Teaching English to a Japanese adult

[Jericho Desu]

I didn't know where to put this so I thought here would be the safest bet for now but of course feel free to move it wherever.

Basically I have this Japanese language exchange partner who I met recently and I'm trying to figure out some ways to help her with her English, particularly with her speaking since she told me that's what she would like to focus on the most since she will only be here in London for another year.

Thing is she's good, like intermediate-advance which naturally makes things a little harder for me. She has books, studies hard etc, but her main problems are English articles (a, the, is...) and lack of confidence. She also can't say what she would like to say (join the club...) even though she knows many words, but I believe that will come with practice.

So anyway I would like some ideas/suggestions on how I can help her. So far I've thought about starting with basic pronounciation since she still has quite an accent, then I would like to work on grammar, maybe write out some sentences with missing articles that she has to fill in or something and lastly just "free talk" where maybe she can talk in as much depth as possible about a particular subject.

I'm particularly interested in individuals who teach English in Japan, but any advice would be welcome.

Thanks!

 

[epigene]

I didn't know where to put this so I thought here would be the safest bet for now but of course feel free to move it wherever.

Basically I have this Japanese language exchange partner who I met recently and I'm trying to figure out some ways to help her with her English, particularly with her speaking since she told me that's what she would like to focus on the most since she will only be here in London for another year.

Thing is she's good, like intermediate-advance which naturally makes things a little harder for me. She has books, studies hard etc, but her main problems are English articles (a, the, is...) and lack of confidence. She also can't say what she would like to say (join the club...) even though she knows many words, but I believe that will come with practice.

I can't give you the latest in English language teaching methodologies, but my past experiences in the English language teaching business tell that the English articles are one of the most difficult for the Japanese to master. IMO, mastery of the articles is the benchmark for the Japanese in improving English language competence to the advanced level. So, helping her out with articles should be a great aid.

Also, lack of confidnce despite extensive vocabulary and understanding of English grammar is also prevalent among the Japanese in general. Making her relax and have fun talking to you is also important. You'll have to encourage her and even flatter her on occasions to build her confidence.

So anyway I would like some ideas/suggestions on how I can help her. So far I've thought about starting with basic pronounciation since she still has quite an accent, then I would like to work on grammar, maybe write out some sentences with missing articles that she has to fill in or something and lastly just "free talk" where maybe she can talk in as much depth as possible about a particular subject.

IMO, pronunciation practice should be kept to a level where native speakers will understand what she is talking about. I think pronunciation practice to the native speaking level is going too far. There are English speakers around the world with accents (from China, Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and even non-English-speaking nations of Europe), and they are able to communicate sufficiently. I believe in the emphasis of communication ability rather than perfect pronunciation.

So, if you think her pronunciation is too bad for comprehension by native English speakers, feel free to do it, but don't go to the extreme. I've seen students who were trained thoroughly to enunciate perfectly but were not able to speak their minds at all...

I don't know how well structured her English grammar is, but I think that confidence-building and greater ease in expressing herself is more important than grammar and pronunciation at her stage. With breakthrough in that respect, I believe she will start picking up better mastery of the language. Motivate her to speak with every approach you can think of.

I think exercises on sentences with missing articles are a great idea. Make sure you can explain why from the native-speaker point of view, if grammatical explanation is not possible, because students what to know the "why" behind the usage. Another aspect of article usage that requires attention is cases when articles are NOT used. That's important, too.

Just my humble opinion, and hope that others have more ideas.

 

[Jericho Desu]

Thanks Epigene I'll keep those in mind