Games for Single Student Lessons - What am I doing?

This game requires both the student and teacher to make guesses about each other's schedules. The main idea is to take turns guessing what a party is doing at any given time of the day. It requires both parties to imagine the time and day are different than they presently are.

The first person makes a statement about a day of the week and a time of day such as, "it's Saturday at 8:00 a.m." and then follows up with the questions, "what am I doing?" The person who is guessing speculates about what the other party is doing at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday. If the guess is correct on the first attempt, that person gets 3 points. If it is wrong, he makes another guess. If the second guess is correct, he gets 2 points. If it is wrong, a final guess is made and 1 point is given if it is correct. If it is wrong, the correct activity is revealed.

For example:

Teacher: It's 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday. What am I doing?
Student: You are eating lunch.
Teacher: No, I'm not. Please try again.
Student: You are teaching.
Teacher: Yes, I am. You get 2 points! Very good!

Explaining the game to the student:

The teacher should tell the student they will play a game where they talk about their usual schedules. As an example, the teacher can say the current time and ask the student what she's doing (e.g., "It's 5:00 p.m. What am I doing?"). The student should be able to easily answer, "you are teaching me." Sometimes students have problems with self-referential questions so the teacher may have to correct some problems with "I/you" usage.

After this example, the teacher should tell the student to imagine it is a different day of the week and it is noon (or another time). Assert the time and day you have chosen then ask "what am I doing?" If the student is confused, impress that he should imagine it is not today and to think about your schedule. It is usually better to use the word "imagine" rather than "pretend" with students as they are more familiar with it.

For the first few guesses, it is best to use times with easily predictable scheduled activities so the student is successful and gets the hang of the game quickly. Here are some times which are good to start off with:

• meal times (noon, 7:00 a.m. for breakfast, 7:00-8:00 p.m. for dinner)
• late at night when most people are asleep (4:00 a.m.)
• usual working hours (10:00 am, 3:00 p.m.)
  

The teacher does need to explain the game's scoring. Writing each person's name on a piece of paper or the white board and writing the score with hash marks as correct guesses are made will make it clear. Only the teacher should keep score. The student need not be bothered.

Purpose of the game:

The purpose of this game is to practice a variety of phrases and concepts. It allows the student to practice using "a.m./p.m." as well as prepositions used with days ("it's 12:00 a.m. on Monday"). It is also a good way to practice the present progressive verb tense and everyday vocabulary. It also functions as a way for the teacher and student to either get to know each other or to gauge how well they know each other.

Classroom use:

This game is a good way to review or reinforce the present progressive verb tense, talking about schedules and days, and simply a nice way to talk about daily life outside of the usual question and answer format.

Cultural Discussion - Geocaching

Cultural Discussion - Geocaching

Do you have any hobbies that use technology?

List some hobbies that use technology:

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

List some hobbies that do not require technology:

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

Do you think hobbies that use technology are more or less interesting than those which are old-fashioned and do not use it? Why? Why not?

Geocaching:

Technology has created a new hobby that has become popular worldwide. This hobby is called “geocaching”. Have you ever heard of this hobby?

Geo:

If you haven't heard of this hobby, try to guess at what the word might mean. First, think of some other words that contain “geo”:

1. ________________________________

2. ________________________________

3. ________________________________

If you can’t think of any words, some are listed in the FYI (For Your Information) section at the end of the lesson. Do these words have anything in common?

Can you guess what “geo” means after thinking about words that have "geo" in them?

_______________________________________________________________

Cache:

The word “cache” means valuable or useful things which are hidden.

Here are some example sentences with the word “cache” to help you understand it better:

• My grandfather kept a cache of money and food in his garage for emergencies.
• The thief found Mary’s cache of jewelry under her bed and took it.
• George’s cache of rare coins was found in a box buried in his backyard.
• Everyone should have a cache of emergency items in case of an earthquake.

Do you have any type of cache in your home or near your home?

Is a "tansu yokin" a kind of cache? Why? Why not?

Try to make your own sentence using the word "cache".

