特色プロジェクト

Entrance Ceremony:

Our Entrance Ceremony was on April 7th. It was a special time to welcome the 1st year students to our school for the first time and not only introduce ourselves and the school to them, but for them to introduce themselves to us. As it was only my second day as a teacher at Shoto Junior High School myself, I shared some of the excitement and nervousness that the 1st year students must have been feeling. The special nature of the school's English program was present right from the beginning of students' school life with the Entrance Ceremony proceedings being led in both English and Japanese. 1st year students were quick to listen to the English instructions and react accordingly, carrying the formal atmosphere of the occasion through the English and Japanese. It has been two months since then and the use of English in school life and familiarity between teachers and students continue to grow from that first introduction.

Morning Announcements:

Tuesdays through Fridays start the school day with Morning Announcements. On these days, the beginning of homeroom for 2nd and 3rd year classes is in English. Preparation for these announcements is a team effort by the English teachers. First, the most important announcements are identified for sharing in English. Next, teachers translate them from Japanese to English. Lastly, the translations will be reviewed, both to simplify content to help students' understanding, and to make the announcements more natural in English. This last step of naturalness is often the most difficult, yet important part of the process. 

Is it better to use the Japanese name for nouns or create an English translation? Should translations follow the Japanese closely, even if it might sound strange or not be well understood by English speakers, or should translations be looser to better match English and global culture? These questions, and more, are what English teachers try hard to answer each day before sharing the finished announcements with students. One of the main goals for these morning announcements and opportunity for students is to experience this natural language and communication around events students should be familiar with in their day-to-day lives. As a first step, I hope that students make the effort to listen closely to these announcements and to try to understand their contents without the need for Japanese, both through individual efforts and supporting each other to understand. Over time, I hope that students will also take the next step to challenge trying to identify these differences in languages and cultures as they come up in the natural communication of these morning announcements.

Morning Lessons:

Tuesdays through Fridays mark another exciting addition to the school schedule, the Morning Lesson. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students have the opportunity to enjoy and learn from these Morning Lessons from 8:30 AM to 8:45 AM. The Morning Lessons have been my first chance to study English together with students outside of regular lessons consistently. Languages and communication are skills to me, similar to students' club activities like the basketball club or the brass band. In this way, the regular lessons are often like a practice, with the Morning Lessons being a match or a performance. I've enjoyed seeing students put the English they know to use and focusing on producing communication outside of the typical lesson environment. Being a lead teacher for the 1st year students, it took some extra support to help students adjust to the English-only, output-focused nature at first, but they are now quite enthusiastic in participating and using the English they know in confidence. It has also been noticeable that students are less nervous and self-conscious in this different environment for English study.

This unique environment and focus is not the only benefit. The Morning Lessons provide a flexibility which allows greater English study. There have already been chances to use activities to support students' weak points, reviewing language students had difficulty with during lessons and providing extra practice for more challenging grammar points. Students could also expand their English knowledge, introducing new words and phrases that naturally fit with what they are studying, but due to time and space aren't included in the textbook or regular lessons. The Morning Lessons also provide a chance to introduce more culture connected to the language. I am looking forward to creating special morning lessons that include holidays, global events, and culture as they come up on the calendar to share with students along with the English communication we already do together in the mornings at Shoto Junior High School.

At Shoto Junior High School, students have many chances to use English outside the English classroom. Through daily activities such as school lunch, cleaning time, and music lessons, students can talk with Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in a natural and enjoyable way. These experiences help students become more confident and comfortable using English every day. 

School Lunch

School lunch is a special time at Shoto Junior High School. Every day, teachers and ALTs eat lunch with the students. The ALTs rotate between different classes, giving students the chance to meet and talk with different teachers throughout the week.

During lunch, students and ALTs have friendly conversations about many topics. They talk about their favorite foods, the ingredients in the meals, foods from different countries, hobbies, and daily life. Students are encouraged to use English as much as possible, and they quickly learn that making mistakes is okay when communicating.

These lunchtime conversations help students build confidence in speaking English. They also help students get to know their teachers and ALTs better, creating a warm and welcoming school environment. 

Cleaning Time

Cleaning time is an important part of school life at Shoto Junior High School. Students work together to keep their school clean and tidy. ALTs are assigned to different groups of students and help clean as well as supervise the assigned areas, such as the Music Room, Art Room, Science Room, English Room, and other school facilities.

At the beginning of cleaning time, students come to the teachers' room to ask the ALT assigned to their group to join them for cleaning. Students often use English expressions such as, “Excuse me, Ms. Amaka. It's cleaning time. Can you help us? Similar conversations take place with Ms. Maggie, Mr. Harry, and Mr. Ray.

During cleaning, ALTs clean alongside the students, give simple instructions in English, and encourage students to communicate in English. Students learn useful phrases while working together, making English a natural part of their daily routine.

This activity not only teaches responsibility and teamwork but also helps students become more confident when speaking English in real-life situations. 

Music

Music lessons provide another excellent opportunity for students to use English. An ALT is assigned to assist in music classes and teaches part of the lesson in English.

Students listen to instructions, learn musical terms, and participate in activities while using English. Having an ALT in the classroom gives students more opportunities to hear natural English from a native speaker and use English in a different subject area.

The ALT also encourages students during the lesson, helping them feel comfortable and motivated to participate. Through music, students can enjoy learning while gaining valuable English experience. 

At Shoto Junior High School, English learning is not limited to English class. Whether students are enjoying lunch, cleaning the school, or taking part in music lessons, they have many opportunities to communicate with ALTs and use English in meaningful ways.

These daily experiences help students improve their communication skills, build confidence, and develop positive relationships with teachers and classmates. By using English throughout the school day, students at Shoto Junior High School can learn naturally while having fun and making lasting memories.