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[Sheep-Goats]

I've seen the titular question (which got truncated after I posted it...) on a couple of online applications so far, and was wondering what people's "winning" responses are to it. I assuming you also give an idea about not just the problems you anticipate but how you deal with them.

I'd give an example of my responses, but they're more valid for Thailand or China -- and while the few Japanese students I've had honestly weren't that different from your average Thai or Chinese student I'm sure the companies that like to hire teachers for Japan think that Japanese people are...

[Glenski]

No. 1 problem with Japanese students = shyness and an unwillingness to volunteer to answer.

How to deal with it? Depends on the situation, but first of all, don't call on a crowd and expect any answers. Second, if you ask an individual student, don't wait TOO long for him to translate your question and formulate an answer. Third, praise even the most half-hearted attempts.

[Gordon]

To get over their shyness, get students to work in small groups or pairs and then call on them to elicit answers. Make sure you ask all the people in the group or you'll only have one person in the group do all the speaking and it will be from the student who needs the speaking practice the least.
Create a non-threatening environment as much as you can. Don't let anyone laugh at other student's responses. Praise a lot, but not to the point where you act like a moron doing it. Be natural. I hate seeing teachers treat students like 5 year olds (unless they're 5) and tell them how wonderful they do everything.
Be patient. It can be really painful to get to students to discuss something/anything.

[sethness]

For adults, the #1 problem is being stuck with adults of widely separated skill levels, and trying to make a lesson plan that will challenge both high and low students without boring or frustrating either group.

In this case, I say I'd go for short phrases that are new to everyone in the class, and have them read through a conversation script, then turn the paper over and try to do a similar conversation without looking at the paper too much, or copying it too slavishly.

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For kids, the #1 problem is the "outsider"-- the kid who's become antisocial and difficult either because he's underchallenged, overchallenged, or is taking a vacation from the iron discipline he finds elsewhere in his life.

In either case, the solution I like is to make him the "assistant teacher", or to encourage him to do things differently, substituting "weird but creatively constructive" for "destructive and a distraction".

The #2 question for kids' classes is "How would you handle a discipline problem ?" Which is altogether too vague, isn't it !

I have 3 groovy answers for this one.
#1: I love to invite mothers and siblings to do group lessons. The mothers get to learn the words and the whole family gets to learn the same vocabulary and games, so they can REALLY practice at home. Plus, the presence of the mothers means I have instant assistants in handling any discipline or distractions from the lesson.

#2: "Omoshiroi kedo kankenai". My students all know this line by heart, because I use it so much. When a kid offers up something funny or gross or simply distracting, I don't put him down. I just say this phrase, which means "That's interesting, but it's unrelated to what we're studying now."

#3: Tickling. Seriously. Of course, y'can't tickle girls over 6 years old, but for any other under-10 kids, this is the ultimate discipline tool. Especially if you've got the mothers there to do the tickling FOR you. Think about it: You're not shouting, the kid's not feeling ashamed, but everyone's definitely getting the "DO that again and you'll die (laughing)" message, so the kid doesn't repeat the offense.

I also tell prospective employers that I encourage shouting out in kids' classes. Kids will get rewarded and encouraged if they shout out some way to remember a word, or shout out a similar-sounding word (like shouting "INternet !" if we're studying the word "net"). I encourage this apparent lack of discipline because I want them gabby not shy, and because I want to encourage them to do a lot of lateral thinking and associative mnemonics. F*** classroom discipline if it detracts from language skills.