There are two levels of reading comprehension to consider with students. One is their actual level when reading "real life" materials such as magazines, newspapers, novels, etc. The other is their ability to handle TOEIC reading section questions quickly and accurately. These two tasks are related but not necessarily the same.
The TOEIC test reading section requires speed as well as understanding. Students who learn how to take the test in an efficient manner will get a higher score than those who simply read and answer questions in a "normal" fashion. This is not dissimilar from other standardized tests such as the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) in the United States. Learning to manage the test often increases scores more than an overall increase in English ability.
The TOEIC Reading Tips lesson is designed to guide the student through some methods of improving their ability to answer questions without understanding every word of a reading passage as well as their test-taking speed.
The teacher should review the lesson first and consider the best way to cover the material with the student. This section of tips should be used in conjunction with other reading material or a TOEIC practice book. After covering the tips, the teacher should have the student attempt to apply them to reading passages.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
TOEIC Reading Techniques
TOEIC Reading Tips
Basic Technique:
When you read, you don’t need to read and understand every word. In fact, to answer questions in the TOEIC reading sections, you often do not have to understand all the words. You just have to find the answers. You don’t have to understand the answer.
Skim reading will help you read quickly so that you have more time to finish the test or to go back and check your answers. When you skim, you only read the key words in the sentence. You skip over the small words which are not necessary in understanding the content of the lesson.
The passage below has the key words in bold. The bold words are the ones you want to quickly read to "skim" read. Read it quickly and don't worry about understanding it yet:
In terms of personal tax responsibility, Americans don't need to pay income taxes in the United States unless they make more than $84,000 a year. Needless to say, few of us are in any danger of losing our tax-exempt status. We have to file a tax form regardless of whether we owe money or not. This was a fact that my husband and I were unaware of for an extended period of time while living here and there was quite a bit of panic when we discovered we hadn't filed for well over a decade and it may result in some problems despite the fact that we owed nothing. Fortunately, we didn't get in trouble. In fact, the IRS seemed to take it all in stride and sent us 3 years of back tax forms which we filled out and sent in. Now, we're on a regular schedule but it was a bit of a worry for awhile.
The key words are usually:
Here are some questions for the passage above:
Can you answer the questions by reading only the key words?
Types of Reading/Questions:
There are two types of questions on the TOEIC test.
Specific information:
A specific information question will ask about a detail mentioned in the passage. For instance, it the passage above, $75,000 is a piece of specific information.
These questions would be “specific information” questions:
How much must you make less than in order to be tax-exempt?
How many years worth of tax forms was the writer sent?
These kind of questions can be answered by scanning a reading passage. Scanning is when you search through a reading passage to find a detail. You don’t have to understand anything but the sentence that contains that information.
“How much” and “how many” questions are often asking for specific information. You can usually scan a reading passage for numbers and find answers to these kinds of questions. These questions are easy to answer compared to the other kind of question.
Overall understanding:
The other kind of question is about overall understanding. This kind of question requires you to read a lot of information and then reach a conclusion about the passage. The conclusion you have to reach is not something that is clearly stated in the reading. You have to understand and decide for yourself.
For example:
John Brown works with animals. He gives them medicine and sometimes performs surgery on them. He works in the afternoon and evenings most of the time because that’s when people have free time to bring their pets to him.
What is John Brown’s job?
You will notice that John Brown’s job is not mentioned in the reading. You have to read the information and then reach a logical conclusion.
Overall understanding questions are more difficult than specific information questions. These questions often take this type of form:
What is this article/passage about?
Who is this advertisement directed at?
What is this advertisement for?
Test Taking Advice:
When you take the test, do not struggle to answer every question. Answer the questions you are sure of the answer to. If a question is tough and taking a lot of time, guess at an answer and continue to take the test. If you finish the test, go back and try to answer those tough questions in the time remaining.
If there are any pictures included as part of a reading lesson, do not rely on them to tell you what a reading passage is about. Sometimes the pictures are misleading in the reading section.
Do not panic if you don’t understand the vocabulary. The grammar of a sentence and the questions can help you answer even if you don’t know the vocabulary.
If you can’t tell which answer is correct, think about which answers are not correct. If you can see that 2 of the 4 answers are wrong, then you have a 50% chance of guessing which one is right instead of a 25% chance.
For example:
The widget was wonky and Wilbur’s knees grew wobbly as he was afraid it would go kablooie.
What was having problems?
a. the widget
b. Wilbur’s knees
c. Wilbur
d. Kablooie
Look at the question. What verb is being used? What is the question word? Which part of the sentence is the likely answer based on the verb and the use of the word “what”?
What was Wilbur afraid of?
a. The widget would be wonky
b. His knees would give out.
c. The widget would break.
d. He wasn’t afraid of anything.
Look at the structure of the sentences and see where “afraid” is positioned. Can Wilbur be afraid of anything mentioned before the word “afraid”?
What does “wobbly” mean?
a. broken
b. weak
c. fearful
d. explosive
Think about what is “wobbly”. Think about what adjective cannot be used to describe “knees”. Even if you don’t know the word, knowing the noun it describes will help you guess the answer. Only one of these words can describe a “knee”.
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
Basic Technique:
- Read the questions and answers first. Think about what kind of answer the question needs.
- Skim read the keywords of the reading passage.
- Answer the questions to which you know the answers.
- Scan the reading passage for answers to questions to which you don’t know the answers.
When you read, you don’t need to read and understand every word. In fact, to answer questions in the TOEIC reading sections, you often do not have to understand all the words. You just have to find the answers. You don’t have to understand the answer.
Skim reading will help you read quickly so that you have more time to finish the test or to go back and check your answers. When you skim, you only read the key words in the sentence. You skip over the small words which are not necessary in understanding the content of the lesson.
