The London Language Centre at IIEL Blog

 
June 24th

TEYL Students teach Year 1!

On Friday 20th June, students on our TEYL course walked nervously over to Charlton Manor Primary School where they would be spending the afternoon teaching Year 1 students about Children’s Day in Japan.

On Thursday and Friday mornings the students practised their talk and fine-tuned some of the activities and staging to get it absolutely right.

They created the following schedule for their Culture Talk:

  • Introduction of teachers and teaching of “konnichiwa”.
  • A short video about Children’s Day in Japan and questions about the video.
  • Origami: Boys’ day hat.
  • Origami: Cat.
  • Hat & cat fashion show around the playground.
  • “Cat’s cradle” activity – making a broom.
  • Musical statues in Japanese.

The pupils of Charlton Manor were very welcoming and excited to learn about Japanese culture. They asked lots of interesting questions and were delighted to see Japanese writing on the newspapers they were using to make their hats. One boy said “I don’t understand any of that!”.

The children loved making cats from Japanese origami paper (sent from Japan by Ayako’s mum – thanks!) and they showed them off very happily in the playground fashion show.

The Cat’s Cradle activity proved a bit too tricky (for adults and children alike) so TEYL students left the string with the students and kindly presented the class with a book for them to learn more about this activity.

Finally, Kaori led the class very confidently in a game of musical statues…in Japanese! After several rounds we had 3 lucky winners who won prizes handmade by the TEYL students.

If you’re interested in teaching UK children about Japanese culture and learning how to become a teacher of Japanese children, why not sign up for the Basic Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) course at IIEL?The course takes place from 11th – 22nd August 2014 at Charlton House. You can choose to focus on the theoretical or practical aspects of teaching young learners or combine the two!

Visit our website for further details or attend our free Open Day: Saturday 5th July 2014 from 2pm at the Rockefeller Building, University College London WC1E 6DE
See you there!

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June 18th

Ready for IELTS??

Our summer 2014 IELTS course has just started at the Institute of International Education in London.

What is IELTS?

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is a test taken by thousands of English language students every year. It provides proof of your English skills across the four skills of Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening. IELTS is accepted by over 9,000 organisations worldwide. Last year, more than 2 million tests were taken globally. IELTS is recognised as a secure, valid and reliable indicator of true-to-life ability to communicate in English for education, immigration and professional accreditation.


Who can take IELTS?

Anyone who needs or wants to demonstrate their level of English can take IELTS.
There are 2 options for IELTS: Academic or General Training. Academic IELTS is for people who want to study at a university in an English-speaking country. You should check the requirements of the university you want to attend. General Training IELTS is for people who want to work, go to school or migrate to an English-speaking country. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking tests but different Reading and Writing tests. You cannot fail IELTS – you receive a grade from 1 – 9.


When can I take the test?

London has 8 accredited IELTS test centres around the city with exam dates offered throughout the year. Simply choose the most convenient date for you, complete the application form and take the test!


IELTS preparation at IIEL

It is highly recommended that students take a preparation course before taking the IELTS exam to ensure they are familiar with the test and feel confident about their English ability.
Our summer 2014 IELTS preparation course started on Monday 16th June. However, new students can join every Monday.


Class timetable: Monday – Friday 9.00am – 12.15pm (2 x 90-minute classes with a 15-minute break)


The teacher: The course is taught by a highly-experienced, native English speaker who is also an IELTS examiner. She knows the test really well and will make sure you are well prepared.


Price: £160/week (15hrs of lessons per week)


The class: The course takes place at our Greenwich Campus located at historic Charlton House. We keep the class sizes small to ensure you get the specialised attention you deserve. The teacher will assess your needs and ensure her lessons meet them.


Want to know more? Call us on 020 8331 3100 or email us on enquiries@iiel.org.uk


See you soon!

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March 27th

TEYL Students graduate!

After 10 busy weeks of intensive work, study and teaching, students on our 13th Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching English to Young Learners course graduated from IIEL. The ceremony was followed by a party at Charlton House.

Here they are standing outside Charlton House with their teachers (Hannah and Rob) and the school Principal (Teruyuki Zushi).

Here's what the students had to say about the course:

“It was so exciting to see other people's lessons. I got a lot of feedback which will benefit me.”
“It was a great opportunity to study Teaching English to Young Learners. What I studied here was useful and will benefit me in the future.”
“I believe that learning something new makes us grow up! I enjoyed it very much!”
“Everything was planned very carefully and I had a great experience!”
“I want to say thank you to all the teachers who worked so hard to teach us”.
“It was a great experience, all of the lessons were so useful and exciting!

