Connect-the-Dots Set 2

Some number practice for some kids....We would like the kids to practice these numbers so that they will be able to answer time questions a lot faster.....

How to:

Don't just have your son or daughter connect-the-dots.  Have them read the numbers out loud WITH YOU!

And again...Don't worry about your pronunciation...It will be fine!

ThisWeek3 ~ May 30~June 6 / 2011

We will continue with the "Elliot" section.  Elliot has arrived in Spain and he has been turned into a Spanish man.

We will study pages 98 & 99 of the textbook.  We will be talking about changes in our lives.  I think it should be a piece of cake for you all.  We will listen to the dialogue and I will ask you some questions about it. 

Here are just a few questions that you should think about before you come to class:

Houses Vs Apartments
Which do you prefer a house or an apartment?
Why do you prefer a house / apartment?
What is an advantage of living in an apartment?

Gardens & Gardening
How much time do you spend in your garden?
How much money do you spend on your garden?
Why is gardening good for your health?
What are some advantages of growing your own vegetables?

Have something done...
We will study how to use this grammar point.  It should be a cakewalk...so don't worry!

For example:

Where did you have your hair cut?

I had my hair cut at Tomomi's shop.

I am having a new house built in Miwa.

Why study a second language...
If you know that English is important, will you make your kids or grandkids study it?
When do you think they should start studying English, when they are young or when they are older?

Loan words...
Did you know that words like tornado, hurricane and mosquito are oringinally Spanish words?
How about English words that are taken from Japanese?

And if we have time....a few more surprises...
Next week will be an English bonanza!  (By the way ... Bonanza is also a Spanish Loan Word)

Chris Scally ... Canadian Voice English School 2011

This week's Baby Class....

We will be playing a game this week...using these "words" and "can" ....

If you have time...Please practice with your son or daughter.

Shuukan Nagano ~ May 28 / 2011

Canadian Voice had a new article in today's Shuukan Nagano. Take a look...

The good looking boy next to me is Motoshi.  He has been a student of mine for a long time.  He is a hard worker.  I hope he keeps on studying and that he will be a great English speaker in the future.  Motoshi don't forget to do your HOMEWORK! 

As for my hair...I know what you are thinking...My hair is going further and further back...Help!  Somebody get me some ROGAIN!

"Devil Card 2" Worksheet...

The "Devil Card 2" section  had a bit of new grammar in it...If you would like to practice some more...try the worksheet below.  You can check your answers in class.

INTO

Into can show a division

Pattern 1:  Number + into + number = number

Three into twelve equals four.

Pattern 2:  Verb + noun + noun + into + (number) + noun

She cut the cake into 8 pieces.

The plate broke into a million pieces.

Common verbs before into:

break, cut, divide, seperate

Common nouns after into:

bits, parts, pieces, slices, wedges

長野子どもクラス ～ This Week's Kids Class...Hana Fuda...Months....

Since we used Hana Fuda cards in class to teach months....I made a page with the Canadian Voice Hana Fuda Cards.

We will review numbers 1 ~12 and the months this week....  Study Hard!

Kids class Grammar Practice....

A student's mother requested another page for more practice.  The gym is closed on the 25th of every month so I had some time to draw some more pictures. (昨日ジムは　ていきゅび　だった から　絵を　書く時間が　少し　あった。)

Please practice asking the questions as well as answering:

1.  What is this?     It is a square watermelon. / It is a round watermelon.

2.  What is this?   It is a short jump rope. / It is a long jump rope.

3.  What is this?  It is a short tail. / It is a long tail.

4.  What is this?  It is a large fries. / It is a small fries.

5.  What is this?  It is a big ball. / It is a little ball.

6.  What is this?  It is a big elephant. / It is a little mouse. 

Yes...I know there are some new words...Please explain to your son or daughter what they are in English.

See you sometime this week!

This Week 2 ~ Extra Vocabulary

During the last few lessons...Many students had a lot of good ideas and a lot of new vocabulary words came up.  I included many of those words on this vocabulary list....

This Week 2 ~May 24 ~ May 30 /2011

Okay...Today I started the 2 main adult lessons for the week....

