There was some great feedback to yesterday’s post again ( do you say “twosday” or “chewsday”? And why is it OK to rote learn some subjects, but not others? )
So I thought it would be a good idea to let you have a look at the new school subjects cards!
What do you like? ย What needs changing? ย Any ideas / requests? Write them up in the comments!
P.S. ย I’ve also got a 3 day workshop coming up this week in tropical Okinawa. ย If you have any themes or games you’d like to see videodย then write them up in the comments!
P.P.S. ย If you’re in Japan we’ve also got a special offer this week on the Japan USB Superpacks (it’s the download pack but on a USB stick with worksheet books, card game & 2 extra DVDs in Japanese.) ย The offer is you get a fully printed & laminated copy of the Valentine’s picture book if you order before Feb 14th. ย If you’re interested (and would like your school to pay!) ย the Fax Order Form is here!
Great cards. How about a card for Kokugo… Japanese language? And good glory, does anyone have an idea for doutoku? Ethics…
(Are you going to give a choice for English with an American flag and/or Australian?)
For the localised languages there are picture cards for Japanese, Chinese, French, German, Arabic, Korean, Russian & Spanish on the Can you speak…? page.
Yeah, choices for the English flags are tricky. Maybe it’s better to use the “English” flag from the Can you speak theme too?
Doudoku I decided to leave out!
Great flash cards …clear and fun…the kids will love them!
Nena
Super cards.Just to be extra picky though could baby Monkey have maybe a tennis racket,cricket stick,or even a vaulting horse! in the background for P.E? I know that with sports it is never ending but my image of baby Monkey is that he is a sporty little fellow!
Can wait for the new CD.
I like them all, but since genkienglish is all about different. why not putting the abacus on the board instead of a normal equation.. it sounds better writing it than even thinking about it ๐
The cards are great!
As there are only 7 instead of the common 8 cards I noticed that in Germany we had history and geography and not social studies (at least until high school), so that could be split up, but then you would need chemistry, physics and biology as well instead of science I guess.
For Japan it’s perfect any way!
I’ve been running through the curriculum thinking of games to request for your workshop. The one topic I should use much more, but don’t for some reason is “bigger, please”
I know it’s really easy to teach, but I don’t get the kick.
So A video of the linked “How much+ bigger, please” as a bargain game, would be my request.
Another thing I’m working on is to make the kids ask questions. There are lots of warm ups where the teacher asks randomly and the kids answer, but the kids are not good if it’s the other way round.
So recently I’ve started playing the lines quiz “the other way round”
If you have any ideas or tricks for this , I would be grateful.
Thanks and have fun in sunny Okinawa. Envy you!
comment and a question. I like the UK flag for English! The American flag is ubiquitous in Japan. This is a good chance to quiz the kids on which country English originated from as most of mine think it’s the US.
What’s the thinking behind the social studies symbols?
Love the cards! However I miss the static electricity hair of the original science card. It was something that would bring out laughs and definitely be memorable. How about putting on a lab coat and having flasks in the background but keeping the static hair? I am OK with the UK flag. I think the one that comes with the Can you speak English flag, may be a bit confusing. Or maybe you can offer two choices.
@Jaynie: Vaulting horse etc. sounds interesting! I though the background look a little sparse!
@Margit: Ryokai on the requests. Subjects wise I just wanted to keep to J ones for the moment!
@Gumby: Ah, didn’t notice the hair had disappeared (hair’s not something I tend to think about! ๐ )
@Kobekid: The social studies one was the one I was most unsure about and the main reason I asked! Originally it was just a globe but looked pretty boring compared with the others. I had the samurai outfit which I thought worked well for Japan as “history” or for other countries as studies about other countries. I was waiting for the backlash from China & Korea though …… I’m up for new ideas for social studies though!
Here are a few themes that I still have a hard time picturing:
What do you think of…?
It’s good. It’s not bad.
What’s your favorite…?
Excuse me, Are you…?
and to some extent
Where are you from?
That sound be quite easy! ๐
What do you think of? already has a video I did last year, is it not still not clear from that one?
> What do you think of the school subject cards?
I think it’s cool. but, the social studies doesn’t look-like a social studies-subject to my eyes. The monkey is clear monkey though.
> Do you say twosday or Chewsday?
I say Chewsday, by the way, Are you tring to test my mouth articulators? I hope not.
> Why its OK to rote some subjects but not others?
Well a question worth pondering. you’ve raised a good question to think of. Good for me.
The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the materials. A highly recommended approach to shrinking violet. let’s take e.g Engliash- subject one of the systems to communicate your ideas and feelings. The more you repeat the same stuffs Vocabulary e.g. doing it again and again the more chances the low-shy-level students can remember and execute things and gained her confidence to pull out her mouth infront of her peers and other people.
The rote learnig process works well for me. However it might be the most boring, mindless and out of date style to Henry know-it all students.
Recently I got a 3 year-old student and when I ask him to repeat again the same word. He always react” I already said that twice. Did you hear me? OK. Try again please he answered NO..To some dazzling students ” One word is enough. I have still many things to say but I’m starving now. I have to go.
Richard, goodluck for your workshop.
I must have missed the video. Thanks for the reminder about the book, Richard! I had totally forgotten about Margit’s wonderful project with her students.
It’s now on my ‘to teach’ list!
You can tie in so many themes. (How are you?, Look at him, adjectives, pronoun song.) Fantastic!
Great cards, though I agree with Margit it would be nice to have Geography and History separated as this is the way they’re taught in Italian schools as well.
As for rote learning, I don’t generally believe in it but for example for week days I think it works! Just like Margit I never spend an entire lesson on it, it’s more of a “filler” to do with a song or dance at the beginning/end of a lesson. AND great to combine with school subjects of course.
By the way, I’m not native but I say “2sday” and had never thought of it being pronounced differently! You never stop learning!
I like them Richard and just hope there is a song to go along with these great cards. I hope I didn’t miss that.
Barbara
Sorry Barbara! http://www.genkienglish.net/schoolsubjects.htm
I love them. But I liked the previous version of the Science card.