androgogy- teaching like a girly man
behaviourism- the theory that making your students pretend they have stiff upper lips will make them act and speak like Englishmen, and wearing a crown in class will make them speak Queen’s English
co-hyponym - Getting students to hypnotize each other to help with vocabulary learning
communicative weight- the difficulty of where to look when talking to the obese
feminist pedagogy- (more…)
More making up for the fact that Dr Johnson was never lucky enough to be a TEFL teacher, this time with one of my favourite TEFL games ever, Call My Bluff. In the classroom version you get the students to make up the wrong definitions to try and fool the other student or team with, but even on my last day in my previous job I wasn’t slack enough to get my students to write my blog for me so you have to choose the real definition from Dr Johnson’s dictionary via Henry Hitchings, not being fooled by the fake definition made up very quickly by me to stop wasting any more time on the TEFL otaku topic… (answers at the bottom of the page)
1. Is an amatorcultist (a) a little insignificant lover, or (b) a lover of the art of gardening?
2. Is a bellygod (a) one who makes a god of his belly, or (b) a drug that calms the troubled gut?
3. Is deosculation (a) the art of kissing, or (b) losing an eye or part of an eye?
4. Is kissingcrust (a) a crust formed when one loaf in the oven touches another, or (b) a soreness upon the lips caused by an excess of kissing?
5. Is gazingstock (a) a person gazed at with scorn or abhorrence (related to ‘laughingstock’), or (b) cattle that stare at you as you pass?
6. Is potvaliant (a) heated with courage by a strong drink, or (b) culinary adventurousness?
7. Is subderisorious (a) scoffing or ridiculing with tenderness or delicacy, or (b) contemptuous of someone below you?
8. Is vaticide (a) a murderer of poets, or (b) a murderer of popes?
9. Is rhabdomancy (a) divination by a wand, or (b) Scottish witchery?
10. Is suppedaneous (a) placed upon the feet, (b) connected to the evening meal?
11. Is anatiferous (a) producing ducks, or (b) the burning of phosphor? (more…)
Here are some actual sentences taught in the Lonely Planet Korean phrasebook which, while not quite “My hovercraft is full of eels”, tickled me once I realised that trying to find silliness was another whole motivation for using language learning materials. If it doesn’t amuse you so much first off (and you don’t have the more sensible motivation of learning Korean), try picturing saying these things to immigration or the receptionist in your hotel:
p’ibu e t’ongjung-i issoyo = I have a pain in my skin
maengjangul umjigilsuga opsoyo = I can’t move my appendix
chon changnogyo indeyo, kohoenun chal annagayo = I’m a Presbyterian, but I’m not practicising
imshinjung ishin-gayo? = (more…)
As this is a family site (meaning only my family ever look at it), will not be including any ATPR* language learning videos. I have, though, found a classic TPRA* video that we can all enjoy in our various ways:
The best bit for me is the old random gaijin* at the end. Where did they find him- in the grave???
I laughed until I nearly cried, and then I stopped and thought- it’s a crazy idea, but it might just work! Would certainly get the attention of the notoriously tough salaryman market, anyway.
In the interests of complete fairness I should also say that crazy (genuis?) programmes like this do not come up on Japanese TV as often as you might think from watching exerpts abroad (you should see their favourite clips from British, Australian and American TV!). From the haircuts and air of slightly pervy innocence, this one almost certainly comes from the 80’s.
*ATPR (Adult Total Physical Response)- termed derived from the Japanese English expression AV- “Adult” videos, knudge knudge, wink wink, know what I mean?). An attempt at using the ultimate motivation to improve language learning through movement
TPR- Total physical response- Beginning students learn the language by responding only physically to verbal prompts until they feel ready to begin speaking themselves. Said to be similar to how a baby learns L1.
*TPRA (Total Physical Response for Adults)- using activities like the song “YMCA” with actions with classes such as Business English. This ultimate proof of English teaching technique is often used near the end of a TEFL career.
*Random gaijin- a foreign person who is only included in the advertisement/ party/ company roster etc. because during one meeting the boss said “We could use a gaijin”, and because no more details were given they just chose one at random
It’s called Rose and Camellia, apparently, and it is so unlike anything I have ever seen before I can honestly think of nothing more to say about it at all. Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOd4GlpTVnY
Came across it through the fabulously strange TV in Japan site. I know weird Japanese TV is a bit of a cliche, and it’s not all like that of course. But after all, you don’t watch Japanese TV for the method acting or the social realism, do you?
Whoever can watch something like this (assuming it’s really Japanese) the Japanese ads for Coke Zero (the funniest on Youtube- check out the alternative salaryman summer ‘Cool Biz’ suits and the modern samurai chonmage hairstyle!) and still think the Japanese don’t have a sense of humour really doesn’t understand irony. What country was Alanis Morisette from again? Not Japanese, I think you’ll find…