Communicating and Teaching Modern Japanese Culture to Foreigners in English
Instructor:
Jerome Martin
03 6666 5849
090 70113455
Course description:
This course will start by exploring a wide range of modern Japanese cultural subjects that students might wish to teach foreigners in English. It will follow on by investigating the various teaching methodologies including types of pedagogies available to teachers and question just how appropriate their different applications are in relation to the students’ chosen subjects. By also looking at possible classroom supplements and aids, students will then be encouraged to anticipate their own classroom dynamics and lesson outcomes. Particularly, students will be assisted in creating lesson plans and offered the opportunity of having a direct hands-on practice at teaching their own content-based lessons. However, as the title of this seminar suggests and what is central to this course, we will therefore continually address any problems students may encounter in trying to communicate effectively in English to their own learners (real or imagined). Please note: Students who really have a desire to teach traditional Japanese culture in this course may also do so.
Specific course goals:
1) Communicating and teaching effectively in English (applying all core English skills).
2) Participating in an authentic (English speaking) community of teachers.
3) Extensive peer learning and the joint negotiation of meanings.
4) Applied critical thinking to problems.
5) Developing presentation skills.
6) Deepening ones own knowledge on a subject matter and ‘going meta’ (reflective thinker).
Course Teaching Schedule:
Block 1 Weeks 1-2
We shall begin the course by asking, how do we as teachers teach something to anybody? What can be taught? And, what is it like to teach? For answers, we will start to investigate the subject matter that is to be taught, the role of teachers in relation to their students and the learning classroom environment. In particular, we will be look at various teaching methodologies, pedagogies and classroom dynamics.
Block 2 Weeks 3-5
In this block, we start by focusing on lesson plans and students will be offered a chance to design and teach a short 10-minute introductory lesson. After which, there will be group feedback paying specific attention on communicative skills and any other problems that students may have encountered. We will also look at the possibilities of changing methodologies and altering pedagogies. Other teaching examples and sources may also be drawn upon for help. The course will then shift to diverse teaching subject matters such as cultural differences especially with regard to teacher talk. Other topics for investigation will include teacher-centered versus student-centered lessons and gender awareness.
Block 3 Weeks 6-9
In Block 3, the students will design and teach their second lesson (20 minutes). This time, the lessons will be filmed. Once more, there will be classroom feedback (especially on classroom dynamics) and students will be encouraged to contribute useful critical analysis of their co-students’ lessons. The course will then significantly branch out. We will first look at how to create and design supplementary teaching materials that may be used in lessons. Afterwards, briefly students will be guided in how to construct their own course syllabus and the relevance in the use of textbooks and other possible materials.
Block 4 Weeks 10-13
In this final block, students plan and teach (possibly in pairs) their last lesson which should be around 30 minutes long depending upon the subject matter. Again, feedback will be offered. As the course ends, we will look at how we as teachers might develop our practice further and what routes in teaching we might wish to pursue in the future. All teachers will receive teaching certificates upon completion of the course.
Activities:
This course will offer a wide range of activities. Aside from creating and presenting lessons to other students, there will be access to various tools that may facilitate teacher development such as the use of computers and videos. The seminars will encourage plenty of pair and group work as well as feedback sessions. There will be no single recommended textbook. Instead, examples will be given in video and photocopied text formats.
Requirements:
Attendance is required as is participation in all the activities. There will be a couple of assignments given based on the course work.
Grading
Attendance – 20%
Assignments – 20%
Participation – 20%
Lessons Taught – 40% (5% + 15% + 20%)
Communicating and The Teaching of Traditional Japanese Culture to Foreigners in English
Instructor:
Jerome Martin
03 6666 5849
090 70113455
Course description:
Even though this course is designed as a continuation of the previous semester’s course, new students are more than welcomed to join in. While allowing those new students to quickly come to terms with the various methodologies available to teachers and experiencing themselves first hand teaching in a classroom environment, the other students from the last term will offer the necessary peer support and feedback in order to gain a better meta-cognitive awareness of teaching. After which, we will investigate the wide range of traditional Japanese cultural subjects that students might wish to teach foreigners in English. The focus this time will be less on teaching pedagogical styles (though still important) but rather more on the development of an appropriate course curriculum centered on the teaching of traditional Japanese cultures. In this context, we will explore in greater depth lesson plans, the creation of possible teaching aids and syllabus construction with its application. Please note: Students who really have a desire to teach modern Japanese culture in this course may also do so.
Specific course goals:
1) Communicating and teaching effectively in English (applying all core English skills).
2) Participating in an authentic (English speaking) community of teachers.
3) Extensive peer learning and the joint negotiation of meanings.
4) Applied critical thinking to problems.
5) Developing presentation skills.
6) Deepening ones own knowledge on a subject matter and ‘going meta’ (reflective thinker).
Course Teaching Schedule:
Block 1 Weeks 1-3
We start with a quick recap of what teaching is. Here, new students will experience first hand teaching basic lessons. In order to gain greater meta-cognitive skills of their own teaching abilities, the students from the previous term will monitor and offer valuable peer feedback to the new students.
Block 2 Weeks 4-8
In this block, we start to plan and teach lessons based on traditional Japanese cultures. A feedback session will be given at the end of these lessons. Here, any problems students might have had can be identified and rectified. External teaching examples may be shown as a further source of guidance for students.
Block 3 Weeks 9-13
Offering the chance to teach a second traditional Japanese culture lesson, time will also be set aside for the students to explore ways to develop their chosen teaching themes into a viable syllabus complete with additional teaching materials and aids. Sufficient assistance will naturally be provided to help those be created and developed.
Block 4 Week 14
In this final lesson, we will look at teaching career possibilities in and outside of Japan plus ways to gain a professional qualification in this subject matter if students so desire one. All teachers will receive teaching certificates upon completion of the course.
Activities:
This course will offer a wide range of activities. Aside from creating and presenting lessons to other students, there will be access to various tools that may facilitate teacher development such as the use of computers and videos. The seminars will encourage plenty of pair and group work as well as feedback sessions. There will be no single recommended textbook. Instead, examples will be given in video and photocopied text formats.
Requirements:
Attendance is required as is participation in all the activities. There will be a couple of assignments given based on the course work.
Grading:
Attendance – 20%
Assignments – 20%
Participation – 20%
Lessons Taught – 40% (5% + 15% + 20%)
