Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Teaching Grammar

I think it was most difficult for me to learn “Present Perfect Tense – Experience” as a student, because it is difficult to understand the difference between Present Perfect and Past. If I teach it now, I will do as follow.

1) Do the game as Warming-Up. For example, show the card written “be”. Students answer “been”. “write” changes “written”.
2) Put the picture to show the situation. And give a sentence “I have been to an amusement park.” Write the sentence on the board.
3) Explain the grammar. In addition explain the difference between Preset Perfect and Past.
Sample sentences: I have been to an amusement perk.
I went to an amusement park.
She has been to Tokyo Disney Land.
She went to Tokyo Disney Land.
4) Chorus repetition with the change of speed.
For example; T: I have been to an amusement park.
S: I have been to an amusement park.
T: She has been to Tokyo Disney Land.
S: She has been to Tokyo Disney Land.
5) Give other sentences. And write it on the board.
For example: Miwa has never been to an amusement park.
6) Chorus repetition with the change of speed.
For example: T: Miwa has never been to an amusement park.
S: Miwa has never been to an amusement park.
7) Hand out the sheets. Do the sheets. After students finish the sheets, check the answer and repeat.
For example: Q. Change the words in the ( ) to their proper form.
1. I have (be) to Kyoto.
2. I have never (eat) avocado.
3. She has (ride) on a Ferris wheel.
8) Give the sheets and change the sentences.
For example: I have been to an amusement park.
(She) She has been to an amusement park.
(America) She has been to America.
(never) She has never been to America.
(work in) She has never worked in America.
9) Do repetition.
For example: Show the sentence “I have been to an amusement park.”
T: She. S: She has been to an amusement park.
T: America. S: She has been to America.
T: Never. S: She has never been to America.
T: Work in. S: She has never worked in America.
10) Ask the students to write a sentence about each of the topics.
For example: a good thing that has happened, a bad thing that has happened and so on.
11) Practice to read these sentences. And ask the question.
12) Consolidate the class.

That’s all. Thank you.

To Japanese University students or ALTs

I listened Mr.M's lecture in ETM3 class. I learned many things. So I tell you some importance based on Mr.M's lecture and my knowledge you will need to work at a Japanese junior high school.

1) Greeting
Japanese value polite attitude. So it is very important to greet steadily. Almost all of students greet visitors cheerfully in junior high school. If we don't greet students, they square up to us and they aren't hard to open theirself to us. When you will go to junior high school and see students, you should greet them with a smile at the first time.

2) Positive attitude
When most people introduse theirself in junior high school, they will say to students "Please speak to me!". However I think it's a negative attitude. You should speak to students. I think negative attitude relates to grasping the opportunity.

3) Responsibility
If you are practice teacher or you aren't hoom-room teacher, students think you are teacher. I think you are responsible for what you say and do as teacher and adult.

4) Smile
When I was junior high school students, my hoom-room tacher often didn't smile. I was afraid of him, because he seemed to be angry. On the other hand, my hoom-room teacher always smile at students when I was elementary school student. She was very popular with students, because I think smile soften student's anxieties. And "Laugh and graow fat." as the proverb goes.

5) Set the goal
Mr.M said to us that if we go to junior high school, we should set the goal with the view of students for three years. I think it is important for teacher to set the goal, because it develops that what we should do and we can make conscious classes.

Besides this you should not speak Japanese except explain difficult grammer and so on. And I think it is important for teacher to enjoy teaching!!!!! I hope you enjoy teaching in junior high school. Lastly, Mr.M, thank you so much for telling us.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Teaching Observation

Friday, June 2 the demonstration lesson was hold at Diamond Junior High School. I couldn't go there, but I could watch video about two English lessons.


<2nd>

1. What was the goal of the class?
Making a report which introduce moai.

2. What activities did the students do to accomplish the goal?
The students answered some questions about moai, practiced the expressions for example stone statue(s), look at that~, people call it~, once, long time ago. Then they understood the points of writing a report, wrote a report with dictionary, textbook and an advertisement about Easter Isle. Next, switched paper side by side, read it, said comments, rewrote it and read out it. Finally, they evaluated themselves.

3. What was the role of the teacher?
The teacher taught them the points of writing a report, advised them how to write a report as he walked around their seats. First of all, he spoke English when he explained something in order that students had many cahances of listening English and enjoyed studying English.

4. From watching the teacher and students , did you receive any hints about how to have a successful English class?
I received many hints this class. First, realistic is effective. The teacher set for real situation when students wrote a report. If students write a report without the situation, student would feel boring and be easy to create it, I think. Second, good pronounciation is very important. The teacher's pronounciation was very good. Students could listen to good English. So I think it involved that students could pronounce English very well. And if teacher cannot pronounce English correctly, students could trust the teacher, I think. Finally, it is very good that the teacher focused on not only moai but also other culture. We tend to see big facts, but it is important to know other facts.


<3rd> I'm sorry I finished it halfway, but I couldn't watch the whole class.