If you're interested in learning useful skills that will benefit you in the future, sign up for our next Teaching English to Young Learners courseat IIEL.


See you soon!

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March 14th

TEYL Students teach Year 4 students!

On Friday 14th March, students on our TEYL course spent the afternoon at Charlton Manor Primary School teaching Year 4 students about Japanese culture. You may remember from a previous post that they were feeling pretty nervous…so how did they get on?

The students had been planning their talks for several weeks with the support of IIEL staff. They made beautiful materials and practised their talks to get them absolutely perfect. On Friday afternoon, dressed in their suits, they walked to the school with Sakuma-sensei to give their first ever classes to UK students.
Naomi was the first student to give her talk followed by Nana, Michiko, Keiko and Saori. Their topics included Japanese food, the geography of Japan, the Japanese flag, writing names in Katakana characters, origami and animé. The children particularly enjoyed learning that Japanese children get to eat rice and vegetables shaped like their favourite cartoon characters!

Here’s what our TEYL students said about their experience:

Keiko

“I had a great time today with the culture talk. It was my very first time actually talking in front of a class, which did make me feel a little nervous but it was great that everybody was interested in all the things we did and they were very friendly and positive about our culture talks. It certainly was a great experience.”

Nana

“I had been worried about the culture talk at the beginning because I didn't know whether the children would be interested in our activities and if they would be able to understand my English or not. However, when we entered the schoolyard, the children came running over and welcomed us. I was really glad and relieved then.
The children enjoyed all the activities and they worked well. When I couldn't give them an exact reply in English, they tried to get it. I felt very sorry about that but I worked out that we can communicate with gesture if we have totally different languages.
It was a great experience and I had a good time with them.”

If you’re interested in teaching UK children about Japanese culture and learning how to become a teacher of Japanese children, why not sign up for the next Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) course at IIEL? Visit our website for further details or attend our free Open Day: Saturday 22nd March 2014 from 2pm at the Rockefeller Building, University College London WC1E 6DE


See you there!

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March 5th

IIEL Students visit historic Greenwich! (See pictures below)

On Sunday 23rd February 33 students from Chuo University in Tokyo, Japan arrived in the UK to study at IIEL. After a busy first week settling in with their host families, discovering English sandwiches and getting used to school life at IIEL, it was time for some sightseeing…


We met at 1pm on a glorious sunny day in Greenwich on Saturday 1st March. Our first stop was the Cutty Sark, once the fastest and greatest tea clipper* in the world. We had time for a quick group photo before exploring the majestic grounds of the Old Royal Naval College.


The land where the College now stands was originally the setting for Greenwich Palace, loved by King Henry VIII whose daughters (and future Queens of England), Mary and Elizabeth, were born there! We visited the Painted Hall and the Chapel with their stunning ceilings and enjoyed the views of Canary Wharf and the O2 from the riverside.


After that, we crossed the road and spent some time at the National Maritime Museum enjoying “The Great Map” exhibit (the students were quick to identify their favourite country!) and learning about the history of the sea.


On our way to the world-famous Royal Greenwich Observatory (and the place where time begins!), we popped into* the Queen’s House. This pretty building was built by King James I to say sorry to his wife, Anne whom he had shouted at in public after she shot one of his favourite dogs.


The Royal Observatory gave us a fantastic view of Greenwich and London including Britain’s largest piece of public art, the Orbit sculpture in the London 2012 Olympic Park. Students visited the Meridian Line and stood with one foot in the East and one in the West.


By this time we were feeling very hungry so we walked through Greenwich park, where we saw some very happy dogs, to sample the culinary delights* of Greenwich Market. The students were very excited to see “Teriyaki-ya”, (a stall selling Japanese food which they said was “very good”), while one adventurous person tried paella.


The final stop on our tour was The Trafalgar Tavern, a traditional British pub. The students ordered their drinks in English and enjoyed trying British ales and ciders and a chance to relax and get to know each other better.


At this point, I left them in the pub, so you’ll have to ask them about the rest of the evening…


Glossary
*a tea clipper (n) = a large, very fast sailing ship built in the 19th century. Used to transport tea from Asia to Europe.
*to pop in (v) BritEng Informal = to enter a place or building for a very short time.
*a culinary delight (n) = an extremely delicious dish or selection of dishes.


