ETJ expo

Dear my friends,
Hi, everyone! It's December now, very very cold here!!
How have you been? Everyone's fine?
Last month I saw Satomi again at ETJ expo in Tokyo.
I was very glad to see my friend again even in Japan! Thank you, Satomi.
That was a great time. One class of the expo was similar to SuLing's poster session!
It's so important to keep studying and getting new ideas of teaching English.
I really think so.

P.S. I also tried Shadowing. I'd like to do it more next term.
See you!
From yogurt

More considerate toward Pair activities

I had thought when students are to be in pairs, teacher should be more considerate to how to pair. I was sure that pairing a student with the person next to is the best thing for students because most college students take seats with their friends. As a result, we had a lot of male-male pairs and female-female pairs.
But this time I tried to mix gender, I mean, literally Pairing, or male-female. Then I was so surprised that ‘Maximizing interaction’ took place. It seemed that all college students have been waiting for the chance to talk to people of the opposite sex. A male student who is shy and always speaks with little intonation began to speak loud and clear when a female student asked him to speak louder.
Hey! How many times did I tell him “Speak louder”? How many times did I say about the importance of intonation in English?
Anyway, I found out he is not shy. I’m so glad.

Shunichi

I tried 'Shadowing'

Last week I used shadowing in my classes which are preparation for TOEIC test.
First we ( all students and I) worked on grammar questions together and made sure of answer keys.
Secondly students were in pairs and picked up ten sentences. So one read out 5 sentences and the another did Shadowing. and then switched the role. All students have never done Shadowing before, but they liked Shadwoing so much and were really into it. I'm glad.

Shunichi

Schools

Hi, my friends. Everybody is fine?
Tomorrow my school will start the second semester (because of the system of second semesters).

I want to try something new teaching methods next semester. And Bobby's idea is great!
I'd like to arrange it for my high school students. I should have bought Tim Murphy's books and DVDs at UH.
If possible I want to try to speak English in my classes though my students don't like it. (even in ALT's classes, they are silent. They are typical Japanese students.)

And then I have a question. I want to know American graduate schools. I'm just interested in them. Maybe they are quite different from Japanese graduate schools. Right?
Anytime and anything is OK, so please let me know!

See you,
From yogurt

Action Log format

Hello friends,

I copied the following format in the Tim Murphey's book that I mentioned in my previous comment. (Sorry,you'll find the numbers that are squashed in this format.There are more spaces between them in the original.The figures were just under the words "Interesting", "Useful", and "Difficult". You know, this is an evaluation of the class by a student.)I hope you can modify it so that it becomes suitable for your classes. (I already changed some parts.)

Cheers,

Bobby


Get a B5 notebook. At the beginning of every class write at the top of the
page the date, your English target to speak (e.g. 80%) and who your partner is.
At the end of he class, write how much English you used (e.g.90%). After every
class, as soon as possible (so you remember well what happened), write a short
evaluation of the class: (1) List briefly the activities and evaluate them, and
(2)write a short comment about what impressed you in that class. Comment on
things you liked and could learn from or things you didn't like. Your feedback is
needed so that I can teach you better. I read your Action Logs and appreciate
your suggestions and will try to use them if possible. You can also take notes in
your logs!

Evaluate the activities in three categories, Interesting, Useful, and Difficult,
marking the extent of each using the following simple scale:

0=not al all; 1=not much; 2=OK; 3=good; 4=very good; 5=great!

An Example of an entry:
_____________________________________________________________________________
Spetember 14 (written Sept 14, 21:00)
English Target 75% English Used 80% Wow!

