It’s essential to find a routine demo lesson
which you are comfortable with and get to know it
off by heart. Knowing this recipe for success will
also cut out most of the stress which is otherwise
experienced preparing each time! Note that your routine
needs to be flexible and simple enough for different
circumstances and appealing to not just the kids but
their parents hearts and minds too. For most families,
English lessons cost hard earned money, thus we have
to try our very best to meet their expectations.
Good first impressions
Ask yourself what are their expectations might be
and present yourself in the correct manner to create
an enthusiastic response. Obviously kids lessons should
be fun, varied, easy to follow and entertaining. Note
that the more educational review and production elements
of your normal lessons are not going to capture their
attention in a demo lesson. Instead, you want them
to be listening with full attention, moving about,
having fun and either talking or responding to your
actions, facial gestures and dialogue.
Circus tricks!
Your routine must use T.P.R.(Total physical response),
visible colorful cards; perhaps a song and action
game and definitely some silly elements! As for describing
review and production activities, please tell the
mums to discuss with the school or see the website
for more details. Nevertheless if you feel able to
explain concisely and clearly, then if they do ask
you to discuss how you might manage your lesson-planning
too, all the better! .
After the demo
I recommend you bring anything to entertain the kids
after the lesson whilst we talk to the parents, e.g.
phonics disc, toy, story book, coloring in exercises.
Don`t be absent minded: make sure you remember to
pick them up before leaving. I also give the kids
a seal-sticker or candy. I suggest you do the same.
The whole routine can be only 15-30 minutes or longer.
SUGGSTIONS FOR AN ENERGETIC DEMO
ROUTINE:
1) Setting the scene!:
With enthusiasm, unfold a world map (available from
the ?100 shop). Start by pointing to your country.
Elicit and/or present the word e.g. ‘I’m
Riktam, I’m from the U.K.’ Now ask by
suggestion or by elimination:
Q: `Where are you from?`
Encourage them by saying e.g. ‘America?’
until they succeed in pointing to and saying ‘(I’m
from) Japan’. Now elicit the word ‘jet
plane’ to express how to travel from Japan to
your country. What I do next is to hand out fake passports
( any blank paper or downloadable versions from website).
2) Passports ( Travel abroad!):
Tell the kids in Japanese or English that now we’ll
go visit my country where we speak English please!
Note to say this in Japanese: `Korekara hikouki ni
notte (Amerika/Igirisu) ni Ikimasho! Amerika dewa
eigo wo hanashi masu kara, hikoki ni nottara ganbatte
eigo wo hanasimasho`.
I give each child a seal (or I pretend to stamp the
passport), telling them that once they collect 20
points on their passports, they can win a present!
I also ask kids what color of seal they want (available
from Maruzen books).
3) Use their imagination to further set the
scene.
Now I count to 10, inviting the kids to count too.
As I get near to 10, I pretend to lift my wings to
take off! Next we fly around the room, sometimes stopping
suddenly to see an elephant or giraffe go by in Africa.(gestures!).
Sometimes we go slower or faster to make sure they
are paying attention. You may try to tickle the kids
to make sure they do move at all! Or you can pretend
to be a fighter plane and shoot at them! Some kids
are reluctant to move, but this helps them relax.
Note kids over 10 may just be too embarrassed, so
you have to respect and respond to each age.
4) Use M.A.T. (Model, Act, Talk) Method
Upon arrival, Play a game with action cards as main
presentation:
Arriving, remind and tell them in English, ‘Now
we’re in (America etc.)’ ‘Hello!
I’m (Rik etc.). Lets speak English!` Try to
elicit any simple self introduction questions and
answers if they may have existing knowledge.
‘What are you doing ?’ game.
I use `Finding Out` ( David English House) large
action cards to present the actions. The school can
lend you if you wish. They’ve entertaining since
they are silly plus have animals doing the actions…
Kids love these cards!
Demonstration:
I demonstrate the verbs and expect the kids to repeat
the gestures plus hopefully from the start, the words
after me. A fast pace is best and start to mix the
cards all up after the first time. I use about 15
cards. Make sure kids repeat the question ‘What
are you doing?’ after you!
Gestures: next act out the gestures or say the words
and get the kids to act out, tell you which or point
the correct card on the floor.
5) Empower the child! (Mini- production activity)
Now ask same kids to act out of the cards in front
of the other kids. You may have to help them. Next
you can either fly home again or if you have more
time, play another game or even better sing a song
e.g. ‘Simon says’ Game or the ‘What
are you doing’ song from (Let’s Go 2,
page 65, Unit 8).
Close: After returning home, I give the kids one
candy each and ask them in Japanese if they had fun
and do they want to go abroad again? I tell them not
to lose their passports!
Winning the mums over school (philosophy)
Whilst the kids are entertained, I tell them that
I believe just learning lots of vocabulary is not
very helpful unless the kids learn simply daily expressions
to use that vocabulary outside class-time, e.g. phrases
like ‘I’m finished!’ ‘My turn!’
‘Please give me’. I tell the mums that
if they practice English and review with their kids
e.g. at the dinner-table, ‘Please give me -----‘,
then their kids will learn that English is a living
language to be used!
6) FAQ: Potential Problems & Solutions:
Q. If the routine is too childish, easy
or difficult?
A. You will have to judge what is correct to do,
especially if it is clear that the child is not easily
encourage. Many kids are very shy in the 1st meeting.
Q. Games to play with pre-school age instead?
A 1. Hello, Mr. Wolf game:
You will need at least 2 kids. You are the wolf and
the kids ask you, ‘What’s the time, Mr.
Wolf?’ If you say, ‘3’, they take
3 steps from across opposite side of the room towards
you. Then when you say ‘dinner-time’,
you run to catch one to gobble up. It is best if you
pick a adult to help first.
A 2. Hello, Mr. Banana Game:
You need at least 4 kids or more, sitting in a circle.
As you walk around outside the circle, you pat each
child on the head and say, ‘Hello!’, then
you chose someone to be ‘Banana!’ When
you call out ‘banana’ that student stand
up and you both run round the circle in opposite directions.
The first person to sit down in that same seat or
spot is the winner! Now it is the loser ‘s turn.
Note you can also make a rule that with every Banana,
you have to say greetings e.g. ‘Hello, I’m
----etc.’ before running round .
Q. More able young speakers and adults
kids who speak English already?
A. Best to play fruit basket or a questionnaire game.
Kids make a circle of chairs. Each time the teacher
says a sentence which is true for anyone, those who
can say yes must stand up and change chairs/places.
Please note there is only ever 1seat missing, no more.
This game checks their existing skills and is really
lively!
Try using questions like: ‘I like ice cream’,
‘I am a student’, ‘I’m ten’,
‘I’m from Japan’ `I play baseball`
etc. Alternatively you can hand out cards e.g. fruit
cards and any kid who has the card must change seats
when it`s called.
…Good luck & have fun! Note
if you are relaxed about it all and know what to do,
it will inspire them & everyone can start on a
enthusiastic note.
