issn 2185 7822volume 4, issue 3

さいたま市教育家会ジャ

ナル

I

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

さいたま市教育家会ジャーナル

The

Journal of Saitama City Educators (JSCE)

A さいたま市教育家会 (SCE) Publication

Published in Saitama City, Japan

ISSN: 2185-7822

Volume 4, Issue 3

June 2014

Editor: John Finucane

Issue Editor: John Finucane

Translator: Brad Semans

Proofreading: Allison Imamura

Layout: John Finucane

Find out more at:

http://www.SaitamaCityEducators.org

Foreword

This issue of JSCE has two main themes.

The first is advice. John Finucane’s arti-

cle focuses on the private sector in Japan,

while Jennifer Low’s article explores the

many different models of co-teaching an

ALT may encounter in any classroom.

Both articles give practical advice to

teachers on how to understand the school

and classroom system and then how to

use that understanding to improve rela-

tions with school authorities and JTEs.

The second theme running through this

issue is: activity/lesson revamping. Allison

Imamura gives us a model for changing

up how presentations are done by giv-

ing them a communicative element. Faye

Quin offers an adaptable journal model

that can help motivate students to use

English and interact with the ALT.

Finally, Daniel Worden tells us about

extensive reading and the benifits of

using this model in a language classroom

to improve students reading speed and

confidence. With these two themes, this

issue will benefit those who are trying to

understand their situation at their school

or searching for new ideas to reinvent and

reinvigorate lessons.

Contents

John Finucane

Some Practical Advice on Working in

the Private Sector for Native English

Language Teachers

Page 1

Allison Imamura

Communicative Presentations

Page 7

Jennifer Low

Co-Teaching Perspectives

Page 12

Faye Quin

Using a ‘ journal’ style activity

with EFL learners

Page 21

Daniel Worden

An Introduction to Extensive Reading

Page 26

ジョン・ファヌカン

私立学校で英語を教える教師への実践的なアド

バイス

今村・アリソン

双方向コミュニケーション形式のプレゼンテーシ

ョン

ジェニファー・ロウ

コーティーチングにという観点

フェイ・クイン

英語学習者との日誌様式活動の使い方

ダニエル・ウォーデン

多読入門

1 2

John Finucane - Private SectorSome Practical Advice on Working in the Private Sector for Native English Language Teachers

John Finucane

Abstract

This article explains some of the expec-

tations that private schools have of their

teachers and some of the specific chal-

lenges for native English teachers. This

advice is intended to help a new or expe-

rienced teacher, at a private school, prove

her value to her employers, so as to earn

a tenured position.

要約

この記事では、私立学校が教師に期待しているこ

とやネイティブの英語教師が直面する特有の問

題について説明する。私立学校で働く新任または

ベテランの教師が雇用側に自分の価値を示して

保証された教師になるためのアドバイスである。

About

John Finucane is an EFL Professional.

He is the co-founder of さいたま市教育家会

and Editor of さいたま市教育家会ジャーナル.

His interests are writing, teacher training,

event planning, debate, critical thinking

and grahic design. Find out more at:

http://wwww.john-finucane.com

Public Versus Private

As a native English language teacher

working in the private school industry, I

find the scope and variety of my respon-

sibilities the biggest difference from my

experience in the public school system. I

am a sub-homeroom teacher, a club advi-

sor, a salesman, an organiser, a greeter, a

cleaner; I also teach. As flippant as that

characterisation of my teaching responsi-

bilities sounds, I find curriculum design,

assessment, lesson planning, teaching,

classroom management and disciple a

relentless, though enjoyable, task.

Malcolm Gladwell defines a satisfying job

as one in which you control how you work,

your work is intellectually stimulating

and there is a clear connection between

effort and reward. The challenge for a

new teacher in the private school indus-

try, is how to balance the expectations of

your employers, with your responsibili-

ties to students, while maintaining your

job satisfaction.

This article will describe some of the

expectations that private schools have

of their teachers and some of the chal-

lenges specific to native English lan-

guage teachers. This advice is intended

to help a new teacher at a private school

prove her value to her employers, so as to

earn a tenured position.

Expectations

There is a basic business model that

every private school teacher should be

aware of. There are three pillars: recruit-

ment, success with clubs and university

entrance. Every private school also occu-

pies, or aspires to occupy, a niche. Your

value to your employer is proportionate to

your contribution in these areas.

3 4

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3 John Finucane - Private Sector

As a native English language teacher,

your main contribution to recruitment

will come through open days. Your per-

formance will be under scrutiny and you

will be expected to impress. Maintaining

a high standard in your day to day classes

is the best way to prepare for these events.

You may be expected to scout talented stu-

dents, at junior high school level compe-

titions, for your institution’s high school

program. You may also visit local elemen-

tary schools as part of the more general

recruitment drive. Employees who can

actively recruit students will be valued by

their institution.

Success with clubs both attracts students

to a school and boosts their chances of a

successful university application. English

language teachers are in a privileged

position of having specialist knowledge in

a club context with unparalleled opportu-

nities for achievement. There are oppor-

tunities to compete in speech, debate and

writing competitions. Unlike sports clubs,

members can also compete online. Access

to English club students also allows a club

advisor to experiment with content, mate-

rials and techniques in a much more for-

giving environment than a classroom.

Employees who can successfully coach a

club will be valued by their institution.

Fundamentally, the service that a private

school provides is a micro-management of

a student’s school career with the goal of

getting her into the most prestigious uni-

versity possible. There are several avenues

to university entrance. Which is taken,

depends on a student’s goals and abili-

ties, but also to an extent, the strategies

being used on behalf of other students in

her cohort. Each school has it’s special-

ists in this process. English teachers who

can effectively coach students for EIKEN,

Centre Listening and university inter-

views will be valued by their institution.

Challenges

Some students do not attend school reg-

ularly. Often one or two in any class. The

reasons for this vary but many students

simply have sad home lives. It is beyond

the control of a subject teacher to change

this situation, rather they must adapt.

Private school students have paid for their

place and there is an expectation that

they will pass your course regardless of

their attendance record. No school wants

a reputation for low standards, so fudging

the figures is not an acceptable practice.

You will also need to to maintain an aver-

age grade, typically 65% for a standard

level class. The goal is to design a curricu-

lum that students who do not attend regu-

larly can pass and is still challenging to

more able students.

As mentioned above employees who can

attract students will be valued by their

institution. Some of your colleagues will

be very active in the recruitment process.

This will include school visits and build-

ing relationships with local juku own-

ers and potential feeder schools. Many

Japanese teachers of English are given

team teaching classes with the expecta-

tion that the native teacher will support

them by assuming the burden of plan-

ning and delivering lessons. The goal is to

plan lessons that take advantage of hav-

ing two teachers in the classroom, while

not depending on it, or being difficult or

complicated for your team teaching part-

ner to understand and participate in.

Administrators like part time teachers

for reasons of flexibility and cost; they

like to recruit through agencies for rea-

sons of convenience and liability. Some

of your colleagues will be juggling sev-

eral jobs at different institutions. Some

will be over 60 and working to supple-

ment their incomes. Some will be newly

qualified teachers with little experience.

Sometimes teachers in these kinds of

5 6

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3

situations are given team teaching classes

with the expectation that the native

teacher will support them by assuming

the burden of planning and delivering

lessons. The goal is to plan lessons that

take advantage of having two teachers in

the classroom, wile not being difficult or

complicated for your team teaching part-

ner, to understand and participate in.

As mentioned above, employees who can

build relationships with local juku own-

ers and schools will be valued by their

institution. A native language teacher

would be well advised to build and main-

tain a professional network of her own.

Wether through social media, or mem-

bership in professional organisations,

these networks are part of the value you

bring to your institution. They can be a

source of advice, ideas or potential part-

ners for collaboration.

Advice

Job satisfaction in the Japanese private

education sector is achievable. The key

is understanding what your employers

value and making a conscious effort to

be the kind of employee they want. Be

active in recruitment, contribute to club

activities and support your students in

entering the best university they can.

References

Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: the story of success. New York: Little, Brown and Co..

7 8

Communicative Presentations

Allison Imamura

Abstract

This article will explore the idea of trans-

forming presentations into a communica-

tive activity. It will discuss the meaning of

“communicative” and the criteria for an

activity to be considered communicative

and introduce an example of a presenta-

tion which meets those criteria.

要約

この記事では、プレゼンテーションを双方向のコ

ミュニケーション形式に発展させる方法について

紹介する。「双方向コミュニケーション」の意味

や、双方向コミュニケーションを行っているとい

える基準を示し、この基準を満たすプレゼンテー

ションの実例を紹介する。

About

Allison Imamura is an Assistant Language

Teacher (ALT) at Seibudai High School.

She teaches large groups of students with

a wide range of English ability and is inter-

ested in creating activities that can be eas-

ily adjusted and used for all levels.  Because

of the large numbers in each class, she is

always searching for ways to get all students

involved and interested in lessons.

Most teachers use presentations in their

lessons. Presentations are good because

they get students up in front of their peers,

reading something they wrote, or telling

the class something they have memorized.

But, the problem with presentations is that

they aren’t very communicative. Students,

who are supposed to be listening during

the presentations, have the high potential

to zone out. Even if they are given a listen-

ing sheet, where they must write in some

information from each presentation,

there is still a lack of active communica-

tion going on. One person is talking and

everyone else is listening.

In order to make presentations more

communicative, we need to better under-

stand what “communicative” means. An

activity can only be communicative if it

requires two or more people, if all partici-

pants are receiving and sending informa-

tion to and from each other, and if that

information is being sent and received by

comprehending and then producing the

target language (Canale, 1983). In the

article “A Framework for Assessing the

Communicative Potential of Language

Learning Activities” by Leander S. Hughes,

we are given ten questions that can be

used to assess the communicativeness of

an activity. The first four questions are

particularly helpful and are as follows:

“1. Does the activity involve two or more

participants? 2. Do all of the participants

both send information to and receive

information from each other in the target

language? 3. When participants receive

information, do they have to compre-

hend that information in the target lan-

guage in order to successfully complete

the activity? 4. When participants send

information, do they have to comprehend

and produce that information in the tar-

get language in order to successfully com-

plete the activity?” (Hughes, 2008) Based

on the definition of “communicative” and

Allison Imamura - Presentations

9 10

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3 Allison Imamura - Presentations

these questions, communicative presenta-

tions were created.

Communicative presentations aim to get

all students involved in the presentation

process. The basic idea is to have students

respond to the previous speaker within

their own presentation. In order to keep

students listening, the order of presenta-

tions should be random so no one knows

exactly when they will present. Typically,

students will receive and complete a work-

sheet with the target language being cov-

ered at the time. Before the presentations,

a few minutes should be devoted to either

choral or individual practice.

An example communicative presentation

is “Job Presentations”. Prior to receiving

the presentation worksheet, students are

given job type cards and participate in a

pre-presentation activity. Students work in

pairs using the following dialogue:

A: What job do you have?

B: I have ~. What job do you have?

A: I have ~. Want to swap?

B: Yes/No.

After completing the dialogue they will

switch pairs. The purpose of doing this

activity before the presentations is to get

students thinking about different job

types and which jobs they would or would

not like to have. Once the activity is over,

each student should have one card. The

job type on the card is what they will write

about. Students are then given a work-

sheet with the following pattern:

Hello. I think ~ is the best job for me

because ~ For example ~

You said ~ is the best job because ~

That’s true but I think ~ is a bad job for

me because ~

So I think ~ is the best job for me.

Thank you for listening.

The key to this presentation is the section

beginning with “You said ~”. This turns a

presentation into communicative presen-

tation because students can not complete

this section until after they have heard the

presentation before them. Here they are

receiving information in the target lan-

guage and comprehending it by repeat-

ing what job type the person before them

had. Then they are sending information

about why that job is not good for them

in the target language. In order to come

up with something to say at this point in

the presentation they have to be able to

adequately comprehend and produce the

target language.

With the framework that Hughes presents

for assessing communicativeness as well as

the basic idea of communicative presen-

tations, presentations which are already

being used in class can be adjusted to

become more communicative.

11 12

References

Canale, M. (1983). From communicative competence to communicative language pedagogy.

In J. Richards & R. Schmidt (Eds.), Language and communication. London: Longman.

Hughes, Leander S. “A Framework for Assessing the Communicative Potential of Language

Activities.” The Saitama Journal of Language Teaching 1.1 (2008): 19-29.

http://saitamajalt.weebly.com/saitama-journal-of-language-teaching.html. Web. 27 June 2014.

Co-Teaching Perspectives

Jennifer Low

Abstract

Out of the many different models of co-

teaching team-teaching garners the most

attention. Co-teaching is defined as 2 or

more qualified instructors who jointly

deliver instruction to a class. Team-

teaching involves two teachers equally

sharing all planning, implementation, and

assessment duties as well as sharing the

limelight in the classroom. Team-teaching

is one of six different models of co-teaching

According to Purposeful Co-Teaching,

the ultimate goal of Co-teaching is team-

teaching. This model requires the most

time, energy, and willingness from both

teachers involved in order to be successful.

Different personalities, student prefer-

ences, lesson plans and curriculum needs

also play a role when choosing an appro-

priate model. Due to this reality many co-

teaching relationships tend to take the

form of other models. If both teachers are

not able to fully commit to the require-

ments of team-teaching then a different

model may achieve better results.

In this paper I will discuss the various mod-

els I have experienced as an ALT in Japan

and give some suggestions of how each may

be implemented in a high school English

classroom. Each model has its own unique

benefits and drawbacks. Co-teaching

models are divided in to two categories:

observational and collaborative.

13 14

Jennifer Low - Co teaching

要約

様々なコーティーチングモデルの中でチームティ

ーチングは一番注目を浴びているモデルである。

コーティーチングは２人以上の教師が一緒に授

業を行うことである。チームティーチングでは、２

人の教師が授業の計画、授業の実施、生徒の評

価において均等に役割を担う。チームティーチン

グはコーティーチングにおける６つのモデルの１

つである。「Purposeful Co-Teaching」によ

ると、チームティーチングはコーティーチングに

おける究極の目標である。このモデルを成功させ

るためには、他のモデルより教師２人の手間がか

かる。適切なコーティーチングモデルを選ぶ時に

は、教師の性格、生徒の好み、授業計画とカリキ

ュラムを考量しなければならない。そのため、現

実的にはコーティーチングは他のモデルを取り入

れる傾向にある。両方の教師がチームティーチン

グに対して全力を注げないなら、他のモデルを選

んだ方がより良い結果が得られるだろう。

この記事では日本で体験した様々なモデルを紹

介し、それらのモデルがどのように高校英語の授

業に実践できるかを提案する。各モデルは固有の

メリットとデメリットがある。コーティーチングは

観測と協力的の２つに分類される。

About

Jennifer Low is a licensed teacher in the

U.S. (Secondary English,) and has  been

an ALT in Saitama Prefecture, Japan for

three years.  She has taught in elementary,

junior, and senior high schools at a variety

of foreign language proficiency levels in

both countries.  She has also presented

workshops for native and international

educators at skill development confer-

ences and orientations sponsored by the

Saitama Prefectural Board of Education. 

Jennifer loves traveling, experiencing the

world with family and friends, and think-

ing about language education, and sees

life as an adventure in learning.

Co-Teaching Models

Observational Models

One teach, one observe- One teacher is

the main teacher and focuses specifically

on instruction while the other makes

observations about student understand-

ing, behavior, and engagement in the

classroom. This model can be very useful

and successful for teachers in a student

teaching relationship or at the beginning

phase of a co-teaching relationship such

as when a new ALT arrives.

One teach, one drift- Similar to the pre-

vious model, but the observing teacher

has a more active role in the classroom.

They can assist students and focus on

management while making observations.

The advantage of this model is that the

observational teacher will gain a better

perspective of the students’ actual under-

standing by mingling with them during

instruction and activities.

When employing an observational

model, teachers need not always assume

the same role. As familiarity and trust

between co- teachers increases it is best

to change roles from time to time or co-

teachers may decide to try a more collab-

orative approach.

Collaborative Models

Parallel Teaching- Both teachers divide

the class and teach the same material to

each group. Class sizes can be reduced or

additional or differential instruction can

be provided in groups.

Alternate Teaching- Similar to parallel

teaching, but each teacher teaches dif-

ferent material to the class then groups

change teachers. This can also be done on

a smaller scale for students who need addi-

tional instruction in a small group setting.

15 16

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3 Jennifer Low - Co teaching

Both parallel teaching and alternative

teaching can create a more immersive

atmosphere for students when the group

is working with just the ALT. The ALT

in turn should keep material simple and

have realistic expectations.

Team-Teaching- Both teachers share

instructional time, planning, assessment

and management duties in the classroom.

This is like a pair presentation.

Station Teaching- Several “stations” are

placed in the classroom. Each station has

different instructional activities. Students

rotate in groups to each station throughout

the lesson. Teachers can facilitate activi-

ties, keep track of time and initiate rota-

tions. This is the most student-centered of

the models. (Purposeful Co-Teaching, 30)

Classroom Suggestions

In Japan, I have had the opportunity to

operate within several of these models.

Some models are more beneficial than

others throughout different stages of

developing the co-teaching partnership.

No matter what model teachers decide

to use, open and constant communica-

tion will determine the success or failure

of a lesson. Teachers need not choose

only one model to use for every lesson.

However, each model can be a valuable

lens through which to view lesson and

curriculum planning and to decide how

to divide instructional time. Different co-

teaching approaches coincide well with

different stages in co-teaching relation-

ships, but any model can be applied at any

stage depending on the many dynamic

circumstances in the classroom.

In the first stage, co-teaching partners

are getting to know each other. ALTs

in Japan are adjusting to new living

and working conditions and JTEs are

learning about the ALT. ALTs with little

teaching experience and JTEs who are

beginning a partnership with a new ALT

may be more comfortable with one of the

observational models. However, even for

experienced teachers or co-teachers who

have worked together for many years may

find it useful to occasionally make use of

these models.

Having taught at six different schools in

Saitama and with over 20 different JTEs,

I have found that nearly all of new co-

teaching partnerships have begun with

one of the observational models. When

I first started teaching in Japan I had

very little teaching experience. I was very

relieved that I was not expected to plan

all of the lessons and be the main teacher

in the classroom. Now that I have more

experience many new co-teaching part-

nerships still begin by using an observa-

tional model. The JTE’s could observe

my teaching style and make note of how

students are responding. After the first

couple of lessons, we may discuss how

students are responding and how we can

both use our knowledge and experience

in an optimal way.

Additionally, classes that are very lively or

low level may benefit from an observational

models with the JTE as the main teacher.

The JTE can maintain authority and con-

trol in the class as well as clarify instruc-

tion. The ALT can either be the source

of the lesson material or support the JTE

during instruction and interact with the

students. When teachers are becoming

aquainted with each other they may find

that this model works well as the pair

can observe each other in the classroom

and decide how best to complement each

other. With these models the instructing

teacher can focus on teaching and receive

more feedback rather than trying to judge

for themselves the success of a lesson. The

observing teacher can add valuable insight

17 18

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3 Jennifer Low - Co teaching

in to how to adjust instruction. One the

other hand, students may not view the

observing teacher as a person of author-

ity. One or both teachers may come to feel

undervalued if the roles are not switched

occasionally or a more collaborative model

isn’t adopted. Even at the beginning stages

it is important for both partners to com-

municate openly and honestly in order to

receive the most benefits from the observa-

tional models.

Once the relationship is established, the

collaborative models can offer a wide

range of possibilities for student-teacher

interactions. Parallel and alternative

teaching models create smaller class sizes.

Students can receive more attention from

the ALT and JTE then they otherwise

could in a classroom of 40+ students.

Using this model in an ESL/EFL class-

room can create an immersive setting

since students will not have the JTE to rely

on to translate everything for part of the

instruction time. However, it is important

to take the students’ English ability into

account when using either of these mod-

els. The English level should determine

the complexity of the material that the

ALT is able to teach. Material that stu-

dents could easily grasp when a JTE is

able to clarify meaning might become

very challenging when students must lis-

ten and speak entirely in English.

Alternative teaching has the added ben-

efit in that instruction can be more tai-

lored to different teacher’s strengths.

For example, one teacher might be more

comfortable teaching grammar or doing

writing exercises. The other might be

better with a more active approach. In

this setting, students are all learning the

same material. The teachers are provid-

ing various ways for students to learn and

practice the material.

Team-teaching requires that both team

members collaborate equally in plan-

ning, implementation and assessment.

In English language classrooms in Japan

team-teaching has been the most desired

because the JTE typically has provided

Japanese language support and grammat-

ical instruction while the ALT provides

a native model and cultural knowledge.

Both teachers take a lead in presenting

the material. This model works best for

classes that focus on speaking and fluency

skills. The ALT and JTE can provide a

partner model for students and demon-

strate real communication between speak-

ers for students. Teacher confidence and

planning time can make or break this

model. A completely team-taught lesson

requires the most planning time. In situ-

ations in which an ALT is team-teaching

the same lesson with multiple-teachers,

finding time to plan with each teacher

can be complicated. In addition, teacher

personalities and confidence can ham-

per the level of enthusiasm for the les-

son. Therefore, it might be better for only

part of a lesson to be team-taught and the

remainder could be presented using one

of the other models.

Finally, station teaching can be used to

cover all four skills within the same les-

son. Station teaching has been mostly

used in elementary schools, but could be

beneficial in a high school English lan-

guage class. According to the New Course

of Study created by MEXT, Ministry of

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and

Technology, the English Language cur-

riculum should include a balanced teach-

ing of the four skills: reading, writing,

listening and speaking (The Revisions

of the Courses of Study for Elementary

and Secondary Schools, 8). Station teach-

ing can easily balance instruction so that

each skill is used and practiced during

one class period. Each station has a dif-

ferent activity for students to complete

independently or in a group that focuses

on one of the four skills. Other stations

can be added depending on the lesson

19 20

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3

requirements. The teachers act as facilita-

tors and organizers either by teaching at

a station or ensuring that transitions from

station to station run smoothly.

This model is very active and students are

engaged due to frequent movement and

the variety of tasks. This model requires

a coordinated effort between teachers to

ensure smooth transitions, but it is the

most student-centered of the models.

Teachers act as facilitators and guides.

When considering applying this model it

is important to first prepare the students

for the lesson beforehand as they will most

likely never have encountered a lesson like

this before and to be sure that each teach-

ing partner has a clear idea of the lesson’s

goals and their own responsibilities.

Applying different co-teaching models

can open new avenues for teachers to

engage students and create a more dif-

ferentiated environment. Using only

one model, team-teaching, can limit the

many advantages that having two adults

with different areas of expertise can

bring to the classroom. Through many

experiences as an ALT in Japan, I have

found that several of the models are

already being used under the guise of

“team-teaching.” This is encouraging in

that many teachers have learned to shape

and adapt their experience to suit their

school and students’ needs.

References

Bresnahan, V., Conderman, G., & Penderson, T (2009). Purposeful co-teaching: real cases

and effective strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Elementary and Secondary Education Buearu Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science

and Technology (MEXT). (2012). Revisions of the courses of study for elementary and secondary

schools (p. 8). Tokyo, Japan.

21 22

Using a ‘ journal’ Style activity with EFL learners

Faye Quin

Abstract

In this paper I talk about how I have

implemented a ‘ journal’ style activity

into my teaching program at a low level

high school, how it has helped my rela-

tionships and built rapport with my stu-

dents. I also offer suggestions on how this

activity may be adapted to the different

levels of EFL learners.

要約

この記事では学習能力の低い高校でどのように

日誌様式活動を実施したか、それが生徒と良い関

係を築く上でどの様に寄与したかを紹介する。ま

た、この活動が他のレベルの学習者にどう応用で

きるか提案する。

About

Faye came to Japan from England as an

ALT in July 2011. She teaches English at

Shiraoka High School and also has weekly

visits to high schools in Kurihashi and

Hasuda. Before coming to Japan she stud-

ied Mathematics at Durham University

where she completed her Masters. Faye

has a passion for playing sports, especially

football, and enjoys studying languages,

particularly Japanese and British Sign

Language.

‘My English Journal’ is a weekly activity I

have implemented into my low-level Senior

High School 1st year classes, however it

can easily be adapted for any year group

for both Senior and Junior High School,

and even for university level students.

Each entry of the journal consists of 2

small tasks. Students are asked to pre-

pare their journals before each weekly

lesson. I then collect the journals, check

them and return them to the students in

enough time for them to prepare them

for the following lesson. Here is a copy of

a page of the journal:

Faye Quin - Journal

23 24

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3 Faye Quin - Journal

The first section of the journal is the ‘New

English’ box. One problem I am often

faced with with students is their lack of

awareness of their own English ability.

They have such little confidence and often

believe that they don’t know any English at

all, despite having numerous English les-

sons every week since Junior High School.

To help overcome this problem, this task

asks students to record new English words

or phrases they have learnt that week that

particularly stand out to them, or that

they haven’t heard of before.

Students are often overloaded with text-

books covered with unknown English and

daunting vocab lists which overwhelm

them. Filling in recently learned English

on a new page of their journal each week

breaks down the vocabulary being learned

into bitesize digestible chunks and the

students are able to see their own prog-

ress throughout the term as they gradu-

ally and cumulatively build up their own

English word or phrase bank.

Something else worth pointing out is that

I encouraged the students not only to

record phrases and words learned during

my lessons, but also to record new English

from other sources, such as the school’s

English newspaper or from other English

module classes. Encouraging students to

record interesting English from other les-

sons helps to bring together the different

modules so that the students can see links

between them and see that everything

they are learning separately, and often

from different English teachers, comes

together to be used as one language.

The most valuable part of the English

Journal is the second half of the weekly

entry, being the students chance to com-

municate with the ALT. A common prob-

lem ALTs often come across is a large

amount of students who are too shy or

nervous to talk with the ALT, even in

Japanese, so in English can seem like

an impossibility for them. The second

section, ‘Ask Faye a question/ Tell Faye

something…’ gives the quieter students a

chance to interact and express themselves

with the ALT.

Even though it is only a small amount,

each student has the chance to write

about whatever they want to write about

in English, which is an opportunity they

are not often given during lessons where

they are told what they are going to do

and have hardly any freedom in the topics

they study.

By putting into English something they

actually want to talk about, or ask about,

automatically gives they more motivation

towards the task. Some more confident

students may not have had this problem

to start with, but I found that the stu-

dents who usually hesitated to talk to

me didn’t hold back talking about some-

thing that interests them via their jour-

nals. Many of the students’ entries flowed

into each other each week and an actual

conversation was created between the

students’ entries and my responses, obvi-

ously showing the students’ understand-

ing of my replies. After only a couple of

weeks the students no longer thought of

their journals as ‘homework’ and instead

became excited to read the responses I

had written and were eager to write more.

For those students who still lacked moti-

vation, I could encourage them to write

more in their journals by asking them

questions in my replies in order to trigger

them to write a little more.

Although the journal is not an oral form

of communication, through these weekly

converses, the ALT can get to know more

about the students and their interests,

resulting in more opportunities to spark

up spoken conversations with them in

school. In effect, a stronger rapport can

be built between the students and ALT

which will only have positive effects on

the classroom atmosphere during lessons.

25 26

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3

The ‘English Journal’ can be adapted and

used in many ways. I have incorporated

it into an incentive scheme to encour-

age students’ participation during class.

During class, each student has to keep

their journal on their desk and each time

they raise their hands or volunteer for

something I give them a sticker to be put

on their journal. At first this was enough

of an incentive to encourage the students

to participate in class. As it seemed to

be working so well, myself and my fellow

teachers decided to make the incentive

have more value, and now at the end of

each term I collect the journals and the

top 5 students who have the most amount

of stickers in each class receive ‘bonus

points’ to go on top of their grade or test

score. For students who don’t like tests or

don’t perform well on them, they are well

motivated by this system.

The journal I have described in this

paper has been designed for low level

high school students but can easily be

adapted for higher levels. For example,

teachers can set themes and topics each

week, maybe related to the material being

studied in class, and ask the students to

complete a task in their journal. Another

idea for higher level students would be

to ask students to write about something

they have seen in the news that week that

they found interesting. This would also be

encouraging them to keep up to date on

current affairs whilst still giving the stu-

dents the freedom to write about what has

interested them. These are just a couple

of ideas out of numerous ways to change

and adapt this activity to fit with differ-

ent levels of ability and different kinds of

teaching establishments.

An Introduction to Extensive Reading

Daniel Worden

Abstract

Extensive reading is an approach to

ESL/EFL reading instruction which aims

to develop learners̀ overall reading abil-

ity through reading large quantities of

engaging and level-appropriate mate-

rial. The benefits of extensive reading,

however, go far beyond reading profi-

ciency. This article will outline the basics

of extensive reading, explore some of its

benefits, and give a brief explanation of

how the method works.

要約

多読はESL・EFLにおいてリーディングを学ぶ

際に有効な学習法である。学習者は細かくレベ

ル分けされた多岐に渡る教材から、自分にあった

もの、興味のあるものを選ぶことができ、まんべ

んなくリーディングのレベルアップができると言え

る。しかし多読の有効性はそれだけにとどまらな

い。ここでは多読の基礎、その利点、そしてこの学

習法が実際どのように作用するかを紹介する。

About

Daniel has been teaching English in

Japan since 2009. He currently works at

two universities in Tokyo and is involved in

a variety of courses, including a large and

well-resourced extensive reading program.

His areas of interest include extensive

reading, materials development, vocabu-

lary acquisition, and academic writing.

27 28

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3 Daniel Worden - Extensive Reading

Introduction

Extensive reading has been touted as,

‘the single most effective way to improve

language proficiency’ (Maley 2005:

354). With these mouth-watering claims

you might have such questions as ‘What

is extensive reading?’, ‘Why should I

use extensive reading?’ and, ‘How does

extensive reading work?’ This article will

answer these three key questions and pro-

vide readers with basic understanding of

the method.

What is extensive reading?

Extensive reading is a language learn-

ing approach that can be described as

involving a large quantity of varied, self-

selected, enjoyable reading at a reason-

ably fluent speed (Day and Bamford,

1998). In basic terms, an extensive read-

ing approach adheres to the principle

that students learn to read through read-

ing. The following characteristics provide

a basic understanding of what extensive

reading entails.

1. Students read as much as possible.

2. A variety of material on a wide range

of topics is available.

3. Students select what they want to read

and have the freedom to stop reading

materials that fails to interest them.

4. The purposes of reading a usually

related to pleasure, information, and

general understanding.

5. Reading is its own reward. There are

few or no follow-up exercises after

reading.

6. Reading materials are well within the

linguistic competence of the students

in terms of vocabulary and grammar.

7. Reading is individual and silent, at the

student’s own pace.

8. Reading speed is usually faster rather

than slower as students read books

and other material they find easily

understandable.

9. Teachers orient students to the goals

of the program, explain the method-

ology, keep track of what each student

reads, and guide students in getting

the most out of the program.

10. The teacher is a role model of a reader

for students – an active member of the

classroom reading community demon-

strating what it means to be a reader

and the rewards of being a reader.

Day and Bamford (1998, 7-8.)

Why do extensive reading?

There are numerous studies that sug-

gest extensive reading can benefit lan-

guage learning in a variety of ways. In

their experience with this approach Day

and Bamford (1998: 33) have found that

“Students increased their reading ability

in the target language, developed positive

attitudes toward reading, had increased

motivation to read, and made gains in

various aspects of proficiency in the tar-

get language, including vocabulary and

writing”. Here, I will focus on three of

the most significant benefits; vocabulary

acquisition, reinforcement of previously

learned language, and motivation.

Nation (2009: 54) states that “one way an

extensive reading programme can contrib-

ute to proficiency development is through

vocabulary growth”. Day and Bamford

(1998: 18) elaborate that “An extensive

reading approach… ensures that students

have the best possible chance to… learn

words from context through multiple

encounters and to become better read-

ers so that incidental vocabulary learning

becomes easier”. These examples highlight

extensive reading’s power to increase not

only a student’s overall lexicon, but also

the depth of their vocabulary knowledge

so that they can use words appropriately.

29 30

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3 Daniel Worden - Extensive Reading

Motivation is another area that extensive

reading advocates cite. Extensive read-

ing has been found to boost motivation

and confidence and, as all teachers will

agree, these are crucial factors for lan-

guage learning. The Extensive Reading

Foundation states in their Guide to

Extensive Reading (2001: 1) that exten-

sive reading “builds confidence, motiva-

tion, enjoyment and a love of reading.”

