The Shota World

Jazz Chants

2007-06-13T14:01:00.000+09:00

I found an effective way to improve children's skills of English.

That is a Jazz Chants. They are the rhythmic expression of Standard American English as it occurs in situational contexts. Jazz Chants include in the book,"Jazz Chants", and record on the accompanying tape are designed as a language acquisition tool to develop the children's appreciation of the rhythm and intonation patterns of Spoken American English. Their purpose is the improvement of speaking and listening comprehension skills, and the natural rhythms and humor of the chants are highly motivating and may be used effectively for both classroom practice and individual home study.

I knew that Jazz Chants are used by Japanes teachers and ALT in Japanese elementary schools.
I want to investigate them more.

The importance of music and song in language learning

2007-05-09T13:08:00.000+09:00

Last week, I read a book "MUSIC and SONG",Tim Murphey,1992.
The book said the importance of music and song in language learning.
1. It's easier to sing language than to speak it. (Although modern technology has universalized access to song, it could be that song actually preceded and aided the development of speech in homo sapiens(Livingstone 1973).)
2. Song appears to precede and aid the development of language in young children. ( A growing body of research indicates that the musical babbling produced by infants, and returned by parents, is extremely important in the development of language in young children.)
3. In our time, it is hard to escape music and song as it occupies ever more of the world around us.
4. 'The song stuck in my head' phenomenon seems to reinforce the idea that songs work on our short-and long-term memory. (the echoing in our minds of the last song we heard after living our car, a restaurant, etc, and which can be both enjoyable and sometimes unnerving)
5. The singing of songs resembles what Piaget describe as egocentric language , in which children talk, with little concern for an addressee. They simply enjoy hearing themselves repeat.

From the book, I thought that the activity of music and song have something to do with the rhythm and chants. I guess There are some common points of their effects.
1. Chants are more effective for young children.
2. Chants make it easier to remember English words and phrases in their mind in the long term.
3. Chants' activities increase their interest in English greatly.

My new research question

2007-05-08T19:43:00.000+09:00

To what extent does the activity of English rhythm and chants help children's learning of words and phrases?

I think by using rhythm and chants, children get accustomed to how to say English words, phrases, and pronunciation. I want to research this question considering relationship between Engish rhythm and Japanese rhythm.

My Research Question

2007-04-23T18:19:00.001+09:00

I have three research question in English education in elementary school.

1 how easy to memorize some English phrases and words using
rhythm and chants? (I want to make a questionnaire about rhythm and chants to some elementary school teachers.)
2 To what extent can children learn "communication skills" using Role-play in
English activity? (English activity in Japanese elementary school tend to make much of "Communication skills". I think it's the best way that Children learn the skills.)
3 Should English activity in elementary school be
introduced "Writing"? (Now, It seems that Japanese elementary schools don't practice some writing activities. I'm not good at writing English sentences, so I think writing activities should be practiced earlier than Junior high school. I want to know "Are there any elementary schools doing some writing activities?".)

I have not be able to decide one research question from among them yet. I want to select from 3 to 1 by reading a lot of books, and studying other materials.

Subject or not?

2007-04-23T17:35:00.001+09:00

I read a book last week, the book's title is 「日本の小学校英語を考える」. This book is considered English education in Japanese elementary school from the points of other Asian country and area(Koria and Taiwan) . I was suprised because in Koria and Taiwan, differ from Japan, English education has been introduced as a subject in elementary school. I want to deliberate whether English education in Japanese elementary school should be change English activities in "SOUGOUTEKINA GAKUSYUNOJIKAN" into one subject fomally, as well as the two country and area.

My Goals in this year

2007-04-11T13:46:00.000+09:00

Now, I have three goals in this year.
1. Pass the teacher's examination
2. Complete my research in English education .
3. make many memories

My Interest of English Education

2007-01-31T17:42:00.000+09:00

I'm interesed in English activity with music and rythm in elementary school. I want to study how easy to memorize some English phrases and words using music and rythm. But I haven't research by any ways, so I hope I'll read many interesting books from now on.

