ALT Skill Development Conference
Monday, January 23 rd
Martin Sedaghat

• TOEFL score data for 2004-2005 put Japan next to last in Asia, just one point above North
Korea. Is English being introduced too late?
• Since 2002, about 97% of Japanese ES have introduced some form of English lessons, but with widely varying frequencies.
• Compulsory English classes officially began in
April 2011, with all 5 th and 6 th graders having one lesson per week (35 periods in one year).

• The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) strongly backs ES English education, citing a lack of employees who can use English.
• 70% of parents and guardians support compulsory
English education.
• Some academics oppose English in ES, saying that many teachers are untrained in planning and presenting lessons, and that Japanese children should spend more time studying their mother tongue.

• Preparation for JHS English
• Alphabet and phonics
• Classroom English (open your books, take out a pencil, work together...)
• “Thinking in English” (dog, train, baseball...)
• Confidence

• Pronunciation (not katakana)
• 100% English vs. 100% translation
• No English outside of the classroom
• Shy, embarassed, or low-level students
• Motivation (why should we study
English?)

• Flashcards (organize by theme)
• Big books
• Posters
• Maps
• Realia (authentic objects)
• Puppets (for youngest classes)
• Movies (holiday themes, music videos)

1 st and 2 nd year:
Greetings, introductions, and themed vocabulary
(animals, food, body parts...)
3 rd and 4 th year:
Build on 1 st and 2 nd year English, focus on speaking and listening
5 th and 6 th year:
Speaking, listening, reading, and writing
Communication and simple grammar structures
Students use English to talk about themselves and their world

• Circle Time
• Review
• New language/vocabulary
• Short activity
• Check understanding
• Main activity

• Physically sets English apart from normal, daily classes
• Chairs and desks can be set up for different games/activities
• Space for theme/culture displays
• Use as discipline (if students misbehave, return to homeroom)

Alphabet
Numbers
Feelings
Days and months
Colors and shapes
Animals
Directions
Phonics (easy words)
Body parts
Clothes
Food and drink
Adjectives
Countries
Jobs
Classroom items
Polite English

• Begin every class with the same rhythm and repetition, adding to the
“circle” throughout the year.
• Greeting, weather, day, month, how are you?, alphabet, numbers, chants, song, book...
• Useful as warm-up and English “switch on”, as well as review
• 5-10 minutes

• Background music to set atmosphere
• Match music to class attitude
• Music to signal transitions/activities
• Music to introduce (and review) language points
• TPR music (connect listening, singing, and movement)
• Repeat multiple times

• Students have a chance to use English to describe themselves and their world
• Help building confidence before entering Junior High School
• Students practice vital non-verbal parts of communication (eye contact, posture, body language/gestures)
• Connect to JHS and HS speech contests

• Part of Circle Time?
• Start with individual letter sounds (A is for apple), then vowel sounds (hat, hit, hot), and move into 3 and 4 letter words
• Gradually merge into easy sight reading
• Spelling Bee!

• Discipline (not ALT’s job)
• Join students (learn games and activities)
• Help slow learners
• Communication with ALT (easy conversation, information about school events)
• Students should see their HRTs using
English

• English instructions and praise
• Name cards
• Pair vs. group work
• Competitive games
Students vs. themselves (bingo)
Students vs. each other (quiz game)

• Use different kinds of lessons and activities to appeal to different kinds of learning
Arts (drawing and crafts)
Music (singing and dancing)
Drama (skits)
Sports
Puzzles and memorization

• Use your own interests, hobbies, background, and experiences in your teaching
• If a lesson is interesting for you, it will be interesting for your students

martin.sedaghat@gmail.com