Translation of Teacher's 6th Year Eigo Note Guide
Translated by Yokote's Matt H.
LESSON 1 – Let's Play with the Alphabet!
Lesson Target
Present day Japanese society is overflowing with everyday usage of English. Starting with the computer, there are a variety of was that the alphabet fits into one's daily life. Even while walking around in the smallest towns, one can feel inundated with the amount of alphabetical letters they see. This is even more extreme for children, who are exposed to the alphabet through television and the Internet.
This lesson will concentrate on dealing with the alphabet. Because this is the first time that the students will come in contact with both upper and lowercase letters, we will first start with the more familiar uppercase letters. Lowercase letters will be introduced in Lesson 2. The ultimate goal here will be to have them listen to the alphabet and understand which letter is which. Because roman letters (as they are used in Japanese) are something that the students dealt with in the third grade, the contents of this lesson will be used to reinforce their proficiency. This lesson will also touch upon the differences between how letters of the English alphabet and roman letters are used.
Additionally, an emphasis will be put on the English pronunciation of the letters, as opposed to their pronunciation as Japanese roman letters (one example being the English pronunciation of 'a' as in 'pay' instead of the Japanese roman letter pronunciation as used in 'watashi').
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Through activities using uppercase letters, experience the fun of communicating with letters.
- Enthusiastically search out and try to read uppercase letters.
- Understand the importance of using letters and not just their own voice to communicate.
- Language and Culture
- Understand and become familiar with the alphabet through assimilating the uppercase letters and how they are read in English.
- Make note of how foreigners write their name and the differences there are with roman letters.
- By touching on how the ALT or other foreigners write their name, obtain greater understanding of letters of the alphabet.
- Subject: The names of foreigners and English found in daily life.
- Setting: Giving praise and compliments
- Expression: What's this? It's ___?
- Focus words: Uppercase letters from A to Z
- International understanding: The differences between writing one's name using the English alphabet and using roman letters as used in Japanese.
Objective
- Obtain interest in uppercase letters.
- Enthusiastically try to find and read uppercase letters.
- Listen to different letters and recognize which of the letters was said.
LESSON 2 – Let's Learn About a Variety of Letters!
Lesson Target
Having gone through uppercase letters in lesson 1, lesson 2 will move on to lowercase letters as well as touch upon the prominence that English has as a language used in many countries. The ideas at the center of the English curriculum, most notably increasing motivation to learn, will continue through this lesson as it did in lesson 1.
As of 2006, there 192 countries registered with the United Nations. English is spoken as the national language or spoken regularly in 54 of those countries. Additionally, a large number of words relating to computers are from English. Looking at these facts, you can see just how big the importance of learning English is when facing an increasingly global society. By learning English, one can connect with many countries of the world and experience the feeling of being able to speak with people from many countries.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Through activities using lowercase letters, experience the fun of communicating with letters.
- Understand the importance of communication using letters by look at words written using letters and trying to decipher their meaning.
- Language and Culture
- Become familiar with the alphabet along with taking not of the connections between lower and uppercase letters.
- Actively try to read and write upper and lowercase letters.
- Understand that English is a language spoken in many countries as either the national language or used prominently.
- By touching on how the ALT or other foreigners write their name, obtain greater understanding of letters of the alphabet.
- Subject: English in daily life
- Setting: Giving praise and compliments
- Expression: What's this? It's ___?
- Focus words: Lowercase letters from a to z
- International understanding: English is a language spoken in many countries as either the national language or used prominently.
Objective
- Obtain interest in the many different letters from around the world.
- Read a letter upon looking at it as well as assimilating it to it's uppercase counterpart.
- Become familiar with counting from 21 to 100.
LESSON 3 – Let's Make a Calendar!
Lesson Target
In this chapter, along with holidays of the world and Japanese festivals, the students will be introduced to months in English. The activity will include the students asking and answering their partners' questions about when their birthday is.
In everyday life, there aren't many opportunities for one to express their own birthday to another person. On the other hand, settings where one asks 'When ___?' and responses with 'It's ___', 'On June 13th' or '___ in June' are relatively easy to find in everyday life. This lesson will deal with the student's birthday, which they should be already familiar with. As an instructor, you should focus on have the students understand the variety of settings where these phrases can be used.
