Teaching More

Effectively In Japan

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 Table Of Contents
Part 1: Settling-In Session, Teaching Orientations & Observations … 4

Part 2: Maximizing Operational Effectiveness …………………………. 6

Part 3: IES Corporate Students: Why Are They Studying At IES? ….. 7

Part 4: Types Of Classes ………………………………………………… 8

Part 5: Before Class Begins ……………………………………………… 9

Part 6: Deciding On Learning Objectives ……………………………… 10

Part 7: Standards & The Mastery Approach …………………………... 11

Part 8: Preparation Of Lesson Plans …………………………………... 12

Part 9: Time Management & Classroom Productivity ………………... 15

Part 10: Starting Class On The First Day ……………………………….. 16

Part 11: Modifying Your Speech ……………………………………….... 19

Part 12: Explanations To Students Through Questions ………………. 20

Part 13: Interacting With Your Students ………………………………… 22

Part 14: Keeping Your Students Motivated …………………………….. 22

Part 15: Increasing Student Participation ……………………………….. 26

Part 16: Correcting Student Errors ………………………………………. 27

Part 17: Japanese Image Of A Good Teacher …………………………. 29

Part 18: A Wide Variety Of Texts & Learning Materials ……………….. 30

Part 19: Classroom Activities/Techniques: Listening

Comprehension Practice ……………………………………….. 31

Part 20: Classroom Activities/Techniques: Role-Playing ……………… 33

Part 21: Classroom Activities/Techniques: Using The Whiteboard

Effectively ………………………………………………………… 35

Part 22: Classroom Activities/Techniques: Using Newspaper Articles .36

Part 23: Classroom Activities/Techniques: Language Games ……….. 37

Part 24: Classroom Activities/Techniques: Homework Assignments .. 39

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Part 25: Guide To Evaluations: Why Evaluations Are Important …….. 40

Part 26: Guide To Evaluations: Overall Considerations In Evaluating

Your Students ……………………………………………………. 41

Part 27: Guide To Evaluations: Evaluation Reports …………………... 42

Part 28: Guide To Evaluations: Using PROGRESS For Your Student

Evaluations ………………………………………………………. 44

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 Part 1
Settling-In Session, Teaching Orientations & Observations
To help you settle in and become an effective instructor, IES provides
incoming instructors with:
z Hotel accommodation
z Assistance in locating accommodation
z Basic teaching orientations
z Specialized teaching orientations
Basic teaching orientations are obligatory for all incoming instructors.
Specialized teaching orientations are given to instructors with the associated
academic qualifications and work experience who will teach business writing,
managerial, technical, engineering and pharmaceutical courses.
Settling-In Session
The main objectives of the settling-in session are:
z To assist you with any immediate problems you may have in getting
settled in Tokyo or Osaka.
z To provide you with information and support in locating housing.
z To show and help you understand different kinds of shops and restaurants.
z To answer your questions about opening a bank account, transportation,
finding accommodation, social and cultural events, etc.
z To brief you on the basic Japanese phrases needed to deal with the
essentials of getting around, paying for something, traveling around Tokyo
and Osaka, etc.
Basic Teaching Orientations
The objectives of the basic teaching orientations are:
z To acquaint you with basic techniques for teaching English effectively to
Japanese students (corporate and school students).
z To familiarize you with IES as an organization, its policies and its
practices.
Like your settling-in session, the first part of the basic teaching orientation is
held within your first few days in Japan.

