富沢小学校 Tomilishブログ

This year 6th grade students have been studying some topics that are not in the current Hi,friends! textbook. They had their first class on the topic `Junior High School Life`. In this topic they will study about the different clubs in junior high school and they will talk about which club they would like to join next year.

First, we did Teacher Talk.
The teachers talked about the clubs in their junior high school when they were young. They used this to introduce the names of the different clubs to the students.

Next, we asked the students what clubs they knew were in Tomizawa Junior High School.
We practiced the names of each club.

There are many many clubs in Tomizawa Junior High School!
We asked the students if they noticed anything about the clubs. They realised that some are called `club` and others are called `team`: Art Club, Soccer Team. It was interesting!

Next, there was a special surprise. The students at Tomizawa Junior High School had prepared a video letter for us. They introduced the clubs in English!
We used the video to check if our guesses, about the clubs in Tomizawa Junior High School, were right. We also checked what the students had said. "What else did they say about the soccer team?"
"It's difficult but fun!"
"That's right!"

Lastly, the students wrote what they had realised during that class.
Many students wrote about the difference between `club` and `team`.

It was a very interesting class! Thank you to Tomizawa Junior High School students and teachers for preparing the video letter! We really enjoyed it!

This year 5th grade students have been studying some topics that are not in the current Hi,friends! textbook. They had their first class on the topic `He can run. She can sing.` In this topic they will study how to talk about what someone else can do.

After our usual greeting game, we read a picture book.
The title was `What can you do？`.

The teachers read it together doing gestures and acting like the animals.
Mr. Suda is being the dolphin.
"Hello bird! I can swim! Can you swim?"

Next, we did the chant from Hi,friends! Lesson 3 `I can swim.`
The students tried hard to use clear voices and do gestures.

Next, we practiced how to asked and answer the question "Can you ~?". We used the animals from the picture book and the things they could do.
"Can you dig?"
"Can you fly?"

After practicing the teachers show us a demonstration of the `Animal Card Game`.
Each student got a card with an animal from the book and a picture of what it could do. They had to walk around and try and guess what animal card other students had by asking `Can you~?` questions.

"It's English Only time!"
The students did their best not to speak Japanese.

Good eye contact!

Nice smiles!

Good job everyone!

4th grade students have started to study a new topic. The topic is `What time is it?`.

First, we had Teacher Talk. The teachers talked about their daily schedule. The students had to listen to them talking and try to guess what they were saying.

Next, we reviewed numbers. Students have already studied numbers so we just had to refresh our memories.
We practiced the difference between similar sounding numbers such as `13` and `30`.

We did a chant with "What time is it?" and practiced saying simple times. It's 9. It's 7.
Once the students were comfortable with this we introduced 9am and 9pm using the timeline on the blackboard and asked the students what they noticed. We also showed them the time 9:30 and asked them how they thought it would be in English.

We also learned the names of daily activities in English
"Lunch time! I like lunch time!"

We played time bingo.
Everyone asked Ms. Emily "What time is it?" and we had to circle the answer. It was a fun activity.

"BINGO!"
"Oh no! She said 9:30. My paper has 9:00! So close!"

Lastly the teachers showed a small skit. Ms. Mayumi called Ms. Emily in Scotland. She didn't realise there is a time difference! Ms. Emily was sleeping! Oh no!
The students realised that there are time differences between countries around the world. How interesting!

Good job 4th grade students!

Recently 2nd grade students have been learning about shop and restaurant names in English. We started class with our usual greeting game.

Next, we sang the `Hello Song`. It had been a while since the students had sung this song. The teachers helped the students who needed some confidence. The students sung in pairs asking and answering "How are you?".
Nice gestures! Good job!

Next, we reviewed the English names for shops and restaurants that we had learned in the previous class.
"What's this?"
"Post Office!"
"That's right!"

Ms. Emily asked us if we liked the different shops.
"Do you like coffee shops?"
"Yes, I do!"

After reviewing the different words we played the pointing game again.
Since it was the second time that the students had played the game they were very good at it!

Next, we played the gesture game. Ms. Emily and some students closed their eyes while Ms. Ayaka pointed to a flashcard. Everyone had to be really quiet so as not to give away the surprise!
"This one. Okay?"

Then the students tried to act out what happens in that place. Can you guess where the students are?
It's a hairdresser.

It's a coffee shop!

Ms. Emily and the students who were guessing would talk together and try to make a guess.
"Indian restaurant?"

The other students would tell them if they were right or not.
"Yes!! That's right!!"

We finished the class by reading this book. It was about a man selling sausages.

He said "Here you are!" and "You're welcome!" a lot. We have been trying to practice this with the students.
We could also review counting. "How many sausages?"

Lastly we talked together about what we had learned and what we wanted to study in the future.
"I want to know the names for fish in English!"

Good job everyone!

1st grade students have started to study about body parts. As always, the students were very happy and excited to learn English.

We started class by confirming our `key words`. We asked the students to tell us what was important when speaking English.
"Eye contact!" "Smile!" "Listen!"

After that we had our usual greeting games. First we do `Silent Greeting`.
The students try hard to make eye contact and smile in order to greet each other without speaking. It's important to remember that you can communicate with no words!

Next, we have our normal greeting. The students walk around and ask each other, "How are you?".
"Hello! Hello!"
The students try hard to approach other people.

"How are you?"
"I'm happy!!"

After the greeting game the students watched while the teachers spoke to each other. The students had to listen and look at the teachers' gestures and pictures to guess what they were talking about.
Ms. Takaku was surprised because she saw a snake swimming at the zoo. Snakes don't have arms or legs but they can swim! It was shocking!

