English Teaching Methodologies 2009 Blog

On this page I will write a description of what we did in each class.

Class 16 (July 30, 2009) Reading Classes

Today Sayah, MickeyNezumi and Lucy as well as Johnny B and Walnuts did their practice teaching. Your homework is to write a comment on their pages. You can see a description of the assignment on the ETM 3 Assignment Page.

Class 15 (July 23, 2009) More Reading Activities and Reading Aloud Practice

1. Reading Activities (Using tables and discussion questions)

2. Reading Aloud Practice

When giving people feedback on reading aloud, use this criteria.

 

1.    Pronunciation: Did I have any problems with the vowels or consonants?

2.    Stress (強勢): (désert vs. dessért): Did I have any problems with stress in individual words?

3.    Rhythm (リズム）(fast, slow): Did I read too slowly or too quickly? Did I pause in the righ places?

4.    Intonation（音調｛おんちょう｝） (yes, yes!): Did I sound interesting or boring and did I vary my intonation when appropriate?

5.Variation: Did I change my voice for the different characters?

6.    Expressions: Did I make facial expressions to help children’s understanding?

Please do the blogging assignment.

Class 14 (July 16, 2009) Reading Classes

Mizuho and Claddagh as well as Minimia and Star had classes.

Class 13 (July 9, 2009) Reading Activities

We read because

1. we want to read.
2. we have an idea what we will read about.
3. we have a purpose: there is something that we want to find out

Example:

1. Newspaper headline: “Plane crashes in desert”
2. Novel: A Quiet Stranger “The first time Vanessa met Jonathan, she did not notice anything strange about him…”
3. Men are from Venus Women are from Mars

In English class do we read because we want to or because we have to?

Pre-reading activities can help give students a reason to read. You can

1. give them some questions to think about before they read.
2. give them an activity before they read a text.

Class 12 (July 2, 2009) Using a Reading Text

1. まずマティシーさんに日本語でいろいろな大変難しい質問を致しました。

2. Next, Untom and Ukkey stood before the class and were grilled about various things in English.

3. Finally, we got around to studying how to use a reading text. We studied two ways to use a reading text. The first way was reading silently and the second way was reading a text after the teacher. We also experienced these two techniques. Most people found that reading silently was easiest for them because they could read at their own pace but Noon and Reddemon found “following along” to be the easiest way. We concluded that teachers should use both styles. I also added that many teachers in Japan prefer the “following along” method because it helps them control the class. However, reading silently might be the best way for students to develop their reading abilities.

Class 11 (June 25, 2009) Keys to Smooth Teaching in JHS

Today, Kanno sensei came and gave a lecture about the keys to smooth teaching in JHS. If you have did not attend, please ask JH for the DVD.

Class 10 (June 18, 2009) Group Work and Pair Work and a Communicative Activity

Our Schedule:

1) How to overcome the disadvantages of Group Work and Pair Work

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:”MS Mincho”; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:Century; panose-1:2 4 6 4 5 5 5 2 3 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:”ＭＳ Ｐゴシック”; panose-1:2 11 6 0 7 2 5 8 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:”\@ＭＳ Ｐゴシック”; panose-1:2 11 6 0 7 2 5 8 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:”\@ＭＳ 明朝”; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0mm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:justify; text-justify:inter-ideograph; mso-pagination:none; font-size:10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Century; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt;} /* Page Definitions */ @page {mso-page-border-surround-header:no; mso-page-border-surround-footer:no;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:99.25pt 30.0mm 30.0mm 30.0mm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:136193703; mso-list-template-ids:16446066;} @list l0:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} @list l1 {mso-list-id:225844041; mso-list-template-ids:-626993634;} @list l1:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} @list l2 {mso-list-id:605846910; mso-list-template-ids:487762792;} @list l3 {mso-list-id:712076225; mso-list-template-ids:1360798416;} @list l3:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} @list l4 {mso-list-id:891619856; mso-list-template-ids:1969156676;} @list l4:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} @list l5 {mso-list-id:950404798; mso-list-template-ids:-1039259336;} @list l5:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} @list l6 {mso-list-id:981076370; mso-list-template-ids:-1480278392;} @list l6:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} @list l7 {mso-list-id:1018628884; mso-list-template-ids:2030071382;} @list l7:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} @list l8 {mso-list-id:1461001019; mso-list-template-ids:-620989992;} @list l8:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} @list l9 {mso-list-id:2060283542; mso-list-template-ids:2021970398;} @list l9:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} @list l10 {mso-list-id:2126384439; mso-list-template-ids:1981203160;} @list l10:level2 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:·; mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”ＭＳ 明朝”; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold;} ol {margin-bottom:0mm;} ul {margin-bottom:0mm;} –>