Greenwich ParkThe Cutty SarkThe Grounds of Old Royal Naval College

The Painted HallThe Great Map ExhibitThe Queen’s House

The Royal Greenwich Observatory

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February 21st

Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) Students prepare for their first experience as teachers in a UK school!

Our 13th TEYL course began in January 2014 and the students have been very busy learning about different methodologies, teaching activities, exam teaching, techniques for teaching young learners, linguistics and theories of second language acquisition. They have been on half-term holiday for the last week which has given them a great chance to prepare for their very first teaching experience!
On Friday 14th March the TEYL students will be teaching a group of Year 4 students at Charlton Manor Primary School about Japanese culture. They will be using all the knowledge and ideas they have gained from their first 2 months on the TEYL course at the Institute of International Education in London.

So, we asked a couple of our students how they are feeling about their first experience of teaching UK children…

Nana
“To be honest, I'm anxious about the culture talk because I don't have enough confidence in my English to stand in front of children who can speak English.
In addition, there is a lot of information so it's difficult to choose which information to choose to teach children simply and delightfully. Even so, I'm actually enjoying the preparation. It's interesting to search and learn about Japan, despite being Japanese!”

Keiko
“I am very blessed to give a culture talk at an English primary school. I used to go to primary schools in Newcastle and Surrey but I didn't really get a chance to tell my classmates about Japan. I am willing to play games and to have fun with students and am enjoying preparing for it like collecting Origami, coloured pens, papers and stickers. I would love to take this experience back to Japan and tell Japanese children about this culture talk and hopefully they'll become more interested in studying English and wanting to communicate in English”.

Michiko
"We are going to try writing Japanese with the children. The hard part is converting English sounds into Japanese sounds.
I'm sure there will be a lot of confusion but I hope it will be fun!"


Let’s wish them the best of luck for their first class. Come back in March to find out how everything went!

• What aspects of Japanese culture would you introduce to children in the UK?
• How would you teach a lesson to children?
If you’re interested in finding out the answers to these questions and many more, sign up for our next Teaching English to Young Learners course at IIEL.


See you soon!

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June 13th

How can I get children from「英語できない」to 「英語大好き」? (Part 1)


When you ask children in Japan for their feelings about English, you can expect to get a variety of responses. Some will declare their love for the language and demonstrate a real curiosity for English-speaking countries, while many others will express a dislike or a lack of ability in English. At each stage of the Japanese education system (elementary school, junior high school, high school, university), some students can be heard to say 「私、英語できない」.

Wouldn’t it be better if they were all saying 「英語大好き」? Wouldn’t it be better if students in Osaka were saying 「英語、めちゃ興味深い、ね」? Wouldn’t it be better if students in Kumamoto were saying 「英語好きばい」?

There are a variety of ways we can aim to achieve this in language classes. One way of doing this is by ensuring that the material students study from is of a level just slightly higher than their current level of English. This is described in Stephen Krashen’s i + 1 hypothesis. Krashen reasoned that if students can understand everything in an English text very easily, they are not learning from it. On the other hand, if there are too many sentences with grammar they haven’t studied, and too much new vocabulary, the students won’t be able to study from this text either.

However, if the majority of the study material is of a level the students can understand, with just one new grammar point, or just one new item of vocabulary, students will be able to focus on this new language in context, learn from it, and start to incorporate it into the language they use. By doing this, students will be able to see themselves progress. Their motivation will then increase rapidly!

From time to time, a student might miss an English lesson, and fall behind other students. Having missed out on one grammar point or vocabulary study session, they may become incapable of following the material studied in the next session. If the student misses more lessons, or doesn’t listen well in class, the problem will grow and grow. They will start to understand less and less of each text they receive in class. Their motivation will fall and fall, and the student will end up saying 「英語できない。」

Teachers need to be aware of this and support students who have missed classes as well as those who have trouble concentrating in class. Ideally, each student should be given a text which matches their own level, even if this means giving different students different texts.

So the next time you hear a student complain that he/she is no good at English, find out his/her level of English, and supply him/her with a piece of English to study with just a small amount of material that is higher than his/her current level. The student will soon feel they are progressing, and start to enjoy studying. Not long after, I’m sure you will hear them declare 「英語好きだよ!」

For more on how to get students to enjoy studying English, why not take a look at the Teaching English to Young Learners course offered here at IIEL? You could learn many ways to make English fun and interesting for young learners in Japan. All the information you need can be found here.

