1. TEFL 2 Applying Prior TEFL/TESL Knowledge to the Japanese Classroom
Angus Cawdell-Smith (2nd year ES/JHS JET)

2. If you’re in this room you have….
An online TELF/TESL certificate
Student teaching experience
An education degree
An undergraduate minor/certificate
Prior TEFL teaching experience
Check everyone is in the right room

3. On your role in the classroom
Elementary School
A large amount of freedom and responsibility to plan and execute lessons
Teachers will generally have very little or no English ability
Junior High School
JTE should be responsible for overall curriculum
Involvement in lessons varies greatly depending on JTE
Senior High School
First we will quickly run over your role within the classroom, as this will determine how you apply yourself and your prior experience to the job.
As you will have been told repeatedly during different orientations, “everybone’s experience is different”, however the role within the classroom will generally be quite consistent.
ES ALT’s generally have a lot of freedom to plan lessons, provide materials for lessons and run lesson. You will be working with homeroom teachers whose English ability and willingness to be involved in lessons will vary greatly.
Your role in JHS will vary from teacher to teacher. In some classes you will be an expensive tape recorder, in others you will be given a lot of responsibility in planning activities, team teaching lessons and even coordinating entire lessons. However, a JTE should always be in the room with you. In my experience the best approach is not to wait to be handed work or responsibilities but approach your JTE, be proactive and after you prove your value in the classroom they will be more willing to involve you in their lessons. Overall you need to respect that the JTE’s in JHS are under large amounts of pressure to have students perform in exams. This may in your opinion be to the benefit of students but it is a reality of working within the Japanese education system.

4. The PPP method
Generally considered the easiest method for new teachers to apply in classrooms
Large number of resources using this method are available online
Easily adaptable to ES, JHS and HS
Is usable at the micro-level
If you have a general TESL/TEFL Certificate you will likely either have heard of this method or had your training based around it.
While there are some limitations to this method, it is easy to implement in the classroom when you begin teaching, easily adaptable to different levels and reasonably flexible.
Probably the most useful aspect of the PPP method however is that it can be used as a way to structure an entire lesson, but also to structure and deliver an activity.

5. Presentation- the first step
Keep it simple
Keep it clear
Involve the JTE or HRT where possible
Involve the students in the presentation
Clarify & repeat if necessary
Silence does not equal understanding
During the presentation phase of your lesson, you need to present your students with the vocabulary, grammar, or language function that is the lessons target.
An effective presentation should be as simple as possible while effectively communicating the point and as clear as possible.
Try to involve your JTE or HRT in the presentation, for example through roleplay. Also involve students in the presentation, this serves the dual role of keeping them active in the lesson, while allowing you to gauge how to pace the lesson or activity as a whole and what needs to be focused on.
Make sure that at the end of your presentation you clarify with the students that they understand.
Remember, especially because this is Japan, silence does not equal understanding.

6. Practice- giving students the tools for language use
Provide a clear, simple way for your students to practice the new material
Allow sufficient time for them to become comfortable with the material
Clarify & repeat if necessary
Go back a step if necessary
SILENCE DOES NOT EQUAL UNDERSTANDING
The practice stage of the lesson or activity is a controlled way of having the students practice the new material.
This can be anything from simple low pressure games for older students where they are provided with everything they need to practice the material in a controlled way, to energetic games like karuta or fruits basket if you’re teaching younger students.
It’s important to allow the students sufficient time during the practice stage, as it will allow them to become more comfortable and confident with the material before moving on to the final stage.
Try to monitor all the students and ensure that at the end of the practice phase they have grasped the material firmly.
Again, clarify and repeat where necessary, go back to the presentation if you need to and silence does not equal understanding.

7. Production- using the tools
Challenge your students
Try to simulate real life situations
Try to monitor every student
Clarify & repeat if necessary
Go back a step if necessary
SILENCE DOES NOT EQUAL UNDERSTANDING!!!!!
The production phase should be the most challenging aspect of the lesson.
This is where your students will hopefully bring together the earlier elements of the lesson to produce language in a more spontaneous and meaningful way.
It is especially helpful to structure the production phase of the lesson around real life, useable situations as it lends meaning and purpose to what the students are learning.
Here it is very important to monitor the students, as it is the most challenging phase some will struggle so try to pinpoint which students need extra help.
For the last time, clarify and repeat the process if necessary, go back to an earlier step if necessary and of course silence does not equal understanding!

8. Things to consider before planning a lesson
Target group (class size, age, ability)
The character of your students (naughty/quiet/shy students?)
The English level and willingness of your JTE/HRT to be involved in your lessons/activities
Before you plan a lesson or activity you first have to consider the target group. Their age, class size and their English ability will change how you structure each part of your lesson or activity.
Also, be careful to consider the character of you students. Do you have trouble makers who will be disruptive during certain activities? If you have quiet or shy students will they be overwhelmed by activities that require them to be singled out or too independent?
Also think about your JTE or HRT, an involved JTE or HRT can make a huge difference to the success of a lesson.
Try to tailor your lesson to the individual class and teacher. Unfortunately a lesson that might work wonderfully in first period might be an absolute disaster in fifth period at the same school.
Learning these things about your classes will take time and there will be a steep learning curve while you comes to grip with all these factors, but once you get to know your students and teachers planning lessons will become a lot easier.

9. Be flexible Have a backup plan If something isn’t working, change it
Have a range of activities in reserve
Flexibility is key in the classroom because while you might have the best plan imaginable, things are sure to go wrong at some stage or another.
So always have a backup plan, or a different way of delivering your lesson, this will mean you won’t end up in a situation where you’re lesson shuts down completely, even if it is a little rocky.
If something in the lesson isn’t working properly, change it as quickly as possible.
I also highly recommend going in to a lesson with either a range of activities in reserve, or a range of ways of using the materials you have, so you can keep the ball rolling.
I’ve had instances where a lesson that took an entire 45 minutes beautifully with one class, was over in 20 minutes with another class, having extra materials and materials for review of earlier points made all the difference here.

10. Take it slow Don’t expect students to instantly understand things
Don’t expect yourself to instantly be an amazing teacher
Don’t try too hard to stick to your time plans for a lesson, if you’re overly concerned with time then in all likelihood you will rush through materials and not actually have your students learn anything. You can’t expect your students to instantly understand what you are trying to teach them.
Via the same token, you can’t expect yourself to be an excellent teacher the first time you walk in to a class. This will be a learning process for you just as much as it is for your students.

11. Make English fun If it’s fun, your students will WANT to learn
This doesn’t need explaining, if your lesson are fun, your students will actually want to come and learn.

12. Keep trying new things Learn from your mistakes
Build on your successes
Keep trying to find new and fun ways to engage your students
Continuously try new things.
There will be plenty of mishaps, especially early on, but if you keep calm and continue to attempt new ways of doing things, you can only improve.

13. Be genki!
If you aren’t energetic, involved and engaged, you can’t expect your students to be
If you’re dead on your feet your students will be dead in their seats.

14. Be good to your students
You will likely be your students most intimate point of contact with foreigners
You will be a large part in forming their opinions on foreigners
Never hold a grudge against a students
On a final note, please be good to your students.
You will likely be their point of reference for foreigners and this will go a long way to forming their attitudes well beyond your time as their English teacher.
Kindness can make all the difference to your students, whether they are fluent in English or can’t even remember how to say good morning.
This should also go without saying, do not hold grudges against your students. You don’t know about their personal lives or what they might be going through on any given day. Start each day as a new one and show your students kindness and respect, regardless of their behavior.

15. Question time!