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Basic Teaching Orientation Process
The basic teaching orientation process is as follows:
Step 1 (In Your Home Country)
Carefully study this background information on teaching positions with IES
while you are in your home country. Certain questions that you will be asked
in your orientations are based on this information.
Step 2 (Immediately After Your Arrival)
You will attend four basic teaching orientation sessions and the administration
& evaluation orientation immediately after your arrival in Japan.
An agenda outlining what is covered in each orientation will be given to you
prior to the start of the orientation process. Each orientation usually lasts three
hours.
IES Instructional Development Department staff; Damian Thomas (Academic
Director), Chris Randall (corporate class manager), Brian Champagne (ALT
class manager) or experienced IES instructors will give you your basic
teaching orientations.
Your orientators will provide you with further information, knowledge, texts,
sample schedules and examples based on their experience. They will answer
any questions you have on teaching English with IES.
Step 3 (After You Start Teaching)
As part of your basic teaching orientations, your teaching will be observed.
Observations are intended to catch any real or potential problems in the
classroom, as well as ensure and confirm that IES teaching techniques are
being implemented correctly. IES administrative staff may also observe your
classes.
Specialized Orientations
Specialized orientations for instructors who will teach business writing,
managerial, technical, engineering, and pharmaceutical communication
classes are also given. Damian Thomas and IES instructors with considerable
experience in teaching these courses give these specialized orientations.
Observing Your Teaching After Orientation
Your teaching may be observed periodically after you complete your basic
teaching orientations.
You may be observed by Mr. Ishii (Sales Director), Mr. Matsumoto (Sales
Manager), Damian Thomas (Academic Director), Chris Randall (ID Manager),
Brian Champagne (ID Manager) as well as IES Coordinators.
Discussions between your students and IES staff may also be held at these
times. These observations and discussions are held to ensure that course
objectives are being achieved and that students are satisfied with all aspects

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of their training. For most assignments, observations by IES staff members
are contractually required.
You may also be observed by one or more senior managers from your
students’ company. These managers are observing to judge for themselves
the quality and effectiveness of the training.
In a number of IES classes, students are taken off their jobs for their training.
The major justification for taking these employees away from their busy work
schedules is that they are attending training that promises to make employees
more effective in their jobs in the future.
After a few months, other instructors may also be sent to your class to
observe your teaching. These instructors have often just arrived at IES. They
are observing your teaching in order to see how different teaching techniques
discussed in the basic teacher orientations are applied in the classroom.
Observations are conducted not only at IES, but also at client offices, training
centers, factories and other locations.

Part 2
Maximizing Operational Effectiveness
Your Performance
Your performance in the classroom and in working with IES Coordinators will
significantly influence the number and kinds of assignments given to you.
You should be aware that judgment of your performance will be influenced by:
z Cultural standards and expectations of the Japanese toward their own
‘sensei’ (teachers).
z Previous overseas experience of your students.
z Previous English training experienced by your students.
The Japanese often use the word ‘kibishii’ in requesting the kind of instructor
they want assigned to their class. Kibishii, when used to describe an instructor,
means a dedicated, strict-in-the-classroom, professional individual.
Your Feedback On Orientations
Your ideas on ways to improve the orientation process and the accompanying
manuals are always appreciated. If any aspect of your orientation is not clear
to you, please inform Damian Thomas, Chris Randall, or Brian Champagne.
Your comments and suggestions about any aspect of IES operations,
including forms, policies and practices are also welcomed. Many of our best
ideas for organizational development, modification of existing texts, new texts,
teaching techniques and administrative improvements have come from our
instructors.

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Your Feedback On Specific Classes
Your comments on ways to improve specific classes are also deeply
appreciated. Your insights can help IES Coordinators and Sales Staff do a
better job of providing resources, scheduling classes, and handling difficult or
inappropriate learning materials. A few minutes of face-to-face discussion
initiated by an instructor can clear up misunderstandings and misinformation.
Another way of providing feedback is to send your comments by e-mail to the
Coordinator in charge of your class.
New Training Programs
Most IES texts and learning materials have been developed by instructors
under the guidance of IES management. New projects are constantly
underway. If you have ideas regarding our texts, orientation materials,
evaluation or administrative forms, please let us know.
More A Consultancy Than A Traditional School
IES operates more like a language training consultancy than a traditional
language school. Corporations and government agencies ask IES to plan and
implement short-term language courses for busy Japanese employees who
can study only part of the day (e.g. in the early mornings/evenings and
sometimes over lunch).
Unlike students who attend school on a full-time basis, IES students attend on
a part-time basis to learn particular communication skills in English in order to
more effectively carry out specific jobs or projects overseas.
There are consequently greater pressures on all IES staff in planning course
content, arranging/modifying schedules, and evaluating students’ progress.
These same job pressures affect your students in their attendance, as well as
their completion of homework assignments.
Improving Operational Effectiveness
Like many other organizations, IES realizes that effective internal
communication among staff members at all levels is critical to our overall
operational effectiveness. We hope that our orientations, teaching manuals,
and continual staff discussions will increase our chances of success. We
realize that despite the tremendous effort already made, more effort and
investment are still needed.

