Translation of Teacher's 5th Year Eigo Note Guide
Translated by Yokote's Matt H.
LESSON 1 – Saying 'Hello!' Around the World
Lesson Target
The theme for this first lesson of the foreign language curriculum is learning the different ways to say 'hello' around the world. Here at the start of the foreign language curriculum, through the experiences of learning that there are many different languages, that Japanese and English are irreplaceable and that there are a multitude of different gestures for greeting, the students will become more sensitive to these kinds of communication.
Also, building their confidence and getting the accustomed to introducing their own names in English and using roman letters to create their own business card will help carry them to the next activity of learning the full alphabet.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience fun ways of using different words in communication.
- Give a positive, outgoing greeting.
- Understand the importance of verbal communication through greetings.
- Language and Culture
- Learning that there are many words that express the same thing and many ways to say things around the world.
- Learning the cultural differences between Japan and foreign countries through greetings.
- By greeting the ALT or people from different cultures, gain interest in understanding their respective cultures.
- Subject: Greeting others in many different languages.
- Setting: Greeting a person for the first time using one's own name.
- Expression: Hello. What's your name? My name is Ken. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, too.
- Focus words: hello, hi, name, what, your, my, you, is, to, meet, nice, too.
- International understanding: How body language and gestures vary from culture to culture.
Objective
- Understand that there are many different languages around the world.
- Enthusiastically and politely greet friends for the first time.
- Through business card exchange, introduce their own name in English.
LESSON 2 – Let's Gesture
Lesson Target
Within intercultural communication, it's important to understand that gestures, not just words, are a valid way to express one's thoughts to their partner. But at the same time, without understanding differences in culture, there is the possibility that miscommunication and confusion will occur.
In order to understand and experience the importance of non-verbal communication, this lesson will concentrate on gestures and physical expressions to help the students understand its importance.
From this point on, even in situations where everyday Japanese is used, the students should think carefully about communication without words. Take this opportunity to repeat the importance of this kind of communication.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Enjoy communicating using not just in English, but gestures and physical expression.
- Enthusiastically use gestures and facial expressions to express their thoughts.
- Understand the importance of communication using not only words, but gestures and facial expressions.
- Language and Culture
- Become accustomed to using different words to express one's emotions.
- Understand that there is a difference in the gestures used for expressing one's thoughts in Japan and other countries.
- Experience using gestures and expressions to express themselves to people like the ALT and understand the difference in cultures.
- Subject: Gestures that communicate one's thoughts to their partner.
- Setting: Everyday greetings.
- Expression: How are you? I'm happy.
- Focus words: fine, happy, hungry, sleepy, how, are, I, am (I'm)
- International understanding: Understand that there are a variety of gestures and ways of expressing one's self in the world.
Objective
- Understand the importance of gestures and other non-verbal communication.
- Actively attempt to exchange gestures and non-verbal expressions to their communication exchanges with their partners to express emotions and how they feel.
- Ask each other about their feelings and emotions.
LESSON 3 – Let's Play with Numbers!
Lesson Target
This lesson will deal with a subject that will be repeated often from this lesson onward, numbers 1 through 20.
When going over numbers, the students will not just simply count from 1 to 20. Using games based on previous lesson, touch upon numbers that will eventually come up and slowly expand the scope of their knowledge.
This lesson will also not just focus on the numbers. Gestures used for counting with one's fingers and writing the character 正 (Japanese way of denoting groups of fives, similar to IIII ) will also be brought up as examples of differences with other cultures and how they do similar things.
The students will play 'Snakes and Ladders' from India that deals heavily with numbers and is a great method of intercultural exchange. We expect that the students who play this game will cooperate as a group in order to learn.
As a final activity to deal with numbers, a game involving the kanji and the number of strokes that they have will take place. The goal with this game is to stimulate their intellectual curiosity and open up active discussion between them.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Enjoy communicating using a variety of ways to count in different countries.
- Enthusiastically playing games using English numbers.
- Learn the importance of clearly saying numbers in communication.
- Language and Culture
- Become familiar with the tone and rhythm of English through counting and listening.
