During November I've had various training for the different kids classes that Nova teaches. The training was OK, but about half the time they wanted you to act like a kid. Learn to teach by being a student. While you can learn some things that way, teaching kids isn't one of them. The actual getting in and trying it for yourself was much more useful in my perspective.
Today I had chibikko training, which is for kids 2-3 years old (the earlier training was for 3-12 year olds). It also had the whole learn by being a student, but the guy doing the training was sensible enough to not force the whole process to be that way.
My big concern with the whole kids classes is that I'm not really that exuberant and energetic person, and so won't be that good as a kids teacher.
I had my first lesson on Wednesday at a different school (I was doing overtime), with two kinders (3-6 years), and I did sort of ramp up the energy to try and keep their attention. From December I'm going to have a regular set of kids classes on Mondays, so we'll see how they go.
End Post
Writing time: 63 minutes (I got distracted with spider solitaire)
Time since last post: 2 days
Current media: None
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
I always thought 2-3 years old was a bit young to be learning a foreign language. I guess English must be important over there...
I believe that the conventional wisdom is that second language aquisition is much, much more effective when you're young. I read somewhere (must have been a reputable newspaper or somesuch) that language is localised in one part of your brain if you're monolingual during development, but much more delocalised if you're exposed to a second or other language. Did you grow up with Greek at home, and have you tried learning anything since?
Kevin: Do they place you in different classes to suit your abilities, or just to suit their timetables?
The captcha text for this message it jtzme :) *laughs*
Hey yeah I grew up with Greek at home. I could never speak it well but I could understand it pretty easily. Not sure how I'd go now though; wouldn't have a chance with the Greek news, they speak bloody fast. Basically my mum never really got any good at speaking English so she usually spoke Greek but the rest of my family usually spoke English (they're all Greek but they learned English well enough). So most of the time she'd speak in Greek and I'd answer in English hehe. I haven't tried learning anything since then though (never really tried in school), and it's been a long time since I lived with mum. I can still understand what she's saying when I visit though.
Oh yeah, am I the only one who has trouble with this damn image text thing, I keep getting it wrong!
While it's generally true that you learn languages easier and better at a young age, the lessons don't seem to accomplish that much. The 2-3 year old lessons are just a bunch of games, and the guy who did my training said that part of it is just exposing kids to foreigners, as Japan is still a fairly insular culture.
The goals of the kids classes are pretty limited. The lessons don't try to teach that much english (eg She's a witch. What is she? She's a witch.), and the aim is that at the end of the kids lessons they start at the second most bottom level instead of the bottom level of english ability. At that level they should be able to respond to basic questions (how are you, what is your name, etc) but not be able to handle a conversation or any complications. I'm pretty sure parents could get better value for time and money somewhere else.
Regarding the captchas, I on occasion have had problems putting in the right value, and am annoyed I have to do it for my own blog. Todays captcha is eooyjwzq
Oh, and welcome tinos, whoever you are
I'd think you'd be better off just talking English lots to the 2- and 3-year-olds, so they pick it up naturally.
Thank you... I was a first year at PAIN when you rocked up with the invitation to your going away party. I say "was" because I'm not entirely sure what I am now :S. They canceled Astrocamp so I rocked up. Chris told me the name of his blog, and then I found yours from a comment you made on his...
Post a Comment