Language Resident Name: Yohichi Tagami
Day and Date: Thursday, February 9, 2017
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Advanced Japanese
Class theme/topics discussed: Disney & Japanese Film
Goal of the class:
The students will be able to describe a story of film.
How did you structure the class?
Activity 1 (5 min) Attendance check and Announcement
I check students’ attendance and give them announcements.
Activity 2 (15 min) Warm-up
I casually ask them about the movie they have watched recently. I make pairs in the class and they talk about it with their partner sharing it each other. I ask them about their favorite movie and to introduce it in the rest of the class. Also, I introduce about my movie and explain the story of it. After that, students introduce the story of film in the class and others guess which movie it is.
Activity 3 (30 min) Let’s describe a movie
I will demonstrate the activity in front of the class. I pick up a card on the table which has an image of Disney film on it. Then I introduce about the story of that movie to the students without saying the title of movie, names of characters, and they guess it by writing down the name on the paper given. Then, we talk about some techniques when explaining about the story to the others. Also, we review the points and rules for the activity together in the class, and students try to present their film in the class.
Activity 4 (10 min) Let’s become a director
I make pairs in the class and they are given a poster of Japanese film. Students guess the story with their partner and make a short story on another paper. After that, each group shows the poster in the class and introduces the story that they have created in the class. We also watch the trailers of those films together and think of the story again in the class if possible.
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
Powerpoint
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The class was good in general. But the tasks I gave the students today seemed to be not challenging for them but too easy, because all the students knew the Disney film more than I did. So I tried to make differences and to let them practice in more relevant way, but it wasn’t going well as I expected. However, I have some solutions against that issue right now, so I would like to try the activity in that way next time, giving them a task to make a whole story in the class.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I think I can divide a story of film for the number of students in the class and give each student a task to make a short story about that situation by referring to the photo given. Then the students prepare for their own part on their own and in the end we can combine them together by having them introduce their part one by one in front of the class. By doing so, the students are given a certain task and work hard on their own. Also, I can let them play in the class in target language, which sounds interesting, too.