Using The Daily Yomiuri in the Classroom
Simon Goddard Weedon / Special to The Daily Yomiuri
This month I couldn't resist focusing on the collapse of Nova. It's a topic that has affected a huge number of English teachers and students in Japan. on a personal note, it affected me greatly as I lost my job after 11 years working at the Nova school in Oita.
In this month's article there is the usual focus on single word- and phrase-level vocabulary items along with a focus on the sue of relative clauses. The Language Transfer activity will hopefully help me as I begin setting up my own school this week!
The story reprinted below originally appeared under a subheading as part of an article about Nova teachers, headlined "Nova teachers struggling to get by" in most editions, on Page 3 of The Daily Yomiuri on Nov. 8.
Students sore over tuition fees
Many Nova students expressed resentment Tuesday upon learning their tuition fees will not likely be returned after G.communication Group, a Nagoya-based language school chain operator, takes over some of the failed language school chain's branches. G.communication announced Tuesday it would not assume an obligation to return tuition fees paid by about 300,000 students to Nova.
During a press conference Tuesday night, Nova's court-appointed administrators, Toshiaki Higashibata and Noriaki Takahashi, who are lawyers, announced that G.communication was selected to take over part of Nova's operations.
"The decision [taken by G.communication] will highly protect employees and students. I had the impression that the company was very generous," Takahashi said.
G.communication will resume operation of 30 Nova schools at an early date. As for operations at about 640 remaining schools, the administrators are in the process of selecting schools to reopen, but could not say when they would make an announcement on the matter.
Meanwhile, G.communication President Takashi ono said during the press conference that the school would accept all Nova employees who wish to work. The company said it plans to do its best to support Nova students.
Tuesday's announcement on the tuition fees had an impact on Nova's students.
An 18-year-old college student who went to Nova's Kichijoji school in Musashino, Tokyo, said she paid 900,000 yen in advance to Nova about two years ago, and that about 200,000 yen remained unused for lessons.
"I wonder whether I can take lessons or not if I pay additional tuition fees. I can't believe [what] an English-language school [says] anymore," she said.
A 32-year-old female boutique employee said she attended the Meguro school in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, for 12 years. When she heard only 30 schools would be reopened for the time being, she hardened her face and said, "What will happen to the [Meguro] school? If the schools [to be resumed] are located far from my house, it will be hard to continue studying while working."
STUDENTS' ACTIVITIES
Vocabulary 1
Match the vocabulary then underline the words in the article.
chosen sore
restart additional
angry fees
shop selected
money resume
extra boutique
Vocabulary 2
Find a phrase in the article that means
* will try hard
* take responsibility
* said they were angry
Reading comprehension 1
1) According to the article, how many students are owed money by Nova?
2) Who are the lawyers appointed by the court?
3) How many schools did Nova have when it closed?
4) How many schools is G.communication planning to open in its first phase?
Reading comprehension 2
1) How many teachers will be employed by G.communication?
2) What promise did G.communication make to students?
3) How much is the Kichijoji student owed by Nova?
4) How long did the Meguro School student attend Nova?
Grammar focus--relative clauses
Look at the underlined sentences. For each one, decide which of the following pronouns could replace the whole clause:
it / he / she / they / we
Language transfer
Imagine you are setting up a new language school in Japan:
Create a set of school rules for the students and also one for the company.
For example: "Students have to pay lesson fees in advance" or "The school has to refund money within one month."
Think of a name for the school.
Now make an advertisement for your school highlighting its best points.
NOTES FOR TEACHERS
Vocabulary 1
The activity focuses on less frequently used vocabulary items and uses simpler synonyms to show meaning. Answers: sore=angry; extra=additional; fees=money; selected=chosen; resume=re-start; boutique=shop
Vocabulary 2
Answers: will try hard = plans to do its best (paragraph 5); take responsibility = assume an obligation (paragraph 1); said they were angry = expressed resentment (paragraph 1)
Reading comprehension 1
Answers: 300,000; Toshiaki Higashibata and Noriaki Takahashi; 640
Reading comprehension 2
Answers: "All Nova employees who wish to work"; to do its best to support Nova students; 200,000 yen; 12 years
Grammar focus--relative clauses
Japanese students often have problems understanding compound subject clauses, especially choosing the correct verb form following a relative clause. This activity focuses the students on reducing the clause to a single pronoun--a technique I've found successful in helping students to navigate test questions.
Answers: she/she/they
Language transfer
The language transfer activity should ideally be done as a one- or two-class follow-up to the article. The first activity allows for a review of modal verbs, while the second part can be exploited for group work with either a speaking or writing focus.
Weedon has 11 years' experience teaching English in Japan. He is the cofounder of 'E' English School in Oita and the coordinator for ETJ-Oita. Contact him with any questions about the ideas in this column at gweedon 1971@nifty.com.