- Learn the different ways people from other countries count and play with numbers.
- Achieve cultural understanding through playing games using numbers along with the ALT.
- Subject: Different ways to play with numbers.
- Setting: Within the different ways to play with numbers, describe how many of a certain thing there really are.
- Expression: How many?
Numeration in these countries: Spain, Japan, France, America, China, Korea
- Focus words: numbers (1-20), rock, paper, scissors, how, many
- International understanding: Through learning about the different ways to count and play with numbers around the world, maintain a greater awareness of global diversity.
Objective
- Obtain interest in playing with the different ways of counting around the world.
- Enthusiastically play games using numbers.
- Doing a variety of games using numbers 1-20.
LESSON 4 – Let's Introduce Ourselves
Lesson Target
The goal of this lesson is to take the contents of lesson 1 (name introduction) and add it to 'things that I like' to create a fuller self-introduction to be used as the final activity and goal of this chapter.
Things that they like will be limited to what food, drink, animal and sport they may like. The students will then be given Japanese loan words and other words that have been touched upon.
The lesson will allow the students to compare Japanese loan words and the words that they originated from. Chanting and games will be used to repeat the words and help express the differences between them clearly. Eventually, the students would be instructed to try to pronounce the differences themselves.
Depending on the student, there is a possibility that a student likes something that isn't covered in the textbook. If that's the case, the student should be helped on an individual basis so that they participate to the best of their ability. In order to foster a feeling of wanting to say these things, an appropriate situation should be created to convince them of what they are saying.
Lastly, as they group with friends and exchange information on topics that they don't usually talk about, there is a hope that they create understanding amongst themselves and create connections between them.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Adding things that they like to their self-introduction.
- Enthusiastically ask and answer questions about what others like or dislike in English.
- Understand the importance of saying what they do or do not like.
- Language and Culture
- Take care and become accustomed to understanding the difference between the pronunciation of different.
- Understand the different gestures that can be used in their self-introductions.
- Through exchanges with the ALT, understand the difference in culture and obtain greater cultural understanding.
- Subject: Give a self-introduction that includes things they like or dislike.
- Setting: Perform a self-introduction. Express what they like.
- Expression: Do you like apples? Yes, I do./No, I don't. I like bananas. Thank you.
- Focus words: apple, banana, pineapple, strawberry, bird, cat, dog, rabbit, fish, ice cream, juice, milk, baseball, skiing, soccer, swimming, like, thank, do, not (don't), yes, no
- International understanding: Differences between word pronunciation and body and hand gestures.
Objective
- Notice that there are many Japanese loan words that originate from English.
- Enthusiastically confirm what they do and don't like with each other.
- Express to their partners what they do and don't like.
LESSON 5 – Let's Learn About Various Clothing Around the World
Lesson Target
In this chapter, through the introduction of different clothing from around the world, the students will understand the way to say different clothing. In order to provide a certain level of actual experience, shopping will be used as the setting for the chapter.
At this age, students tend to see an increased interest in fashion. It is also a time when begin to learn about their own opinions on clothing and are able to clearly state what kind of clothing they do or do not like.
With that in mind, this lesson will allow the students to express what kind of clothing they would like to wear. Through role-playing in a shopping environment, the student will be given the opportunity to clearly say what kind of clothing they do and don't like based on their color and design.
Lastly, although the textbook does not actually introduce clothing from around the world, it would be great to introduce them via pictures or allowing them to wear the actually clothing based on what the school can provide.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the fun of shopping while using English.
- Enthusiastically shopping using English.
- Within the setting of shopping, acknowledge the importance of expressing what shopping items they like using proper eyesight and a positive mindset.
- Language and Culture
- Within the setting of shopping, become familiar with how to ask whether a store has a certain item and how to answer.
- Understand the difference between Japanese and foreign clothing.
- Maintain a level of cultural understanding by listening to the ALT describe clothing from his/her own country.
- Subject: Expressing what they do or don't like.
- Setting: Shopping.
- Expression: I don't like blue.
