Tag: classroom activities

August 2016 Event: Young Learners: Competent Communicators

Date                      Sunday, Aug 21st, 2016
Time                      12:30 – 16:00
Venue                  Yamato Conference Hall やまと会議室 (near Kintetsu Nara Stn.) ACCESS
Fee                        FREE for JALT members. 1000 yen for non-members
Presenters          Hiroko Shikata ・ Scott Crowe

Nara JALT is extremely proud to be presenting this particularly practical event that is sure to benefit all educators involved in the young learner(YL)teaching context. With over 30 years of combined real-world experience, the presenters are certain to leave attendees with fresh ideas on ways to inspire communicative confidence within their pupils and a unique perspective on incorporating creative narratives into the classroom. Time will also be allotted to allow attendees to exchange their on own ideas and methodologies related to the the topic and a Q&A session with the presenters.
Come along to the conveniently located and air-conditioned Yamato Conference Hall on August 21st and join this wonderful summer event.

  • Presentation 1: Hiroko Shikata (13:00-14:00)
    Keep in practice: Fluency before accuracy
  • Presentation 2: Scott Crowe (14:30-15:30)
    Adding a narrative to flashcard games: Making your stories POP!

 

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Presentation 1: Hiroko Shikata
Keep in practice: Fluency before accuracy

Abstract:
Many of the pupils that the presenter teaches at elementary schools are afraid of making mistakes when they speak English. They want to confirm whether their English is accurate and free from errors before they actually speak. Small, simple, yet, fundamental steps to help pupils get used to speaking English in class make a big difference in their attitudes towards speaking English. Speaking English can be something special but nothing to make pupils feel daunted. The presenter will share practical ideas and activities to reduce learners’ anxiety or nervousness about “I-must-speak-perfect-English” by listening, echoing, and practicing as routine work in class. Some classroom activities will be introduced by use of “Hi, friends”, an English textbook published by MEXT.
Presenter Bio:
Hiroko Shikata is a J-SHINE certified teacher trainer. J-SHINE (http://www.j-shine.org) is an NPO dedicated to the promotion of teaching English in Japanese primary education by Japanese instructors. It offers training and seminars to those who are interested in teaching English at elementary school. Shikata is currently teaching at a few public elementary schools and at home. Her 15-year experience of teaching convinces her that teaching English at elementary school is not only to give pupils an opportunity of learning the language, but also to make them feel confident about speaking English before they study it as a school subject in junior high school.
Brief Japanese translation:
J-SHINE (NPO法人 小学校英語指導者認定協議会)公認英語指導者育成トレーナーである志方浩子氏が、児童たちが身構えず、自信を持って話すためのマインドセッティングを促す クラス活動を文部科学省小学校外国語活動テキストHi, Friends!を使って紹介します。

Presentation 2: Scott Crowe
Adding a narrative to flashcard games: Making your stories POP!

Presenter Bio:
Scott Crowe has been teaching children for over 16 years in Japan. He presently runs a chain of English schools in Osaka with some great friends of his who feel very fortunate to have about 500 children at their schools. Prior to coming to Japan Scott got a double major in English Literature specializing in short stories and a degree in Theatre Arts. After graduating he played the lead in a musical and toured through 19 countries. Nothing would prepare him for Japan. He planned to stay for 9 months but …well, he’s still here and still loving it. Early on in his teaching career he became obsessed with the idea of his students wanting to use language of their own volition. This passion became even greater when he met his first son who was from a previous marriage and couldn’t speak English. He began to write and illustrate stories that were designed to have kindergarten children take a vested interest in the language through funny characters in a book who needed help solving the problems in the stories. He was surprised to discover that even with his own students he could get them almost to the point where they would be engaging in imaginative play in English. He loves teaching and is very happy to share his experiences with whoever is as excited about teaching as he is.

April 2016 Event:Annual Round Table

-The New Academic Year: Resolutions, Reflections and Revelations from the Classroom-

Speaker(s): Various Participants

Date: Sunday, 24th April 2016, 1:30-4PM

Venue: Yamato Conference Hall (やまと会議室) (access)

Fee: Free for JALT members, and 1,000 yen for non-members

We invite you to join this informal discussion to share your professional achievements and/or challenges from the classroom in 2015 and some of your teaching objectives for the new academic year.

Attendees will each be given the floor for approximately 10 minutes to share their teaching activities and are encouraged to bring along sample materials, reports or even items of realia to convey their experiences as we reflect on observations in a supportive setting with friends and colleagues.

This is an ideal opportunity to meet and mingle with your fellow Nara JALT members, new and old alike. We would be delighted to have the company of members from any of the surrounding chapters and guests are of course most welcome. We hope to see you there!