(Nov. 29, 2007)
Simon Goddard Weedon / Special to The Daily Yomiuri
This month I couldn't resist focusing on the collapse of Nova. It's a topic that has affected a huge number of English teachers and students in Japan. on a personal note, it affected me greatly as I lost my job after 11 years working at the Nova school in Oita.
In this month's article there is the usual focus on single word- and phrase-level vocabulary items along with a focus on the sue of relative clauses. The Language Transfer activity will hopefully help me as I begin setting up my own school this week!
The story reprinted below originally appeared under a subheading as part of an article about Nova teachers, headlined "Nova teachers struggling to get by" in most editions, on Page 3 of The Daily Yomiuri on Nov. 8.
Students sore over tuition fees
Many Nova students expressed resentment Tuesday upon learning their tuition fees will not likely be returned after G.communication Group, a Nagoya-based language school chain operator, takes over some of the failed language school chain's branches. G.communication announced Tuesday it would not assume an obligation to return tuition fees paid by about 300,000 students to Nova.
During a press conference Tuesday night, Nova's court-appointed administrators, Toshiaki Higashibata and Noriaki Takahashi, who are lawyers, announced that G.communication was selected to take over part of Nova's operations.
"The decision [taken by G.communication] will highly protect employees and students. I had the impression that the company was very generous," Takahashi said.
G.communication will resume operation of 30 Nova schools at an early date. As for operations at about 640 remaining schools, the administrators are in the process of selecting schools to reopen, but could not say when they would make an announcement on the matter.
Meanwhile, G.communication President Takashi ono said during the press conference that the school would accept all Nova employees who wish to work. The company said it plans to do its best to support Nova students.
Tuesday's announcement on the tuition fees had an impact on Nova's students.
An 18-year-old college student who went to Nova's Kichijoji school in Musashino, Tokyo, said she paid 900,000 yen in advance to Nova about two years ago, and that about 200,000 yen remained unused for lessons.
"I wonder whether I can take lessons or not if I pay additional tuition fees. I can't believe [what] an English-language school [says] anymore," she said.
A 32-year-old female boutique employee said she attended the Meguro school in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, for 12 years. When she heard only 30 schools would be reopened for the time being, she hardened her face and said, "What will happen to the [Meguro] school? If the schools [to be resumed] are located far from my house, it will be hard to continue studying while working."
STUDENTS' ACTIVITIES
Vocabulary 1
Match the vocabulary then underline the words in the article.
chosen sore
restart additional
angry fees
shop selected
money resume
extra boutique
Vocabulary 2
Find a phrase in the article that means
* will try hard
* take responsibility
* said they were angry
Reading comprehension 1
1) According to the article, how many students are owed money by Nova?
2) Who are the lawyers appointed by the court?
3) How many schools did Nova have when it closed?
4) How many schools is G.communication planning to open in its first phase?
Reading comprehension 2
1) How many teachers will be employed by G.communication?
2) What promise did G.communication make to students?
3) How much is the Kichijoji student owed by Nova?
4) How long did the Meguro School student attend Nova?
Grammar focus--relative clauses
Look at the underlined sentences. For each one, decide which of the following pronouns could replace the whole clause:
it / he / she / they / we
Language transfer
Imagine you are setting up a new language school in Japan:
Create a set of school rules for the students and also one for the company.
For example: "Students have to pay lesson fees in advance" or "The school has to refund money within one month."
Think of a name for the school.
Now make an advertisement for your school highlighting its best points.
NOTES FOR TEACHERS
Vocabulary 1
The activity focuses on less frequently used vocabulary items and uses simpler synonyms to show meaning. Answers: sore=angry; extra=additional; fees=money; selected=chosen; resume=re-start; boutique=shop
Vocabulary 2
Answers: will try hard = plans to do its best (paragraph 5); take responsibility = assume an obligation (paragraph 1); said they were angry = expressed resentment (paragraph 1)
Reading comprehension 1
Answers: 300,000; Toshiaki Higashibata and Noriaki Takahashi; 640
Reading comprehension 2
Answers: "All Nova employees who wish to work"; to do its best to support Nova students; 200,000 yen; 12 years
Grammar focus--relative clauses
Japanese students often have problems understanding compound subject clauses, especially choosing the correct verb form following a relative clause. This activity focuses the students on reducing the clause to a single pronoun--a technique I've found successful in helping students to navigate test questions.
Answers: she/she/they
Language transfer
The language transfer activity should ideally be done as a one- or two-class follow-up to the article. The first activity allows for a review of modal verbs, while the second part can be exploited for group work with either a speaking or writing focus.
Weedon has 11 years' experience teaching English in Japan. He is the cofounder of 'E' English School in Oita and the coordinator for ETJ-Oita. Contact him with any questions about the ideas in this column at gweedon 1971@nifty.com.
(Nov. 29, 2007)