Using The Daily Yomiuri in the Classroom
Simon Goddard Weedon Special to The Daily Yomiuri
This month we focus on the intense excitement provided by sumo. The style of sports writing provides a colorful use of language, in particular idiomatic and metaphoric phrases in a fairly natural setting. There are two vocabulary activities to focus on this rich language and a suggestion for use of video in class to expand on the article.
Roho laboring under bad-boy tag
No stranger to trouble in the ring, Russian rank-and-filer Roho found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons--again--in the early days of last month's Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. (1)
The 27-year-old's tournament got off to the worst possible start against former ozeki Miyabiyama. After placing his left hand on the dirt at the tachiai, Roho then called out "matta" to signal he wasn't ready to fight. (2)
Unfortunately for the No. 9 maegashira, Miyabiyama had already exploded out of the blocks. That sent Roho, who had dropped his guard and put up no resistance, back-pedalling out to a one-sided loss. (3)
The referee signalled the bout had started and would stand, judging that Roho had stood up as Miyabiyama charged toward him and that his attempt to put the brakes on the bout by lifting his left hand had come too late. (4)
Roho glared at the ringside judges as he stepped down from the dohyo. He snatched the towel from the usher and fumed all the way back to the changing rooms--where he let off some steam in a tirade at the perceived injustice of his Day 1 labors. (5)
A bath did little to assuage his anger, and he let rip at referee Masanao Kimura. "There's something wrong with that referee," Roho said. "I wondered if he might be deaf. I said 'matta' before my right hand touched the dirt--If he can't hear properly, he should quit. I hope the [Japan] Sumo Association warns him." (6)
Kimura was adamant that everything that happened on the dohyo was above board. "A bout begins the moment the two stand after their hands have touched the dirt. None of the ringside judges raised their hands to suggest anything was amiss," he said. (7)
Although the big Russian has been dogged by a lower back injury and is not always able to compete in top condition, he has the skills to hold his own in the sanyaku ranks. Hopefully he can use this ability to start making headlines for the right reasons. (8)
(The Daily Yomiuri, June 20)
STUDENTS' ACTIVITIES
Pre-reading activities
1. Can you complete the ranking list: yokozuna, ........., ........., ........., .........
2. Who's your favorite sports star? What are his or her good points? What are his or her bad points?
Vocabulary 1
Look at Paragraphs 5 and 6.
Find words or phrases that mean:
look at someone angrily
got angry with
take something violently
calm him down
believed something was wrong
got rid of his anger
an angry speech
showed his anger
Vocabulary 2
Match the remaining highlighted phrases to their meanings.
start very quickly; wrong; lower level person; honorable; perform at a good level; disadvantaged by; having problems with; stop
Reading comprehension 1
Read the article and then answer these questions:
1 How old is Roho?
2 Who was he fighting?
3 What rank is he?
4 Where is he from?
5 What injury has he had?
Reading comprehension 2
1. When does a sumo bout begin?
2. How does a wrestler say he isn't ready?
3. Who was the referee in the bout?
Language transfer
Role play:
1. Imagine you are going to interview Roho, Miyabiyama and the judge about the bout. Prepare a list of five questions for each person.
2. Imagine you are a TV Sumo commentator. Write a script describing the bout. Start with:
"We're here at the Summer Tournament and the two wrestlers are facing each other..."
NOTES FOR TEACHERS
Pre-reading activities
The choice of activities should ensure all class members are able to share their knowledge or interests and prepare them for the reading.
Completed list for highest division: yokozuna, ozeki, sekiwake, komusubi, maegashira
Vocabulary 1
Answers: look at someone angrily = glare; got angry with = let rip at; take something violently = snatch; calm him down = assuage his anger; something he believed was wrong = perceived injustice; got rid of his anger = let off steam; angry speech = tirade; showed his anger = fumed
Vocabulary 2
Answers: start very quickly = explode out of the blocks; wrong = amiss; lower level person = rank-and-filer; honorable = above board; perform at a good level = hold his own; stop = put the brakes on; having problems with = dogged by
Reading comprehension 1
Answers: 1. 27, 2. Miyabiyama, 3. Maegashira (Sanyaku), 4. Russia, 5. Back problem
Reading comprehension 2
Answers: 1. When both wrestlers touch both hands on the floor, 2. He says "matta" 3. Masanao Kimura
Language transfer
To extend this activity, bring a video of a sumo bout into the class. Have students watch and write short sentences about what they are seeing. Then let them build up a short script by joining their sentences. Finally, get the students to try and read their script out loud as they watch the bout on video. This is a good way of reviewing present continuous use, and the video forces the students to increase response time, while giving a welcome visual stimulus.
Weedon has 10 years' experience teaching English in Japan. He is also the coordinator for the Oita chapter of English Teachers in Japan. Contact him with any questions about the ideas in this column at gweedon 1971@nifty.com.
