Perhaps you've already done something similar, if so lemme know.
In the first lesson of the school year for every class (elementary especially though. 3rd to 6th. I'm not at a JHS anymore) I try (and usually succeed) to get the JTE to do a lesson about "why do we study english?". It covers things like travel, future job opportunities, the fact that English is so widely spoken etc. I have spent a lot of time on it. It's predominantly in Japanese, but if anyone wants the slides I'd be happy to give them. I feel this is very important for students to be reminded of and especially important for 3rd graders who have only just begun learning English.
Towards the end of the presentation, I (or rather the JTE does for me) start talking about how it's ok to make mistakes. Or rather, it's important to make mistakes and not feel bad about them.
I've been thinking about an activity to do following this presentation (the presentation itself can take up the whole lesson depending on the JTE) that demonstrates to students that making mistakes is important and ok. My idea is:
The class versus the ALT. For ES 3rd graders this is essentially undoable because their English is too low. But say for example in a 6th grade lesson, the JTE holds up a card that says 赤い (red) in Japanese with a picture. At first the JTE says "how do you say 赤い in English? Talk with the people around you" and the ALT has to write the answer on a white board.
If the ALT deliberately (or inadvertently, depending on the ALTs level of Japanese) makes mistakes, it could help the students further understand that it's ok for them to make mistakes themselves in English. Class Vs teacher activities are great activities in general for so many reasons. Kinda like flipped classrooms. But harder with bigger classrooms.
Obviously the questions should get more difficult as they go. And the ALT should get increasingly worse. At first get "red " and other simple questions correct, but later say "graduation ceremony" when the answer was "entrance ceremony" or whatever. I also think it would give the ALT a chance to make a lot of funny answers if the JTE instead just held up a picture and the students had to say the English word and the ALT the Japanese word. Imagine saying ちくび(nipple) when the answer was 地球儀(globe). Or saying 椅子 instead of 犬 etc
One problem I can see is with a large classroom, you'd have to take the students answers from those that put their hands up. You couldn't divide the class into small groups when they are all against the ALT. And the students that put their hands up may be wrong. And if a student was wrong when most of the class had the right answer, they might feel bad or even better teased. Also I know we as ALTs aren't supposed to use any Japanese. But if our Japanese is incorrect, it reinforces to the students that they need to use English with us.
Thoughts and feedback much appreciated.
by Miserable-Good4438