- Focus words: red, blue, yellow, orange, pink, green, black, white, T-shirt, sweater, pants, skirt, socks, shoes, shorts, cap, have, a, here
- International understanding: Raise the level of interest in how the daily life of different cultures is different through learning about various clothes from around the room.
Objective
- Raise interest in clothing around the world.
- Enthusiastically role playing in a shopping setting.
- Introduce clothing that they like using English.
LESSON 6 – Let's Learn Loan Words
Lesson Target
Within the Japanese that students use, there is a large amount of Japanese loan words. A majority of the English words these loan words are based are pronounced differently and there are also instances of words that have different meanings and are used differently.
Words from different countries that are used everyday will be used as the theme of this lesson. Hearing the loan words as well as the foreign words that they are based on will help them notice the differences.
Additionally, the chapter will focus on building understanding in how everyday use kanji is actually something that had come from China. It is expected that through this exercise that the students will develop an increased interest and curiosity about the Japanese that they use everyday.
Role-playing within the setting of a restaurant will be used because of the amount of loan words that are involved. Unlike the experience of shopping used the in the previous chapter, ordering items that the students like will be the focus in this chapter. Finally, a quiz involving what the students ordered will wrap up the contents of the lesson.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience ordering and requesting items that they want through the experience of making a parfait to order.
- Asking for items that they want and answering positively.
- Experience the fun in communicating positively.
- Understand the importance of expressing their own thoughts.
- Language and Culture
- Become aware of the fun in learning about the difference between loan words and the foreign words that they are based on.
- Understand that there are words from a variety of countries from which loan words are based on.
- Listen to talk about food from the ALT's country to maintain greater cultural awareness.
- Subject: Everyday loan words
- Setting: Ordering food that they like.
- Expression: What do you want? Melon, please.
- Focus words: kiwi, peach, melon, cherry, grape, lemon, tomato, cabbage, pizza, salad, steak, pudding, cake, donut, soccer ball, basketball, glove, koala, kangaroo, TV, camera, calendar, piano, guitar, want, please, and
- International understanding: Learn the origins of loan words and expand their cultural boundries.
Objective
- Maintain interest in commonly used loan words.
- Proactively ask for and order items that they like.
- Create better awareness of the differences between English and Japanese pronunciations.
LESSON 7 – Let's Have a Quiz!
Lesson Target
This lesson will provide the students with quiz games like 'silhouette quiz' and 'black box quiz' as a way to focus on saying the phrase 'what's this?' in a natural environment. These games use the sense of touch and sight as hints and the phrase 'what's this?' so that the burden on the students isn't too overbearing.
During the 4th hour of this lesson, there will be a quiz game using quizzes that the students make. The lesson will begin with each group doing activities that are lumped together. They will confer with their partners and walk away from the lesson feeling that they were able to make their own English quiz.
Furthermore, a quiz will be introduced asking the students what the words 'starfish' (海星 'sea-star') and 'jellyfish' (海月 'sea-moon') may mean in English when shown the Japanese characters. (Both are two character words, one of the characters being the same in both words). Using a picture of an aquarium, after 'jellyfish' and 'starfish' have been introduced, do the same using different kanji in order for them to try to think about what the English counterpart might be. Through this activity, the students should develop an interest and curiosity about the interesting aspects of language.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the fun of communication by giving a quiz made by them selves.
- Enthusiastically giving and receiving a quiz.
- Through giving a quiz and answering a quiz, understand the importance of saying their answers clearly.
- Language and Culture
- Through the quiz activity, become accustomed to the pronunciation and rhythm of English.
- Understand the differences between Japanese and take note of the fun that words can have.
- By making a quiz with the ALT and the experience of giving a quiz, maintain a greater level of cultural understanding.
- Subject: Quiz meet
- Setting: Asking for facts.
- Expression: What's this? It's a pencil.
- Focus words: pencil, pencil case, ruler, eraser, glue, book, butterfly, starfish, lobster, jellyfish, octopus, yacht, this, it
- International understanding: Understand that, like Japanese words that are formed by two kanji placed together, English also has phrases that are formed by compound words. Also, obtain a greater sense of just how varied words can be.
