|
Post by Otaku on Apr 6, 2008 19:07:05 GMT 8
I stole this link from another forum and it is in Japanese but here it is: www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/gaikokugo/note/index.htmI could go on and on about the dangers of non-sequitor teaching...but I won't. I could go about the horrific .pdf flashcards that are supposed to suppliment the lessons or the blatant poor job of how the website designer attached the flashcards to the site...but I won't. The plan looks like more of the basic crap dumbed down from the JHS textbooks. Who is coming out with these plans!?!? They need to be fired or find a new job.! BOO, MEXT!! BOO!!
|
|
|
Post by gumby on Apr 6, 2008 21:47:43 GMT 8
It looks like a very basic English intro with a heavy emphasis on culture. From an elementary teacher's viewpoint, it does look teachable. However, it doesn't look like it will improve English education much. There seems to be 4 lessons each of the capital and small letters. I thought at first glance it was phonics, but looking at it again, it's probably not. A lot more of memorizing chunks than acquiring the language. I am doing all that I can now to push techniques that I feel really do help students learn. I have a lot of people interested but so far only that. They agree with me but somehow what they think will work and what they think will "have to be done" in the classroom is very different URRRGGHHH! At least now the books aren't mandatory.
|
|
|
Post by Otaku on Apr 6, 2008 23:33:39 GMT 8
I will say that the people that want to try and push against this stupid plan have 3 years to put step up to the plate and make some noise. Let's just hope besides the ALTs who truely care, the ALTs who are only in Japan for the green tea and onsens start making some noise, too. BTW, Richard from GenkiEnglish graciously translated the article: genkienglish.net/eigonote.htm
|
|
|
Post by junkdna on Apr 7, 2008 8:34:10 GMT 8
Why is there a girl holding a loaf of French bread? Is that supposed to imply she's French? Do French people walk around with loaves of French bread? I personally wouldn't know as I have never met anyone French (honest). And if we are all to be represented by food, why aren't the Japanese characters holding pieces of sushi?
|
|
|
Post by gumby on Apr 8, 2008 10:56:43 GMT 8
Has anyone started to make their own curriculum? With all the current second langauge acquisition theories stressing input over output, how do you devise a curriculum for teachers self-conscious of their pronunciation? How can you also devise a curriculum that will still leave the ALT freedom to be more than a tape recorders?
I am thinking of setting up a very general curriculum, detailed lesson plans for them to use or not, warm-up/review/main activities divided by level of input/output, internet resources (this one included of course). I also am hoping to ask for time just for me to use when I visit the class. I will use it to teach phonics and also to review what they learned with their homeroom teacher through various intensive input activities.
I like the cultural aspect of the MEXT curriculum. It gives the homeroom teachers something they can comfortably teach and it's a great way to deal with multi-cultural / world issues at a time when students are most likely to absorb them. Although it has to be done in a better way then emphasize stereotypes (ie French bread, and Americans with blonde hair and blue eyes. I did a quick search on this, and they are definitely the MINORITY in the US)
I'll try to set up a different thread on culture....
|
|
|
Post by Otaku on Apr 8, 2008 11:11:14 GMT 8
I was recently asked if I was ever planning to make an ES curriculum. I told the person, "I don't know." The reason being is a solid curriculum based upon everything building from the previous lesson takes a lot of time to create. I don't want to spend all that time building it and then MEXT's iron fist smashes down and destroys everything I created. From my experience, MEXT's 'suggestions' are interpreted by the public school sector as a decree, which is usually strictly followed without waiver.
As far as you, Gumby, creating a curriculum, go for it! To this day, I have yet seen a curriculum I thought was great...that goes for GenkiEnglish's, also. However, I'm not going to smack talk other curriculums too much, seeing that I haven't created one. If you do decide to make a curriculum, feel free to bounce questions off this forum.
As for creating a curriculum based on self-consciencous teachers, I think that is impossible. I think what you need to do first is change the attitude or mindset of the teachers. I don't care what kinda curriculum you create, I don't think it's not going to change the attitude of the teachers.
Self-consciencous teachers SHOULDN'T be teaching. Students are only as good as their teachers.
|
|
|
Post by Otaku on Apr 8, 2008 11:13:22 GMT 8
Do French people walk around with loaves of French bread? I think French people should walk around kissing... ;D
|
|
|
Post by gumby on Apr 8, 2008 12:13:51 GMT 8
I don't want to spend all that time building it and then MEXT's iron fist smashes down and destroys everything I created. . This is what is so frustrating! I have spent countless hours researching, reading, asking questions and a lot of my own money to buy materials. Now I get comments like, we have relied on you too much so now it's time to shift the responsibility to the homeroom teachers. >:(I may not have a license to teach in Japanese public schools, but I was very insulted. I am not your average JET ALT. By that I mean that I do have a good command of Japanese, have considerable teaching experience, live in this community to the point where I know most of the student's names and know tons more on language acquistion than the majority of the teachers. I am completely comfortable teaching on my own with my own materials. Sometimes I think it is easier to just let it go and have an easy job. But then I think of my students of what they truly are capable of and I can't. I can't teach all day in a manner that I feel deep down is not working. I just don't know how to fight it. I can give teachers example of language acquisition and get a lot of comments on how they agree on the effectivness, but when it comes to applying them in their classroom, it is back to 'repeat after me'. I am really at a loss for what I should and could do. I know deep down I should try to continue to reach the teachers who are listening, but it is so frustrating when I work with the one or two who are trying to undo everything I have done. Forgive the ranting.....