"Elliot 10" & "Devil Card 2" 

"Elliot 10"
This week I would like you all to be a bit more chatty so I have added a lot more conversation questions to the lesson...Of course these questions will just pop up during the lesson....so be ready!

OK...Just to give you a chance to think...and to maybe "WOW ME"...I have included a few questions and subjects that we will talk about this week...

We will review "talk into".

We willl talk about marriage:
Around what age do Japanese people get married?
Do you think it is better to be single or to be married when you are young?
And of course....Why do you think so?

We will talk about money:
Have you ever bought a lottery ticket?
If you actually won the lottery, what would you buy?

We will talk a bit about politics:
Why has the prime minister changed so many times in the last few years?
If you could become the prime minister of Japan for a short time, what would you change?

Spain and Bullfighting:
What happens at a bullfight?
Why do some people love bullfights?
Why do some people hate them?
Should it be banned...Why? or Why not?

Living abroad:
If you could live in another country, what country would you like to live in?
What country wouldn't you like to live in?

Comparatives from Page 99 of the Textbook....

"Devil Card 2"
I don't think there should be any big surprises in this lesson.  This lesson will be more structured (くみたてられている) and it won't have as much imagination in it as the "Elliot 10" lesson.
Below are some things to think about before class....

We will review "talk into".

We will talk about Nobita's future:
What will happen after he graduates from high school....

University:
If you could, would you like to go back to university?
What would you like to major in?

Your first job:
Was your first job a full-time job or a part-time job?
How was it?

Fires:
We will see a video and talk about a man who has a fire at home.  We will talk about what to do in the event of a fire and how to get out in one piece.
  

Don't want to spoil the surprise....Good luck this week!

こどもクラス ～ Canadian Voice ~ May 2011 ~ Bowling Game3

This is the 3rd Part and the grammar practice page that we used for the bowling game last week... 

Please practice asking the questions as well as answering:

1.  What is this?     It is a little car. / It is a big car.

2.  What is this?   It is a short cat. / It is a long cat.

3.  What is this?  It is a big bat. / It is a little bat.

4.  What is this?  It is a small nose. / It is a big nose.

5.  What is this?  It is a small doll. / It is a large doll.

6.  What is this?  It is a square box. / It is a round box. 

And again...Don't worry about your pronunciation....You will be fine!  Good Luck!

こどもクラス ～ Canadian Voice ~ May 2011 ~ Bowling Game

This is the 2nd Part of the vocabulary that we used for the bowling game last week. 

Grammar:

今日の天気はどうですか？ ~ How's the weather today?

 

どう？　～　How?

 

＿＿＿ はどうですか？　～　How's the _____?

 

＿＿＿です。　～　It's  ________.

 

OK...Now to work on the next page...Lots more pictures to draw...Study Hard!

 

Infant Class ~ Bowling Game Vocabulary

This is the 1st Part of the vocabulary that we used for the bowling game last week.  If you have time, please practice with your son or daughter.

Grammar:

これは何ですか？　～　What's this?

＿＿＿です。　～　It's a ________.

I'll start drawing the next 2 pages up sometime this week....Study Hard!

 英会話スクール　長野 ~ Canadian Voice

Connect the Dots ~ Part 1

 Here is a post for the younger kids.  Please do these workshets WITH your son or daughter.
Tell them to say the letters or numbers out loud as they connect the dots.

Ask some questions about the page before you start.

For example:

What are these?
They are fish.

What kind of fish is this?
It is a cat fish.

What kind of fish is this?
It is a rabbit fish.

Please pick up your pencil.
Please sing the alphabet song and connect the dots....Ready....3...2....1....Go.....

(When you are finished)
What is this?
It is a dolphin.

Do you like dolphins?
Yes, I do. / No, I don't.

What colour are dolphins?
They are blue. (All the kids say they are blue...so...)

Can you find the blue crayon?
Yes, I can.

Please pick up the blue crayon.
Please colour the dolphin....Ready...GO....

