Classroom Skits… …Humour Us…

Koichi Sugino +

James Pashley Gyokuryo JHS

*Occasionally we are know as the Yakiniku Brothers….

（素適） すてき な ケーキ

Nice Cake

ステーキ ケーキ Steak Cake

Vs.

Today’s point! – Opportunity is every where!

We are not here to teach you to be funny… We think you already are, but maybe you just don’t know it yet….

We are going to talk about… Using Teacher Demonstrations… • As a tool to enhance student understanding. • To garner interest in English lessons. • To reduce teacher talk time, and increase student activity time.

Using Student Skits/ Role-plays… • To enhance English and Communication abilities. • To make English relevant and useful to students. • Students learn from and support each other. • Can aid you in assessing student understanding of information

through it’s subsequent application.

There is more information in the handbook… * Humour

is optional

A little humour can go a long way…

But it’s not all fun and games… Why skits?

• You need at least two people.

• You’ve taught students to read, reading is an individual activity, now work on their communication….

• They generate interaction, body language, expression, gestures, intonation and communication not easily found in the books….

• For many students, showing is key to understanding...

Shows mistakes are ok, We all make them….

A page of text is just letters, demonstrations bring English lessons to life!

If it’s fun, students will remember every one!

“It’s difficult for me to explain sumo. But it’s easy to understand if you see it.”

Helps limit teacher speaking time, demonstrating a point can be faster!

English

Reading aloud is not the same as communicating!

You can introduce (surreal) real life situations to the classroom…

A teachers skit is just a part of a lesson…. But what is involved?

• The skit demonstrates the key point or phrase in action.

• They form part of a work sheet , material is re-used in the rest of the lesson

• This may be translation, speaking, reading or writing exercises.

Joke or humour point to close skit

Key phrases or points

Set the scene, if the material is something familiar, like a popular

tv show, students are able to grasp the situation easily

ms?

A picture demonstrates the topic, so students can quickly focus on the language

being used

Student Skits… The benefits… Character creation and projection, think about other people and how they may act.

Real communication practice, remember

the New Horizon Home Stay Advice!

“You have to speak English here, but you

don’t have to speak perfect English.

Communication is important.”

Communication is more like

real world communication.

We converse using a topic

and responding to others.

Builds confidence

They create something themselves,

allowing individual expression.

Creativity! If we stifle the individuality and interests of students they will never enjoy English.

Once a plan is in place, the activity is much more than just English…

It’s student-centric!

• Motivation It’s fun! (Shhh.. It’s trick English) • Social Cohesion Bonding and shared experiences in learning. We Can Do It! • Personalisation Students can introduce their thoughts and interests • Group collaboration It involves team work to produce. • Communication Speak -Respond/ Act – React • Teacher Talk time is reduced Students English application and demonstration time is increased!

Easy to access information is all around, with a few tweaks,

it can be great… • The example dialogues

may seem ‘lame’… • But they have ready

made text or phrases to use.

• We can ‘un-lame’ them! • We can adapt the text or

situations to suit our lessons.

• Little changes make big differences….

• They are tools, just tools, not dark overlords from a distant galaxy…

• WE CAN DO IT!

Students making skits? …... Why bother?

Have their place….

But Skits….

It improves real communication skills,

remember the New Horizon Home Stay

Advice!

“You have to speak English here, but you

don’t have to speak perfect English.

Communication is important.”

By improvising dialogue

(within a framework,) the

communication is more like

real world communication. We

converse using a topic and

responding to others.

Character creation and projection can reduce the focus on students and allow them to ‘step out’ of their comfort zone.

Confidence is built by

speaking in front of

peers. Every one gets

nervous, but practice

helps...

They create something themselves, allowing individual expression.

Creativity! If we stifle the individuality and interests of students they will never enjoy English.

With practice, the students can become familiar with the creation lesson format and begin presenting their work within 1 class.

Yes, 1 Class!

Write the scripts after performing, the writing becomes a review exercise. Write scripts before and it becomes a reading and memorisation exercise, (this is not the intention.) It is not about reading or rote memorisation, it is about adapting language and responding to changes while communicating.

Once a system is set up, the teachers can demonstrate then support. Reducing their talk time. Students can demonstrate their understanding, ability and attainment levels. Teachers can lead, monitor, advise, assess, feedback and review material in subsequent lessons based on what they observe.

(Shhh… It’s a student led activity!)

IT’S FUN!

For example…. But… • Where is

everyone else?

• What if it isn’t Kevin’s father?

• What if there was a candle on the table…

• What if Sakura has allergies, and it’s too late?

Oh, hello! We have something new…

Kevin’s father is hosting Sakura for lunch…

Let’s try together!

Did you really leave home this morning planning to buy a Koala T-Shirt?

Our steps to beautiful skits…

Preparation - 1. Choose a sample text framework. 2. Discuss it, assign roles. 3. Semi-Improvise a skit in the class.

Humour is great! Repeat the key phrases.

4. Ask the students open ended questions. 5. Read the sample text you have chosen

with the students. (This is the minimum they can produce/ reproduce at presentation time.)

6. Explain the guidelines, get the students to form their own groups to work in.

3 : Advice time. Students can ask staff about their situations. Language questions, useful phrases and ways to extend the dialogue are ok.

7: Show Time

* Each Step is 5 Minutes, Show time is longer

Let’s see the steps in action…

• (video removed)

• C – Clear Voice!

• L – Look!

• A – Actions!

• S – Snappy come back!

• S – Smiles!

• Y – You tried hard!

“Stay Classy Kumamoto” What are we looking for? How can we assess the students? What do we want from it?

Let’s watch some…

• (video removed)

It’s your turn!

3 : Advice time. Students can ask staff about their situations. Language questions, useful phrases and ways to extend the dialogue are ok.

7: Show Time

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