Japanese young learners often struggle with Eiken 3 writing ideas due to a learning focus on memorization over creative generation. Early English education might lack open-ended writing practice. Cultural tendencies towards indirectness can also make expressing personal opinions challenging in a foreign language. Limited vocabulary and grammatical structures can further hinder the articulation of ideas. Finally, unfamiliarity with specific prompt types can leave students feeling stuck. Shifting the focus towards brainstorming and encouraging creative expression is key to unlocking their writing potential.
One way around this is by mind mapping / brainstorming in Japanese before writing in English. This helps because it unlocks their inherent creativity and - once the writing task has a basic map - makes the grammatical task less daunting.
Best wishes,
Michael.
Japanese are accustomed to writing seamlessly, with kanji, hiragana, and katakana flowing together without spaces between individual words. This elegant system works beautifully for their, where grammatical particles and the inherent structure of the language help delineate meaning.
However, English operates on a different principle. Spaces between words are fundamental to conveying meaning and ensuring clarity. They act as invisible walls, separating individual units of thought and allowing readers to quickly parse the sentence.
When I practice writing with young learners I often get them to chant, "word - space - word" so as to install the importance of this.
楽しいアクティビティを通して、着実に英語力がついてきています！
今週のレッスンでは、小学校低学年クラスも高学年クラスも、楽しいアクティビティが沢山あります！低学年はポイント制のゲーム、そして高学年は世界地図で国の位置を当てたり、ヒントクイズなども行っております！アクティビティを行う前に一緒に練習した基本構文を使いながら行えるものなので、アクティビティを楽しみつつ、抑えるべき点もしっかり抑えられています！
この調子で話せる英語をもっと増やしていきましょう！
川口
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.
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
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.
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.
ゴールデンウイークも中盤に差し掛かりました！皆様どのように過ごされていますでしょうか？
先週のレッスンで沢山の生徒様が「来週～に行くんだよ！」と話してくれました！
小学校高学年以上は過去形も習うので、次回のレッスンでは過去形を使いながら、ゴールデンウィーク中にどこに行ったか、ぜひ教えてください！
それではまた来週皆さんの元気な顔が見られることを楽しみにしています！(^▽^)/
川口
My first Golden Week at Kure!
Golden week is really special to me and perhaps
to you, too!
Spring is a good chance to enjoy the flowers blooming
here in Kure City. It is my first time having the Golden Week
vacation here and I am excited to explore the city and meet a lot
of new friends. If we happen to bump on each other, please don't
be shy to say "Hi!".
Let's Speak English Together!
Learning English is fun in amity!
Fiona Sensei
Kure amity