Now that you know what “geo” and “cache” mean, what do you think “geocaching” is? Try to guess even if you are not sure. Use your imagination.

_______________________________________________________________

Looking at a Geocache:

Here is a picture of a geocache:

Teachers: Click on this picture to get a bigger one which is easier to see and print.

Describe the picture above.

Explanation:

Geocaching is a type of modern treasure hunting. A container which holds items ("treasure") is a "geocache". The items are put there by people who find the box and look inside of it. People who do this hobby find the box and take one item from it and put another item in it. The item a person puts in the box should be of the same or greater value than the item they take. These types of items are often put in a geocache:

• CDs
• coins
• small toys
• buttons
• key chains
  

There is also a notebook in the geocache so that people can write some notes about themselves or their travel to find the geocache.

People who do geocaching as a hobby use a GPS (Global Positioning System) to find a geocache. This box is usually waterproof and placed where it will not be easily found or disturbed. There is a web site which lists the coordinates to enter into a GPS to find these "treasures".

What kind of items do you think would be good to put inside of a geocache?

What about you?

• Now that you know what geocaching is, do you think it is a hobby that you would enjoy? Why? Why not?
• Do you think it would be popular in Japan? Why? Why not?
• Do you think there is anything dangerous about this hobby?
• Do you think a geocache would be stolen or damaged if found by a stranger who didn't know what it was?
  

FYI:

Here are some words that contain “geo”:

• geography
• geopolitical
• geological
• geochemical
• geology
  

For more information, visit the Wikipedia English entry about geocaching here. Or, you can read the Wikipedia Japanese entry about geocaching.

“Geo” means “earth”.

This material is (c) The Home Sensei

Impact Issues - Teacher's Notes

Impact Issues Teacher's Notes
Lesson 6 – Traffic Jam

Comprehension questions:

1. What problem do many countries have? (traffic jams)
2. What environmental problem does driving a car cause? (air pollution)
3. Does Singapore have a traffic problem? (No.)
4. What is the air like in Singapore? (It’s clean.)
5. How long does it take to drive to the airport in Singapore? (15 minutes)
6. How has Singapore managed to control the air pollution and traffic? (they made it expensive to own and drive a car/require a permit)
7. How much does it cost to buy a 10-year permit to drive a car? ($75,000)
8. How much are import taxes on cars? (195%)
9. How much might a car cost in Singapore? (over $250,000)
10. If drivers want to go downtown, what must they do? (pay)
11. Is gasoline cheap or expensive? (expensive) Why? (it’s taxed greatly)
12. Do you think Singapore’s solution would work in Tokyo? Why? Why not?
13. What is necessary in cities where owning a car is very expensive? (very good public transportation)
    

Opinion questions (all followed by why/why not?):

• Do you think other cities should do as Singapore has done? Why? Why not?
• Do you think it is necessary to own a car in Tokyo? If not, why not? Is so, why?
• What kind of people really need cars?
• What kind of people don’t need cars?
  

Homework:

Write an essay about your ideas for reducing air pollution caused by cars.

This material is (c) The Home Sensei

Cultural Discussion - Twixters

Note: This entry was updated on April 26, 2007 to add more Japanese into the list of terms.

Cultural Discussion - Twixters

Explain what each of the following words mean in Japanese culture:

• freeter (フリーター)
• parasite single (パラサイトシングル)
• “loser dogs” (まけいぬ, 負け犬)
• obatarian (オバタリアン)
• D.I.N.K.
• “Christmas cake” (クリスマスのケーキ)
• hikkomori (ひきこもり)

Are there any other age- or lifestyle-related terms for people in Japan?

Why do you think we create these kinds of words?

In your opinion, do they have a positive or negative feeling?

Would you mind being called one of these words?

Do you know anyone who can be described by any of these words?

Would he or she be insulted to be called by one of these names?

Terms:

In America, there are a variety of terms that describe these types of people:

1. twixters: This word comes from “betwixt” (which is an old-fashioned way of saying “between”). Adults who live with their parents are “betwixt” adulthood and childhood.
2. adultescents: This word is a combination of “adult” and “adolescent”. It implies that someone is part adult and partially still an adolescent. (See the FYI section for an explanation of "adolescent".)
3. NEET: This word stands for “not engaged in education, employment, or training”.