In addition, in a Japan with all four seasons, there are a variety of festivals and activities that are related closely to their respective season. This lesson will focus on having the students say months of the year and their own birthday while using the discussion of the differences between Japanese and foreign festivals and holidays as the overarching theme.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the fun of communication through activities where they introduce the month in which they were born.
- Enthusiastically ask their friends about their birthdays and answer the same question when asked.
- Clearly be able to say one's birthday in order to understand the importance of communication.
- Language and Culture
- Become accustomed to saying months and ordinal numbers and try to say their own birthday in English.
- Become more familiar with the alphabet by considering how capital letters fit into the spelling months.
- Obtain cultural understanding through asking the ALT or others from different cultures about their birthday.
- Subject: Birthdays
- Setting: Interview
- Expression: What is your birthday? My birthday is ____.
- Focus words: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, ordinal numbers 1-31
- International understanding: Understand festivals and holidays of the world while also taking a renewed look at Japanese festivals and holidays.
Objective
- Build interest in festivals of the world and Japanese events.
- Enthusiastically try to ask for their friends' birthday and answer the same question with their own.
- Become familiar with how to say months of the year and their own birthday.
LESSON 4 – Let's Introduce What We Can Do!
Lesson Target
In lesson 4, usage of the phrases 'Yes, I can' and 'No, I can't' to introduce what one can and cannot do will be the target of this lesson.
Activities with in the students school life are about the same. At some level, there is a feeling amongst the students that says that everyone around them is the same. However, each student has a variety of facets that are different from other students. There are things that some student can't do that others can.
Here, along with expressing themselves using the phrase 'can', the students will listen to their friends and obtain a renewed look at their friends. By looking at their friends from this new point of view, there is a hope that it will deepen their friendships.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the fun of communication through asking and answering questions from their friends about what they can and cannot do.
- Enthusiastically ask their friends what they can do and answer what they can and can't do when asked.
- Understand the importance of communication by bring shown pictures and expressing clearly what they can and cannot do.
- Language and Culture
- Become accustomed to English rhythm and tone by asking what others can do and answering the same questions with 'Yes, I can' or 'No, I can't'.
- Notice the variety of ways to present a 'show and tell' by actually doing one.
- Obtain cultural understanding through the experience of asking the ALT or others from other cultures about what they can and cannot do.
- Subject: Self introduction using 'I can' and 'I can't'.
- Setting: Activities around the house and in school
- Expression: I can ____. Can you ____? Yes, I can/No, I can't.
- Focus words: can, play, make, sing, ride
- International understanding: Understand the differences between themselves and others by talking about it with each other.
Objective
- Build interest in show and tell.
- Enthusiastically try to ask their friends what they can do and answer the same questions using 'Yes, I can' or 'No, I can't'.
- Become familiar with how to say 'Yes, I can' or 'No, I can't'.
LESSON 5 – Let's Lead the Way!
Lesson Target
In Lesson 5, phrases to express direction will be used to experience guiding someone. The activity of giving directions is not something that can easily be done using only words. Because of the information gap (difference between the asking side and the answering side) and the high necessity to go to a certain destination, the students should be included as much as possible.
Additionally, the concept that there are an increasing number of foreigners in Japan as well as Japanese going to foreign countries makes this an important chapter as the opportunities for practical application are large in number. Simply explaining a location by pointing to a map and saying 'here' or actually guiding a person by having them follow you are both possibilities in this situation. Usage of the words 'left' and 'right' also favorable for this subject.
In this lesson, on top of guiding others using directions, the students will learn first hand the names of buildings they regularly see in daily life. Because the usage of words for buildings and locations is so frequent in daily life, repeating the words as a part of every day of lessons becomes a valid way to introduce the material. Also, usage of words like 'convenience store' and 'department store' will help the students to become aware of the separate Japanese and English pronunciations.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the fun of guiding friends for certain locations using English.
- Enthusiastically give others directions.