After you are finished...You can even talk about dolphins if you like in English or in Japanese.....
Do you get the idea how to do it?
Don't worry about your pronunciation .... It will be OK...

Have fun with the worksheets and just have FUN communicating with your kid.
Encourage them .... praise them a lot .....and .....
DON'T GET ANGRY if they make a mistake or don't know.

If you have any questions...Please ask me.

Some students have asked me about my arm....

Some students have asked me about the strange mark on my right arm.  They asked if it was a birthmark.  (うまれつきのあざ）No, it isn't a birthmark.  It is actually a scar from a smallpox vaccination. 

Now...the kid in the picture below is me!!!!  If you look at my arm, (don't look at the bananas on the counter and don't ask why I am in a sink) you can see a red spot.  That is the scar from the shot.

The smallpox vaccination is given with a two-pronged needle that is used to prick the skin of the upper arm several times.

In 3-4 days a red, itchy bump forms on the skin.

In the first week the bump develops into a blister.

In the second week, the blister dries up and it turns into a scab.

In the third week, the scab falls off, leaving a scar.

And again ... that scar is what you see on my right arm....

THE END

As promised...

Well, the first rounds of Elliot 9 were a little bit tough...A lot of old vocabulary popped up and some people had trouble remembering the "How to order at a fast food restaurant" section so, I made a Vocabulary sheet to help everyone out...

Please preview or review this...(Depending which class you are in!)

This Week

Coming up...May 17 /2011 ~ May 23 /2011

"Elliot" and "The Devil Card"

This grammar point will be used in both the Elliot and Devil Card lessons...

In this week's "Elliot" section...
1)  We will review giving and taking orders at a fast food restaurant (Textbook Page 83)
2)  Listening practice ~ "Canadian" & "British" English
3)  We will look at the story of Adam and Eve
4) We will also focus on the preposition "into"

Here is one of the "into" expressions that we will be focusing on:

We will also be looking at:
Into can mean a change in condition or form
Pattern 1:  go/get + into + noun

Nobi went into debt after the accident. 

Gian always gets into trouble at school.

Nouns often used after go into:
action, bankruptcy, debt

Nouns used after get into:
danger, shape, trouble

Expressions:
to turn into ~ to change into a different form

The car turned into a robot.
The car changed into a robot.
The car transformed into a robot.

You can check out the example on youtube...
It is an interesting car commercial!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL5c2DUnYno

"Tweet 3"

I finished a vocabulary list for "Tweet 3" ... and here it is...

This lesson will be used in some of the higher classes as well as the lower as a vocabulary and grammar builder ...

I also know there are a lot of idioms in it ... but don't worry we will play a game to help you remember...

I will be teaching "Tweet 3" from Friday May 13 ~ Thursday May 19.

Good luck next week...

Sushi in Vancouver...

When I was a university student and only 19 years old, a friend took me to my first Japanese restaurant. I was a little worried at first and was too scared to eat anything that was raw so, my friend recommended "nabeyaki udon" to me.

I was very surprised...It was GREAT! From that day I was hooked on Japanese food. I was in love with it and I became a regular customer at that restaurant. After a few years, I finally got the courage to try RAW fish. I liked it as much as the cooked food. The only problem was that Japanese food in Vancouver was a little bit too expensive for me. (I was a poor student at the time!)

As school got more and more expensive, I could only go for sushi once a week or once every 2 weeks. Poor me ...

However, as the years passed, Japanese food in Vancouver gradually got more and more popular. (There was a "sushi boom".) Lots of new restaurants started to pop up here and there and eventually there were sushi shops everywhere.

A year or 2 before I came to Japan, my friends and I found a sushi shop called "Samurai Sushi". It was owned and run by Vietnemese sushi chefs. The fish there was not thinly sliced, it was CUT into chunks....like roast beef....

When I looked at the sushi....I thought "Where the hell is the rice?" (Can you find it?)

Even though it was huge, it was pretty tasty and it was cheap too. A fast food sushi restaurant. I guess it was like a MacSushi.

For example the salmon sushi and the tuna sushi that you see are about $1 each (about 85 yen).

