Teacher Discussion Forums

I need help fast, before Thursday 25th to be exact.

I've never worked in a highschool before, only the big langauge schools in Japan. I'm doing a presentation on the differences teaching at a highschool and at a language school. I need to address such issues as class size, teaching with a japanese English teacher, Motivating students etc.

I'm in need of some ideas and would love to hear from experienced or knowledgeable persons. Some ideas about addressing the above issues. Im doing the research today and will put together some kind of interactive presentation tomorrow.

This is probably too late...just saw your message...

RE:Assistant Language Teaching:
The British Council has a manual on that with some good ideas...
pdf/whole_manual.pdf

Main site:
www.britishcouncil.org/languageassistant/index.html

RE:Motivation differences:
I have problems here myself...I've worked in private langauge schools in New Zealand so far and have now come to a Japanese high school and the difference is herrific! The private school students were highly motivated, I think because they had English all around them in NZ and needed it every day, supermarket, shopping, school, and they were studying full-time too, that's why they were there...and they were a couple of years older than my students here...
In Japan, I have students not even wanting to talk to me, partly out of shyness, but there seems to be a "Why should I learn English" attitude, and some have their heads on their desks!! I think the emphasis society puts on learning languages can make a difference, the environment in which they learn, and their own personal reasons for which to learn...these are all things which influence motivation I think...but maybe here it's also just being a teenager...we all know what school was like then for most people...

Don't know if this was the kind of stuff you needed?

Hope the presentation goes well!