Homophones
Recently some students in a L&A Light class asked about "aisle" and "isle"?
These words are homophones; they sound exactly the same but have very different meanings.
An aisle is a passage between rows (like in a supermarket), while an isle is a small island. In fact the UK is sometimes referred to as The British Isles.
A good way to remember the difference is to put them into a simple context, for example "I'll walk down the aisle to the isle," or, "Walking down the grocery aisle, I dreamed of escaping to a tropical isle."
Other popular homophones are;
see / sea: I love to see the waves crash on the sea.
there / their / they're: They're going to put their bags over there.
to / too / two: I'm going to the store too to buy two apples.
hear / here: Can you hear me over here?
write / right: Please write down the right answer.
no / know: I know there's no milk left.
one / won: He won the race by just one second.
sun / son: My son loves to play in the sun.
new / knew: I knew about the new movie.
flour / flower: She used flour to bake a flower-shaped cake.
Best wishes,
Michael.
Overlapping and Shadowing
In all levels of language teaching, two techniques - overlapping and shadowing - are extremely effective. They work by combining listening and either reading or speaking.
Overlapping means listening to someone speak the language while you read the words at the same time. This helps connect the sounds you hear with the written words, making it easier to remember vocabulary and grammar. Seeing the words as you hear helps a student learn how to spell, pronounce, and understand them better.
Shadowing is all about repeating what you hear. A student listens to a native speaker and tries to say the same words at the same time, like an echo. This is great for improving pronunciation and how smoothly you speak. It trains your mouth and ears to understand the little details of the language.
Another advantage is that because this is a form of repetitive practice, the learner remembers new vocabulary.
Best wishes,
Michael.
ゴールデンウィークはいかがでしたでしょうか?
長いゴールデンウィークが終わりましたが、皆さんのゴールデンウィークはいかがでしたでしょうか?
私が担当しているレッスンでは、生徒の皆さんにゴールデンウィークに何をしたかを聞いているのですが、
動物園に行った子、大阪に行った子、長崎のハウステンボスに行った子など、色々な所へ旅行した生徒さんが多かったです。
過去形を使いながら英語で説明できる生徒さんが増えているので、私も聞いていて楽しいだけでなく、いつも感動しております!
この調子で一緒に頑張っていきましょう!
川口
Cleanliness
A clean learning environment is crucial.
Teachers aren't just instructors; they're caretakers of the space where students learn and grow.
A tidy classroom boosts focus, reduces the spread of germs, and fosters a sense of community.
When everyone contributes, it shows students that we all share responsibility for our school and instills pride and respect for the shared space, creating a better learning environment for everyone.
Best wishes,
Michael.
Classmates 2
As I mentioned in the last post, the effect of having a classmate is increasing the desire for my daughter to try using English in most situations at home.
At first she will say the English word quietly - almost as though she doesn't want anyone to hear it = but will then say it repetitively with far more confidence.
As a present to encourage her even more, we bought her an Anpanman Electronic Dictionary - she presses a letter of the alphabet and one of the many Anpanman characters will say the English word for her to repeat.
Hopefully the upcoming staff changes won't effect any of this.
Best wishes,
Michael.