Next, we had an animal quiz.
"Whose nose is this?"
"Elephant! Elephant!"

After listening to the teachers talk and doing the quiz the students realised that we would be studying about body parts!
Everyone practiced saying the body parts in English with Ms. Emily. Everyone touched those parts as they said them.
"Head!"

Next, we sang the song `Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes`. The first time everyone just listened while doing gestures. The second time everyone sang, too. On the third time we did a special version that got faster every time! It was very fun!
"Head, shoulders, knees and toes!"

Next, we played the `Please Game`. It's like `Simon Says`. If Ms. Emily used the word `please` everyone did the gesture, if she didn't say `please` they did nothing.
"Touch your shoulders!"
"No! She didn't say please! Don't move!!"

Lastly, we read the book `Go Away, Big Green Monster!` by Ed Emberley.
It was a great way to practice the different parts of the face.

"What's this?"
"Eyes!"
"Yes! Two yellow eyes!"

Good job 1st grade students! What a fun class!

After practicing with other classes in their grades last time, this week we mixed different grades together to practice the phrase "Do you like...?".

First the teachers checked the vocabulary that they would be using.
1st and 4th grade: colors
2nd and 5th grade: vegetables
3rd and 6th grade: sports
"What's this?"

Then, after demonstrating a conversation, they confirmed with the students what things to be careful of during the activity.
"Let's smile!"

After that, it was time to talk! The older students did their best to help out and lead the younger students.
"Do you like blue?"

The teachers got involved, too.
It motivates the students to try harder when they see their teachers trying hard to speak English, too.

Everyone did their best!
Nice eye contact and smiles!

Good job everyone!

2nd grade students have recently walked around the neighborhood and visited many different shops and restaurants in the area. In this class, the students introduced the shops to Ms. Emily and learned the names for these places in English.

First, we had greetings.
"Hello everyone!"

Everyone enjoys doing the greeting game. It helps to set a good atmosphere for the English class.
"Hello! How are you?"

Ms. Ayaka asked the students, "Who had good eye contact/a nice smile?". Then she asked the students who nominated their friends, "How did you feel when they spoke to you with good eye contact/a smile?"
"I felt happy!" "I felt they were listening to me"
It's important to ask these questions so students know why they should make eye contact and smile.

Next, the teachers asked the students to introduce in Japanese the different places they visited around the neighborhood. Ms. Emily taught them the English.
"This is Samzana. It's a restaurant. You can eat curry and nan."
"Oh! Indian restaurant!"

After that we played a pointing game. First the teachers did a demonstration and we practiced as a class using the flashcards on the board.
After Ms. Emily said the English everyone had to point to the right picture and repeat the English.

After the demonstration, the students got into groups of 3 or 4 and we handed out the pointing cards. We do this after the demonstration so the students will concentrate during the demonstration.
It's also a good time to practice English!
"Here you are!"
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome!"

The pointing game was very fun!
Everyone enjoyed slowly getting faster and faster.


We finished the class by reading a book.

In this book the character goes to many different shops to buy some presents for friends.

We have used this book with 5th grade students, too.
It's a great book!

Good job 2nd grade students!

6th grade students continued to practice using the phrase `What do you want to be?` in this week's Upper Grades Tomilish Time. Last time 2 out of the 3 classes had started studying this topic so they asked each other. However, this time all 3 classes have begun this topic so everyone was able to gather together as a grade.

First, we reviewed the pronunciation of jobs in English.
"Doctor!"

Next, two of the students demonstrated a good conversation.
"What do you want to be?"
"I want to be a teacher?"
"Why?"
"I want money!"
"Oh!"
Everyone watched and thought about it's good points. We focused especially on reacting and using gestures.

After the demonstration it was time for everyone to ask each other. Students tried to talk to people who they had not talked to before about this topic.
Nice eye contact!

Great smiles!

Good gestures!

Good job everyone!

In Tomilish Time the students have been practicing asking and answering the phrase "Do you like~?". This week the students gathered together in their grades to practice together before mixing with other grade levels in the coming weeks.

First the students reviewed the topics they will be asking about.
1st and 4th grade: colors
2nd and 5th grade: vegetables
3rd and 6th grade: sports
"What color is this?"
"Yellow!"
"Yes, that's right!"

After the teachers gave a demonstration of the conversation, it was time for the students to try themselves.
The students enjoyed talking to people from other classes.

They tried hard to use gestures.
"Do you like blue?"

"Yes, I do!"

They also worked hard the important points for making conversations.
Nice eye contact and smiles!

After the activity the teachers picked some students to give a good demonstration or ask the teachers "Do you like~?" questions.
"Clear voice, please!"

Good job everyone! We are looking forward to talking with students from other grades in the next Tomilish Time!

For the past few weeks class 6-1 have had a student teacher, Ms. Saori, studying together with them. Ms. Saori is very good at English so she has been teaching English classes. She taught the whole unit for Hi,friends!2 Lesson 8 `What do you want to be?`.
When she taught the names for different jobs she focused a lot on the correct pronunciation. The correct tongue position for the `er` sound at the end of words like `baker` was difficult for the students but they tried hard.

After the teachers gave a demonstration using the phrase `What do you want to be?`, Ms. Saori asked some students to give a demonstration, too.
Good job!

During this class we played the chain game. Students took turns in a group to ask and answer "What do you want to be?".
Everyone worked well together.

Good eye contact!

Nice gestures!

The chain game is a good activity to build confidence in groups before doing interview activities. It was a fun class!

Thank you Ms. Saori!
Good luck in the future!