Practical Ideas For Teaching English at Elementary School.

Practical ideas for teaching English to Young Learners
This free event will feature 4 presenters sharing their wealth of knowledge on English education for children.

Presenter: Marco Brazil(Sponsored by Oxford University Press)
Title: Mind And Body: Active Learning And Teaching Strategies

Abstract:
Learning is not mere imitation and repetition, nor the ability to accumulate fixed knowledge. Learning is a constant process of discovery, a process without end. That said, traditional teaching is limited because it assumes that all learners are the same and that a single method of listen-and-repeat meets the need of every student.

Research shows the brain is more activated by movement than by sitting still listening to a story or doing deskwork which increases fatigue and reduces concentration. Learning by doing creates more neural networks in the brain. Moreover children find active learning to be more fun and engaging, which means they’re more inclined to learn. In this workshop the presenter will show why young children find active learning engaging and will share some classroom-tested games you can use right away. Marco will also share tips on motivation and activation in the children’s English class. Be ready to play games and have some fun.

We would like to thank Oxford University Press for graciously agreeing to sponsor Marco Brazil’s presentation at this event.

Presenter: Aki Matsunobu
Title: Make your lessons more attractive

Aki Matsunobu is a J-SHINE certified teacher trainer. J-SHINE (http://www.j-shine.org)is an NPO which offers training and seminars to those who want to teach English at elementary school with the aim of helping promote the learning of English in primary education. Her 15-year experience of teaching English to young learners at home and several elementary schools convinces her that teaching English is not only to give children an opportunity to learn the language but to foster their attitudes towards communicating with others in the language.

Abstract:
Do you make your lesson plans according to the length of each class? Do you introduce as many activities as possible into one lesson? Do you feel satisfied when your students are having fun in class? Surely, “time allocation”, “the number of activities”, and “a fun atmosphere” are vital to a successful lesson.
However, how do you achieve those essentials? The presenter will discuss the effectiveness of team-teaching, the importance of classroom English used by Japanese teachers, and tips on how to make a well-organized 45 minutes lesson plan. Through her hands-on experience as a teacher and teacher trainer, the presenter will share practical ideas to make your lessons more attractive to your students and yourselves, using a newly published textbook by MEXT, Hi, friends!

Presenters: Catherine Littlehale Oki & Catriona Takeuchi
Title: Tried and True Activities for Monday Morning.

Abstract: Catherine and Catriona will demonstrate 20 ‘tried and true’ activities that you can take straight into the classroom on Monday morning.
These activities will get your students moving, talking and being excited about English. You’ll be able to jump right into these activities without buying ‘special’ materials and they can be easily scaffolded for varying ages and levels.

Biographies: Catherine Littlehale Oki is co-author of Happy Valley, a three level course book for kindergarteners. She teaches children and also teaches in the jidoeigo Young Learners certificate program at Konan Women’s University in Kobe. She is also co-writing iTDi’s online course for YLs. Otherwise, Catherine spends her time chasing after her not yet one-year-old daughter.

Catriona Takeuchi is the owner/operator of One World, an English conversation school for children in Nara. She has been teaching English in Japan, primarily to children, since 1990. She teaches courses in communication through drama and storytelling at Tezukayama University.