The passage below has the key words in bold. The bold words are the ones you want to quickly read to "skim" read. Read it quickly and don't worry about understanding it yet:
In terms of personal tax responsibility, Americans don't need to pay income taxes in the United States unless they make more than $84,000 a year. Needless to say, few of us are in any danger of losing our tax-exempt status. We have to file a tax form regardless of whether we owe money or not. This was a fact that my husband and I were unaware of for an extended period of time while living here and there was quite a bit of panic when we discovered we hadn't filed for well over a decade and it may result in some problems despite the fact that we owed nothing. Fortunately, we didn't get in trouble. In fact, the IRS seemed to take it all in stride and sent us 3 years of back tax forms which we filled out and sent in. Now, we're on a regular schedule but it was a bit of a worry for awhile.
The key words are usually:
- Nouns (the subject of the sentence and direct objects especially)
- Verbs
- Adverbs of frequency or time (usually, now, etc.)
- Numbers
- Prepositions (in, on, out)
- Conjunctions (and, but, or)
- Idioms (needless, regardless of, in terms of)
- Descriptive adverbs (fortunately, unfortunately)
Here are some questions for the passage above:
- Do Americans who make $60,000 a year need to pay income taxes?
- Do they have to file a form if they do not need to pay taxes?
- Was the writer worried about not filing a tax form?
- How long had it been since the writer last filed a tax form?
- Did the writer get in trouble with the IRS?
- What did the IRS send the writer?
Can you answer the questions by reading only the key words?
Types of Reading/Questions:
There are two types of questions on the TOEIC test.
Specific information:
A specific information question will ask about a detail mentioned in the passage. For instance, it the passage above, $75,000 is a piece of specific information.
These questions would be “specific information” questions:
How much must you make less than in order to be tax-exempt?
How many years worth of tax forms was the writer sent?
These kind of questions can be answered by scanning a reading passage. Scanning is when you search through a reading passage to find a detail. You don’t have to understand anything but the sentence that contains that information.
“How much” and “how many” questions are often asking for specific information. You can usually scan a reading passage for numbers and find answers to these kinds of questions. These questions are easy to answer compared to the other kind of question.
Overall understanding:
The other kind of question is about overall understanding. This kind of question requires you to read a lot of information and then reach a conclusion about the passage. The conclusion you have to reach is not something that is clearly stated in the reading. You have to understand and decide for yourself.
For example:
John Brown works with animals. He gives them medicine and sometimes performs surgery on them. He works in the afternoon and evenings most of the time because that’s when people have free time to bring their pets to him.
What is John Brown’s job?
You will notice that John Brown’s job is not mentioned in the reading. You have to read the information and then reach a logical conclusion.
Overall understanding questions are more difficult than specific information questions. These questions often take this type of form:
What is this article/passage about?
Who is this advertisement directed at?
What is this advertisement for?
Test Taking Advice:
When you take the test, do not struggle to answer every question. Answer the questions you are sure of the answer to. If a question is tough and taking a lot of time, guess at an answer and continue to take the test. If you finish the test, go back and try to answer those tough questions in the time remaining.
If there are any pictures included as part of a reading lesson, do not rely on them to tell you what a reading passage is about. Sometimes the pictures are misleading in the reading section.
Do not panic if you don’t understand the vocabulary. The grammar of a sentence and the questions can help you answer even if you don’t know the vocabulary.
If you can’t tell which answer is correct, think about which answers are not correct. If you can see that 2 of the 4 answers are wrong, then you have a 50% chance of guessing which one is right instead of a 25% chance.
For example:
The widget was wonky and Wilbur’s knees grew wobbly as he was afraid it would go kablooie.
What was having problems?
a. the widget
b. Wilbur’s knees
c. Wilbur
d. Kablooie
Look at the question. What verb is being used? What is the question word? Which part of the sentence is the likely answer based on the verb and the use of the word “what”?
What was Wilbur afraid of?
a. The widget would be wonky
b. His knees would give out.
c. The widget would break.
d. He wasn’t afraid of anything.
Look at the structure of the sentences and see where “afraid” is positioned. Can Wilbur be afraid of anything mentioned before the word “afraid”?
What does “wobbly” mean?
a. broken
b. weak
c. fearful
d. explosive
Think about what is “wobbly”. Think about what adjective cannot be used to describe “knees”. Even if you don’t know the word, knowing the noun it describes will help you guess the answer. Only one of these words can describe a “knee”.
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
Cultural Discussion - Sightseeing in Japan
Sightseeing in Japan
What are your favorite sightseeing spots in Japan?
What do you like best about each of them?
If a foreign friend were to visit you, what places would you recommend to him or her? Why are these good places?
Are these places different from those you'd recommend to a Japanese friend?
A survey was done of the top 10 locations for taking pictures in Japan. What do you think are the best places for taking pictures in Japan?
Survey results:
10. Tsukiji Fish Market
9. Kimono
8. Japanese street signs
7. Mt. Fuji
6. Vending machines
5. Narita Airport
4. Shibuya Crossing
3. Asahi Beer Headquarters
2. Tokyo Imperial Palace
1. Kaminari-mon
Have you ever been to any of these places?
What is the best site at each of these places?
Do you think there are more interesting places than these in Japan?
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
What are your favorite sightseeing spots in Japan?
What do you like best about each of them?
If a foreign friend were to visit you, what places would you recommend to him or her? Why are these good places?
Are these places different from those you'd recommend to a Japanese friend?
A survey was done of the top 10 locations for taking pictures in Japan. What do you think are the best places for taking pictures in Japan?
Survey results:
10. Tsukiji Fish Market
9. Kimono
8. Japanese street signs
7. Mt. Fuji
6. Vending machines
5. Narita Airport
4. Shibuya Crossing
3. Asahi Beer Headquarters
2. Tokyo Imperial Palace
1. Kaminari-mon
Have you ever been to any of these places?
What is the best site at each of these places?