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May 2nd

A quick way to make your English sound more native

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, people begin flooding to the UK to enjoy the sites and study at English language schools. Many of them will be keen to hear native pronunciation from a native English teacher. It would seem that most people who study English would like to sound like a native. So how can you get native-like pronunciation? For most people, it takes a lot of time and a lot of concentration. However, there is one key idea which, if you understand it, will take you very quickly towards native-like pronunciation.

When learners of English read sentences in English, they tend to look at each word and pronounce it on its own. In this way, ‘I live in a nice area’ is pronounced as though it is written: ‘Ai – liv – in – a – nais – area’. However, a native speaker will move the last sound of one word to the beginning of the next word. Therefore, ‘liv - in’ becomes ‘li vin’. The whole sentence above is pronounced ‘Ai li vi na nai sarea’. Any native speaker listening to this understands it perfectly well.

Words which end in r do not always end with a ‘r’ sound in the British English accent. For example, ‘better’ is pronounced as though it is spelt ‘betta’. However, when we say a word ending in ‘r’ before a word which starts with a vowel, we pronounce the ‘r’. For example, ‘better eggs’ is pronounced ‘betta reggs’.

If you can master these points of English, you will immediately be speaking more like a native! There are, of course, many more ways in which to improve pronunciation. Here at IIEL, we ensure that we help all our learners to improve their pronunciation while they are studying with us. If you are interested in improving your pronunciation, and making steps towards more native English, have a look at our English courses, and don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

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April 18th

What are the most common errors that Japanese learners of English make?

When asked the question, what are the most common errors that Japanese learners of English make, many English people will think of the difficulty Japanese speakers have in pronouncing /r/ and /l/. True, this is one of the most notable features of the Japanese accent in English. However, whether this counts as an error or not is debatable. With more and more ‘world Englishes’ appearing, have utterances such as ‘quickry’ and ‘Fliday’ just become one notable aspect of Japanese English as a world English, or does this truly count as ‘mistaken English’? Can anyone really decide what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in an area as changeable as accent?

What is more interesting to me is the confusion in meaning that comes with asking a Japanese person certain yes/no questions in English. Picture the scene; you are sitting on a train in Japan, the cherry blossom whizzing past outside the window. You notice a boy sitting on the seat opposite who looks particularly sad. You decide to give him some chocolate from your bag. You hold it out, and the boy stares at you. You ask him: ‘Don’t you like chocolate?’ He replies ‘No’ and continues to look at you. You put the chocolate away, but the boy looks sadder now. Why?

The truth is, when asked a question such as ‘Don’t you like chocolate?’, while it is normal for an English person to reply ‘yes’, meaning ‘I do like it’, in Japan when someone says ‘チョコレートが好きじゃないの’ (Don’t you like chocolate?), a Japanese person will reply ‘はい’ (yes) meaning ‘Yes, you are correct, I don’t like chocolate’, or ‘いいえ’ (no) meaning ‘No, you are incorrect, I do like chocolate’. Some Japanese learners of English continue to apply this rule when speaking English, which can cause a lot of confusion for those who aren’t aware of this cultural difference. Thus imagine the disappointment of the poor little boy on the train, who thought he had told you he liked chocolate, after which you took it away from him!

When we learn a language, we have to learn more than just vocabulary and grammar. We have to learn a new way of communicating, with all the social conventions and cultural assumptions that come along with it. Here at IIEL, we love exploring the differences between languages and cultures. If you’d like to study more about foreign languages and international education, why not take a look at our courses here at IIEL? All the relevant information can be found here in Japanese and here in English. You can also contact us for more information.

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April 5th

How should I organise my classroom when I’m teaching English?

Any new teacher could be forgiven for thinking that they should adapt their lessons to the classroom they are given to teach in, including everything from the shape of the room to the layout of the desks. However, this is not really the case. Any school worth its salt will allow teachers to move the desks around, to put posters and language aids on the walls, and to make the environment their own. Given this freedom, what should we do to make our classroom the best it can be?

The answer to this depends on your students. For young learners, lots of colourful, stimulating posters on the walls can really help bring the classroom to life. For this age group, pictures of scenes such as ‘In the home’ or ‘On the farm’ with labelled nouns can be a great addition to the classroom. In the time between students arriving in the classroom and the class starting, students can enjoy these posters and maybe pick up a new word or two. For older students, posters that explain grammar points in simple language, or in diagram form can be very helpful. For any age, maps can add another dimension to classes, encouraging discussion of places to visit and general excitement for the countries where the target language is spoken. This kind of aid can be a great boost for motivation.

