Archived from Englipedia.
Originally submitted by Joyce P. Le on Jan 21, 2011.
Detailed Explanation:
- After students are familiar with the target sentences, go over the station/street names and places to make sure students can read them.
- Role play with the JTE: The JTE will be Currypanman and the ALT will be Daffy Duck. Once the JTE understands the directions, s/he will draw it on the map provided. The map is divided into three sections: train stations, street names and places at the top. All the directions start with taking a train to XXX station.
- Do 1-2 examples with the students as a listening exercise and to make sure students know how to draw the map.
The Activity: (choose one that works for the class)
GAME ONE: WHISPER DOWN THE ALLEY:
- Place an A4 size map on the first students’ desks. Have the last student from each row go out of the room. The last students from the odd-numbered of rows will listen to the ALT’s directions and the even-numbered rows will listen to the JTE to avoid students eavesdropping. Students are not allowed to take notes so teachers should make sure that the directions are simple and direct. After students receive the directions, have the students repeat the directions in their own words to ensure understanding. To avoid students cheating, make sure the JTE and ALT do not give directions to the same place.
- When everyone is ready, go back in the classroom and they should whisper the directions to the student in front of them. The first students from each row will listen to the directions and draw on the map. Then take the map to the ALT and tell the ALT how to get to XXX place according to the map.
- The students who draw and go to the ALT will go to the back of the row and become the last student. Everyone else just move up a seat. Then the process repeats again.
- How to take scores depends on the teachers, but points should only be rewarded to students who get the directions correctly.
- This is good for listening and understanding. It also keeps students motivated but they don’t practice the target sentences as much. Good thing about this activity is that the last students will receive the directions in English and whisper it to the students in front (hopefully in English but even if it is in Japanese, it will show how much the students understand) and then the first students will tell the ALT the directions in English. The real challenge lays on the first and the last students.
GAME TWO: GROUP JANKEN
- In groups of four, students will work together to find all the directions. Each group gets a large map. Students take turn asking for directions. Only one student at a time from each group may go to the teachers for directions.
- Divide the directions among the JTE and ALT. Students need to go to the JTE or ALT and ask for directions to a certain place. If the JTE doesn’t have the directions to a place student asks for, then the student needs to return to the group and the next student in line will go to the ALT for the directions (and vice versa).
- Students will listen and remember the directions, return to the group and share the answer. Another student from the group will draw the map. Then the student who draws the map will go to the teacher for another set of directions.
- This is good for speaking practice because students will be practicing the target sentences every time they go to the teachers for directions. Even though the rule is for students to take turns going to the teachers for directions, there is no way to ensure students are really taking turns.
Teaching Suggestions:
- You can consider changing San Francisco places to places that are famous in your city. This will be a good opportunity for students to get introduced to famous places in their ALT's city.
Tips/Cautions:
- Take notes that the SF directions are created to help students accomplish the task easier, they are not the 'real' directions.
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