Genki English Newsletter

May 2001Part Two!

Hello! Well, only two weeks since the last newsletter and already the homepage is full of updates! Next week we have a big seminar in Osaka (May 20th, ACT III Hall Osaka, tel 03-3717-3359), and one on June 11th in Shikoku - please come along!! So just after our workshop in Tokyo at the NTT Seminar House, here's your guide to what's new on Genki English!

Curriculum Update!

Having problems thinking of what to teach? Or trying to make a year plan for your schools?

Well, on the site there is now the 2001 updated version of Joel Bacha's curriculum that will be used in Asakura Mura's Elementary Schools. Have a look and see just what is possible with only 2 lessons a month if you use Genki English!!! I went to Joel's schools last year and the kids were awesome!!

I've also redone my Genki English Curriculum, corrected the links and brought all the relevant pages into one easy to use menu. The language taught is all based on real elementary school lessons taught over the last four years - yes Japanese kids can get this good!!

http://genkienglish.net/yearplans.htm

Joel has also been mega busy updating his Joel's Ideas page - have a look to get some cool ideas! And he'll also be presenting the Elementary School Workshop at the ALT Renewers Conference in Kobe this year - pop along and see some Genki English in action!!!

http://genkienglish.net/joels.htm

NO Katakana!!

Apologies to the readers who are not in Japan, but this new section is designed to show people that using the Japanese katakana script to teach English is wrong!!! Don't use it! In the new Ministry of Education handbook it also tells teachers not to use it!!! Using this little animation you can show the kids a useful little hint for correcting their katakana pronunciation - even the teachers will go "ahhhhh!"

http://genkienglish.net/katakana.htm

Fruit Mini Lesson

I was asked the other day to produce an anime so that the kids could learn the names of the fruits before singing the Fruit Market song. So here it is! Play it to your kids and get them to shout at the screen when they see the pictures - it's great practice!

http://genkienglish.net/fruitmarket.htm

Next week I've got a demo lesson and the given topic is "Animals". Now I haven't recorded the Genki English animals song yet, so I was a bit stuck as I really wanted to use a song. So Will suggested using the karaoke version of the Fruits Market song! The idea is that instead of saying "What' this?" and holding up a fruit card, you use the karaoke version (from the CD), sing "What's this?" and then hold up any card for the kids to sing e.g. "What's this?", "It's a monkey!". Great!! Have a try at using the song for any piece of vocab! If you have a vary speed CD player, start of slow and then gradually build up the speed!!!

How's the weather?

I had a demonstration lesson this week that involved the weather. The kids did really well! But one question that I had was "Why do you say 'What's the weather like?' instead of 'How's the weather?". For example in the NHK series Eigorian they say "How is the weather?".

Well, in the UK, Australia and certain parts of the US people naturally say "What's the weather like?", however in some parts of the US people say "How's the weather?". I went for the former as it sounds more natural to more people. If you think "How's the weather?" is better, simply teach that phrase. It's good for the kids to know that different people have different English. This is great because it shows them that there is no "correct" English, they should just try their best and not matter if it's not "perfect"!

Teaching Culture with "How are you?"

ALC Press have just published two more of my articles on their website. The best one has to be the description of my "How are you?" lesson, where I use the various answers to the question to teach cultural points. Have a look and see

http://www.alc.co.jp/peekaboo/kidscom/text/text_vol5.html

And of course, the "How are you?" song is on Genki English as a free MP3 download:

http://genkienglish.net/howRU.htm

The other article is about the various ways of team teaching between Assistant Language Teachers and Homeroom (or Class) Teachers. Have a look at:

http://www.alc.co.jp/peekaboo/kidscom/text/text_vol6.html

And finally....

Right, I think that's it for now! Thanks to everyone for all their great comments about Genki English this month - they are much appreciated (especially in front of TV documentary makers!!)!! If you're in Ehime, we're planning on doing shows throughout the month of June - get in touch (tel 090 - 1328 - 6924) if you think your school could withstand the "Genki English Typhoon" (as one Head Teacher called us last year!!)

See you later,

Be genki,

Richard!

======================
Richard J. Graham B.Sc. AMInstP
Primary School English Games, Songs and Activities
Email: richard@genkienglish.net
Tel: 090-1328-6924
http://www.genkienglish.com

Previous Newsletters:

May 2001 Newsletter Part One

April 2001 Newsletter

March 2001 Newsletter

February 2001 Newsletter

January 2001 Newsletter

December 2000 Newsletter!

November 2000 Newsletter

September/October 2000 Newsletter

August/September 2000 Newsletter

July/August 2000 Newsletter

June/July 2000 Newsletter