January:
I began the year with a workshop in Germany, and lots of posts for naughty kids. Genki Korean launched.
February:
Started some of the sustainable development education ideas, had the Success Secrets book in English, plus lots of games, the most popular of which were the Disaster Game (later renamed to be “Chocolate Monster“) and Number Golf.
March:
I was in Japan and we saw Genki English on the NHK news, Fairy Stories for adult students, and the real menu game.
April:
Started with the “Pera Pera Candy” to make you “fluent in an instant”, more famous people cards, articles on your first lessons in Junior High, NHK Documentary online, Katakana, Hangul & Hiragana songs, a Four Tonne Truck brought our latest shipment of Kids English sets and we finished on Why Japanese Food is like the Atkin’s Diet.
May:
I was in Dubai and the Make a Difference video was popular as was the Pirates of the Caribbean game. I finished the month with the Kobe JET ( Japan Exchange & Teaching) Conference
June:
I then hopped on a plane down to sunny Okinawa for the Okinawa Bootcamp and CD7 arrived. Then up to Tokyo, the Where is Baby Monkey? Rooms game and to Okayama – teaching 2000 kids in a day. The UK’s MFL Scheme of Work and Can you kick? Game were popular and I finally got to see the Thailand Ministry of Education’s version of the Genki Books & CDs.
July
In Thailand along with the the British Council I was doing workshops with over a million students poised to start using Genki English. The British Council also licensed Genki English for 15 other centres. The first version of the Lesson Plans Book appeared and I set up a subsidiary of Genki English in Hong Kong.
Then back down to Earth with a bump with Aichi – End of the free rides and Another pilot school before 2 fantastic days in Kyoto.
August
Was the usual Summer madness of running up and down the whole of Japan doing workshops for Boards of Education and schools including Tokushima, Shiga, Kagawa, Nagasaki, Okinawa, Nara and back in the media. The Team Taught Pizza sold out.
September:
The rest of the World was going crazy with back to the school times, and we had Lots of Free Games. Fukuoka city had a CD7 Launch party, and I had some great lessons in Nagasaki – Favourite 5th graders who helped me with the Do you like strange foods? and Countries Card Game. The YouTube Japanese videos have had a great year (over 300,000 views), and we had the Irregular Verbs video and Can I play? & Halloween Picture Books. I started writing a column for ALC’s “Kodomo Eigo” magazine and the USA had Disney Genki English. Kids English was Now on DVD and I finished my Japan tour with Yokohama & danger
October:
A whole week’s holiday – in Rome. Games In Video, Festival Videos, How to Speak & Learn Italian and the Getting Genki With It Podcast
November:
I was back in the UK with Which is the best DAW? and Bonfire Night. Some of you liked the Make money with Genki English and others the Drinks Picture Book & Bro Sis Picture Book. The Numbers 13 to 20 Song came out and there was some Lesson Inspiration. I also bought the Michel Thomas Mandarin programme. November was also the biggest ever month for international CD orders – Thank you!
December:
I was on the road in Italy, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Liechtenstein (I got my passport stamped) and managed to make the Snakes & Ladders Worksheets and finally the 2008 Calendar.
Now that was a busy year, but I quite enjoyed it. For me the best were the teachers in Thailand, they really reminded me that behind all the hard work, education is so important for their students, from being able to work to bring in food for their families to offering an alternative future to girls who would end up in not so savoury jobs. Japan was still way behind the rest of the world, but many teachers were trying their best. Personally I find myself going into 2008 with just about everything happening virtually and online so the actual country I’m in doesn’t really matter anymore, which is quite a strange, but liberating feeling. I’m off in to town to celebrate the New Year now, and I’ll raise a glass to all of you who have been so kind as to read my blog and support Genki English this year. I’ll be back soon working my hardest to make your teaching, and learning, as fun and exciting as it can be. Thank you again and have a very Genki 2008!