And...Every year when I go back home in December, I meet Leo and we go for lunch at MacSushi. One day.... Some day.... let's go to Vancouver and try!

"Tweet" lesson part 2

Here is part 2 of the "Tweet" lesson... Hope it helps...

Vocabulary List ... "Tweet 1" ...

This vocabulary list might be helpful for students who did the "Tweet" part 1 lesson....

A cat has nine lives....

I found this picture on facebook....and thought I would add it....

This superstition will come up again in this week and next week's lessons....

Some people believe in the superstition that cats have nine lives, because cats can survive falls from high places with few, if any injuries. This gives the appearance that cats return to life after sustaining a fatal injury.

Most people are surprised to learn that a cat has a greater chance of survival if it falls from a higher place than from a lower place.
New York veterinarians gathered data from their feline patients, which clearly supports this fact.
Ten percent of their patients died after falling from 2-6 stories, while only five percent of the fatalities occurred when their patients fell from 7-32 stories.

1 story = 3.3 meters

A cat has nine lives. 猫に九生あり。
（猫が生来敏捷で狡智なため、他の動物よりもしぶとく生きのびると考えられることから）猫は容易に死なないという意味。
一説には、猫は高い所から落としてもちゃんと立つことから、こう言われるようになったとも。
like a cat with nine lives （九生を持つ猫のように＝しぶとい／しぶとく）、
have nine lives like a cat （猫のように九生を持つ＝しぶとい）というようにも使われる。
「9」は西洋では古来神秘的な数とされ、成句やことわざに多くみられる。

I completed another game....

This next game is for Chapter 6 of the Blue Textbook....

Students will be able to practice and master the following grammar and  vocabulary in this game...

Grammar and sentence making:

Asking about destinations

Asking about the kind of transportation

Describing destination

Describing the kind of transportation

Vocabulary:

Transportation
Places in a community

 

How to play:
Be the first to collect a set of location cards by quickly playing the matching coloured transportation cards. Either try for a set of the same location or you can try to collect the whole town. While you are driving around town, keep an eye out for Ayako Sensei or you might get a ticket!


Educational value for the students:
As well as practicing and mastering the English vocabulary and grammar from this section, students will develop better hand-eye coordination and learn some quick decision-making skills
 
Details:
2 to 5 players
Playing time is about 10 ~ 15 minutes.
There are 71 cards in this game...
It is for students 6 years and up.

Karuizawa Trick Art Gallery

A few months ago Ayumi from the 1:00 Saturday kids class recommended the gallery to us.  It looked like a lot of fun so, yesterday we went to Kyuukaruizawa to check it out.  It was a lot of fun.  We spent a couple of hours walking around the gallery taking pictures of ourselves. 

 

A picture of a picture of Ayako

 

A cute picture of William Sensei

Chris being Chris

Ayako and Chris Flipping out

Run William run...

Ayako steals a picture ....

 

At first I thought I was a little bit expensive....

 

Adults 1,500 yen

School children 800 yen

          But....I think it was totally worth it.  If you have time, you should go there and have some fun.
       

         Check out the homepage for the museum..

         http://www.art-karuizawa.com/

Blue Textbook ~ Chapter 5

I just finished a new game for Chapter 5 of the  blue textbook.

Chapter 5

Asking about preferences ...

Expressing preferences ...

Asking what someone is wearing ...

Describing what someone is wearing ...

                   Also.....

Adjectives

Clothes

Students will be able to review vocabulary and grammar from previous sections as well as practicing and mastering Chapter 5.

This a fast card game which requires some fast sorting hands.

How to play:

Roll the color die, flip your cards over and try to be the first player to find the matching object among your cards  The first one to find the matching object collects the card and whoever collects the most cards wins!

Educational value for the students:

This is a great game because it promotes speaking English and social interaction. 

This game includes many other important skills that students need, such as colour recognition and visual discrimination.  It is also a great game for teaching kids how to deal with excitement and competition.

 

Details:

2 to 5 players

The playing time is about 10 ~ 15 minutes

There are 60 student cards, 12 find it cards, and 1 dice

It is a game for students 6 years and up.