Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

In a couple of weeks I'm going to New York for am interview, where hopefully I'll end up with a teaching position in Japan. I know at some point I'll have to give a teaching demonstration, though I don't know to how many people. I'd like to find a way to include Usagi comics for fun, but not sure how.

Anyone (coughStancough) want to throw out ideas?

What subject(s) are you teaching?

My good friend Mark Crilley taught English as a second language for a year of so in Japan. One of his methods was to do stories involving a Japanese-American 11 year old girl. Those stories was the basis for his Akiko comic books from Sirius. They are now a series of young adult novels that Mark is authoring for Delacorte Press.

For a start, have a look at http://www.eslcafe.com, which apart from useful information about employers (nudge) has a lot of good ideas from practicing ESL teachers.

For Usagi-specific lessons (assuming the NOTHING you do will have ANY copyright implications-- we know Sakai-sensei is mild and nice, but he's not entirely in charge of the legal end of things):

CLOZE exercise: Students in pairs, each with a page of the book; each partner has the same page, but with different words blanked out in alternating balloons. They take turns reading (vocabulary recognition, pronunciation) while the partner fills in the blanks in their paper (writing using Roman characters, understanding spoken language, spelling). When they're done, they can read back what they wrote to see if it makes sense, or just look at each other's paper (time pressure). Depending on the vocabulary, good for intermediate or very high beginners.

Alternative CLOZE: If you want to talk more, or give the students more practice hearing a native speaker, give them each a page with slightly different blacks, then read yourself from a master. When done, get each student to read back from theirs by way of correction, and to give them practice speaking. Same level as previous, although slightly more attainable for the low-level student.

Creative writing: Students each get a page (or panel) with all the dialogue removed. They have to make some up, and depending on your focus, just write it out, or read it to the entire class (for this and the previous item, if the class has an overhead projector so everyone can see the page at once, all the better). This is a fairly advanced project-- high-intermediate at very least.

Vocabulary builder: For the beginners. Get some pictures of the main characters. "This is Miyamoto. He is a Rabbit." (If you're in Japan, "Usagi" is a bit of a give-away ) Go through three or four of them, then start with the questions; "Who it this?" -> "That is Gen." Make sure the responses are more than one word-- if it isn't Subject-Verb-Object, they have to go again.

That's all I've got off the top of my head. I'll try to give it some more thought before too much time passes.

My only advice is to remember this one, life saving sentence. Excuse spelling issues.

Oterai desu ka?

You'll thank me later.

As Stan, I to would like to know what Subject- I think maybe English?
Im my oppinion, you could Do like certin days, were you learn about Events from America and Japan,
Ex- Usagi the Samurai Bunny, Is from the country Japan
EX- While Batman is from Gothum City.
I hope you get what Im tryingto say ^^* .....
But all in all- I hope whatever teacheing mytid you use, Is most great, and Im sure your Stuents will find you most funny ^^

Yes, it is a position to teach English. I'm spending efforts in finding an affordable hotel right now, but I like these ideas and would appreciate any more.

Well, my best friend, Fumiko, Came from Tokyo last year, and she was so the "ready to learn" type- Iv not been to Jp- But- alot of the students are really motivated to learn, whuch is a good thing of course, And judguing by Fumiko, I dont think you'll have much absences, Ex- when missing the train or something like that- It's just what i had picked up from her- but you'll be the one going lol- I hope you may tell us about how your students are!

Ohh Is this the "JET"- Program?
Are you going to be an Assistant English teacher- or are you Fluent in both Languages?

For hotel Umm....Could you live with a family?- Like you stay with a Japanese family, and you teach them converstational Englsih with them?- That would be so Cool and Fun!

No It's not the JET, it's another company called GEOS. JET, surprisingly, didn't take me

By hotel, I mean only for the interview. I haven't gotten the job yet and so far I only need to give one presentation, ie. teaching session.

Ohhhhhh I see ^^ Thats Still Pretty CooL!- Good Luck!

Tounian wrote:My only advice is to remember this one, life saving sentence. Excuse spelling issues.

Oterai desu ka?

You'll thank me later.

And that is...??

I'm thinking of going with the story-telling idea. Maybe photocopying
one of the shorter stories and blanking out the words so they can fill them in with vocabulary that I'll teach them.

If Stan doesn't mind me reproducing such works for education

Would it be okay if I did that?

Oterai desu ka?

You'll thank me later.

Hmm. If that's what I think it is (otearai?), I think you'll want a "Doko" in there somewhere-- "Where is...?" rather than "Are you...?", which if I'm right about the noun could save an AWFUL lot of embarrassment.

If I am right about this, I'll be all flush with success.