Do you think there are more interesting places than these in Japan?
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Punctuality
Japanese people as a rule tend to be fairly punctual for appointments. However, since cell phones have become ubiquitous, more and more people have become relaxed about being late.
For the teacher, there are several ways to approach students who are late for lessons conducted in the teacher's home or at a cafe or other meeting place. Strictly speaking, the teacher does not have to do anything differently when the student is late. She may choose to simply finish the lesson on time as usual and the student receives a shorter lesson because he was late. This is a perfectly acceptable way of handling lateness provided the teacher herself is never late.
If the teacher is sometimes late, then the best thing to do is exercise equal tolerance when the student is late. Obviously though, it's rather unprofessional for the teacher to be late for lessons at an external meeting place. While many teachers in Japan feel friendly with their students and that the lesson experience is rather casual, it's important to remember that the teacher is being paid and must act in accordance with professional standards.
In regards to student lateness, it's important to consider circumstances. If the student is infrequently late due to unavoidable circumstances such as train delay, weather conditions, or an unexpected problem at work, then it is advisable that the teacher extend the lesson to give the student the full time. By offering flexibility to students who are unavoidably late, the teacher shows reasonable tolerance and that there is a benefit to having a private lesson with the teacher which isn't usually extended in other settings.
If a student is habitually late though, it is perfectly acceptable to end the lesson on time as usual every time. While it is important to be reasonable, it's also important that students respect your time. A student who is frequently late is taking it for granted that you will accommodate him. Students shouldn't be taking advantage of the teacher's flexibility or kindness.
For the teacher, there are several ways to approach students who are late for lessons conducted in the teacher's home or at a cafe or other meeting place. Strictly speaking, the teacher does not have to do anything differently when the student is late. She may choose to simply finish the lesson on time as usual and the student receives a shorter lesson because he was late. This is a perfectly acceptable way of handling lateness provided the teacher herself is never late.
If the teacher is sometimes late, then the best thing to do is exercise equal tolerance when the student is late. Obviously though, it's rather unprofessional for the teacher to be late for lessons at an external meeting place. While many teachers in Japan feel friendly with their students and that the lesson experience is rather casual, it's important to remember that the teacher is being paid and must act in accordance with professional standards.
In regards to student lateness, it's important to consider circumstances. If the student is infrequently late due to unavoidable circumstances such as train delay, weather conditions, or an unexpected problem at work, then it is advisable that the teacher extend the lesson to give the student the full time. By offering flexibility to students who are unavoidably late, the teacher shows reasonable tolerance and that there is a benefit to having a private lesson with the teacher which isn't usually extended in other settings.
If a student is habitually late though, it is perfectly acceptable to end the lesson on time as usual every time. While it is important to be reasonable, it's also important that students respect your time. A student who is frequently late is taking it for granted that you will accommodate him. Students shouldn't be taking advantage of the teacher's flexibility or kindness.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Beginning a Lesson
Before starting the lesson material, it is a good idea to engage in a little small talk with your student. Japanese people, in general, feel more comfortable with this because it is a part of their daily life in Japan.
The easiest topic to start with for small talk is the weather. The teacher can ask the student if it is hot or cold outside and what the student feels the temperature is. Asking if the weather is usual or unusual for the season is a good expansion on the topic. If the teacher talks about the weather each time, it gives her a chance to slowly introduce vocabulary related to the weather which the student may not know such as "humid". Many Japanese students have difficulty using warm/hot and cool/cold properly so you'll have a chance to discuss the difference as well as give the students a chance to practice using these adjectives in every lesson.
Another good topic of small talk is holidays that occur near the date of the lesson. The teacher can ask what the name of the holiday is in English, how it is celebrated, and whether or not the student will be doing anything special to celebrate it. If the student is of relatively low level, it may be helpful to know about the holiday before the lesson in case the student lacks the vocabulary to answer all your questions. You can see a list of all the holidays celebrated in Japan here.
If the student has children or lives with other family members, the teacher can also ask how they are or what they've been doing. If the student has a regular interest or hobby, asking about whether or not the student has engaged in that activity in the past week is also a possibility.
Asking a student about his work is another source of small talk but it's a good idea to measure the student's reaction to the topic. Some people are uncomfortable talking about their work and others are very happy to do so.
Keep in mind that the main purpose of small talk is to relax the student and give him a chance to talk in some semblance of a "real" conversation regardless of level. Some students will find it easier than others but it's worthwhile to give students of all levels a chance to casually speak about themselves.
The easiest topic to start with for small talk is the weather. The teacher can ask the student if it is hot or cold outside and what the student feels the temperature is. Asking if the weather is usual or unusual for the season is a good expansion on the topic. If the teacher talks about the weather each time, it gives her a chance to slowly introduce vocabulary related to the weather which the student may not know such as "humid". Many Japanese students have difficulty using warm/hot and cool/cold properly so you'll have a chance to discuss the difference as well as give the students a chance to practice using these adjectives in every lesson.
Another good topic of small talk is holidays that occur near the date of the lesson. The teacher can ask what the name of the holiday is in English, how it is celebrated, and whether or not the student will be doing anything special to celebrate it. If the student is of relatively low level, it may be helpful to know about the holiday before the lesson in case the student lacks the vocabulary to answer all your questions. You can see a list of all the holidays celebrated in Japan here.
If the student has children or lives with other family members, the teacher can also ask how they are or what they've been doing. If the student has a regular interest or hobby, asking about whether or not the student has engaged in that activity in the past week is also a possibility.
Asking a student about his work is another source of small talk but it's a good idea to measure the student's reaction to the topic. Some people are uncomfortable talking about their work and others are very happy to do so.