Part 3
IES Corporate Students: Why Are They Studying At IES?
Who Are Your Corporate Students?
IES corporate students are nearly all business people, engineers, scientists
and government officials. They are men and women working in major
Japanese corporations often belonging to the traditional ‘keiretsu’
(conglomerate) groups in Japan such as Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo, etc.

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In most cases, their ages range from early 20s to late 40s. Your students will
range from younger men, just starting their careers, to older men and women
in senior management positions.
Other IES students are junior high school/elementary school students, and
university students/staff. Instructors working in junior high/elementary schools
are acting as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs).
Why Do Students Study English?
Japanese business people study English to better communicate with foreign
businessmen, engineers, scientists and government officials. Certain classes
may have more specific goals, e.g. your students are going overseas on a
business trip, to reside for a period of time, to attend an international
conference, or to visit a subsidiary/joint venture.
Your students may also be working with many nationalities in Japan or in
subsidiaries overseas. They need English to handle both work and social
situations.
How Much English Do Students Already Know?
Japanese people are required to study English from elementary through high
school. Most of your students will also have studied English at the university
level.
Many of your students can read and write English but are comparatively weak
in oral expression. Your students will already know basic and even some
advanced grammatical structures.
Many of your students have been to an amazing number of places overseas.
Some have even lived and worked overseas for a number of years.
You will find that most IES students are well-motivated and appreciate the
opportunity to study English. They are very diligent and do their homework.
Pressures On Your Students
Your students, (working as they do from 40 to 80 hours per week), have
pressures on them that may interfere with their attendance or promptness to
class. Your patience and understanding are needed in these situations. These
pressures also sometimes interfere with the completion of homework
assignments.

Part 4
Types Of Classes
Several different kinds of classes are offered at IES. Depending on your
background and experience, you may be asked to teach any of the following:

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Group Classes
The size of group classes varies, usually there are no more than ten students
per class; the average size is from five to eight. These classes may be taught
either at IES or at a client’s facility.
Course lengths range from 24 to 48 hours. Class hours per week are often
divided into two hour blocks either in the early morning or early evening.
Individual Classes
You will also be teaching on a one-to-one basis. These classes usually have a
specific goal based on the needs of each student. They are scheduled
somewhat more frequently than group classes. The course length varies, but
the frequency of class may be two or three times per week.
Intensive Classes
Intensive courses are usually 14 to 80 hours’ duration and scheduling can be
anything from one day to two weeks. Intensive class hours vary from three to
seven hours per day. Intensive classes take place at IES and at our clients’
facilities. Intensive class size follows the same pattern as company classes.
Elementary And Junior High Classes
Selected instructors will be assigned to teach English classes at elementary
and junior high schools. Instructors will act as Assistant Language Teachers
(ALTs) to the Japanese English Teacher (JET). The objective of these
assignments is to give the students exposure to non-Japanese people and a
chance to use their ability to speak English with a native speaker.

Part 5
Before Class Begins
Students’ Pre-Class Orientation
Students’ pre-class orientations acquaint them with IES, our methods and
typical classroom activities. The kind and depth of the pre-class orientations
vary from class to class. Through the pre-class orientation, students better
understand the teaching techniques you will be using.
Systematic Test Of English Placement (S.T.E.P.)
As well as commercially available tests, IES has its own in-depth placement
test called STEP. Most prospective students are given an initial placement
test to determine their present level of English fluency. Based on the test
results, students at approximately the same level of English fluency are
selected to study in the same class.
There are several advantages in placing students with similar English
fluencies together.
z It is easier to establish rapport among students.

