Job Discussion Forums

[bailemos]

Some students in my classes of girls` at jnr and snr high schools are inclined to talk too much in class - ie. when I`m talking to the class, or explaining etc. Stopping and waiting or asking them to listen works, but takes time.

- Does anyone have good suggestions or strategies that work quickly with large classes of chatty girls at Japanese schools !!! I`ve heard of the yellow card (warning); red card (sent off) system - anyone used it with success .. ?

Thanks !

[furiousmilksheikali]

Yellow and red card systems could work but it depends on the punishment you give for a red card. Do they have to do extra homework? Do they have to leave the room?

Personally, I get the students to move seats. Better yet, at the beginning of term call out pairs of students' names and have them swap seats until they are all sitting boy-girl-boy. They are usually so mortified at having to sit next to someone of the opposite sex that they no longer chat to their neighbours.

I tell the students that if they work hard they can get to sit next to their friends for certain pairwork activities.

[gaijinalways]

At my university, some of the students would be happy to sit next to their boyfriend or girlfriend. I also want to know what you do at an all girl's/boy's school?

[wabisabi365]

Materials; File cards from the 100 yen shop, colour pencils/pens, stickers

Give each student one file card and have them sit in pairs.

Review W questions on the board, writing a few examples; (Where do you live? What's your favourite food? Who is your favourite singer? etc...)

Set a time limit and have students interview one another. They will write their partner's answer on the file card.

When the Q&A is finished, set aside a little extra time for decorating the cards (Caution - they'll try to take up the whole period with this part!)

Collect the cards. Every two weeks or so, pull the cards out, shuffle and set one card on each desk. That is the new seat for the student named on the card. (You can also pre-arrange the cards before class if you want to make absolutely certain two students are apart. You can make it appear random when you pass the cards out).

In my uni classes, I have them paste a photo on as well; it helps me when I do final grades to have a face to match the name when it's 11:00 pm at night and I'm frantically inputting one hundred grades on a mark sheet!)

Hope this helps. Have fun in your classes. Girls can be chatty, but to be honest, most days I'd take them over a class of stone-silent and sullen Business major boys... Vive la difference.

Cheers,
ws365

[markle]

two pronged approach

red card - singing "I'm a little teapot" in front of class.

tweaking the lesson to be more relevant to the students - pop culture, self expression

[flyingkiwi]

I remember my teacher at Junior High used to raise his arm and then everyone would have to raise their arms. Of course, the two students chatting would always be last to do so and get red faces.

However, another method he had was simply throwing the "bloody duster" at them, was certainly a quicker method.

[Atlas*]

spend years learning the japanese language
create a plan of attack and then
discretely spread rumors about these girls in your class so that they dislike each other and stop talking to each other.

(sorry just having one of those days)

[gaijinalways]

Sounds like a good plan! Just spread rumors in any language!

[Glenski]