Keep in mind that the main purpose of small talk is to relax the student and give him a chance to talk in some semblance of a "real" conversation regardless of level. Some students will find it easier than others but it's worthwhile to give students of all levels a chance to casually speak about themselves.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Cultural Discussion - Blood Type and Personality
Blood Type and Personality
Do you believe that blood type influences personality? Why? Why not?
What are the different blood types?
What kind of character do people with each type have?
Do you think people should consider blood type when they decide who to marry?
Do you feel any of the other things listed below influence personality? Explain why each does or does not influence personality.
Which has the biggest influence on personality?
Which has the smallest influence on personality?
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
For your reference, you may want to review the Wikipedia page on the Japanese theory of blood type and personality.
Do you believe that blood type influences personality? Why? Why not?
What are the different blood types?
What kind of character do people with each type have?
Do you think people should consider blood type when they decide who to marry?
Do you feel any of the other things listed below influence personality? Explain why each does or does not influence personality.
- Body type (fat, thin, short, tall, small-boned, big-boned)
- Eye color
- Hair color
- Birthplace/Ethnicity (country or city you were born in)
- Birth order (oldest child, middle child, youngest child)
- Religion
- Education
- (Your) Parents' Personalities
- Weather of the place you reside in
- How much money you have
- (Your) Friends’ personalities
- (Your) Spouse’s (husband/wife) personality
- Birthday/Astrological sign
Which has the biggest influence on personality?
Which has the smallest influence on personality?
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
For your reference, you may want to review the Wikipedia page on the Japanese theory of blood type and personality.
Impact Issues Lesson 2 - Teacher's Notes
Impact Issues Teacher's Notes
Lesson 2 – Forever Single
Story Comprehension questions:
Write an essay about the biggest good point and the biggest bad point of marriage.
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
Lesson 2 – Forever Single
Story Comprehension questions:
- Who is Hope Hamiltom? (a computer salesperson)
- How old is she? (32)
- here does she live? (Los Angeles)
- What is her boyfriend’s name? (Bob)
- Describe Bob. (well-educated, intelligent, kind, has a well-paid job, shares housework)
- What kind of husband will Bob make? (a perfect one)
- What does Hope think she will lose if she marries? (her freedom)
- Who does she think marriage is for? (fools)
- What does Hope think marriage does to people? (changes them-makes them take each other for granted)
- What does she think Bob will stop doing if they marry? (helping with shopping/housework)
- Does Hope think she has changed a lot in the last 10 years? (Yes.)
- How many marriages end in divorce in America? (half of them)
- What does hope say about many of her friends’ marriages? (they’re not very good)
- What does hope think will happen to the custom of getting married in the next 50 years? (it will “die out”)
- Does hope want to be single in the future? (No)
- What do you think of Hope’s view of marriage?
- What kind of “freedom” do you think people lose when they get married?
- Do you lose other things when you marry?
- What are the benefits of marriage?
- Do you think most married people are happy or unhappy?
- Do you think most people would be happier if they were single/married?
- Do you think it would be boring to be with the same person all the time?
- Is Hope’s view of marriage the same as the Japanese view of marriage?
- What is the traditional Japanese view of marriage?
- Do you think married people in Japan take each other for granted? Why? Why not?
- Is marriage important to Japanese society? Why? Why not?
Write an essay about the biggest good point and the biggest bad point of marriage.
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
Warm-up With Low Level Students
Low level students present a particular challenge when it comes to having any type of free conversation. They lack the ability to easily discuss their lives both in terms of grammar and vocabulary.
It's important to give all students a chance to talk freely about themselves even for a short time. For low level students, one of the best ways to do this is to ask relatively simple questions. However, be sure not to ask questions that are so simple as to only require a "yes" or "no" reply as they don't give the students a chance to talk much.
Good basic questions are:
What did you do before the lesson?
What did you do last weekend/on your last day off?
Did you have a good week? Why was it good/not good?
One path to building a low level student's free conversation ability is to ask the same questions about the student's life at the beginning of each lesson. By asking the same questions, the teacher will be able to teach the basic grammatical structure for correct replies and the student will learn them rapidly. In each successive lesson, the teacher will not have to disrupt the friendly atmosphere of the warm-up free conversation by offering corrections.
Additionally, the student will anticipate being asked the question and be ready for it. Low level students feel more comfortable if they have a sense of what is to come.
As time goes by and a student seems to answer your questions more easily, the teacher can add more questions and extend the free conversation. Through time, a longer period of time can be spent talking about the student.
It's important to give all students a chance to talk freely about themselves even for a short time. For low level students, one of the best ways to do this is to ask relatively simple questions. However, be sure not to ask questions that are so simple as to only require a "yes" or "no" reply as they don't give the students a chance to talk much.
Good basic questions are:
What did you do before the lesson?
What did you do last weekend/on your last day off?
Did you have a good week? Why was it good/not good?
One path to building a low level student's free conversation ability is to ask the same questions about the student's life at the beginning of each lesson. By asking the same questions, the teacher will be able to teach the basic grammatical structure for correct replies and the student will learn them rapidly. In each successive lesson, the teacher will not have to disrupt the friendly atmosphere of the warm-up free conversation by offering corrections.
Additionally, the student will anticipate being asked the question and be ready for it. Low level students feel more comfortable if they have a sense of what is to come.
As time goes by and a student seems to answer your questions more easily, the teacher can add more questions and extend the free conversation. Through time, a longer period of time can be spent talking about the student.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Using Web Content for Lessons
The internet provides a rich source of material for teaching students in a variety of ways. For instance, there are sites which provide grammar information, cultural information, and sample tests. There's is virtually nothing you can't get some information on through the internet.
Keep in mind that the useful content that is out there is, by and large, written with a native speaker in mind. It is also copyrighted material and can't be incorporated wholesale into anything you create and distribute as your work.
There are a variety of ways to make good use of internet resources. One of the best is to use it as a resource for interesting articles to discuss with students of a high enough level to talk about such topic as they are written. Another is to use it as research for your own material. If you are interested in writing a lesson about hobbies or fads, you can get all the background you need before diving into constructing a lesson.