Objective
- Understand that, like Japanese words that are formed by two kanji placed together, English also has phrases that are formed by compound words.
- Enthusiastically ask their partner 'what's this?' and be able to answer when asked the same.
- Become accustomed to the pronunciation of 'what's this?'
LESSON 8 – Let's Make a Schedule!
Lesson Target
Through the lessons that the students have learn up until now, along with listening and speaking in English, they've seen a growing interest and admiration in the customs and culture of Japan and countries around the world.
In order to continue this trend, this lesson will focus on elementary schools and the differences they have with Japanese schools in the subjects that they learn, their textbooks and the schedule of their classes.
Within the realm of expressing a schedule, the expressions for days of the week and time need to be address. However, with consideration for study burden, the subject of time will not be introduced. Also, for the same reason, school subjects outside of regular subjects will not be introduced.
In the final portion of this lesson, the students will present verbally a class schedule that they created. Students will listen to the presentation of other groups and try to pin point which of the posted schedules is being presented as a kind of a quiz. This wont just be limited to saying the names of classes in English. The students will also briefly explain why they chose that schedule in concise, simple English. Having the students actively explain the reasons for their answers is the focus.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the enjoyment of communication by presenting a schedule made by them selves.
- Enthusiastically listening to and trying to say school subjects in English.
- Understand the importance of making decisions after listening the information clearly.
- Language and Culture
- Get used to English rhythm and pronunciation through listening to and speaking about school subjects in English.
- Understand the differences and similarities between elementary school subjects taught in Japan and those of other countries and become aware of the different ways of thinking about them.
- Maintain a higher level of cultural understanding by listening to the ALT speak about what his/her schedule was like in school.
- Subject: Introducing a schedule
- Setting: Daily life at school
- Expression: I study Japanese.
- Focus words: Japanese, English, math, science, social studies, music, P.E., arts and crafts, home, economics, study, Sunday – Saturday.
- International understanding: Learn about elementary school daily life in foreign countries and gain interest in learning foreign languages and other countries.
Objective
- Obtain an interest in elementary school daily life around the world.
- Enthusiastically express the content of the schedule that they made themselves.
- Express the content of their fantasy schedule that they made in English.
LESSON 9 – Let's Make a Lunch Menu!
Lesson Target
In this chapter, ordering food will be used as the setting. This lesson will focus on having the students repeat the exchange of ordering food politely and naturally to acclimate themselves with the phrase.
At this point, the students have learned how to politely ask for something using the phrase 'please'. Based on that result, the number of students that naturally use the phrase 'please' increased, right?
This kind of communication, talking while only thinking about them selves, is not appropriate. We could say that the students have reached a level where they communicate naturally while thinking about the listener in the conversation.
This lesson is the final lesson in the 5th grade foreign language curriculum. This final lesson will wrap up the contents of the whole first year by highlighting the importance of thinking about their partner, how to politely accepting what their partner has to say and in general enjoying communication with their friends.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Enjoy the experience of ordering food using language with the appropriate level of politeness.
- Enthusiastically order food and receive an order.
- Understand the importance of clearly communicating their thoughts through show and tell.
- Language and Culture
- Become accustomed to the rhythm and pronunciation of English through speaking and listening to polite speech.
- Understand the difference between Japanese and foreign food.
- Maintain a higher level of cultural understanding by listening to the ALT speak about what lunch is like in his/her country.
- Subject: Cuisine around the world.
- Setting: How to order food politely.
- Expression: What would you like? I'd like juice.
- Focus words: fruits, sandwich, pickle, miso soup, bread, rice, sausage, fried eggs, fish, juice, tea, yogurt, curry and rice, hotdog, fried chicken, cheese, hamburger, omelet, spaghetti, salad, pizza, bread, would, eat.
- International understanding: Understand the importance of using language that is appropriate for the location, that shows respect for their partners and has the correct level of politeness.
Objective
- Obtain an interest in foreign food.
- Politely ask for items that they want and express what they want in response to being asked.
- Enthusiastically introduce the lunch menu that they made to the rest of the class.