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z It simplifies your preparation.
z Most importantly, students prefer to study English with others at the same
level.
Results from the initial placement test are also used to help select which text
and learning materials should be used for the class.

Part 6
Deciding On Learning Objectives
Decide On Learning Objectives
When deciding on learning objectives, relevancy is important for motivating
your students. Short situational role plays that are related to students’
everyday business or personal lives are most useful, but only after basic
vocabulary and expressions have been learned.
Learning objectives must be expressed as a ‘specific’ English communication
skill. What specific English skills are you trying to develop among your
students in a specific class during a specific lesson?
State Learning Objectives
Objectives of a lesson should always be stated at the start of class. Students
must know in advance what you are trying to teach and exactly what you
expect them to learn.
For students at the introductory or basic levels, it may be quite difficult for
them to initially understand your objectives. You should attempt to state these
objectives in the simplest possible terms.
If students still cannot understand, proceed with the lesson. Try again at the
end of the lesson to point out what your objectives were in the lesson.
When developing lesson objectives, ask yourself:
z What speaking, listening or writing skills do I think the students will directly
benefit from in their on-the-job communication with non-Japanese?
z What activities can I design to make the learning of the communication
skill as interesting and exciting as possible?
Student motivation and attendance will remain high throughout your course if
you inform the students of learning activities at the start of each lesson and
implement these objectives through interesting, exciting and practical
activities.
Definite Objectives Makes Evaluating Easier
Specific objectives help you to more easily construct mini-tests and quizzes
during and towards the end of the course. You should always try to be
measuring student comprehension and application of your objectives in each

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of these mini-tests and in your final evaluation of each student at the end of
the course.
Advantages Of Having Specific Objectives
Having specific objectives has the following advantages:
z Motivates students to learn. Having clear learning goals helps students
understand what they are trying to accomplish and helps them stay
attentive.
z Focuses your instruction so that you can more easily develop classroom
activities and helps you decide on the best learning materials to
accomplish your goals.
z Simplifies your evaluation of student progress.

Part 7
Standards & The Mastery Approach
Set Standards Of Performance
Students will expect you to set and maintain standards of performance.
Defining Standards
A standard can be defined as the minimum communication needed to achieve
or complete a real-world communication task.
Demonstrating Students’ Deficiencies/Inadequacies
If a student does not achieve that minimum, s/he should be shown his/her
deficiency/inadequacy and asked to try again.
The same approach can be used in measuring students’ understanding of
vocabulary, pronunciation, or mastery of a grammatical structure.
Maintaining Standards Throughout A Course
It is the instructor’s responsibility to set and maintain standards throughout a
course. This setting/maintaining of standards is particularly noticeable in the
correction of students’ errors.
Deciding If Your Students Have Mastered A Satisfactory Level Of
Proficiency
Use the following criteria to decide whether your students have achieved
satisfactory proficiency for a specific communication skill.
z The pronunciation of the speaker.
z The fluency of the speaker. Fluency refers to the overall smoothness,
continuity, and naturalness of a student’s speech.
z The relevance of the information spoken.
z The grammatical correctness.
z The vocabulary used.

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z The cultural appropriateness.
Practicing The Mastery Learning Concept
If 80% of your students can comprehend and communicate using a ‘specific
communication skill’, you have succeeded in teaching that specific skill.
For example, if you are teaching a lesson on ‘extending invitations’, 80% of
your students should be able to perform this specific ‘communication skill’ by
the time you finish the lesson. You can confirm this ability by involving the
class members in role-playing.
It may not be possible to achieve mastery in a single lesson. You can return to
the specific ‘communication skill’ at a later date. You may wish to assign
homework before you try to teach this skill again.