Since there are a plethora of web sites about Japan and Japanese culture, you can use them as a springboard for discussions. Some of the best sites for such uses are:
General Discussion Topic Resources:
What Japan Thinks: This site is dedicated to translating surveys conducted in Japanese. It both provides you with interesting questions to ask your students and allows you to discuss the answers that were given in the survey. The surveys often allow you to discuss a broader topic which is reflected by the answers or questions given in the survey. The shorter surveys on lighter topics are good for warm-ups.
Japan Probe: This site is a one-stop shop for various bits of news going on in Japan. You can use it to find out what is going on in Japan and what your students may be reading about in their newspapers or watching on T.V. News summaries are given with a link to the original source so you can get full articles if you think more information would be helpful.
Wikipedia: While Wikipedia is well-known as a resource for information, the front page is frequently overlooked. Try to give the main page a quick glance once a day for interesting bits of news or trivia that might be useful in finding topics to discuss with students. It's not important to build entire lessons around what you read. The main page can be a springboard for interesting asides or warm-up questions.
Grammar Resources:
Non-Stop English: This site allows students to test themselves. It is a good site to point students to if they have a particular or persistent problem that they should be working on their own to improve. If you don't have the time to give or correct homework, you may want to direct students to the appropriate lesson on Non-Stop English so they can practice there and receive automated correction.
Using English grammar glossary: While many native speakers of English speak English correctly, they may not always know the grammatical terms for everything. In fact, it's not uncommon for students to have superior knowledge of how to refer to parts of a sentence since they have studied English grammar for many years. The Using English grammar glossary will help you keep up with your students questions as well as help you get some background information for lessons in which particular structures need to be practiced.
Standardized testing:
English Test Net: This site has a wide variety of practice tests which students can be referred to for practice or that you can use to help you learn more about the content and structure of the tests your students often take in preparation for creating your own material. The TOEIC section has proven especially useful for my students at times.
Keep in mind that the useful content that is out there is, by and large, written with a native speaker in mind. It is also copyrighted material and can't be incorporated wholesale into anything you create and distribute as your work.
There are a variety of ways to make good use of internet resources. One of the best is to use it as a resource for interesting articles to discuss with students of a high enough level to talk about such topic as they are written. Another is to use it as research for your own material. If you are interested in writing a lesson about hobbies or fads, you can get all the background you need before diving into constructing a lesson.
Since there are a plethora of web sites about Japan and Japanese culture, you can use them as a springboard for discussions. Some of the best sites for such uses are:
General Discussion Topic Resources:
What Japan Thinks: This site is dedicated to translating surveys conducted in Japanese. It both provides you with interesting questions to ask your students and allows you to discuss the answers that were given in the survey. The surveys often allow you to discuss a broader topic which is reflected by the answers or questions given in the survey. The shorter surveys on lighter topics are good for warm-ups.
Japan Probe: This site is a one-stop shop for various bits of news going on in Japan. You can use it to find out what is going on in Japan and what your students may be reading about in their newspapers or watching on T.V. News summaries are given with a link to the original source so you can get full articles if you think more information would be helpful.
Wikipedia: While Wikipedia is well-known as a resource for information, the front page is frequently overlooked. Try to give the main page a quick glance once a day for interesting bits of news or trivia that might be useful in finding topics to discuss with students. It's not important to build entire lessons around what you read. The main page can be a springboard for interesting asides or warm-up questions.
Grammar Resources:
Non-Stop English: This site allows students to test themselves. It is a good site to point students to if they have a particular or persistent problem that they should be working on their own to improve. If you don't have the time to give or correct homework, you may want to direct students to the appropriate lesson on Non-Stop English so they can practice there and receive automated correction.
Using English grammar glossary: While many native speakers of English speak English correctly, they may not always know the grammatical terms for everything. In fact, it's not uncommon for students to have superior knowledge of how to refer to parts of a sentence since they have studied English grammar for many years. The Using English grammar glossary will help you keep up with your students questions as well as help you get some background information for lessons in which particular structures need to be practiced.
Standardized testing:
English Test Net: This site has a wide variety of practice tests which students can be referred to for practice or that you can use to help you learn more about the content and structure of the tests your students often take in preparation for creating your own material. The TOEIC section has proven especially useful for my students at times.
Monday, March 5, 2007
The Lesson Environment
For teachers who teach in their homes, there is an added component to their interaction with their students. The teacher is also a host and the student a regular guest. This does not mean that the teacher must be overly formal but it does carry some extra responsibility compared to teaching in an office environment.
Here are some tips for making sure students feel comfortable in your home:
Here are some tips for making sure students feel comfortable in your home:
- Make sure that your home is relatively clean and tidy. If the student must sit on the floor during the lesson, make sure you have vacuumed recently. Japanese students are relatively understanding and tolerant of the look of an older apartment but they may be uncomfortable in a place which is obviously messy or dirty.
- Unless the student has requested a more casual setting, perform the lesson at a table so the student has a place to put his notebook, dictionary, etc.
- Try to always serve a beverage of some sort, even if it's only a glass of water. Since the lesson will include a lot of speaking, it's better for both the student and teacher to have something at hand to drink and it would be impolite for the teacher to have a beverage while the student does not.
- Clear the genkan of extra shoes and tidy up the shoes remaining in the box so that the student may easily remove his shoes upon entering.
- Keep the students' temperature needs in mind when cooling or heating the room in which the lesson is held. In the winter, be careful not to overheat the room as the student will be coming from a much colder atmosphere into a much warmer one. In the summer, be careful not to use the air conditioning at too cold a setting. Many Japanese people are comfortable in summer at warmer temperatures than foreign people.
- Make sure the room the lesson is held in is well lit. If there are windows, open the curtains to let in light during the day.
