Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

I'd put this in the other thread but I think it's dying.

I'm going to an interview to teach English in Japan this weekend and will have to give a presentation which I think will be a lesson type demonstration. I thought I'd copy a page of Usagi and leave the words blank. Then I'd teach them some vocabulary and have them create a page of dialogue using the vocab I taught them (with their own Japanese so the semi-story makes sense.

I didn't think Stan would mind if I photocopied but thought I'd ask. If he doesn't see this, what do you guys think of my idea?

<see previous thread for Copyright fretting>

On a strictly pedagogical front, make sure the assignment is age/skill appropriate. WE all know that adults love the comics, but some 40+ businessmen might have some issues with the format (yes, Japan = Manga, but UY is in a pretty different style...). On the skill front, I assume you'll have some guidelines as to what level you'll be teaching for the class, but having done some of it, a couple of tips:
1) Assume it will take the class about 40% longer than you expect to get through the assignment; creative work in a foreign language uses a LOT of processing power. Don't get TOO ambitious.
2) Have follow-up material prepared in the belief that they'll finish the assignment 40% faster than you expect. Contradictory? Mais oui, but we're dealing with humans. If the previous assumption proves correct, you'll be well ahead for the next day's lesson, but if they have a brilliant day then you aren't left standing flat-footed at the front of the class wondering if "Hangman" is a good way to fill the remaining time.

Other than that, it looks like a good exercise. Ambitious as anything, VERY open-ended outcome (which is good/bad; uses lots of brain and thus sticks new language down well, but so students want to the the "right" answer, and will feel cheated if there isn't one), gets a couple of different learning styles engaged. Should impress the hiring folks, as long as the class isn't too thick the day of.

Sundancer wrote: I didn't think Stan would mind if I photocopied but thought I'd ask. If he doesn't see this, what do you guys think of my idea?

I think it's a good idea. When I did some classroom presentations, I gave the class photocopied pages of a comic story with the dialogue balloons empty and had the class do the exact thing you describe. I got the idea from a Sugar & Spike comic (I have the original to that hanging on my wall).

Make sure the page you hand out is very clear as to what is happening, and, if you can, have it end in a gag or at least a complete sequence--that is, the situation should not be continued on some other page.

Good luck.

when i was learning illustration, they use many times comics to teach us how different ends could have the same page withuot balloons or with the balloons empty, to make a clear idea of what's happening in our ilustrations.

if you will use a uy or comic in general page, the vocabulary that people can use could be really bigger than you spect if you don't have caution

tokage