Part 8
Preparation Of Lesson Plans
The Importance Of Thorough Preparation
Be prepared initially to spend 45 to 60 minutes developing a detailed ‘lesson
plan’ for each lesson. Preparation involves two basic steps:
z Decide on specific learning goals for a particular class for a given lesson.
z Decide on what learning materials, teaching methods, and learning
activities should be used.
Advantages Of Making Lesson Plans
The following list highlights some advantages associated with well-developed
lesson plans:
z Forces you to consider what your goals are for a specific lesson.
z Forces you to decide how to achieve those goals.
z Helps ensure that you cover all the essential material.
z Gives you (and your students) a ‘roadmap’ for the lesson.
z Reminds you of what materials you need to prepare and take with you to
class.
z Helps you develop lessons which are interesting and involve a wide
variety of activities.
z Helps provide materials that can be used as a review.
Information You Should Include In A Lesson Plan
As you prepare your lesson plan, make sure you include the following
information:
z Communication skill(s) needed to be reviewed (if necessary).

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z Communication skill(s) will you teach.
z Ways of explaining these communication skills clearly and visually.
z Good examples of the communication skill(s) you are teaching.
z The amount of time to be spent on each communication skill/activity.
z Concepts, vocabulary, key words and phrases, and examples needed to
be written on the whiteboard.
z Learning materials (main text, supplementary handout, CD, video) to be
used.
z Supplementary materials needed to be photocopied.
z Homework needed to be assigned.
English As A ‘Global’ Language
Particularly with introductory and basic levels, do not use/devote any time to
idioms and colloquial expressions. Develop vocabulary and communication
skills based on standard words.
Always check that you can explain and provide examples for difficult and/or
new vocabulary.
Checklist Of Questions To Ask When Planning Lessons
When planning lessons, ask yourself the following questions:
z What are the specific objectives (communication skills) for this lesson?
z Can I explain the goals, ideas and/or vocabulary another way if students
ask questions or don’t understand my initial explanation?
z Do I have enough examples to make my point clear? (The use of
examples is the best way to teach a new concept).
z Are class activities/lesson materials appropriate for student fluency levels
and their job-related needs?
z Which points in the main text can be de-emphasized/ignored because
they are too easy/difficult for the students?
z How will I check that my students have learned the skills that I have
chosen?
z Have I planned a sufficient number of activities?
z Do I have enough back-up/extra activities?

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Sample Lesson Plan
Please review below a sample outline of a lesson plan for a two hour lesson:
SAMPLE LESSON PLAN
Activity 1: Warm Up Discussion 10 Mins
This Week’s Top News
Activity 2: Vocabulary Development 20 Mins
Useful Adjectives
Activity 3: Textbook Study (PP: 41->45) 30 Mins
Telephoning For Information

Break
Activity 4: Textbook Study (PP: 46 -> 48) 20 Mins
Telephoning For Information
Activity 5: Role Playing Exercise 15 Mins
Telephoning For Information
Activity 6: Grammar Point Exercise 10 Mins
Using Prepositions Correctly
Activity 7: Review Of Today’s Lesson 5 Mins
Notice the following key points:
z The lesson plan is written so that both instructor and students can easily
understand the contents.
z The plan contains both text-related and non-text-related activities.
z The plan contains a total of seven different activities.
z The lesson is flexible and can be easily modified based on the mood of
the students on any particular day.
z Activities can easily be eliminated/added.
z Supplementary activities can be text-related or unconnected to the text.
z The amount of time spent on each activity varies depending on its
complexity.
z The timing of when to use the main text has been pre-determined (before
and after the break).
z The amount of time to devote to studying the main text was pre-
determined.
z A specific lesson objective (‘communication skill’) has been selected for
study from the main text.

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z A role playing activity has been scheduled to check students’ mastery of
the communication skill.
z Activities up to the break are increasingly complex/after the break
increasingly simple.
z An interesting ‘warm up’ activity was selected to start the lesson.
z Time was appropriated to review what was covered in the lesson.
z No time was appropriated to discuss homework (for this class, students
have requested not to be given homework).

