Job Discussion Forums

[AgentMulderUK]

Hi all.

I'd be super-grateful for any ideas/approaches for teaching private upper intermmediate & advanced adults, one on one.

(I am talking about Japanese adults here, so I thought I'd post on this forum)

Most of the ideas elsewhere on this site don't really help with this particular situation.

Thanks

EDIT: I have been teaching these adults for 4 to 6 months, so I really just need some fresh ideas! thanks.

[Glenski]

How advanced?
Why do they want lessons?
What are their weak points? (YOUR point of view, not theirs)

Teach them idioms.
Engage in debate.
Have them summarize news articles or articles from their own fields. Get them to simplify for you (a layman).
Work on pronunciation if needed.

[king kakipi]

I take a newspaper article, preferably from a news story outside Japan, and:-
1. dissect it and increase vocabulary
2. ask comprehension questions leading to discussion/debate
3. do an A/B role play on the situation with the student.

A useful bi-product is that the student starts to `come out of her shell` and start to speak more forcefully (in my most recent one, the role play involved a defeated Mike Tyson arguing with his manager that he wanted to fight again and related discussion questions regarding whether a convicted crim should be allowed into foreign countries to `entertain`; how could he lose so much money etc)

Also keeps lessons topical and shows the customer you are preparing fresh lessons for them!!

[AgentMulderUK]

[AgentMulderUK]

[madeira]

Hi there. It sounds like you`re not on a text. A decent text should keep you in ideas for about 6 months to a year, with additions like games/news assignments/current events discussions/personal interest stuff... pronunciation activities/web-searches/telephone activities/story-telling/TOEIC prep...

I`d head out to Maruzen for an afternoon of book-shopping!

Even if the students don`t want to buy a book, you can use it as a template. Lots of my students don`t even realize we`re using a text! I find it provides me with some focus and a `path`. It`s helpful that most books are level-graded and have lots of listening exercises.

Now, what I like to use and what you like will be different... and it will depend if you`re a NA English speaker or UK... but I like the Grammar Dimensions and North Star series. I also use a book called `the American Way`, which is actually not difficult to relate to Japan. Lots of interesting topics and vocabulary for an upper intermediate-advanced student. Personally, I`ve had nothing but trouble with `Raise the Issues`, but some teachers like it. (The vocabulary is so high, I have to look up some words... and a lot of the vocab is not used in normal conversation.) If grammar is a problem, I give homework from the Azar series.

If expressing opinion is a problem, I use easy stuff like NHK bills, enjo kosai, littering, smoking, etc. along with textbook exercises that teach how to introduce and strengthen opinions. I don`t give any choice in the level of opinion at first... They have to use the card they draw (I`m not sure, but... I strongly believe that... I think... etc.) then we move on to stuff they are more invested in. I also make little opinion surveys, and don`t allow anyone to change their answers. Works better in a small group, but OK for privates. I just make my opinion the opposite of theirs.

Anyhow, hope that gives you some ideas...

[AgentMulderUK]

Thanks Madeira for taking the time to write such a long post.

I have been trying to use a text book, covertly. But after 6 months many avenues have been exhausted, so I have started to panic and they want more and more!
Yeah, maybe I'll go shopping again.