My Strengths and Weaknesses as an English Teacher.

2006-07-23T17:19:00.000+09:00

Today I would like to think about my strengths and weaknesses as an English teacher.

My strength is to like English very much. So, I want every students to like English. Now, I'm working part-time as a teacher in a cram school. There are some students who dislike English. Sometimes I think how to let them like English. I have eagerness about teaching English. I'm looking forward to teaching English at junior high school.

My weakness is that honestly speaking, I'm not good at speaking with following procedures in front of many people. But now I try to speak more methodical and better in a cram school and the university. I should have strong mentality to be able to speak quietly and deliberately in front of students even if when I am nervous.

Thinking about Group Work

2006-07-19T21:33:00.000+09:00

When I was a junior high, sometimes group work didn't go well in the class. I want to talk about this now.

Following is a failure in group work.
First, in my group, we didn't understand what contents we discussed and have motivation to do the group work, so we can't talk with each other. In this case, the teacher should check that the students understood their works. If they don't, they can be confused about group work and use more time than the teachers think. Member of the group may be important, I think. If they are very friendly, the group work may go well, but if they are not the work may not. This opinion doesn't always refer to all cases, I think. If they are friendly, they may talk about contents which are not concerned with the group work and not go well. Teachers should divide the groups carefully. But Teachers are very busy, so I guess they can't think that...

Teaching Grammar

2006-07-11T11:41:00.000+09:00

Teaching grammar in junior high school is very difficult, I think. It's logical teaching, so teachers can make students bored.

I think the most difficult part is "Indirect Interrogatives" Ex)We know how long you will stay in Philadelphia. Before they learn it, they have to learn affirmative and interrogative steadily.
In the part, it's important to order the words. Teachers should let them understand the interrogative order in the sentence.

I think teachers should compare "Interrogatives" with "Indirect Interrogatives". Following two sentences are example.

Where did you go?
I don't know where you went?

It's important for them to discover the differences between the sentences.

Giving Advice Based On Mr. M's Lecture

2006-06-26T22:41:00.000+09:00

Last week, I listened to Mr. M's lecture, he is an English teacher at junior high school in Japan. His advices are very useful for me and people who want to be a teacher, so I tell you about the information you'll need to work at a school.

Fast, in junior high school, English makes a point of "communication". You may think communication has only conversation, but it's a mistake. Writing and reading are also important for "communication".

Secoondly, before you teach , it is important to decide goals of each subjects through the three years. You should think what skills do you want students to learn in three years. If you do so, you will be able to think classes'contents easily.

My precious experience

2006-06-26T21:59:00.000+09:00

When I was a junior high school student, I went on a homestay visit to America for two weeks. Because of my first time taking a plane, I felt nervous while I was in the plane. When I got off the plane safely, I was released from fear of the plane and took a deep breath.

After that, my host family warmly welcomed me at an airport in the evening. We ate a very big pizza as supper in that day.

Next day, I went to a junior high school, and looked around many classes. For example, biology, French, German, history, home economics, and so on. I was astonished at the advanced classes.

I went to many places while staying in America. For example, the bank, the post office, a museum, an art museum, lofty towers and buildings. The most impressive place was YMCA. I and my host family played basketball, soccer, tennis, table tennis, and we talked with each other all night. I didn't feel sleepy, and had a good time with my host family.

When I said goodbye to my host family at an airport, I didn't want to return to Japan, and I cried with my host family.

This experience is precious and pleasant memories. I keenly hope I go to America and meet the host family again!

Teaching Observation

2006-06-06T00:06:00.000+09:00

On June 2, I went to a Diamond junior high school and watched a demonstration English class(2nd grade).

・ Students can write a sentences in English with grasping some points.
・ Students try to improve their own English skills by looking back on language activity.
・ Students can correctly understand other's information.