Today's partner: Yuki

(1) DID Interesting Useful Difficult
1. listened to a story 4 43
2. read a passage 0 1 5
3. discussion 3 3 4
4. teacher lecture34 2
5. had a quiz 2 2 2

(2) Comment:
I didn't understand some of the points in the reading: What is chunking?
Sometimes Mr. Murphy spoke too fast. Please speak slower. My partner today
was Yuki and it was fun to get to know her. We got a lot of homework, but it
looks like fun. I'm looking forward to the next classes. I'll prepare more for the
quizzes.
_____________________________________________________________________________

If you have anything else that you think the teacher should know (which
influenced your learning) please write about it. Please remember two things: (a)
Always put the date above the entry and the time when you wrote it in
parentheses. (b) Always use people's names when you refer to partners. Please
submit the Action Logs online at the end of every other week.

INPUT first for your English Skill

If I remember correctly, in Terri's class, we've learned that "Extensive reading is for the solution of students whose language environment is non-English speaking."Lots of reading is helpful. Recently, I like reading Sidney Sheldon which is easy to read but lots of slang. I mean, these kinds of book are full of authentic dialogues.
For instance, "If she can't cut it, she's out." from Sidney Sheldon's NOTHING LASTS FOREVER. 'cut it' means 'make it''do well'.
Isn't this authentic?
The more INPUT, the more OUTPUT.

Shunichi

Autonomy and Responsibitily

Thank you for your information, Bobby. I think that recent principles and methodology of TESOL focuses more on student autonomy. If I remember correctly, it was about 20 years ago when “New Innovated Method” like Suggestpedia or Silent Way were praised. Their principles are based on learners-centered and getting rid of learners’ stress as well. It seemed that these methods were the best and ‘like no others’. Although I’ve never tried these methods, I agreed to the point of getting rid of learners’ stress and I introduced the principle into my class.
So where has the stress gone?
It was ‘I’ who undertook all the stress and responsibility for the class. I believed this was the best way and my ideal was that students just only sit and were relaxed in class but finally I became suffering from ‘burnout’.

Thank God! EFL teachers seminar at UH this summer is my turning point. I’m going to transfer autonomy and responsibility onto students in class from now on. Student is not only a customer but also a producer of the class.

Shunichi

Action Log and Autonomous Learning

Hello friends! Thanks for keeping in touch. I’m sure all of you will be successful in the acquisition of English because you are all enthusiastic in learning. Don’t worry, even if you feel something is missing. You are on the right track. Just keep going.

I’ve been reading _Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classroom_ and watching Tim Murphy’s DVDs for the past few weeks, thinking about how to plan and carry out action log.

It took a bit while before I realize that keeping action log is a part of autonomous learning. Autonomous learning simply means that a learner has “freedom and ability to manage one’s own affairs, which entails the right to make decisions as well.” (Scharie & Szabo,p.4) So, the action log is supposed to be an activity that promotes learner’s autonomy. That’s the reason we’ll have to implement it repeatedly in our classes. Otherwise, students do not take responsibility for their own learning. I’ll tell you my negative experience.

I used a sheet of paper called “furikaeri shi-to” ( reflection log )in my classes last year. I just happened to find a format in an ELT journal and used it once without thinking about the meaning of reflection log and stopped using it. Thus, I lost the chance of developing responsibility in the attitude of my students last year.

The following is my plan of using action log in this semester: In the first class, I will probably use five to ten minutes to explain how to keep action log in a loose leaf. I’ll give them a feasible sample and have them write their own log within the class hour. From the next session, they’ll be asked to do it by themselves at home. I’ll check them once in a couple of weeks.

The books I’ve been reading are as follows: Dornyei & Murphey _Group Dynamics in the Language Classroom_ (Cambridge), Scharie & Szabo _Learner’s Autonomy_ (Cambridge), and Richards & Lockhart _Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classroom_ (Cambridge).

Cheers,

Bobby

Term Exams Will Start.

Hello, everyone. How have you been? I still miss Hawaii and of course you all!
Now so busy days have started. And my school will have term exams next week. So, last week we're busy teaching textbooks for the exams.
And so I have not started something new teaching method yet. Anyway I want to try something after the exams.

Recently there is another trouble which makes me busy. That is a student. After summer vacation, the student is very disobedient and breaking some school rules. That's very difficult age...