A language-learning theorist active in the 1970s called Stephen Krashen described how a comfortable learning environment helps to “lower the affective filter”. He explained that stress can work to prevent the human brain learning new information, creating a ‘filter’ that stops information entering our brains. Therefore, we must make sure our students are as comfortable as possible so that their brains can soak up as much information as possible from our lessons. It is worthwhile thinking about the levels of comfort in your classroom, especially things like temperature and seating.

In terms of classroom layout, the way you arrange the chairs and tables in the room is dependent upon the activity you want the students to undertake. While constant rearranging of the furniture during a lesson is undesirable, moving things around once or twice in a lesson is no big deal. Tables and chairs in pairs and groups favour speaking activities while students can focus better on individual writing tasks when seated separately from their peers. “What about the horseshoe shape that my teacher used?” I hear you ask. The horseshoe shape (or U-shape) has many benefits. It allows students to speak to any other member of the group from their seat, while also permitting pair work and presenting by the teacher. However, it can be less helpful when group work is necessary. Careful consideration of room layout at the lesson planning stage is essential for a successful lesson.

If you find this sort of thing interesting and would like to study more about teaching foreign languages, why not take a look at our teacher training courses here at IIEL? All the relevant information can be found here.

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MARCH 15th

Creativity is key!

Here at IIEL, teachers often discuss what makes a good teacher, and how we can make better lessons. For me, although it sounds rather cliché, teachers need to think ‘outside the box’. This means that teachers should think of ideas that are not the ideas which are always used. Creative thinking is very important when it comes to teaching children.

In the 1970s, language teaching underwent a rebirth – many theorists worked on new ideas about how people learn languages. One man believed that language classes should be run with a silent teacher! Even today, it is possible to study English with a teacher who doesn’t say anything in the class. Is this an effective method? Are there benefits to a silent teacher? Maybe you remember studying English with a teacher who spoke too much! Maybe you always wished he would be quiet!

‘The Silent Way’, as it is known, is only one of the strange and wonderful methods that have been used in language teaching over the last two hundred years. On our Japanese teacher training courses and our Teaching English to Young Learners courses, we teach about many more methods, and we take the time to analyse them from different points of view. If this is something you would like to know more about, why not take a look at our courses? They can all be found here. I hope you find something you like!


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MARCH 1st

How can I make students remember words the first time I teach them?

As teachers of foreign languages, we sometimes wish there was a quicker way to teach language. Repeating the same words over and over with our students, and getting them to study the words at home can be difficult, time-consuming and boring. So is there a way to make students remember new vocabulary straight away?

A famous language scientist, called James Asher, wrote about ‘first exposure learning’. First exposure learning is the idea that on hearing a word for the first time, we have the ability to remember it. The way to remember it straight away is to get the left side of our brain to work with the right side. One of the functions of the left side of the brain is to deal with language. The right side of the brain deals with our muscles, and how we act physically. Therefore, according to Asher, if we move in response to language, we engage both sides of the brain, and something wonderful happens – we remember the new word first time! It sounds hard to believe, but if a teacher gestures to his non-English speaking class to stand up, while saying the words ‘stand up’, the students will respond physically to the gesture and the language. If the teacher later says ‘stand up’ without gesturing, most students will still respond and stand up. Aren’t our brains amazing?

This method of teaching is called Total Physical Response, and it’s just one of the methods we teach on our teaching training courses here at IIEL. If you want to know more about our teacher training courses, why not take a look at our course pages? You can find the details here.

We also run IELTS preparation classes for students who want to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam and prove their level of English. The details can be found here.




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JANUARY 24th

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Over the past week, Charlton House has been blanketed in bright white snow, and the park behind the house has given rise to a small population of snowmen. Do you know the British television show, Doctor Who? The main character in the TV show, named ‘the doctor’, is a time traveller who fights aliens. Last year’s Christmas episode of Doctor Who told the story of snowmen who came to life and became evil. I am hoping that this story will not come true, as we would have to fight hard to win against the army of snowmen that has been forming in Charlton Park!