昨年好評を博した円卓会議の開催です！
「新学年度に向けて：決意・振り返り・新発見」をテーマに掲げ、２０１５年の成果及び新年度の教育目標と共に、
一人持ち時間１０分程度で教授法や教材の活用法などを発表し、参加者の皆様で共有します。
メンバーとの交流を楽しめる良い機会です。是非ご参加ください。

 

 

 

 

February 2016 Event: English for High School Education: Professional Development through Teaching Practice

How did your university students study in HS? What will your JHS students be studying when they get there? What is happening in HS classrooms at present? What is in store for the future?

We very much look forward to seeing you at the event to join the conversation.

In this event, several high school English educators from different backgrounds and teaching contexts are going to share their teaching practices in class. In general, teaching English at high school in Japan has specific duties such as a necessity to prepare students for taking university entrance exams. Considering such, the presenters will share their teaching activities. Audience members will have an opportunity to develop their understanding toward current situations and issues in the English education of high school students.

「高等学校における英語教育 ～授業実践から専門性を高める～」

今 回の講演では、経歴・背景の異なる高等学校教育者たちが集い、それぞれの授業実践を紹介します。一般に、日本の高等学校での英語教育においては、大学入試 に備える必要性などの拘束があります。このようなことを考慮した授業活動を皆様に紹介し、高等学校における英語教育の現状と論点について、より理解を深め て頂ける機会を提供します。

Date & Time: Sunday, 28 February 2016 – 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Venue: Yamato Conference Hall (やまと会議室) (access)
Speakers:

Masayuki Nakano, Angela Wren, Rachel Stuart, Kazuhiro Iguchi & Adelia Falk

Fee: Free for JALT members, and 1000 yen for non-members

ABSTRACTS

Presentation 1: Masayuki Takano (Nara Prefectural Horyuji Kokusai High School)
Introduction to English for High School Education

Recently, Japan’s educational policy has seen an increasing emphasis on preparing its youth for the global economy. As a result, there have been significant changes in its university entrance exam requirements, which in turn impacted Japan’s high school English education. The Ministry of Education also began to place more emphasis on cultivating global citizens who, while remaining rooted to their Japanese heritage, are able to succeed in the global economy. This presentation discusses the changing expectations for high school English teachers, while touching upon its connection with Japan’s university English education.

１．「高校教育の英語教育概論」

高野 正之 奈良県立法隆寺国際高等学校

近年、若者への「グロー バル化対応」を意識した日本の教育方針が、大学入試要件の大きな変更を余儀なくさせ、加えて、そのことが高等学校の英語教育に影響を及ばしています。日本 の大学の英語教育との関連性に触れ、高等学校の英語教師への期待がどのように変化しているかについて議論します。

Presentation 2: Angela Wren & Rachel Stuart (Nara Prefectural Horyuji Kokusai High School)
A Step by Step Introduction to Debate

This is a 10 lesson debate unit that takes students from simply giving their opinion to fully participating in a full team debate. In the first half of the unit, the concept of debate is introduced, such as, disagreeing and giving strong reasons. In the second half, the students learn about the structure of debate and prepare for their final debate. To build confidence in the students, interactive games are used throughout the unit. This debate unit is suitable for all high school level students, even those with no previous experience with debate.

２．「ステップバイステップ ～ディベート入門～」

アンジェラ・レン、レイチェル・ステュアート 奈良県立法隆寺国際高等学校

単に意見を述べることからチームの一員としてディベートに参加できるまで、１０段階に分けたディベートの授業実践を紹介します。対話型のゲームを用い生徒に自信をつけさせるこの方法は、ディベート未経験者からすべての高校生のレベルに対応できます。

Presentation 3: Kazuhiro Iguchi (Kansai Soka High School)

３．井口和弘 私立関西創価高等学校 *Schedule change: Due to unforeseen circumstances Kazuhiro Iguchi will unfortunately not be able to present. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Presentation 4: Adelia Falk (Nara Prefectural Nishinokyo High School)
Textbook discussions – a “four-skills” approach to studying high school English textbooks

It can be difficult to integrate classroom communicative activities and textbook lessons. Therefore, an approach to teaching textbook lessons that is based on a discussion model will be introduced. Using discussion projects as a means of understanding the textbook promotes cooperative learning and speaking in English. In this presentation, discussion-based lessons will be introduced, including how discussion groups are structured and the roles performed by each student before and during the discussion. Exercises based on each of these roles can also be used separately, outside of a discussion project. The roles are designed to teach skills students may find useful for future language learning.

４．「テキストブック討論～高校英語教科書学習よる４技能アプローチ～」

アデリア・ファーク 奈良県立西ノ京高等学校

「英語で話す」「協働学習」を促進するために、ディスカッション形式をベースにして教科書の内容を教える方法を紹介します。また、グループの分け方や、各生徒のディベート前とディベート中の役割分担についても触れます。

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