I'm sorry the second one is not related to EFL teaching. That's my complaint. Please don't care.
If you start something new in your classes, tell us in this blog.
See you.

From Yorgurt

You also Producer

Bobby gave us a chance to blog in EFL teachers' room. Let's make the best of this, guys.
Do you remember? In student-centered class, students are not only customers but producers for the class.
You are one of the producers of EFL teachers' room. Let's post your blog and comments.
Am I right, Bobby?

Shunichi

Burnout. Be careful.

As I mentioned in the blog “personal determination” posted by Bobby, I found the article “Burnout a reality for many in clergy” in Honolulu Advertiser (2006.08.20).
its first paragraph are as follows:

“Wayne Cordeiro, pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship, hit the wall about two years ago. He went to see a psychiatrist, who told him he was on the road to emotional and mental breakdown.”

“Hit the wall” means “come up to the limitations or almost beyond one’s ability and exhausted” Although this article about a pastor, it ought to be a warning to us. There is a limit to everything.

What do you think about ‘Burnout’and teachers? How can we overcome?

Shunichi

We need 'Plan B'

On the day of my peer teaching, in fact my printer was out of order, so I couldn't make handouts. I should have made them beforehand. but Alice told me I should not say about it during my peer teaching class because explaining my bad situation won't result in success in my class.
So I went onto 'Plan B.' I had the transcript of TOEIC listening put down on the blackboard by students. But next we were running out of time, then another Plan B that I picked up just only 2 questions out of five for jazz chants.

I believe that the teacher should have Plan B for your class just in case. What if all your stuff have been stolen just before your class?

Although I think my peer teaching was not success, i got a precious experience. anyway, thank you for your cooperation.

Shunichi

what's up, dude?

Hi, guys. i'm Shunichi. Thanks a lot.
i'm afraid that it is difficult for us to keep 'English language environment' around us in Japan.
anyway, thanks again. keep in touch.

Shunichi

New Challenge

Hello friends! (I feel great when you call me a friend instead of just a classmate or a student, don't you think so?) This is the first blog message of our new challege in the action log project. As you already konw, I am planning to use the action log in my classes from the next semester. Although I will stay focused on the action log as our main subject, I will welcome your questions or comments on other ESL/ESL matters. So let's get started!

Personal Determination

I have trouble with my elder daughter now. As she became adolescent, she started hating me. I browsed through homepages and found that many fathers are disliked by their daughters, too. One of the reasons is that they are insensitive to their daughters’ feelings. In short, we have to change ourselves from a natural father to a man of better personality. I guess I should be more interested in literature and philosophy rather than worldly profits, sexual things, and so on. (Even though I always have paid attention to humanistic ideas, I should do so more intensely and use this personal crisis as a chance to refine my own self.) Fathers, if you want to have a better relationship with your daughters, you should make efforts to be respected, too.

What I am Doing Right Now

Feb. 23
I have started revising my teaching plans since last week because all my classes are over now. How do I revise? Well, I cut and add activities; write more small tests and hand-outs; change the sequence of teaching, etc. We have six more weeks before the new semester starts. There's plenty of time to revise now.

Happy Christmas Holidays

Jan. 3 Read Action Research whole day.

Jan. 2 Watched MTV whole day, dozing out occasionally.

Dec.31 Started reading a book called Action Research for Language Teachers.

Dec.30 Shoveled off the snow from the road in front of my house. Cooked rice cakes on the charcoal fire.

Dec.29 Gardeners came and put some nets by the trees in my back yard. While they were working, I enjoyed making a fire.

Dec.28 Went to an electronics shop with my daughters. My kids bought some game software.

Dec. 27 Visited Mijiro Seikokai Church in the morning. We flew back to Akita in the afternoon.

Dec. 26 Flew to Tokyo with my family. Stayed at Hilltop Hotel in Ochanomizu and went to Sansendo, Gaia, and Yodobashi Camera.

Dec. 25 Went to church for the celebration of Christmas. After the service, we went to Tsuchizaki Jusco and bought some fancy cakes.