Sophie sent this amazing message in about how she uses Genki English with her adult students.
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I wanted to post this somewhere on the website but couldn’t decide on the appropriate place for it so here it is π
I have tried Genki English on Indonesian adults for about 4 weeks now – 20-25 adults, mostly aged between 18 and 25, with a couple of them near their 40s.
It works like MAGIC.
Honestly they enjoy it so much that they sometimes lose control – I have to consider doing a bit of discipline to keep the most agitated ones along. They love the singing part and dancing along. Favourite song by far: How are you? (perhaps because that was the first one taught?)
The games, just like for kids, sometimes take a while to fully integrate. Their favourite so far: the line game (for review). I include phonics and writing (2 per lesson) – it takes about 10 minutes, gives us a water break and calms everybody down π
What really surprised me was to discover how much English these “beginners” actually already knew. More than teaching basic English, GE simply unlocks their potential with that huge boost of confidence it gives them.
Here, I’ll share a funny story: in the game “I’m ____ but _____” (good, angry, cold etc..) one adult (that I, and the other students, absolutely did not expect confident enough to do that) said, when his turn came: “I’m small but strong!” Now watch the whole group bursting into laughter (I think even one of them started rolling on the floor…) Oh how I wish I had recorded that lesson!
They are creating the fun, and during the songs they get so involved that they completely forget me, I could just go sit down and watch the show. It’s amazing, I’ve never spoken so little in a class and seeing so much result. Well, I guess that’s probably why – the less we talk, the more time they have to do that.
So, a big thank you to your genius, the Genki English material, and your constant support Richard.
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If you have a story like Sophie’s please do share it – hearing stories like this really does make all the hard work worthwhile and I hope it helps inspire you too!
I also use Genki English with my adult students here in Mallorca, Spain. My students range from 25 to 60 years old, all complete beginners. As Sophie said it is magic and they love it. I think the funniest game we played was pictionary with the “Where are you going?” theme. Maybe we need to add a few art lessons!!! My adult students have voted “Little Red Riding Hood” as their favorite song so far.
This is fantastic Nicola – so great to hear!!! π