1. Active students speak a lot but inactive (passive) students do not speak so much

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Give students roles: chairperson, etc.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Have students speak in turns

1. Group work management is difficult (If students like someone they talk to only that person but do not speak to people they do not like.)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Tell students that they have to talk to a certain number of people

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>

1. It takes a lot of time – cannot cover the syllabus or study for the entrance exam

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Practice makes perfect

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>When most people are finished, stop

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Be clear about time

1. It is hard to monitor

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Teachers should walk around the classroom or change the desk direction of the students to face to face

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Self evaluation

1. Students might talk about another topic with their friends so the class might become noisy

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Ｋｅｅｐ students busy (Ukkey)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>

1. Students use Japanese

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Teachers show how to do the activity in English (Yukke)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Allow students to use J sometimes (Mizuho)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Make English use part of evaluation

1. Students do not challenge themselves

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Before group work or pair work, we should practice with all students (Students should know what is expected of them through demonstration)

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Pairings

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Never give up!

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Give criteria: (self evaluation)

1. Breakdown of classroom behavior

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>There should not be too much time

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Variety of task

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Seating patterns should be changed

1. Hard to assess group work because some do more and some do less

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Pair work

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Do not make groups too big

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Everyone has clear roles

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Evaluate the group so that they can motivate eachother

1. The teacher cannot correct learner mistakes

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Walk around the class and correct mistakes

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>Write down mistakes and after group work I go over them

2) Organizing group work and pair work

3) Ukkey and Madan’s lesson

Class 9 (June 11, 2009) Group Work and Pair Work

Our goals
1. Introduce pairwork and group work and show the advantages and disadvantages.
2. Think about how to deal with problems with group and pair work that might arise.
We have tried two activities that featured pair work and one activity that featured group work.

What are group work and pair work?

Student answers
“Give students a chance to communicate with eachother and develop communicative skills.”
“Pair work: Person to person and Group Work is communication with some other students.”

JH Answer
Pair work and group work are ways to organize a class to do an activity. Pair work consists of gorups of two students working simultaneously and group work consists of groups of 4 – 5 students working simultaneously.

What are the advantages of group work?

Everybody can speak

We can communicate with many people

We can share many ideas and opinions

Keep students awake!

Students can teach (help) eachother

Can help with class control

non-threatening (students feel secure)

What are the disadvantages of group work?

• Active students speak a lot but inactive (passive) students do not speak so much
• Group work management is difficult (If a student likes someone he talks to only that person but does not speak to a person he does not like.)
• It takes a lot of time – cannot cover the syllabus or study for the entrance exam
• It is hard to monitor
• Students might talk about another topic with their friends so the class might become noisy
• Students use Japanese
• Students do not challenge themselves
• Breakdown of classroom behavior
• Hard to assess group work because some do more and some do less
• Cannot correct mistakes

Students will propose solutions to the above problems for their blogging assignment.

Class 8 (June 4, 2009)

Ｐｒａｃｔｉｃｅ Teaching: Bison and Anthony: Grammar and Practice, Noon and Untom: Grammar and Practice, Forest and Aroma: A Communicative Activity

Class 7 (May 28, 2009)

An Introduction to communicative activities

Class 6 (May 21, 2009)

We had three microteaching lessons. In the microteaching lessons the teachers were asked to present a structure and practice a structure. Also, those ETM3 members who were watching the lessons were asked to play the role of JHS students. Each ETM3 member were given a description of the student they were to play. Many were asked to be uncooperative. The lessons were as follows:

Fly Fly and Santa: Where is ~ ?

Yukke and Reddemon: Playing tennis is fun.

James and 3iOn: The book I bought yesterday

It is always the most difficult to be the first groups to do the microteaching. I think that the teachers did not have a clear idea of what they were asked to do.  When teachers presented the structures, I had a difficult time understanding what structures they were presenting. Also, the teachers did not explain in what kind of situations the structures can be used. Lastly, teachers did not really use the methods for practicing structures that they were taught and students did not have much opportunity to practice the structures.

Class management was also challenging. There was a huge proportion of uncooperative students and you did not know who would be the cooperative or uncooperative students beforehand. I think one way to keep students from misbehaving si to keep them BUSY in the class. Today, the teachers did not keep the students very busy with practice and that is one of the reasons why the students misbehaved.

I have decided that we need to have another microteaching lesson next week. The reason for this being that ETM3 members need more practice in how to 1)introduce structures and 2) practice structures.

Class 5 (May 14, 2009)

We discussed the difference between the following sentences:

1) I’ve got some bread. I haven’t got any bread.