1. What was the goal of the class?
Talking about "a foster program".

2. What activities did the students do to accomplish the goal?
First they answered the questions as review, for example "Have you ever been to Tokyo Disney Land?" and "Have you ever played baseball?". Next, they did pairworks and asked the questions. And then, they repeated sentences after the teacher, did shadowing, read it without looking textbook.

3.What was the role of the teacher?
The teacher asked students many questions, for example "Have you ever been to~?" and "What is a foster program?". He explained two pictures and conversation in English.

4. From watching the teacher and students, did you receive any hints about how to have a successful English class?
I received many hints from watching the teacher and students. First, a lot of methodes of reading aloud textbook is effective. The teacher used many methodes of it, for example sahadow reading, reading in a whispers, reading while glancing, reading without seeing textbook, repeating what the teacher said and so on. I think students don't feel boring and enjoy studying English by using many way of reading. Second, each of the students had many chance to speak English alone. Most student don't like to speak English alone in public, but they can have confidence in speaking English by giving many chances.


I wish I could go to Diamond Junior High School and see real classes. So I want to go there next time!

Thanks.

Monday, May 29, 2006

Reflection about my lesson

I met group members to discuss how we would teach students "What do you have for ~?". We decided to focused on "Warm-up" and "Practice".

In our lesson, first we played the word game as warm-up. In this game one said favorite food and tossed ChokiChoki to someone...... Next we asked the question "Do you like~?" as review. And then, we wrote "Do you have for ~?" and "I have ~" on the blackboad. We read the textbook and got students to repeat it. We demonstrated that "What do you have~?" is useful phrase by the short play. We taught "breakfast, lunch and dinner" before we asked some students "What do you have for~?". After that, we played the game as practice. The pair asked the question about meals and answered it each other. Finally, we repeated the phrases.

I think the most successful parts of the lesson are "Practice", because students seemed to enjoy asking the question. However we should improve how to teach new words, because some sudents didn't seem to understand them. For example, we should have demonstrated them with colorful picture. And we should improve the way of repeating, because some students could not pronounce the phrases and understand them well. For example, we should have got students to repeat rhythmic as Mr.Hall did or used music. So I think that was the least successful parts of the lesson.

I want to try this lesson once again! If I can do, I would focus repeating and how to teach new words.

I had many improvement, but I enjoyed teaching this lesson. Mr.Hall, thank you so much for giving me a good chance.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

An analysis of my language learning experience

1) My most enjoyable language learning experience has been Conversation. Conversation is very fun for me. When I talk to someone, my brain works actively. Then I try to talk about something. I'm very glad to talk words.
Now I go to English conversation school. I know the fun of conversation in it.

2) My least enjoyable language learning experience has been Reading Silently. I usually translate from English into Japanese when I do so. When I read aloud, I can translate and understand more speedy than reading silently.

3) My most valuable language learning activity has been Rading Aloud and Repetition. I can memorize the sentences and understand the structure of sentence when I read aloud again and again. I think that Reading Aloud is very important, because reading aloud stimulates own ears and brain.

4) My least valuable language learning activity has been Translating. I think translating is good, but I have to have two way of thinking to improve my English skill. If it is possible, I have to have English thinking when I read English.

5) In general my language learning experience has been speaking, reading and listening. To improve my English skill I speak to many people and read aloud and listen English seriously. I want to touch at English as many times as possible.

6) What kind of influence do you think your language learning experience will have on your teaching?

  If I teach students English, I use enjoyable activities. I think enjoyable activities are lively. I give them the chances of speaking. I have them repeat with gesture not to be boring.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

How I learned English.

I have learned English since I entered into junior high school. I tried many studies.

When I was junior high school student, I studied it with the text books mainly. I memorized words or phrases that were witten in the text books. I read the story again and again. I think that I studied English in junior high school to be acustomed to English.

I often write my jornal in English. After I finish it, my English teacher―Peter, in English conversation school― checks my jornal. I write many things―for example, my favorite food, my dream, my opinion about English education and so on. I couldn't write it soon, but now I can almost write it without dictionary.

I have an English and Japanese conversation with Phillipino woman every Tuesday. I want to speak English very well. She wants to speak Japanese very well. So we are teacher. She correct me immediately if I am mistaken.

I want to have many chances to touch English.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

My introduction

I'm PataPata. Welcome to my blog! Thank you for coming to it.

My home town is Miyako in Iwate prefecture. Miyako has a very beautiful beach-Jyodogahama. All of the rocks and sands are white! If you have a chance, come to Miyako. Now I live in Morioka. I moved from dormitory to new apartment. So I enjoy living to it.

I am Iwate univercity student and junior. I major in English and elementary school teaching. I love English!

I belong to the volunteering club. I play with handicapped children in my club. Last Saturday we did cherry blossom-viewing in Takamatsu no ike. We walked around the pond, had a lunch and did the games. So I enjoyed spending with children.

I'm looking forward to studying English in this lesson.