What about you?

Many people feel that people choosing this type of lifestyle are only common in the current social and economic situation where jobs aren't as well-paying as they were in the past and good jobs are more difficult to find.

• Do you believe this is true only of the present or do you think there were these kinds of people in the recent or distant past?
• Would your opinion of someone who lives with his or her parents be different if you knew that person didn’t make enough money to live alone? Why? Why not?
• Would your opinion of someone who lives with his or her parents be different if that person were married and/or had children? Why? Why not?
• Why do you think some people live with their parents even though they have enough money to live alone?
  

A Psychological Theory:

Many people in western countries who study society, psychology or culture speculate about why there are more and more young people living as adolescents with their parents. They believe adults who can afford to live on their own but choose to live with their parents are experimenting with their lifestyle. They are taking a long time to choose a job, life partner, etc. because they want to be sure they have made the best choice before they move out and live on their own.

Do you agree with this theory?

Do you think there are other explanations? Give any other explanations you can think of:
________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________


FYI:

“Adolescent” means someone who is not quite a child and not quite an adult. Usually, this word is used to talk about those who are in the process of becoming adults both physically and emotionally.

This material is (c) The Home Sensei

Games for Single Student Lessons - Hangman

The classic hangman game involves two people attempting to guess a word from a number of blank spaces (one for each letter) and guessing different letters. For each incorrect guess, part of a stick figure hangman is drawn. For each correct guess, a letter is written into one of the blanks.

The main problem with using this game in ESL lessons is that the potential for this game to advance a student's English skills is quite low. Quite often, this game is used by teachers to fill time and convince themselves that it is a vocabulary builder. The problem is that this game does not build vocabulary since the words used in the game must already be known by the student.

There is one way in which the game is useful and that is with practicing "is there a ~" or "are there any ~" when teaching low level students. Be sure to use words that the student has already studied and use the game as way to reinforce new vocabulary the student may have trouble retaining.

Explaining the game to the student:

There is a very good chance that most students will have already played this game before and the act of drawing the blanks for the letters and the guillotine in preparation will clue them in on what is to come. Whether the student knows the game or not, it is helpful to write the alphabet on the board or a piece of paper to cross off "used" letters during the game.

However, if the student has not played before, write the number of blanks on a piece of paper or the white board and tell the student he must guess what letters are in the word. If the student doesn't understand, put in one letter to start with to give him the idea. Draw a complete hangman to show what the final picture looks like and count as you draw each part of the figure and tell him the final stroke is the last guess he will have.

When the student has guessed your word, have him choose a word while you guess letters. Tell him that he must answer your questions with a full sentence and not simply with "yes" or "no". That is, he should say, "no, there aren't," or "yes, there are."

Purpose of the game:

The purpose of this game is to practice asking and answering simple questions as well as reinforce previously-studied vocabulary related to the chosen subject.

Classroom use:

This game is a good way to expand the generally uninteresting lessons in beginner textbooks which are for very low level students and focus on "there is/are" and "isn't there/aren't there."

Cultural Discussion - Color

note: this lesson edited to add in more follow-up questions on 4/18/07

Cultural Discussion - Color

What is your favorite color?

How does this color make you feel?

Do any colors make you feel especially sad/happy/calm/tired?

Do you choose this color when you buy the following things:

• clothing
• shoes
• jewelry
• bags
  
• bedding/pillows
  
• curtains
• carpet
• pencils/pens
• car/bicycle/motorbike

What colors do you think are best for each of the items above?

Talking About Color:

Here are 12 common colors. Name each one.


Many Japanese people make a mistake when they talk about color. They often say the name of the color plus the word "color". For example, they might say, "my shirt is blue color" but this is not correct. We do not say "red color" or "white color". We just say the color's name.

X I like orange color.
O I like orange.

Practice talking about color by making sentences about color combinations. For example:

• red + yellow = ?

