October 30, 2012

First of all I teach my students that fear of non-meaning (Heine), and a little bit of practice is the problem and not knowledge of English at all.

I demonstrate that it is fear is the problem by have them do Tamori's language impersonation act. The students all agree that impersonating a language is even more difficult than speaking English. If knowledge were the problem it should be easy to impersonate a language, because there is no right or wrong, no need to know any words at all. I get them to realise that English is not difficult but scary.

I write the structure of English on the board and demonstrate to them that it is backwards.
主語⇒助動詞⇒動詞⇒名詞⇒副詞（時間・場・やり方）
Subject⇒auxiliary⇒verb⇒nouns⇒adjectives (time, place, and way of doing)
E.g.
I can speak English today, in this classroom, quickly
You will speak English well, in this class, at the end of term

I demonstrate to them that this is essentially the same as Japanese except backwards.
副詞（時間・場・やり方）⇒名詞⇒動詞⇒助動詞
adjectives⇒nouns⇒verb⇒auxiliary
E.g.
今日教室で早く 英語を 話(はな） せる（ことができる）

I tell them that there is no difficulty to English other than speaking backwards and the pit of non-meaning that one is required to jump into, briefly.

I put the structure of interrogative setences on the board too.

I say that all we are here to do is to practice these two forms. That is pretty much the end of my explanations. The rest of the time I am just forcing them to make the sentences.

The textbook I use used to be called "English for students," because it contains 60 short texts that students might say. The problem was that the students would read the textbook in the class, because English is scary.

I emphasise that the title of the textbook is now "English for Spies." The texts provide a "cover". I tell them to imagine that they are being interrogated by a North Korean policeman. Don't look at your cover (the textbook) otherwise you will be shot. The contents of the book are completely irrelevant. All that matters is that you speak English (in sentences). Lie, bluff, make mistakes.

I make my students ask follow up questions after every question using the interrogative form that is on the board.

I prevent my students from speaking Japanese at all.

I find if they do this, I find that they sweat, fluster, and experience panic, but get good quite quickly.