- Try not to cook food with a strong smell before a lesson. Some people are very sensitive to food odors and may feel uncomfortable in a small space which is saturated with such smells. Try to air out your apartment if you have done any cooking recently.
- Turn on the answering machine on your phone and turn the volume down so that its ringing doesn't disrupt your lesson. Never answer the phone in the middle of a lesson.
- If the doorbell rings during a lesson and it must be answered because you are expecting a delivery, apologize to the student for the disruption and answer the door. Add a few minutes to the end of the lesson time to make up for the lesson time which is lost because of the disruption. Do not dwell on the situation or speak of it upon returning to the lesson except to quickly apologize once more. Get back to the lesson as soon as possible.
Impact Issues Lesson 1 - Teacher's Notes
Impact Issues Teacher's Notes
Lesson 1 – Why I Learn English
Story Comprehension questions:
Write an essay about 2 topics of study, the most important and the least important in your opinion. Be sure to explain why each is important/unimportant to you.
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
Lesson 1 – Why I Learn English
Story Comprehension questions:
- Who is Jin Lee? (a university student)
- When will he graduate? (in 4 months)
- Where will he work? (a small town near Seoul)
- How long has he studied English? (10 years)
- How does he feel about English study? (It’s been a waste of time)
- What kind of company will he work for? (a taxi company)
- Will he use English at his job? (No)
- Why won’t he use English at his job? (It’s an all Korean company/no foreign visitors)
- Will he use English in his free time? (No)
- How does he learn about news from foreign countries? (Korean papers/T.V. news)
- What could he have studied instead of English? (history and literature)
- Why does he wish he had studied history more? (so he’d understand his own country more/better)
- Why does he wish he had studied literature more? (so he’d understand his own country’s great writers)
- Why did he have to spend so much time studying English? (for exams)
- Does he think anyone should have to study English? (no)
- What do you think are good reasons for studying English?
- Do you think the Japanese education system makes everyone study English too much?
- Are there any topics you studied a lot in school that you think were a waste of time?
- Do you think students should only study topics which they believe will be useful in their future?
- How has studying English been helpful in your life in the past?
- How will it be helpful in the future?
Write an essay about 2 topics of study, the most important and the least important in your opinion. Be sure to explain why each is important/unimportant to you.
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
Impact Issues
Level: Low Intermediate to Intermediate (TOEIC score of 450-700)
Publisher: Longman
Includes: CD
Type of Text: Discussion
Impact Issues is a textbook designed to introduce topics for the students to discuss as well as give them a chance to practice giving their opinions and responding to the opinions of others. The first page is a story intended to introduce a particular topic (see below).
Each topic is placed under one of five sections: Issues in Lifestyles, Issues in Family, Issues in Relationships, Issues in Life and Death, Issues in Society. There are six lessons in each section. The book comes with a CD so students can listen to the story before reading it or while reading along. Because a CD is included, it's good to recommend that students purchase their own copy for studying on their own rather than simply borrow the book from the teacher during the lesson time.
The first half of the second page offers up five opinions that the student can agree or disagree with and discuss (see below). Each opinion is meant to reflect a different viewpoint. The teacher can have the student read each opinion and say whether or not he disagrees then ask why the student feels that way.
The second half of the second page varies somewhat from lesson to lesson but usually includes a question and a variety of choices that students can consider (see below - click on the picture to see a larger version).
Each of the answers to the questions in the "Looking at the Issue" section can be discussed in the lesson though sometimes the choices repeat the opinions that were given at the top of the page and you find yourself glossing over these ones. It's a good idea to have the students prepare their answers to this section before the lesson.
Impact Issues is an excellent book for having guided discussions about topics with intermediate level students who might have difficulty with a free-form discussion of a broad topic. The use of a story to introduce the theme provides context and background for the discussion so that the teacher does not have to go into a lengthy (and possibly confusing) lecture to prime the student on the topic. The opinions and questions on the second page give the students something to react to so they don't have to scramble mentally for a perspective to offer.
If you have students who are somewhat passive who want to spend most of their lesson time practicing speaking as opposed to focusing on specific skills or grammar, this book will serve you well. If you have students who are relatively assertive and do not need a great deal of structure to keep the conversation going, Impact Issues may seem too rigid for them.
Because of the well-organized and structured fashion in which each topic is addressed, Impact Issues is an easy textbook for any teacher to teach. The topics are interesting though some of the topics in each section are somewhat similar to one another. Please note that the lessons do not have to be taught in the order that they are given. The teacher may choose topics at random which appeal to a particular student.
Teaching recommendations:
In the ideal situation, a student should prepare for each lesson before the class by reading the story and listening to the CD at home. He should also review the second page and write his answers to the questions. If a student has prepared beforehand, the teacher may then spend some of the early lesson time asking comprehension questions to make sure the student understood the lesson content.
If the student has not prepared before the lesson, the teacher may ask the student to read the lesson aloud or silently in sections and ask the student comprehension questions after each section.
Whether the student has prepared or not, the teacher should check for understanding of idioms and difficult vocabulary. For example, "take (someone) for granted" is a phrase used in the second lesson of Impact Issues. This phrase is fairly difficult for most students to understand. It's a good idea to have them practice phrases like this one by making their own sentences using the phrase. Making their own sentences will demonstrate that they understand the phrase and help them remember it.
After the teacher is satisfied that the student understands the story, she can ask the student some general questions to get his opinion of the overall topic then move on to the second page. Read each of the opinions at the top of the second page, ask the student if he agrees or disagrees and why, then discuss his answers to the questions at the bottom.
Please note that teacher's pages for Impact Issues will be posted under the label "Impact Issues" as they are completed. These pages include comprehension questions, general opinion questions to be asked after the story is read, and a homework assignment. To access these pages, click on the "Impact Issues" label on the left side of the page under "Find Content by Label".