|
|
|
Post by jed on Apr 8, 2008 14:01:47 GMT 8
Yes, I know what you mean!
|
|
|
Post by Otaku on Apr 8, 2008 21:37:45 GMT 8
Gumby, Welcome to Englipedia! I have personally gone through your living hell. I knew I came to the table ready to play ball and to teach but blatantly dismissed like the house pet. I didn't want to spend my time caring about kids English futures and keep getting slapped in the face, so I put my efforts into more positive things, hence the creation of Englipedia. You can keep pounding your head on the brick wall OR you can build a bridge over the wall and keep moving forward. Translate that sentence how you will...
|
|
|
Post by gumby on Apr 8, 2008 22:16:32 GMT 8
YEAH! I still have a few punches left. I just found a TPR research paper in a Japanese public junior high. At last, proof in Japanese that there are more effective ways than "repeat after me!" Compared with a control group of the same year, students outperformed on listening exams and scored the same for reading, in spite of having fewer instruction hours in reading. First year TPR students had better æ–‡å—ç†è§£ (word recognition?) than traditional THIRD year students. TPR students had better attitudes toward English, thought TPR was fun and easy to understand and wanted to continue with the same approach. Absolutely nothing new to me, but to have it in Japanese and tested in a Japanese public school is pure gold! here is the link. You probably have to change the encoding to read the Japanese. Even if you can't read it, it's worth it to pass it on to other teachers. www.eonet.ne.jp/~nkawai/reikai04/kawabuchi.htmlPS. Otaku, THANK YOU. I can't tell you how this dialog is helping me keep my sanity.
|
|
|
Post by gumby on Apr 8, 2008 22:33:05 GMT 8
oops •¶Žš—‰ð was explained in the text. It involved arranging English words in the correct order and matching written English to a picture. The results show that TPR were able to transfer what they learned in TPR to outperform 3rd year students.
|
|
|
Post by gumby on Apr 22, 2008 19:41:43 GMT 8
I am making a curriculum and hope for the best. In it, I am including a variety of cross-cultural activities that can be done in Japanese or English. My all-time favorite activities are based on the books If the world were a village of 100 people (or something like that) and the Earth's Family (from the book Chikyu Kazoku) There is a book based on the village book that helps simulate the different aspects in the book. Students are given cards with different information (gender, language spoken, overall health, language spoken etc) and they are grouped together to demonstrate the make-up of the world. It seems like 50 is the ideal number of students. Since obviously classes are less than 50 (some aren't even over 10) I am thinking about making paper dolls the students can manipulate.
My question is do I try to demonstrate the make-up of the doll using various shades of brown, yellow etc or do you think it will suffice to use other colors? Using only white is the easiest and cost efficient but I don't know if I want to go that route either. I could use pink and blue to indicate gender.... What kind of colors do you all suggest....
|
|
|
Post by Otaku on Apr 23, 2008 7:59:35 GMT 8
Gumby, I evidently missed your last couple posts in this thread. Some interesting things you found. TPR is the only way to go for young children, in my humble opinion. When I taught Japanese preschool children, unbeknownst to me at the time, I stumbled upon TPR unintentionally. Only looking back on how I taught, did I realize what I was doing. Another benefit of engaging students using the TPR approach that I didn't find in the article you posted was that the students had a longer attention span. Students that would get bored or distracted after 5 minutes of a simple activity, I found I could teach them one hour straight using this approach. Good luck on your curriculum building and let me know if you have questions. I'm not the end-all expert on curriculum building but I might be able to help point you in the right direction if you should get stuck. For anybody who is interested in reading the article that Gumby posted but can't read Japanese, throw the link into this translator: tool.nifty.com/globalgate/ It's not a perfect translation, but it's not bad. As for the paper-doll color question you have, I know you are worried about the student assigning stereotypical colors of the dolls to peoples actual skin color, right? In my opinion, to keep everything neutral, I would assign colors nowhere close to a nationality's real skin color. While the kids might think this is strange or funny at first, it might help keep them from forming subconscious stereotypes about skin color. Also, if you need paper-doll creating assistance, there is a game on the site that has a set of directions to make paper-dolls: Make-Believe Paper Doll Chain. Good luck on your curriculum and let us know when you have completed it!
|
|
|
Post by mangakk on Apr 16, 2009 15:49:24 GMT 8
The eigo note sucks, but my tanto demands that I follow it step by step. all the activity. It sucks
|
|