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Things to Bring for Class
Scott Cameron, ALT
Kitakami City, 1992-94
The following list has been quite useful for me, but what you use will depend on your personal teaching style, the interest of your teachers and the level of your school(s).
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Maps of your country
and region.
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Pictures of your junior
high and high school, your neighborhood, family, teenagers, etc. The simplest
things, like a mailbox or the inside of your refrigerator, can stimulate
conversations. Slides are also effective but not as convenient.
-
Home-made videos of your
town, your house, your school, your dog; and English-language commercials,
sitcoms, newscasts, etc. ANY video will be appreciated more than you can
imagine. (Note: North American video systems are compatible with
Japan, but European systems aren't.)
-
Koosh balls (a hand-size
ball made of colorful rubber strings). I used it every day in class as
a means of calling on students, playing games, etc. It's harmless and
strange, and my students had never seen anything like it. It's been my
most valued tool. Many toy stores sell them for about US $6 each.
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Local newspapers.
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High school or junior high
yearbooks (and if your school made one, a video yearbook).
-
Currency, including coins.
Fake money (Monopoly money) is also a good idea for teaching about counting
and shopping. But real money can be used as a spring-board for explaining
history, symbols, etc. One cent coins (or their equivalent) make cheap
prizes for students.
-
An almanac and/or other
material about Western culture and history.
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Teen magazines, car magazines,
etc.
-
High school textbooks.
Teachers and students will be especially interested in seeing your country's
history and foreign language texts.
-
A good dictionary and English
grammar guide. Many of the questions you'll be asked deal with nuance;
you may be able to say which verb form is correct, but not WHY it's correct.
-
Music. Folk songs and
ballads are good tools for teaching vocabulary and grammar (e.g., the
Carpenters' "Top of the World" for prepositions). I found my
Mom's record collection quite helpful.
-
Holiday items: music
(e.g., Christmas carols), Halloween masks, costumes, decorations, etc.
(You may want to bring or have sent some to get your apartment in the
holiday mood, as well.)
-
Disguises. A little creativity
can make the class much more interesting. Things like fake eyeglasses,
wigs, fake moustaches, hats, puppets and anything else that can be adapted
to many different lessons will probably keep the students--and you--enthusiastic.
- Posters of your home country to use in class or to decorate the Language Lab(s).