The Difference:

Examples:
I am not crazy about fish, but I like to eat some kinds of fish.
I have some money. Do you need to borrow some.
I don’t like some kinds of Japanese food, but I can eat almost anything.
I don’t have any money.
I’ll eat any kind of pizza.
I love Kimura Takuya, I will see any movie he is in.

Explanation of the Difference in Japanese:
someは全体のうちいくつか占めることを表し、anyは量にかかわらずあるかないかを表す。

2) I’ve seen that film. I saw that film last week.

The Difference: I think the explanation that we use the past tense for specific events in the past and the present perfect to discuss experiences that we have had from the past up to the present is good if you are introducing the present perfect to students for the first time. Eventually, though, the students will need a deeper understanding. See the examples below:

Examples:

Akira Kurosawa made many movies when he was alive.
Last year, I went to Bali.
I saw James eat the last cookie.
Beat Takeshi has made many movies.
I‘ve just seen Norika Fujiwara!
I‘ve been to various countries in SE Asia.

Explanation of the Difference in Japanese:
The following explanation from Forest can explain the first example:  現在完了形では、「～したことがある」という「経験」を表し、過去形では「～した」という過去の事実を表します。 This explanation would be best to explain the other examples. 現在完了形は、話し手の現在の気持ちが過去に起こった出来事と何らかのつながりがある場合に用いられる。

3)If they build a reservoir, there will be plenty of water. If they built a reservoir, there would be plenty of water.

The Difference: In the first sentence there is a chance they will build the reservoir. In the second sentence, the probability that they will build a reservoir is very low.

Examples:
If Mr.Hatoyama runs for the top of the Democratic Party of Japan, he will get in it.
If I ran for the top of the Democratic Party of Japan, I would get in it. (From Walnuts)

Explanation in Japanese:

After this, we learned about how to practice structures.

We learned about the following different kinds of practice:

1. Repetition – Easiest

2. Substitution – Easy

3. Single word prompts – middle

4. Free substitution – Most Difficult

5. Picture prompts – Difficult

Today’s Message

Practice is important, but it should not be too long. Also, practice should be both mechanical and meaningful. Today we have learned various mechanical and meaningful techniques to use for practice.

Class 4 (May 7, 2009)

Wow, we have already had 4 classes! Time flies!

Today, we talked about how to present structures. The key to presenting structures is to provide students with a lot of examples and to keep the explanations short. When presenting structures, teachers need to focus on the form (how it is created), meaning (what it means) and use (when it is used).

Please see your assignment on the ETM3 assignment page. I am looking forward to reading your blog posts. Next class, we will study how to present structures.

Class 3 (April 30, 2009)

Today, we had on overview of a lesson plan and spent some time discusses the first stage of the lesson, the “introduction stage”. The file that we wrote is here:

Components of a Lesson Plan

Class 2 (April 23, 2009)

In this class we began to study the basic outline of a lesson plan at a typical Morioka junior high school.The typical lesson plan has three stages:

1. 導入（Introduction)
2. 展開（Development)
3. 終結（Finish)

I gave each member of the class 6 sample lesson plans, and then we divided into a total of 4 groups. I asked each group to determine what the objective of each stage is and the also possible activities for each stage. Lastly, I asked them to write what they think is the approximate time for each stage.

I had to leave early to go to an elementary school. On April 30th, we will hear the groups’ presentations and then I will present activities for each stage of the lesson.

Class 1　（April　16, 2009)

In this class we reviewed the meaning of the following words by doing a jigsaw task.

1. Auto-input
2. Comprehensible Input
3. Discourse rules
4. Foreigner Talk
5. Input Hypothesis
6. Interaction Hypothesis
7. Negative Evidence
8. Negotiation of Meaning
9. Output hypothesis
10. Scaffolding
11. Zone of Proximal Development

Except for word number 1, I strongly believe that the theories that these words represent have strong implications for second language learning. One example is the theory of scaffolding. In the following clip, my son scaffolds by using the word “speak” to restate why Daddy speaks English, Mommy speaks Japanese and he speaks Japanese and English.

MChan scaffolds from Daddy

For the jigsaw class, members of ETM3 were divided into 3 groups of about 6 people. Each group member was assigned to learn the definitions of 1 – 2 words. The definitions were written on pieces of paper but the words were not written on the paper. The pieces of paper were also hidden outside. Each group member had to go outside and memorize the definition that was written on their piece of paper, they then came back to the classroom and wrote their definition down. Once all the groups had written their definitions, they had to match the definitions to the proper word. It was hoped that memorizing the definitions and then trying to transcribe it would encourage students to think deeply about the meanings of the words.

Here are some pictures: