English Sensei Spirit: Omiai Speed Dating
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English Sensei Spirit: Omiai Speed Dating

ByMiriam Truppin-Brown

The goal of the Omiai Speed Dating Game is to give the students a fun, real-world context in which to practice the target grammar, in this case “X is as ~ as Y,” many times in rapid succession, until they are able to do it naturally and fluidly. This game has the added bonus of provoking non-stop giggling, because it asks the students to search among their classmates for a spouse.
Students write three opinion sentences using the target grammar. In this case I asked the students to make value judgments about school and free time, American food and Japanese food, and love and money.

Miki Summer Camp 2009
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Miki Summer Camp 2009

ByMatt Stott

If you keep an eye upon the Hyogo AJET mailing list around May or June (so consider this fair and early warning), you may notice calls for assistance from ALTs for various English summer camps being held over the break. Answering Miki Senior High School’s call, Emma and I, along with Eric Lord and Shellian Forrester, joined the home-ground ALTs Michael Anziliero and Amy Louie and 40 MIC (i.e. advanced English course) students for three days of controlled chaos at Ureshinodai Lifelong Education Center, Yashiro. (Ureshinodai? That’s the “other Yashiro”—not the Full Metal Jacket Yashiro you’re thinking of.) The MIC Summer Camp provided yet another glimpse into what magic can transpire when the minds of Japanese high school students are temporarily permitted to run around in the exercise yard for a bit—but then you will see that for yourself at your own school’s bunkasai next year.