Sunday, March 4, 2007
The First Lesson
The first lesson with any student is always one of the most difficult. The student is nervous and the teacher is unsure about a great many things including the student's level and goals.
"Questions for the First Lesson" are designed to help teachers get to know their students well in addition to helping them understand the student's educational history and background. The questions are grouped by general category and each group includes logical follow-up questions.
It's not necessary to ask every question and it's important not to simply read off the questions as if a survey were being conducted. Try to ask the questions in a natural manner and move on to a different category if the student has no interest in a topic. Add follow-up questions and pursue tangents if the student is especially interested in a topic.
"Questions for the First Lesson" are designed to help teachers get to know their students well in addition to helping them understand the student's educational history and background. The questions are grouped by general category and each group includes logical follow-up questions.
It's not necessary to ask every question and it's important not to simply read off the questions as if a survey were being conducted. Try to ask the questions in a natural manner and move on to a different category if the student has no interest in a topic. Add follow-up questions and pursue tangents if the student is especially interested in a topic.
Questions for the First Lesson
Advice on Teaching This Lesson - The First Lesson
Home:
Where do you live?
How long have you lived there?
Do you like living there? Why? Why not?
Do you live alone or with your family?
Tell me about your family.
Hometown:
Where were you born?
Tell me about your hometown.
How long did you live there?
Does any of your family still live there?
Hobbies/Interests:
What are you hobbies?
How long have you been..?
How often do you…?
Why do you like…?
Do you have any other hobbies?
What do you usually do in your free time?
Do you like to read?
What do you like to read?
How often do you read?
Do you read a Japanese newspaper?
Are you interested in any kind of news?
Do you watch T.V.?
What kind of T.V. programs do you like?
How many hours a day do you watch T.V.?
Do you watch movies?
What kind of movies do you like?
What was the last movie you saw?
What kind of story was it?
Tell me about the story.
Do you have a favorite actor or actress?
What is your favorite (actor/actress) movie?
Why do you like that movie?
Do you listen to music?
What kind of music do you like?
Who is your favorite singer?
Do you like to take pictures?
What do you like to take pictures of?
What kind of camera do you have?
Are you good at taking pictures?
Can you drive/ride a bicycle?
If you drive, where do you like to drive?/Where do you ride your bike?
What kind of car do you have?
Food:
Do you like to cook?
What do you usually cook?
What dish do you cook best?
Do you like sweets?
What is your favorite dessert/sweet?
What is your favorite food?
Do you go to restaurants?
What kind of restaurant do you like best?
What was the last restaurant you went to?
Is the food very good?
What dish did you have?
Is that restaurant expensive?
Do you like snacks?
What kind of snacks do you usually eat?
Do you like tea or coffee?
Which do you like best?
What kind of tea or coffee do you prefer?
How do you usually drink your tea/coffee?
Do you like to drink beer/alcohol?
What is your favorite drink?
How often do you drink alcohol/beer?
Sports:
Do you like sports?
Do you play or watch sports?
What kind of sports do you play/watch?
If you don’t play now, did you play sports when you were in school?
Job:
What is your job?
Where is your office?
How is your commute?
Do you like your job?
What do you do everyday at your job?
Do you use English in your work?
How many hours do you work each day?
Do you work overtime (often)?
How long have you worked for your company?
What will you do in the future at your company?
Have you ever had any other job before this one?
Education:
Did you go to university or college?
What did you study?
Why did you choose that major?
English Study:
Why do you want to study English?
Have you studied English before?
Did you enjoy studying English before? Why? Why not?
How did you study?
Do you know the name of any English textbooks you used?
What is your strong point in English?
What is your weak point in English?
TOEIC/TOEFL:
Have you ever taken the TOEIC or TOEFL test?
If so, what was your score?
Do you want to take the TOEIC or TOEFL test again/in the future?
English Study Habits:
Do you ever read anything in English?
Do you watch T.V. or movies in English?
What kind of English do you want to study…business English, everyday conversation, etc?
How much time do you have to study each week/day?
Do you want to do homework?
Do you want to listen to English CDs to improve your listening?
Do you want to use a textbook in your lessons?
Cell Phone:
Do you have a cell phone?
Do you use your cell phone everyday?
Do you send messages? What kind? To who?
Do you talk on your phone everyday? What do you like to talk about?
Computer:
Do you have a computer?
What do you do on your computer?
Do you enjoy using a computer?
What kind of web pages do you look at?
Do you ever read anything in English on the internet?
Do you ever use your computer to study English?
Do you want to use a computer to study English?
Foreign Travel:
Have you ever been to a foreign country?
What countries have you been to?
What city or cities did you like best? Why?
What countries do you want to go to in the future?
Did you study English in a foreing country or go to school?
Did you like the food in (foreign country)? Why? Why not?
What kind of food did you like?
How did you travel around for sightseeing?
Did you travel alone?
What types of sights do you like to see?
Did you ever have a bad experience in a foreign country or with a foreign person?
What was your best experience with a foreign person or in a foreign country?
Would you like to ask me any questions?
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
Home:
Where do you live?
How long have you lived there?
Do you like living there? Why? Why not?
Do you live alone or with your family?
Tell me about your family.
Hometown:
Where were you born?
Tell me about your hometown.
How long did you live there?
Does any of your family still live there?
Hobbies/Interests:
What are you hobbies?
How long have you been..?
How often do you…?
Why do you like…?
Do you have any other hobbies?
What do you usually do in your free time?
Do you like to read?
What do you like to read?
How often do you read?
Do you read a Japanese newspaper?
Are you interested in any kind of news?
Do you watch T.V.?
What kind of T.V. programs do you like?
How many hours a day do you watch T.V.?
Do you watch movies?
What kind of movies do you like?
What was the last movie you saw?
What kind of story was it?