Red plus yellow makes orange.

• red + blue = ?
• blue + yellow = ?
• white + black = ?
• white + red = ?
• brown + white = ?

How do each of the colors above make you feel?

Are there any colors which you feel are better for women or men? If so, why are these colors better for each of them?

Can men wear any color of clothing to their offices? If not, why not?

Can women wear any color of clothing to their offices? If not, why not?

Color Connections:

When you hear each of these words, what color do you think of?

Please make a sentence and say, "I think of (color) when I hear (word)." For example, I think of blue when I hear the word "water".

• sky
• tree
• flag
• snow
• banana
• eye
• death
• sun
• beer
• boys
• girls
• hair
• robot
• refrigerator
  

Color and Culture:

• What colors are important in Japanese culture?
• What are the colors of the Japanese flag?
• Do you know the colors of any other country's flags? If so, which ones and what colors are they?
• Are there any colors that have a special meaning in Japan?

Color and Holidays:

• Are some colors part of Japanese holidays?
• How are white and pink used in Japanese culture? Why are these colors special ones?
• There are colors connected to certain holidays in the west. Do you know the colors connected to these holidays?
• Christmas
• Halloween
• Valentine's Day

FYI - The "Meaning" of Some Colors in Western Culture:

Purple is connected with royalty.
White is connected with purity and innocence.
Black is connected with death.
Green is connected with nature and freshness.
Gold is connected with wealth.
Yellow is connected with happiness.
Blue is connected to being a boy and coldness.
Pink is connected to being a girl.
Red is connected with heat and love.

The meaning of color is culture-specific. For example, black is the color of death in the west but white is worn when someone dies in Korea.

This material is (c) The Home Sensei

Games for Single Student Lessons - "20 Questions" Modified

In the classic version of "20 Questions", one person chooses a subject then tells the other person a broad category (animal, vegetable, mineral or other) into which the subjects falls. The "guesser" can ask up to 20 'yes' or 'no' questions in order to guess the subject the "chooser" has chosen.

For ESL students, particularly those of low to low-intermediate level, playing the game in this fashion is too difficult so it is necessary to modify it to narrow the scope of subject and to allow an unlimited number of questions to be asked. It's best to choose a topic in a very specific category of item such as:

• food (or specific food such as fruit, sweets, drinks, etc.)
  
• animals
• furniture
• clothes
• jobs
  

The first time you play the game, it's good to use "animals" as the category since it's easy for even the lowest level student to think of common animals (dogs, cats, birds, etc.). In future games, you can use other categories. Animals work well for the initial game to help the student learn how it is played.

The student should always choose an animal first and the teacher should ask questions so that the student may use the teacher's questions as a model for how to play the game. Once the teacher guesses the student's animal, the teacher chooses an animal and the student asks questions to help him guess the target animal.

By taking turns in this fashion, the student gets to practice both asking and answering questions. With higher level students, the teacher can have the student question her first as it is a greater challenge to ask questions when the vocabulary hasn't first been introduced by the teacher.

Explaining the game to the student:

The teacher should ask the student to think of an animal but not to tell her the name of the animal. Tell the student that the players can only ask questions which need a 'yes' or 'no" answer in this game. Ask the student simple questions requiring a 'yes' or 'no' answer to guess the animal he has chosen to demonstrate how the questioning is done.

If the student is a low level student, the teacher may want to write some basic questions on the white board or a piece of paper so the student may reference them when it is his turn to ask questions.

Here are some examples that work with an animal as the subject:

• Does this animal sometimes live inside our homes?
• Is it big/small?
• Is it dangerous?
• Is it always the same color?
• Does it have feathers/fur/scales?
• Is it noisy/quiet?
• Does it usually eat meat/plants?
• Is it fast/slow?
  

Purpose of the game:

The purpose of this game is to practice asking and answering simple questions as well as practice vocabulary related to the chosen subject.

Classroom use:

This game is good as a good way to review or reinforce a lesson on vocabulary related to a certain theme or simple question structure as well as a good warm-up or wrap-up.