I was surprised that about a third of the students have an electronic dictionary!In my junior high, no one had it in my class.
The teacher let them use a dictionary properly, so it is very useful for them. And the teacher use the cards written the useful words and phrases. In practicing the new words and phrases,
the teacher kept a rhythm so that they could repeat after the teacher easily.

Practice Teaching Reflection

2006-05-30T18:35:00.000+09:00

First of all, we decided how we teach "This(That) is a~.","Is this(that) a~?", "Yes, it is."or"No, it's not." We thought we want to get the students understand easily, so we were planned to use a ball and　a Ganchan(a doll).

Fast, we greet everyone. "Good afternoon everyone!" "How are you?"--- "Fine.","So-so.","Bad." Next, we review "This" and "That" by using a ball and a Ganchan.
And we explain ”This is a ball(a Ganchan)." "Is this a ball(a Ganchan)?"by using a ball and a Ganchan, and we get them to repeat after us. "That is a ball(a Ganchan)." "Is that a ball(a Ganchan)?"---We play the demonstration---A teacher throws a ball(a Ganchan) to other teacher, and the teacher catches it, the teacher who throw it says,"That", "Is that a ball(Ganchan)?". the teacher who catch it says"Yes, it is."or "No, it's not."
After that, we get the students to repeat after us. And they practice with partner.
Next, we learn the new words,"park", "school", and "hospital". We get them to repeat after us, and we put the pictures of these words on the blackboard. By the words, they practice with partner, "Is that a park(school, hospital)?"and "Yes, it is."or"No, it's not.". Finally, we get them to repeat after us, the sentences of "This" and "That".

I think introduction of new material part and practice part were the most successful. We tried to teach simple so that the people who haven't study English ever could understand easily. We
could almost achieve the aim by using a ball and a Ganchan, I think.

I didn't get the students to practice "pronunciation" so much. I should have taught them how to move the mouth and lips when they said words and sentences in the lesson, because some students didn't say words perfectly. I think they felt confused and worried. For students, negative feeling like those can prevent them from good learning language.

If I taught it again, I would teach how to pronounce words. I would also take in a game using "this" and "that". By the game, students could learn the new words and sentences
with fun.

An analysis of my language learning experience

2006-04-28T22:35:00.000+09:00

My most enjoyable language learning experience has been homestay visit to America(the state of Wisconsin).
My least enjoyable language learning activity has been translating English into Japanese with textbooks and dictionary when I was high school student.
My most valuable language learning activity has been speaking only English with others.
My least valuable language learning activity has been studying at home in junior high(Before I went on the homestay). At that time, I didn't have motivation to improve my English skills, so I couldn't concentrate on my Engish homeworks.
In general my language learning experience has been almost reading and memorising. These experiences were boring, I thought. But I think they're needed by language learning.
By my language learning experiences, I think the important thing to learn languages is to have strong motivation. Teachers should find a way to lead learners to have motivation .

The Story of How I Learned English

2006-04-25T16:43:00.000+09:00

When I was a elementary school student , I was taught English by native speaker with my classmates after school every Friday. In this class, we played a lot of games and practiced pronunciation(animals, foods, stationary, number, the day of week, and so on ). I was looking forward to play(I thought I don't study) in the class at that time .

In junior high school, I could get a great opportunity! I went on a homestay visit to America!(the state of Wisconsin)
By this experience, I was interested in English very much. Then, I studied English more active, not passive in junior high.

In high school, I memorized a lot of words, grammer,and idioms. I didn't know this is the best way to study English . Then, I felt bored with studying English than elementary and junior high.

Now, I study English actively, I think. I watch the NHK English TV program almost every day and read books written in English(sometimes include Japanese), and study for the TOEIC. I
keep studying English happily now.

My introduction

2006-04-20T15:40:00.000+09:00

Hi! My name is Fantasista.
I study English education at a University.
I want to be an English teacher.
I like soccer very much. This year is World Cup year! I like Nakamura and Miyamoto of Japan team. I hope the Japan national team players do their best in World Cup .