Hello! I hope everything is cool with your teaching. We're in the middle
of a month long tour teaching over 1,000 teachers and over 7,000 kids!
But there's a load of new stuff on the website, including some great new
International Understanding lesson plans (great for "serious"
6th graders) and for teachers on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET)
Programme there is our list of 101 cool things to do!
Tip of the Month: Colour Days
This is a really cool tip I picked up from Derrick in Miyazaki. When doing your lesson planning, instead of choosing a theme like "transport" or body parts, try a colour. For example on the "red day" only teach words that are red such as apples, fire engines etc.
Cool idea, don't you think?
International Understanding Lesson plans
Once kids have got through some basic English it's time to use it! And
of course one of the main aims of what we do is not teaching English but
introducing kids to the World. In fact in Japan, this is the official aim
of the elementary school programme.
But it can be pretty tricky finding suitable lessons to do. So I've taken
two of the most simplest lesson and written them up on the website. One
is a really cool School Lunch Menu Exchange project and the other is a
"Pet Exchange" project. Try them, they work great!
Thanks to everyone at the Kobe renewers conference Key Note Speech and
in Tokyo. The conference was sponsored by the Ministry of Education and
we presented to nearly a thousand people. You were fantastic!
Loads of people came up to us afterwards and lots of people were asking
about our "101 Cool Ideas List". Basically if you ever find you
have some time spare then have a look at this list for a little bit of
inspiration!
Kids love our picture cards and they make teaching English so much
easier! They are free to download from the website, but if you want to print
them all out yourself it could take you well over 10 hours just for the
printing! Then add on another couple for the download and laminating time and it
really eats into your day! So, due to popular demand, we've done the hard work
for you!
There are nearly 200 pictures printed back-to-back as 100
laminated cards for nearly all of the Genki English themes. They are in full
glorious colour and best of all are plastic laminated to make them strong and
perfect for playing games!
Just fill in the order form and your very own set of fantastically cool cards
will be on its way to you ASAP!
(Stop Press: Stock levels are running low so please allow 21 days for delivery) http://genkienglish.net/picturecards.htm
From Joel Bacha: New Game "Pass the Number"
This game is from Joel Bacha's "Teachers and Kids" book. There
are loads more in the book itself, check out here for details! http://genkienglish.net/joelsbook.htm
Focus: Numbers, Conversation
Level: Grade 1-6
Preparation: Small number cards, CD player
1. Give about half of the students a number card. (Use numbers according to the studentsf level. For example, 1st year: 1-12; 5th year: 10, 20, 30, etc.)
2. Put a fun CD in the CD player and press play.
3. While the music is playing, have the students stand up and pass the numbers to anyone they want.
4. When the music stops, everyone has to sit down where they are.
5. Call out one of the numbers.
6. The student with that number has to stand up.
7. The rest of the students, in unison, ask a question (ex. gWhen is your birthday?h)
8. After answering the question, have everyone clap and start the music again.
Notes: You can use this game to practice almost any phrase, or to practice introductions with the ALT.
If you know of anyone who might be interested in this newsletter, then
please feel free to send it on!
Oh, and there's also a Japanese version, you can sign up for it from the
main Japanese menu!
"I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
- Pablo Picasso
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