Yoko Tachibana
Lacey Love
What problems come to mind
when you think about student
communication?
Our Class Goals
• We want students to:
– Speak
– Try to communicate
– Make themselves
understood
• Do so without fear…
Our Class Goals
• We don’t mean being nervous.
• We mean the fear that keeps
students from even trying.
Today’s Goal
• As teachers, we can be afraid,
too.
• We hope to give you some
activities and ideas to start the
scaffolding process.
Communication Scaffolding
• If your goal is for students to
be able to communicate…
• Trick them into learning the
skills piece by piece.
• Every lesson starts with a 1MS.
• Students are in pairs. They
Janken.
• The loser starts. The winner
counts words.
• Half the class is talking
and half is counting.
• Our students can do easier
topics, such as “My favorite
food…”
• But also… “How will Japan be
different 100 years from now?”
• Let’s try it!
• Please make a pair.
• Please choose the
topic.
• Let’s try 30 sec.
Building Background
Knowledge
• This is how we use T.T. lessons
• Power Point with images and videos
• As a precursor to the grammar lessons
Building Background
Knowledge
• They’re better prepared for the text
• They get the “bones” of the lesson
• All they need now is the “meat”
Building Background
Knowledge
• Here is an excerpt from a T.T. lesson
about the Polynesian Voyaging
Society.
Hawaii Game
• Your team is at your table.
• Listen about Hawaii.
• I will ask a question.
Janken.
Loser(s): say the answer.
Let’s Learn Hawaiian!
•Hello = Aloha
•Goodbye = Aloha `oe
•Thank you = Mahalo
Society = Group of
People / Club
Building Background
Knowledge
• Sometimes we teach around the text
• When students start the textbook,
they have a better framework
The 5 Ws Listening Quiz
• This is how we start teaching the
actual text.
• After T.T., they have an idea what
the lesson is about.
• But they don’t know the specifics.
The 5 Ws Listening Quiz
• They only know the name of the
lesson plus anything from T.T.
• We start by listening to the CD.
• Students do a quiz.
The 5 Ws Listening Quiz
The 5 Ws Listening Quiz
• They don’t catch everything,
especially at the beginning.
• But, even if they can only write one
thing, that’s a success!
The 5 Ws Listening Quiz
• Go over the quiz as a class.
• Each student says one word.
• They can listen to at least 42
words.
The 5 Ws Listening Quiz
• This gives them a second piece of
the puzzle.
• By the time they start reading, they
have:
–T.T. Background
–The 5Ws from the listening quiz
Vocabulary
• After the listening quiz, we start
vocabulary.
• They may have heard it, but they
might not know what it means.
Vocabulary
• How can we get students to learn
the vocabulary?
• How can we get students to
communicate in English using the
vocabulary?
Word Lists
• Students match the word with
the Japanese definition.
• They also have to find an
English definition.
Word Lists
• It starts to scaffold
using English only
definitions.
• It gets them ready
to explain the
vocabulary.
Word Games
• After finishing the Word List,
they should know the
vocabulary.
• Time for games to test their
knowledge!
Crossfire
• Teacher can read the English
definition.
• Students say the word.
• Students in that row and
column sit down.
Spelling Race
• Students are in teams by
column.
• One student goes to the board.
• Teacher calls a word and they
have to spell it.
Meaning Race
• Same idea as Spelling Race, but
Teacher calls out the English
definition.
• First student to write the word
gets 1 point.
• This got to be too easy.
Janken Game
• In this game, students Janken
in pairs.
• Loser has to explain the word
to the Winner.
• Winner has to guess the word.
Janken Game
• There are two ways to play this
game.
• For beginners level:
–Word by Word
Janken Game
• The second way to play is to
give students 2 minutes to
memorize.
• They have 5 minutes in pairs
to try to get as many words as
they can.
Janken Game
• They both have the same list of
words.
• But they have to listen to the
explanation carefully.
• Practice speaking and
listening.
Janken Game
• Let’s try!
• Make a pair.
• Please use the words from the
Word List.
• Remember how many you
guess correctly!
Janken Game
• You have 30 seconds to
memorize the list.
• 1 minute to get as many words
as you can.
• Remember how many words
you guessed.
What’s After Words?
• Now, students know the
words in the text.
• They’ve listened once.
• So, it’s time for reading
and listening
comprehension.
Pair Question Game
• This game can be
played to practice
reading or listening
comprehension.
• We make a list of
simple questions for the
text.
• Students read/listen.
Pair Question Game
• Teacher asks question.
• In pairs, students Janken.
• The loser must say the
answer.
Let’s Try!
1. Please read the last
page: Lesson 4, Part 3
2. Listen to the question.
3. Janken.
4. Loser, say the answer.
• Repeat after me…
• Repeat after CD…
• Can get pretty boring.
• Popcorn Reading pops
between students.
• I usually do popcorn in
pairs.
• It’s not the best for
phrasing.
• But it’s good to practice
saying the words.
• It makes them pay
attention to the words
as they’re reading.
• Let’s try Popcorn 3.
• You could also Popcorn
after each sentence.
• Popcorn between Teacher
and Student.
• Students get into pairs.
• Take turns reading each
sentence.
• When they finish, sit
down.
• They try to read fast.
• But, their partner has to
be able to understand
them.
• Let’s try!
• Make a pair.
• Each person read one
sentence. When you
finish, sit down.
• A shadow follows its
owner closely.
• Shadow reading follows
closely.
• Shadowing while looking
at the textbook.
• Shadowing without the
textbook.