Lesson 9-1 The First lesson - "What would you like?" Teaching food lessons...

"I eat fruit and cereal in the morning."

Teaching food lessons, breakfast, lunch, and eating habits.

Well now we are really at the end of our rope so to speak. Just a few more lessons left. If there are things you want to get done this is the time to do it. Phonics, grammar points, and what have you... asking the HRT on a date... maybe?

To keep things short since you might be busy... here was my plan. Not so great, but we had to follow the yellow brick road on this one because Wendy (Ooops, I meant, Dorothy) wouldn't have it any other way.

1. Introductions and Greetings
2. Review food items with flashcards
3. Teach the word "breakfast" and had the kids draw in their textbooks what they had for breakfast this morning.
4. Introduced the concept of "past tense" to the kids and taught the change from "do you" to "did you" and "eat" to "ate"
5. Practiced repeating and pick-up with the A-B dialogue: "What did you eat for breakfast?" "I ate ..."
6 Kids did the next activity 2 with the above dialogue. (They thought it was a bit difficult and most plateau on "do you" and "I eat.")
(My grade 6 students using Book 1 did a better job.)
7. Used the electronic blackboard for the quiz on page 57. (Skipped number 2 because we wanted to play the keyword game.)
8. Played the Keyword Game.
9. Finished the lesson, with the note that we will play bingo and have more fun next lesson.

What I do remember now from that strange dream was that I had actually referenced the title to Lesson 6 and that the only difference was in the level of politeness. It's called "teii-nen" form in Japanese and it's really hard to explain so the HRT should handle this one. Once the kids, get a grasp of the title the lessons usually go smoothly for us.

But one kid did ask me why we have to study the two forms of language, so I told him with a poker face because your mother asked me to. Just kidding again..."Okasan, no onegai dakkara!"

(I really love the relationship I can have with these kids. I can be so frank and open. Once, we had two boys get into a a fist fight in the classroom and they were just going at it for a round or two, and there wasn't much we could do because it was over just as it had started. But in my classes, I can be quite frank, so when I told the two boys how disappointed I was, since in all my years of teaching that that was the first fist-fight I had ever seen in a Japanese classroom; they both cried. I had given them a five-minute speech in front of the class about patience and "anger-control" in public places such as a classroom or a restaurant and how it is basically "low" to fight in public if not in self-defence or for the protection of someone. But after that incident and the next week after they were more behaved and we all became good friends again. As an ALT and a kind of Hero, you can have a big impact on these kids so be careful of what you say but don't be afraid to put your foot down and set your terms.)

Well, back to the lesson notes after my "release the stress rant."

I kind of revised this lesson plan for the other schools I had to teach and skipped the past tense section with regards to breakfast and eat and ate and the such. The kids had enjoyed the new plan a little more and had a better time spending the time moving around and just asking "What's your breakfast?"

This was simple enough to teach since the basic form is "What's your name?" which everyone knows by now, so it was easy enough for the kids to produce over and in the group activity of sharing their pictures of their own breakfasts.

The kids were told they could write their memos in Japanese since the activity's goal was for speaking and communication about each other's breakfast habits.

The quiz was easy too and we were able to review such words as "Japanese breakfast," "American breakfast," "French," and "Korean."

The kids were asked by pickup what kind of breakfast they usually have and enjoyed. Oops, there goes my English... again.

They enjoyed answering mostly with "French" and "American" skipping the "breakfast" part. So, if their moms would ask them at home what kind of breakfast they would like they could now answer just like we practiced.

"I want French, Mom!"

Hope your lesson went well.

The ENB

P.S.

Have you already shown the kids the new way of saying "natto" just like the "You've gotta be kidding me! He must be Japanese," guy in the CD. Yes, the Americans do say "natto" like that but the Canadians know the real version. I'm not sure about the Australians. Well, maybe we should ask Richard at GE. As for the British and New Zealand accent, hmmn... For me, if it is spelled with an "a" then by all means pronounce it "nAA-tto"

But I think that was one of the best audio samples on the CD and I really enjoyed it. He reminded me of James Bond. So cool and so suave for a second language accent. So who is he? Is he famous? Why is he the only Japanese guy on the CD? Did he even get paid? I bet he got a bonus and the other guy in the green t-shirt didn't. LOL though ;`>)

I'm sure he tried his best during those recording sessions. He might even have a top position at MEXT so I better keep a lid on it. Or is that actually "Ryuji" from Eigorian? Let's listen to it again...

Well, I'm not really sure who I should feel happy or sorry for making it in the program, him or the guy in the back of Book 1 with the green shirt... But in my view, perhaps, many girls in Japan would really think he's kind of cute even with that "nori" hairstyle effect. Nobody said anything negative to me in school. (So, I'm sure he had, has, or could have many girlfriends if he wanted to.)

(If his girlfriend or one of his girlfriends is reading this I'm just second guessing, ok.)

It's so cool in Japan because you can just be yourself and that's cool in Japan.

Well.. they (girls in Japan) also think Yoda is cute from some of the conversations I've had. I can just imagine Yoda saying in his cute "ojiisan" voice, "A little strange this country is. More stranger things will make you do, your boss, in Japan. Be done, it must. As part of monthly salary, it must be. Use the force, you must... when in Japan."

(So, for you ALT's out there having lunch with the kids, there's a question for you to break the ice... "Do you think Yoda is cute?" )

Or did they really get a bonus for that. Or just the Japanese guy on the CDrom?

"I don't know." and maybe neither does he.

He may just be thinking the same thing and saying, "Hey, why didn't I get a bonus?"

Here is a little before and after...

Truth is, the kids loved this guy and those basic expressions and gestures really sunk into their hearts. Especially the "Let me see," expression for the boys.

And after all the Honorable Hatayama-san's Business sorting is done, and all the money is gone, he will be surely missed!

Dude, you've definitely got to get on YouTube and send the kids a message! They'd have such a trip!

Well, the full page looks like this with a little after effects by The ENB.

Yes, I tried... But the glossy look mght be too much for the kids.

(Remember... these pics are copyright of the publisher, Kairyudo. So they are definitely not for resale.)

 

And as always and usual, correct the kids on their pronunciation of salad and fruit like in the pictures below:

(Hey kids, please try to stop saying sarada!)

 

Hope you have a good lesson...

The ENB

Eigo Note Book 1 Unit 9 Lesson 2 is now ready...