Notes in Nagoya

One way to get an abundance of English teachers in the same place? Put on an Expo. On Sunday I went to one of the many that are on throughout Japan; armed with a pen and notepad I made my way down to Nagoya, ready to learn about different techniques and tools that I could use in class and how they would benefit the students. My personal favourite was from David Paul and hearing about his seven-step sequence to teaching phonics. As this is a very new topic for me, I found hearing about these techniques from someone who spent so long developing them here in Japan to be incredibly valuable; thank you David! After meeting many other teachers, hearing about how their teaching journeys and going to a handful of lectures, I can honestly say that this is one field that will never stop evolving. The number of resources we constantly have at our fingertips is astounding and I can’t wait to slowly make my way through them.

Teaching event, Jan 29th in Ueda; all welcome

ABAX is very happy to be sending four presenters to Nagano for this coming Sunday, January 29th. Among the presenters is Marcos Benevides, co-author of Fiction in Action: Whodunit which won the Duke of Edinburgh ELT Book Award in 2010 and the British Council’s ELTON award in the international category in 2011. Things kick off at 1.00 p.m.

This is the first time we’ve sponsored multiple presentations for a local event; many thanks to the Shinshu JALT Chapter for arranging this. We’re looking forward to our day in Ueda and hope you too can find time to attend. And if you can’t attend but think it looks interesting, please let your friends in Nagano know! We promise to keep the presentations resolutely non-commercial!

Sunday, January 29, 2012
TIME: 1.00 p.m. To 5.30 p.m.
PLACE: Pareo Library, Ueda City, Nagano-ken、〒386-0025 長野県上田市天神１丁目８−１

http://www.city.ueda.nagano.jp/hp/sys/20090911135734758.html

INTRODUCTION: 1.00 - 1.20
• An Introduction to Task-Based Learning – Marcos Benevides 1.20-2.10
• Narrow Reading 2.0 – Michael Stout 2.20-3.10

BREAK: 3.10-3.40

• Teaching Speaking Strategies: the Why and the How – Alastair Graham-Marr 3.40 – 4.30
• Teaching Listening to Low–Level Learners – Hugh Graham-Marr 4.40-5.30

We’ve set up a facebook page for the event here: http://www.facebook.com/events/136929726423999/

Please let your friends know about this too!

Computer crap? Not me...VIDEO-tastic!!!

Back on June 8th I posted a blog "I like it". I said I'd try to figure out how to whack video of the lesson up... Well, consider it done! Go have a look and please post a comment telling me how clever I am/what a cool, fun lesson we all had etc?!

"I like it"

"Can you teach the lesson today, Jim Sensei?"

Music to my ears; in five years 'teaching' at Fuzoku JHS, I think this happened once. I really detest the "larynx on legs" that is the usual work experience for Assistant English Teachers (AETs). Is the JET programme a waste of time...? Anyway, today just by chance I had an old lesson plan I wanted to try with my High School class, and by the end we were all singing and dancing along to Sinatra's dulcet tones "How about you?"

If I can post a video of the end product, it'll be here somewhere. Still trying to figure out "how to" on this site.

Lesson plan? Simple enough. With a lethargic pre-thunderstorm Friday morning, thought we might dive into patching the song together.

1. Lyrics in bits - a simple song for this level is ideal - with students in small groups to listen to the song a couple of times & arrange the words back in order. Mistakes OK, as that makes the checking phase more fun.
2. A 'secretary' from each group runs to the board, rest of group dictates the first line. Switch secretaries & continue through the song. The further from the board the group is the better - blackboards at front and back of the classroom ideally suited. This gets noisy, and insist on correct spellings. A couple of wags were 'not helping' other groups, calling out incorrect hints!
3. As a race, the students are well motivated & 100% involved. See them in action:
4. Checking the checking = groups look for mistakes in another's posting as we listen to the song again, familiarising ourselves with the rhythm along the way - some have got it & are starting to join in - especially the repeated bits. Quick re-arrangement on the desks = lyrics good to go and mistakes crossed out on the boards.
5. Important - all heads up & standing up, with lyrics plainly in view (if not entirely legible) on the board(s).
6. Read through line by line at a good pace - no need to explain anything, see 7!
7. Performance preview: I read the song through again, this time adding BIG gestures to the key words - one, two, even three per line, which students mimic. The 'daggier' the teacher, the more succesful participation!
8. Without any more messing around, hit play & encourage 'singing' (at the very least muttering along at the right tempo) AND following the teacher through all the gestures. Should work a treat and if you finish just as the bell rings, you're a genius.
9. Show off next class with a stunned expression on the other teacher's face!

Just thought I'd share that with you - I had a great laugh & I think 'my' crew did too.

I like it - how about you?!