Tell me about the story.
Do you have a favorite actor or actress?
What is your favorite (actor/actress) movie?
Why do you like that movie?
Do you listen to music?
What kind of music do you like?
Who is your favorite singer?
Do you like to take pictures?
What do you like to take pictures of?
What kind of camera do you have?
Are you good at taking pictures?
Can you drive/ride a bicycle?
If you drive, where do you like to drive?/Where do you ride your bike?
What kind of car do you have?
Food:
Do you like to cook?
What do you usually cook?
What dish do you cook best?
Do you like sweets?
What is your favorite dessert/sweet?
What is your favorite food?
Do you go to restaurants?
What kind of restaurant do you like best?
What was the last restaurant you went to?
Is the food very good?
What dish did you have?
Is that restaurant expensive?
Do you like snacks?
What kind of snacks do you usually eat?
Do you like tea or coffee?
Which do you like best?
What kind of tea or coffee do you prefer?
How do you usually drink your tea/coffee?
Do you like to drink beer/alcohol?
What is your favorite drink?
How often do you drink alcohol/beer?
Sports:
Do you like sports?
Do you play or watch sports?
What kind of sports do you play/watch?
If you don’t play now, did you play sports when you were in school?
Job:
What is your job?
Where is your office?
How is your commute?
Do you like your job?
What do you do everyday at your job?
Do you use English in your work?
How many hours do you work each day?
Do you work overtime (often)?
How long have you worked for your company?
What will you do in the future at your company?
Have you ever had any other job before this one?
Education:
Did you go to university or college?
What did you study?
Why did you choose that major?
English Study:
Why do you want to study English?
Have you studied English before?
Did you enjoy studying English before? Why? Why not?
How did you study?
Do you know the name of any English textbooks you used?
What is your strong point in English?
What is your weak point in English?
TOEIC/TOEFL:
Have you ever taken the TOEIC or TOEFL test?
If so, what was your score?
Do you want to take the TOEIC or TOEFL test again/in the future?
English Study Habits:
Do you ever read anything in English?
Do you watch T.V. or movies in English?
What kind of English do you want to study…business English, everyday conversation, etc?
How much time do you have to study each week/day?
Do you want to do homework?
Do you want to listen to English CDs to improve your listening?
Do you want to use a textbook in your lessons?
Cell Phone:
Do you have a cell phone?
Do you use your cell phone everyday?
Do you send messages? What kind? To who?
Do you talk on your phone everyday? What do you like to talk about?
Computer:
Do you have a computer?
What do you do on your computer?
Do you enjoy using a computer?
What kind of web pages do you look at?
Do you ever read anything in English on the internet?
Do you ever use your computer to study English?
Do you want to use a computer to study English?
Foreign Travel:
Have you ever been to a foreign country?
What countries have you been to?
What city or cities did you like best? Why?
What countries do you want to go to in the future?
Did you study English in a foreing country or go to school?
Did you like the food in (foreign country)? Why? Why not?
What kind of food did you like?
How did you travel around for sightseeing?
Did you travel alone?
What types of sights do you like to see?
Did you ever have a bad experience in a foreign country or with a foreign person?
What was your best experience with a foreign person or in a foreign country?
Would you like to ask me any questions?
This material is (c) The Home Sensei
Frequency of New Posts
This site is not a typical blog. It is mainly a means by which content can be shared. Therefore, it will not be updated on a daily schedule as many blogs are. That does not mean it is not being maintained or updated. It simply means the schedule is atypical.
Content is added to this site as my personal schedule and needs dictate. The pattern of posting will most likely be infrequent updates (once every 1-3 weeks) with several posts made each time. That is, there will be a lot of content added at once then a break before the next posting spate.
Content is added to this site as my personal schedule and needs dictate. The pattern of posting will most likely be infrequent updates (once every 1-3 weeks) with several posts made each time. That is, there will be a lot of content added at once then a break before the next posting spate.
About Lesson Material Modification
Occasionally, the lesson materials will be updated to make additions, improvements or refine the material. This is done after the lesson has been taught several times and weak points are discovered or more follow-up questions or material are required.
Please note that all of these lessons have been taught at least once before they are posted.
An updated lesson will be re-posted with a new date replacing the older material entirely. A note will be made at the top of the material explaining the changes that have been made.
Please note that all of these lessons have been taught at least once before they are posted.
An updated lesson will be re-posted with a new date replacing the older material entirely. A note will be made at the top of the material explaining the changes that have been made.
Site Conventions
Posts to this site will always use "she" when referring to the teacher and "he" when referring to the student in cases where a pronoun is used. The purpose of this is not to convey any gender bias but to simplify the way in which posts are written. Rather than subject the reader to constant references to "he or she" and "his or her", it's less convoluted to simply choose a gender for each role and use it consistently.
How to Use This Site
Since this is a blog, posts are added by date. Therefore, the most effective ways to locate particular content are as follows:
- Use the labels listed under "Find Content by Label" to find a category of interest to you.
- Use the "Search this blog" function in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
- Make a comment requesting where certain types of material can be found.
Mission Statement
The purpose of "The Home Sensei" is to offer advice to English teachers living and working in Japan with a particular eye toward those who teach privately in their own homes. Teachers working in other situations will likely benefit from some of the advice and materials offered on this site.
Posts to this site will include:
Posts to this site will include:
- Original lesson materials and content created by myself. Those accessing this site may use the materials as desired but may not incorporate them into any commercial texts or work for profit. I retain the rights to my work.
- Reviews and recommendations on how to use certain commercial textbooks.
- Advice on how to teach various types of students.
- Tips on providing a good physical environment when dealing with Japanese students.
- Advice on dealing with Japanese students and their particular needs both psychologically and in regards to their English studies.
- Advice on referral agencies and methods of acquiring private students.
- Information on Japanese culture and how it relates to interacting with students.
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