- Understand the importance of giving directions to others
- Language and Culture
- Become accustomed to English rhythm and tone by giving directions
- Notice the variety of ways to give directions
- Obtain cultural understanding through the experience of giving directions down the same street via exchange with an ALT or others from a different culture.
- Subject: Guiding through Original Town.
- Setting: Guiding others using English that expresses directions.
- Expression: Where is ____? Go straight. Turn right.
- Focus words: school, police box, bank, bookstore, flower shop, bus stop, hospital, post office, fire station, barbershop, park, department store, restaurant, train station, turn, right, left, go, straight, stop, where, please, is, the
- International understanding: Method of giving directions.
Objective
- Build interest in giving directions to others.
- Enthusiastically try to give directions.
- Become familiar with the names of locations and words needed for giving directions.
LESSON 6 – Let's Introduce Which Country I Want to Go To!
Lesson Target
As of 2006, there are 192 different countries in the world, 54 of either use English as the national language or a commonly used language.
It's often pointed out that, despite receiving English education in middle school, high school and college, students rarely reach a level where they can confidently say 'I can speak English'. Although this is statement is open to debate, the one thing that can be said for certain is that the belief that 'my English must be 100% correct' is very strong amongst the students.
Of course, blatant mistakes will cause problems in communications. However, wouldn't it be better for them to say 'English is simply words and the goal is to express my thoughts to a partner regardless'?
In this chapter, the students will be informed of the many different ways that English is spoken around the world. Additionally, this chapter will focus on nurturing a belief in the students that English is simply a tool and that they should try their best to use the English they know to express what they want to express. Lastly, by introducing the country they would like to go to and why they want to go to it, they will deepen their interest and respect for a variety of countries.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the fun of speeches through but making and listening to them.
- Enthusiastically listen to others speeches while also expressing themselves as best as they can through their own speeches.
- Understand the importance listening to and summarizing others speeches about the country that they want to go to.
- Language and Culture
- Become accustomed to English rhythm and tone by talking about the country that they want to go to.
- Notice the variety of ways English is spoken around the world.
- Obtain cultural understanding through the experience of exchanging conversation about the country that they want to go to with the ALT or someone from another culture.
- Subject: English spoken around the world.
- Setting: Making a speech about the country they want to go to.
- Expression: I want to go to ____. Let's go.
- Focus words: Italy, Japan, China, Korea, etc.
- International understanding: Understand that there are many different ways English is spoken around the world.
Objective
- Build interest in the fact that there are many different ways English is spoken around the world.
- Enthusiastically listen to others speeches while also expressing themselves as best as they can through their own speeches.
- Make a speech about what country that want to along with reasons for wanting to go.
LESSON 7 – Let's Introduce a Day in Our Lives
Lesson Target
For the most part, the students' concept of time is dictated by their school schedule. When first period starts and ends, what time recess period starts, that time lunch starts. Stated simply, students of the same class generally have the same schedule of daily activities. With activities constant repeating in this matter the students maintain the feeling that 'I have the same daily life as everyone else', without consciously thinking about it.
However, activities before school, like breakfast time, and after school, like time for extracurricular activities, are by and large different. The target established for this lesson, having the students introduce their daily schedule, will put emphasis on this time. Expressing one's daily schedule and discussing the differences between them with friends will allow them to see a new aspect of their friends and hopefully deepen their friendship.
Additionally, through discussion about international time zone differences the students will not be getting a one-sided look at the concept of time. The basic idea that 'even though it's time to sleep here in Japan, there is a country that's just about to wake up' will be used as a catalyst for expanding their view of the world.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the fun of meeting with others and introducing one's daily life.
- Enthusiastically listen to others introductions of their daily lives while also positively trying to express their own.
- Understand the importance of accurately saying time while introducing their daily schedule with others.
- Language and Culture
- Become accustomed to English rhythm and tone by introducing their daily schedule.
- Notice that there are different times zones all around the world.
- Obtain cultural understanding through talking with the ALT or someone from another culture about daily life and times zones in their own country.
- Subject: A day in my life.
- Setting: Introducing a day in my life.
- Expression: I get up at _____. What time _____?
- Focus words: get up, lunch, watch, take a bath, bed, home
- International understanding: Understand that there are different time zones around the world.