(Jul. 6, 2007)
Simon Goddard Weedon Special to The Daily Yomiuri
This month we focus on the intense excitement provided by sumo. The style of sports writing provides a colorful use of language, in particular idiomatic and metaphoric phrases in a fairly natural setting. There are two vocabulary activities to focus on this rich language and a suggestion for use of video in class to expand on the article.
Roho laboring under bad-boy tag
No stranger to trouble in the ring, Russian rank-and-filer Roho found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons--again--in the early days of last month's Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. (1)
The 27-year-old's tournament got off to the worst possible start against former ozeki Miyabiyama. After placing his left hand on the dirt at the tachiai, Roho then called out "matta" to signal he wasn't ready to fight. (2)
Unfortunately for the No. 9 maegashira, Miyabiyama had already exploded out of the blocks. That sent Roho, who had dropped his guard and put up no resistance, back-pedalling out to a one-sided loss. (3)
The referee signalled the bout had started and would stand, judging that Roho had stood up as Miyabiyama charged toward him and that his attempt to put the brakes on the bout by lifting his left hand had come too late. (4)
Roho glared at the ringside judges as he stepped down from the dohyo. He snatched the towel from the usher and fumed all the way back to the changing rooms--where he let off some steam in a tirade at the perceived injustice of his Day 1 labors. (5)
A bath did little to assuage his anger, and he let rip at referee Masanao Kimura. "There's something wrong with that referee," Roho said. "I wondered if he might be deaf. I said 'matta' before my right hand touched the dirt--If he can't hear properly, he should quit. I hope the [Japan] Sumo Association warns him." (6)
Kimura was adamant that everything that happened on the dohyo was above board. "A bout begins the moment the two stand after their hands have touched the dirt. None of the ringside judges raised their hands to suggest anything was amiss," he said. (7)
Although the big Russian has been dogged by a lower back injury and is not always able to compete in top condition, he has the skills to hold his own in the sanyaku ranks. Hopefully he can use this ability to start making headlines for the right reasons. (8)
(The Daily Yomiuri, June 20)
STUDENTS' ACTIVITIES
Pre-reading activities
1. Can you complete the ranking list: yokozuna, ........., ........., ........., .........
2. Who's your favorite sports star? What are his or her good points? What are his or her bad points?
Vocabulary 1
Look at Paragraphs 5 and 6.
Find words or phrases that mean:
look at someone angrily
got angry with
take something violently
calm him down
believed something was wrong
got rid of his anger
an angry speech
showed his anger
Vocabulary 2
Match the remaining highlighted phrases to their meanings.
start very quickly; wrong; lower level person; honorable; perform at a good level; disadvantaged by; having problems with; stop
Reading comprehension 1
Read the article and then answer these questions:
1 How old is Roho?
2 Who was he fighting?
3 What rank is he?
4 Where is he from?
5 What injury has he had?
Reading comprehension 2
1. When does a sumo bout begin?
2. How does a wrestler say he isn't ready?
3. Who was the referee in the bout?
Language transfer
Role play:
1. Imagine you are going to interview Roho, Miyabiyama and the judge about the bout. Prepare a list of five questions for each person.
2. Imagine you are a TV Sumo commentator. Write a script describing the bout. Start with:
"We're here at the Summer Tournament and the two wrestlers are facing each other..."
NOTES FOR TEACHERS
Pre-reading activities
The choice of activities should ensure all class members are able to share their knowledge or interests and prepare them for the reading.
Completed list for highest division: yokozuna, ozeki, sekiwake, komusubi, maegashira
Vocabulary 1
Answers: look at someone angrily = glare; got angry with = let rip at; take something violently = snatch; calm him down = assuage his anger; something he believed was wrong = perceived injustice; got rid of his anger = let off steam; angry speech = tirade; showed his anger = fumed
Vocabulary 2
Answers: start very quickly = explode out of the blocks; wrong = amiss; lower level person = rank-and-filer; honorable = above board; perform at a good level = hold his own; stop = put the brakes on; having problems with = dogged by
Reading comprehension 1
Answers: 1. 27, 2. Miyabiyama, 3. Maegashira (Sanyaku), 4. Russia, 5. Back problem
Reading comprehension 2
Answers: 1. When both wrestlers touch both hands on the floor, 2. He says "matta" 3. Masanao Kimura
Language transfer
To extend this activity, bring a video of a sumo bout into the class. Have students watch and write short sentences about what they are seeing. Then let them build up a short script by joining their sentences. Finally, get the students to try and read their script out loud as they watch the bout on video. This is a good way of reviewing present continuous use, and the video forces the students to increase response time, while giving a welcome visual stimulus.
Weedon has 10 years' experience teaching English in Japan. He is also the coordinator for the Oita chapter of English Teachers in Japan. Contact him with any questions about the ideas in this column at gweedon 1971@nifty.com.
(Jul. 6, 2007)