1) Self introduction.
Make pairs and let them introduce themselves. They need to say: where they live ( city and prefecture), grade and school, favorite food (also the food they dislike), favorite subject ( also the subject they dislike), hobby, and any other information they want to add. Every time you change pairs, add a piece of information.
Change pairs 2 or 3 times.
2) Describe the object.
My students are already accustomed to do this, but you just need to try. They can do it. Show them a picture of any familiar object. Students do janken, and the winner starts. They have to explain what the object is. After that you can play with the grammar they have learned so far. Passive voice, comparatives, past tense, and any other information they want to add.
For example. I show them a picture of a kendama. The student has to say something like this:
- "This is a Kendama. Kendama is a japanese toy [This is so importan. I told them that they are all japanese, and that they know about it. However, a foreigner might not know what a kendama is. No matter what the picture is, they need to say what kind of item is]. It is played by many people in Japan. kendama is harder than Karta. I played it last weekend with my friends. I like playing Kendama."
- I always tell my students that it is OK to lie about the information they say. For example, when they say " I played kendama yesterday with my friends", maybe it isn't true. They got the idea that this is for practicing purpose only, and also for them to be spontaneous.
3) Situations.
I tell the students a specific situation, and they have to figure out what to say.
For example. "You are in Asakusa, and you wanna go to Shibuya to see the statue of Hachiko. However, you are lost, and need to find the way to Shibuya." As you know, they have already learned this grammar. "How can I go to Shibuya?"
Students will janken, and you can choose the roles. I've already made a rail map, so they can use it.
Another situation.
"You are in a restaurant eating, and you find a strand of hair in your food. What will you say?" They have learned "there is and there are", so they should solve this easily. The other person is the waiter who also needs to handle the situation as well.
- Don't feed them as they are babies. You can give them some words or tips, but let them try! Don't give them any scripts. This is the only way for them to be spontaneous. The only thing you need to do is to check that the kids understand the situation. Use clear pictures, and I'm sure they'll get it.
Very IMPORTANT
** Every time I change pairs, I choose a student to perform the activity we are doing at that moment. If they made any mistake, i tell them that it is absolutely ok. I ask the class if they can help that student. Someone will do it for sure. If not, you can correct the student.
Also, I always ask if there is something they can't say in English. My students are confortable now asking. This is a good thing, because normally they ask things that other students want to know too.
*** Of course, the result of doing these activities is not something you will see it in one class. I've been doing this for years, but believe me, it works! The importan thing is that you need to be constant. It is important that the JETs understand that even if you are not there, they can perform these activities as well. The goal is to make students speak using the grammar they have already learned.
I will attach some picts for you to get an idea of what I use.
Good luck, and hope your students improve their English skills.
Thank you for this! My JTEs never have the students speak English in class. As most other schools unfortunately do, they just focus on reading and writing. I hope I am able to encourage using an activity like this in class this year!
@Domdijock sometimes is hard for them to understand the importance to speak. Put them in context. The borders are open now, so kids are expose to foreigners again. The students will not be able to communicate with them at all. Start with 15 min only. Start with something very easy, so they can see the results right a way. Push little by little until you can use the whole lesson. Good Luck!
Thank you so much for the encouragement and advice to get started! I'll try my best little by little! :D