Objective
- Build interest in international time zones.
- Enthusiastically listen to others introductions on daily life while also expressing their own.
- Introducing their daily life.
LESSON 8 – Let's Make an Original Skit!
Lesson Target
In Lesson 8, through use of a originally created skit, understand the organization of a skit and use giving instructions to somebody else as a target for this lesson.
At the beginning of the 5th grade curriculum even the CDs that the students had simply listened to contained small phrases. However, starting from lesson 5 'Let's Learn About Clothes from Around the World' of the 5th grade curriculum, the students listened to predetermined content and began to get use to listening for words or phrases they understood and rationally decipher the meaning.
This lesson will deal with a story called 'The Great Big Turnip' (or 'The Giant Turnip'), a story that the students are relatively familiar with and is easy for them to produce a mental image of. A story like this, that they all ready know, will allow them a certain level of comfort as they will already be aware of order in which things are introduced as the story is told. As they listen to the CD of the story, they should be able to catch words or phrases that they understand themselves. This will hopefully pass on to the students an eagerness for positive communication.
Additionally, in addition to this kind of communications, facial expressions, gestures, and pictures should be emphasized as a valid way to communicate. By reading the story book and doing the skit, the students will be given experience that will supplement their vocabulary and in expressing their intentions to their partners. The skit in this lesson in not simply for play, so it's imperative to capture the goal in respects to expanding the students' ability to communicate
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the fun of creating an original skit.
- Enthusiastically try to speak the dialog of the skit.
- Understand the importance of speaking with feeling and adding gestures when delivering dialog.
- Language and Culture
- Become accustomed to English rhythm and tone by making a skit.
- Notice that there are differences between Japanese and other cultures by listening to stories of from around the world.
- Obtain cultural understanding through talking with the ALT or someone from another culture by exchanging talk about folk stories.
- Subject: Stories from around the world.
- Setting: Giving instructions through a skit.
- Expression: Please help me.
- Focus words: turnip, grandpa, grandma, pull, come, me
- International understanding: Understand the variety of folk stories from around the world.
Objective
- Build interest in making an original skit.
- Enthusiastically make an original skit using English.
- Understand the content of prepared English dialog.
LESSON 9 – Let's Dream About the Future!
Lesson Target
Lesson 9 will be the final lesson of the two year foreign language curriculum and will deal with 'dreams of the future'.
The target of this lesson will see the students introducing what occupation they would like for the future and why. There should be an emphasis on not just simply saying what occupation they want and ending there, but also adding the reason for their decision. When thinking about their reasons, they should try to think as deeply as possible, as not to produce a shallow image. With the time for advancement to middle school directly within their sight, taking time to think about their future is something that should have deep importance for them.
By way of reviewing the 2 years of content in the foreign language curriculum, this chapter will engage the students in thinking about their future. Additionally, they will introduce their hopes for the future with their friends. There is a hope that this lesson will foster a desire to look at the many aspect about their hope for the future.
Lesson Contents
- Communication
- Experience the fun of making speeches about their desired job of the future, listening to others' speeches and expressing their own thoughts.
- Enthusiastically ask friends about the occupations they want for the future along with answer the same question.
- Understand the importance of expressing their own thoughts through speech.
- Language and Culture
- Become accustomed to English rhythm and tone through speaking about their own desired job of the future as well as asking their friends.
- Notice that there are words for occupations that differ depending on gender, words that both genders can use and that there are many different perspectives and ways of thinking
- Obtain cultural understanding through talking with the ALT or someone from another culture by exchanging talk about jobs they would like in the future.
- Subject: Dreams for the future.
- Setting: Making a speech about jobs for the future and reasons for wanting that job.
- Expression: What do you want to be? I want to be a teacher.
- Focus words: teacher, doctor, driver, singer, nurse, earth, be
- International understanding: Understand cultural differences between kids in Japan and kids in other cultures in respect to jobs they wish to have in the future.
Objective
- Build interest the variety of ways to say certain occupations.
- Enthusiastically introduce their own their dreams for the future and their reason for that decision while also listening to their partners speak about the same thing.
- Become accustomed to phrases used to ask and answer questions about what jobs they would like for the future.
