trials in his work, like sin, punishment, social criticism, etc.



Wednesday, 23 April 2025

My cute cousin Gouta

Of all my relatives, I like my cousin Gouta the best. He is ten years younger than me. He is a really cute boy and extremely funny for me.

He is now an elementary school student, and he plays baseball every day. He told me his dream is to become Ohtani Shohei , so he practices baseball extremely hard. He lives with his mother and father, and he does not have any sisters or brothers. His father always takes care of him.

 He also studies English, and the last time I met him he taught me how to say colors in English. He must be an international person in the near future.

He practices baseball and studies English really hard, so I am looking forward to his future. I believe he will be a successful and quite a rich person. Hahaha.

Posted for Yurina

Friday, 11 April 2025

"Hunting" should be illegal or not

 I believe that hunting is a complex issue with both moral and practical considerations. 

The first thing I thought was that hunting should be illegal. A lot of people believe that animals have a right to live freely. Actually, some species are facing extinction or have already disappeared from the earth due to humans’ overhunting. It is also one of the reasons for damaging the biological pyramid, which is a problem for humans as a result of its negative effects. 

If hunting is illegal, poachers would be punished strictly. It would protect extinct animals, then I believe it may return to us with good effects for humans.

On the other hand, I think it is necessary to hunt, and it shouldn’t be illegal.

Hunting can help manage wildlife populations, preventing overpopulation. It is kept in balance of ecology. Take an example, the number of deer and wild boars has increased, leading them to go to urban areas to search for food. There is a rising number of accidents with trains and cars. Also, they are causing significant damage to agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. 

From the perspective of human culture, hunting is not only a traditional practice but also an important part of way of life. Hunting provides food, clothing, and materials for various traditional crafts. Additionally, it is often relations with ceremonies that celebrate the relationship between humans and nature. 

Ultimately, I think whether hunting should be illegal depends on various factors.



Friday, 4 April 2025

The wonderful character in my workplace

 Let me introduce you to the member of my workplace! 

Tomoko-san is our manager. She is thoughtful. She has a wide perspective and she always helps us when we are in trouble. I think that it is wonderful how she expresses her opinions logically and confidently to anyone.

Miyuki-san is my supervisor. She is bright. Although her jobs seem very hard, she is always cheerful and keep smiling. I am able to get power from her! She thanks people for even the small things. I think she is a really kind person.

Ritsuko-san is my direct supervisor. She is kind and sedulous. She always answers my any question. Thanks to her, I have been able to learn many things about the details of my work. I think she is good at work. I want to be hard-working as Ritsuko-san in future!

There are also many other wonderful, kind, and cool people working at my workplace. I have a lot of respect for all of them!

Chinatsu


Wednesday, 12 March 2025

Postcard from Chicago, USA

Jim sensei,

Hello from Chicago!

Chinatsu and I had a business trip to the US. On Sunday afternoon we walked around Chicago downtown and took many beautiful pictures. We enjoyed American food with locally brewed beer. We will make efforts to improve our English so that we can communicate with our customers more fluently!

Chinatsu & Tomoko