Classroom - Blog Posts
Day 8
The start of the day was really good today🙂
The kind of information we consume in the morning should be filtered twice before taking in. It determines how your day is going to be...
I have been experiencing stress and self doubt from past few months. Today, I have decided to fight both.
To fight self doubt, I will try to score good in Sunday test🙂 And for stress, a positive self talk maybe...
With a bigger hope, let's begin🙌
Good Luck!
🙏
Day 7
For qualifying any examination, we need to stick to the syllabus and do it 10 times rather than studying 10 different things.
Unfortunately our exam is almost 60% about information and only 40% about solving.
I don't believe in cramming. But since I can't do anything about it I'll have to find a way to remember all these things.
Maybe it will take extra time and demand extra efforts for me but I'll do it🙌
In class we get off topic real quick sometimes
Today I learned besides dieting health problems that:
- The T in LGBT+ stands for Trump according to a classmate
- The people in the middle ages were still living in caves but not only the should've hunted the food
- A classmates boyfriend is allergic to gluten for over than 10 years and can't get away from eating pizza.
Engage and Enjoy!
Being serious about developing an English training program and approaching curriculum building and lesson time with 100% buy in doesn't mean that the lessons are going to be no fun.
Quite the contrary. Coming into Japan, most students have studied a lot of English and have interacted with a lot of vocabulary, but they don't know how to use it because there is a heavy leaning towards passing the school tests. A lot of students have never traveled and they have not discovered how satisfying and fun it can be to actually communicate in another language. We need to engage them. Sometimes stray from the path you blazed if a productive conversation springs, but remember to find teaching points as you go.
make your lessons fun. Add games and discussion activities or do meeting simulations.
involve the students. Find out what they hope for and make a point to accommodate.
Mix it up. Have one class that is totally different. Try to avoid making it routine.
Don't lose sight of your target, the textbook still needs to be used, time needs to be controlled but the students don't need to be aware you are thinking of this.
Make sure the students understand the benefits of the activities you are doing or the goal. Sometimes students appear to be having fun but turn around and complain to their HR department. Sell them on what you are doing.
If we teach them how to have fun and how to communicate while growing their skills, they will gain a more natural motivation and interest in your class. You can't win them all. Some students are forced to take the class by their boss or other persons of influence, but you will win over more than you lose if you keep this in mind.
Time to bring humanity back to the classroom
COVID 19 has had a profound effect. It really goes without saying. But I am not talking about the heart-shattering loss of life or the cabin fever inducing 3 years we spent locked in our homes. I am talking about the way business is conducted and how foreign language training has evolved here in Japan. With an increased acceptance of video meeting software such as Zoom, Teams or Meet, the classroom shifted into the virtual world as well.
Companies were forced to move the office to people's homes while the pandemic raged and after companies grew to accept that style, many have stuck to Work From Home. Nikkei Asia estimates that nearly 40% of workers are still doing a hybrid style of work (link), saving transportation and even electricity costs for businesses. This shift to video meetings also impacts on the number of business trips as communication can be achieved for a fraction of the cost. This research positively talks about how 64% of companies still find business travel important, but that means that 36% don't.
Of course, what I am leading up to here is that this has impacted the general attitude towards studying foreign languages, particularly English. More private students or companies are turning to more reasonably costing online English training meaning there has been a step back from the beneficial environment of face-to-face English lessons. Aside from the obvious lack of technical issues that sometimes crop up, there are many benefits to a more intimate training environment. A teacher can have quicker reaction times to questions or problems and has a better capability of reading learners' body language. There is a better sense of connection between all members when you are in a live environment, with more live tools at the teacher's disposal. Last, but not least, there are less chances of succumbing to distractions such as pets, children or that temptation to turn the TV on. This website also talks about motivation and focus as a couple of benefits of being in a classroom as some other potential benefits.
Companies offering English training need to embrace a commitment to quality lessons with practical contents set up in a way that is enjoyable for the students. And most importantly, we need to bring the humanity back to the English study environment and get back in the same room. The teacher needs to work closely with the students to help them realize their goals and use all the tools and signs at their disposal. This is at the heart of what Lowrey Global Consultants strives to do.