Thursday, February 21, 2008
Transportation 1
What's one of the first things you do once you get through the immigration upon arriving at a new place? To get a ride away from the airport! While there might be someone picking you up for the lucky few, most of us have to make our own way around. Transportation 1 in the Smith's School of English curriculum is a great lesson to get you started!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Item:
Thinking that my regular 2pm student on Saturdays had planned a two-month homestay in New Zealand, I thought it might be a good idea to better prepare her for the adventure and therefore decided to start with Transportation 1.
After going through the previous one-point and Routine 9 quickly, I introduced the main topic by asking her how she came to Smith's School of English Kyobashi today, from where and how long it took. I noticed that she made a couple of small mistakes with the prepositions,but I didn't bother to correct them, instead, I copied down a set of typical Q&As we use for trains and taxis from the lesson plan to the whiteboard.
After going through the Q&As, I took out an Osaka Subway Map and asked the student if she was ready to do some practice. She seemed very motivated and was glad to see a map she was very familiar with. We basically took turns to ask and give subway directions.
I was happy to hear her say at the end of the lesson that she thought this lesson would not only be very useful for her time in New Zealand, but also improved her confidence in helping English speakers find their way around in Osaka. Mission accomplished!
When students meet foreigners in Osaka and other big Japanese cities they sometimes are faced with the dilemma of giving them directions. Train stations and subway systems are extensive and complex often giving visitors to Japan a confusing challenge. I too was a victim of this phonemonia when I first arrived in Japan. I couldn't believe how many different train lines there were to choose from let alone firmly grasping their route systems and networks.
That's why I find the train language at the beginning of this lesson very helpful. I find the "Which train do I take to ______?" , "How do I get from ______to______" and "How many stations is it to__________" particulary useful. These WH question formation and answers give the students practical hands on experience. After this practice I feel that they will be prepared to not only answer but recognize these questions when they are asked again in real life future situations.
After successful completion of this part of the lesson I naturally continue to the taxi driver part of this lesson. At this point I usually ask the students if they have ever taken a taxi in another country. I discover most have but with not too many American taxi experiences. So the taxi dialogue starting with "Where to?" is a great way to get them accustomed to American taxi drivers and their character. This is one of the best and most natural times for a great role play scenario. The students enjoy the dialogue and have fun with it. By the end of this lesson they are speaking naturally without simply reading it redundantly from the white board. I feel that the final outcome of this lesson leaves a lasting impression on the students.
Post a Comment