Reinforcement of previously learned lan-

guage is often cited as one of extensive

readings biggest benefits. This happens

by way of frequency exposure, a process I

will explain in the following section.

How does extensive reading work?

The most obvious goal of extensive read-

ing, to help students become better read-

ers, is done is through the promotion

of reading fluency. Nation (2009) pos-

its that reading easy material allows stu-

dents to read a higher speed which leads

to greater reading fluency, which in turn

builds understanding. The theory behind

this is that reading should be faster rather

than slower as slow reading inhibits

understanding. Day and Bamford (1998)

explain that when a reader takes too

long to recognise the words in a sentence

they cannot hold the clause or sentence

in working memory for long enough to

construct meaning. By the time the sen-

tence has been read the beginning of the

sentence has been forgotten. Reading

quickly prevents this as there is less strain

on working memory.

The impact of extensive reading on moti-

vation can best be summarized by the fol-

lowing diagrams.

Figure 1: The vicious cycle of the poor reader

Taken from Guide to Extensive Reading, (2001:4)

Figure 2: The virtuous cycle of the good reader

Taken from Guide to Extensive Reading, (2001:4)

The figures above show how understand-

ing, through the use of appropriate

materials, can effect motivation and con-

fidence. Furthermore, Day and Bamford

(1998: 29) note that “Low-level reading

abilities would normally lower expecta-

tions of success, and thus lower the moti-

vation to read. This does not happen in

an extensive reading approach, however,

because the learners read at levels appro-

priate to their reading ability.”

Frequency exposure, an important facet

of extensive reading, is beneficial because

the large volume of reading done means

that students will encounter previously

learned grammar and vocabulary very

frequently. What students learn or part-

learn in class and from textbooks can be

consolidated and mastered. Frequency

exposure also promotes incidental vocab-

ulary acquisition with studies (Rott, 1999,

and Saragi, Nation, and Meister, 1978)

showing that when students are exposed

doesn’tunderstand

doesn’tenjoy

readsslowly

doesn’tread

understandsbetter

enjoysreading

readsfaster

readsmore

31 32

JSCE - Volume 4 Issue 3

to a word at least six times they are more

likely to learn it and gain productive

and receptive knowledge of the word.

Additionally, words will be seen in various

contexts which deepens students’ vocabu-

lary knowledge.

Conclusion

As is shown in this article, extensive read-

ing can be an extremely effective language

learning device. In an EFL context such as

Japan’s, where students have limited expo-

sure to the target language, the flood of

English that it provides can be especially

valuable. Keep in mind that this article

provides just a sample of what this method

can provide, so by all means, follow up on

the sources in the reference list below and

find out more about what extensive read-

ing can do for you and your students.

References

Day, R. & Bamford, J. (1998). Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Maley, A. (2005). Review of ‘‘Extensive Reading Activities for the Second Language

Classroom’’. ELT Journal, 59/4: 354.5.

Nation, I. S. P. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing. New York: Routledge.

Rott, S. (1999). The Effect of Exposure Frequency on Intermediate Language Learners’

Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention through Reading. Studies in Second

Language Acquisition, 21: 589–619.

Saragi, T., Nation, I.S.P., Meister, G. F. (1978). Vocabulary learning and Reading, System,

6, 2, 72-78.

The Extensive Reading Foundation’s Guide to Extensive Reading (2011). Retrieved October 27,

2013, from www.erfoundation.org/wordpress/useful-resources

From the Editor

A Chara

Volume 4 marks an exciting evolution

for JSCE. From Volume 1, issue 2, the lay-

out of JSCE was done by me, using a stan-

dard word processing package. Although

there was a steady inprovement in qual-

ity, from volume to volume, the layout was

rather ametuer. In particular the quality

of images and diagrams were a particular

source of disatisfaction for me.

With Volume 4 we are using professional

DTP software to produce the best qual-

ity publication we can. In Daniel’s article

we can see a great example of a diagram

that conveys information in an effec-

tive yet visually pleasing way. Aesthetics

aside, the goal is, as always, to provide our

Contributors with the best possible show-

case for their work. My sincere thanks to

Allison, Jennifer, Faye and Daniel for a

great issue.

Le Méas

We want your contribution

さいたま市教育家会ジャーナル ( JSCE) is

primarily a forum for professional develop-

ment. Our goal is to help serious (but not

solemn) like-minded people to form work-

ing groups to achieve professional goals.

We do not have a paid membership model.

We also welcome opportunities to collabo-

rate with groups or organizations. If you

have a specific goal, such as finding a uni-

versity teaching position, we want to work

with you to help you achieve it. If you have

a more general interest in professional

development we want to provide you with

varied opportunities. If you have an idea

for a project we want to get involved. We

think that by working together, under the

aegis of an organization, we benefit each

other by association.

To find out more, or get involved, please

contact John at:

Contact@SaitamaCityEducators