The tenth Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) course has now begun here at IIEL. The new students are eager to learn, and have all made a very positive start to the TEYL course. Today, students thought about how they would teach Japanese children about English weather. Students expressed their surprise at English people not using umbrellas. They explained to me that in Japan, rain tends to be very heavy if it falls, so people have to use an umbrella. I remember from when I lived in Japan the abhorrent rainy season, when it rains more or less non-stop, for a month. Ah yes, I thought, a man would be wise to carry an umbrella in June in Japan. We also spoke about the changeability of the weather in the U.K. Students are often confused by how it rains for a few minutes, then becomes sunny, as Japanese weather is much more steady. We discussed how the changeability of the weather could be the basis for a fun weather activity in English class in Japan, and discussed ways to encourage children to take an interest in the U.K.

If you want to know more about Teaching English to Young Learners, take a look at http://iiel.org.uk/course_detail/LCE-GS/TEYL_nyumon.html or email enquiries@iiel.org.uk for details of how to join the TEYL class. The next course starts on the 25th of April. And if it’s general English practice you want, why not enrol on our IELTS preparation course? It’s accredited by the British Council, and you can start any Monday. Take a look at http://iiel.org.uk/english/LLC/IELTS.html for more information.

If you’re interested in studying Japanese, we have courses to suit any level. Take a look at: http://www.iiel.org.uk/english/LLC/courses.html if you would like to know more.

London Language Centre at the Institute of International Education in London


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JANUARY 3rd

And so to the New Year…

Christmas has come and gone, already! Did you get any nice presents? I got a new diary and a pair of socks, and some soap among other things. I seem to always get soap for Christmas. There’s something about the smell of soap that tells me it’s Christmas day.

The school will soon open its doors again to all the students who have been away to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. We have a new Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) course starting on the 17th of January. TEYL can be great fun. I certainly had a lot of fun teaching children in Japan. I remember, for example, using characters such as Jack Sparrow, to teach self-introductions. “Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I like ships. Nice to meet you!” Once the kids could do this, we moved on to other famous people. “Hello, my name is Harry Potter. I like fried chicken.” (Why does Harry Potter like fried chicken? Mainly because it’s easy for children to say!) My favourite self-introduction was Kumamon: “Hello, my name is Kumamon. I like shinkansens. Nice to meet you.” For those who don’t know, Kumamon is the mascot for Kumamoto prefecture – he’s very popular among the children of Kyushu. He was invented around the time the new Kyushu shinkansen was made, so many people associate him with the shinkansen.

I used to play self-introduction matching games in class – the children walk around the classroom holding a character card. They meet someone, each person does a self-introduction, then they swap cards. If their cards are the same, they sit down together. The kids loved the character aspect, and many of them put on the characters’ voices to do the self-introductions. They always looked forward to studying English!

Teaching English to Young Learners can be great fun, both for you and for the kids. There’s still time to join the TEYL course if you are interested – take a look at http://iiel.org.uk/course_detail/LCE-GS/TEYL_nyumon.html or email enquiries@iiel.org.uk for details of how to join the TEYL class. And if it’s general English practice you want, why not enrol on our IELTS preparation course? It’s accredited by the British Council, and you can start any Monday. Take a look at http://iiel.org.uk/english/LLC/IELTS.html for more information.

London Language Centre at the Institute of International Education in London

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DECEMBER 2012

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

The days are getting colder and colder. Cold but sunny days really show Charlton House in its best light, the white stone shining and reflecting the sun’s golden glow. As the weather gets colder, we Brits start to look forward to Christmas. IIEL will soon be shutting its doors for the Christmas holidays. However, the teachers will be as busy as the elves in Santa’s workshop, writing reports and planning lessons for all the students who will start or continue their courses in January. The teachers at IIEL love to see their students progress, and continue to work hard to please them right through the year.

The current IELTS students (many of them also working towards a Diploma in Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language) have been studying a huge variety of topics in their classes, such as steam trains, the future of customer service and the downside of wind turbines. Strange topics, you might think, but they all help to build vocabulary and develop grammar. These kinds of topics also help to get students talking and writing about their own points of view, which is very important preparation for the IELTS exam.

If you’d like to learn more, drop by IIEL and ask about our English courses. We run courses all year round (except Christmas), and in 2013, we start our English classes on the 14th of January. IIEL is accredited by the British Council, and you can start our IELTS preparation course on any Monday. For more information, take a look at http://iiel.org.uk/course_detail/LCE-GS/TEYL_nyumon.html which has all the details of the course. Also, feel free to drop in next time you’re in Greenwich, or send an email to enquiries@iiel.org.uk.

London Language Centre at the Institute of International Education in London

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