Japanese elementary school teachers are always saying they are busy. They have lots of stuff to do and far too much paperwork. So it always comes as a shock when I hear teachers saying they have to make to make their own English curriculum. “Wow, you must have so much time free! How long does…

Today we have a couple of new pics for the Do you like animals? theme. They’re testing very well, so I’ll probably officially put them in the theme by next week. But what do you think, do you prefer the old or new ones?

If you’re still having problems with teachers thinking that “Do you like dog?” is a correct sentence, then I think I have ( finally!) found the cure. Just like with foods, instead of teaching the singular first, teach everything in the “Do you like…?” form right from the start i.e. for animals that means starting…

Ah, this is what I like to do, sit back, relax and let everyone else do the work! Just as a teacher should get out of there and let the kids be the centre of attention, today it was the turn of the teachers of the school to practice teaching using Genki English. Compared with…

I don’t know what it is about the schools in Nagasaki prefecture, they not only have some of the best kids in the country but the teachers are always super motivated. Well actually, if you think about what day it is today, the anniversary of the dropping of the world’s 2nd nuclear bomb on Nagasaki…

When I first arrived here, late last night, the train pulled away from the station and it was pitch black. All I could see were stars. This is crazy, crazy inaka, total countryside. I couldn’t see where my hotel was, and couldn’t ask for a taxi as there weren’t any. In fact there was no…