Part 9
Time Management & Classroom Productivity
Always Being Time-Conscious
Many IES courses are of short duration. Always be conscious of the time you
are allocating to learning a specific communication skill. The amount of time
devoted to each classroom activity must always be kept in mind.
Principles Of Classroom Time Management
Use the following time management principles in preparing and teaching your
lessons:
z Decide what your students must learn first and then what they might like
to learn in a particular course. Concentrate your efforts on what they must
learn.
z Avoid initiating or permitting lengthy discussions that are not directly
related to your instructional goals.
z Limit discussions or questions from students that lead away from lesson
objectives.
z If you decide to devote ten to fifteen minutes teaching a word or phrase,
be absolutely sure that it is one your students will frequently use on their
jobs or when traveling overseas. Do not waste time teaching anything
unnecessary or unimportant.
z Guard against underestimating the time needed to teach a communication
skill. Your students may have questions or comments about a ‘skill’ you
are trying to teach. Students often require more time than expected to
master a communication skill or a new concept.
How To Decide On What Is Important
In deciding the amount of class time needed to develop a communication skill,
apply the following four ‘time’ categories:
1. Must study and learn. (Must invest enough time to master this).
2. Worth studying generally. (Limit time invested in this).
3. Of little value to the class. (Severely limit time spent on this).

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4. Of no value. (Waste no time on this).
Concentrate on categories 1 and 2. Make every effort to reduce class-time
spent on categories 3, and 4. Students studying with IES are given only a
limited amount of time away from their jobs to learn English.
As much as possible must be learned in this brief time. Ensure therefore that
each hour of class time is fully devoted to activities that will help students
improve their practical English fluency and on-the-job effectiveness.
Setting Priorities And Deadlines
Try to set priorities and deadlines to achieve course goals and meet students’
needs. There is never enough time in a course to permit students to learn
everything in a text or in other learning materials provided.
Prior to class, decide which items are really important and focus your attention
and effort on these. During class, be sure to keep all discussions focused on
the critical aspects of a topic. If you feel students are starting to digress, offer
a summary of the key points or have students summarize the points and then
move on.

Part 10
Starting Class On The First Day
First impressions are extremely important to the Japanese. Be sure to
develop a good self-introduction. Plan how to make this activity a worthwhile
learning activity for your students.
Structure the start of class on the first day as follows:
1. Tell students your name.
2. Give your self-introduction.
3. Direct students’ self-introductions.
4. Initiate discussions about:
z Students’ company (e.g. products, operations, etc.)
z Students’ use of English in their jobs.
z Students’ overseas experience.
5. Introduce the course/learning materials.
6. Start teaching.
Students may be extremely interested in hearing about your educational
background and work experience.

Your Self-Introduction
Your self-introduction should serve as a model for those to be made by your
students. The content of your introduction very much depends on the fluency
level of your class.

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Keep it fairly simple even for intermediate/advanced classes. Bear in mind
that this might be your students’ first exposure to spoken English for some
time. Students may need time to get used to listening to spoken English again
and to regain dormant skills.
As part of your introduction, you should mention that you are an instructor
employed by IES. This will help students relate to you more smoothly and
quickly.
Japanese are very interested in the organization an individual works for. In
North America and Europe, an individual is perceived of first, in terms of
his/her job skills and then in terms of his/her organization. In Japan, it’s just
the opposite. Your student is, for example, a Mitsubishi man first, who
happens to be currently working in the marketing department and before that
in production and before that in finance.
For the Japanese, a position is secondary to an organization. You will find that
your students devote a fair amount of time in their own introductions to talking
about their companies.
You will also often be asked questions both in and out of the classroom about
IES. The information provided below may be helpful in answering some of
these questions in your self-introduction.
If you have recently arrived in Japan or just graduated from university, avoid
referring to your work inexperience or limited knowledge of Japan. The
Japanese image of a good ‘sensei’ is that of an experienced, mature and wise
individual.
Information On IES
IES was founded in 1969. Since that time, IES instructors have taught in more
than 5000 organizations in Japan, working in major Japanese corporations,
government ministries and agencies, trade associations, universities, multi-
national corporations, joint ventures and subsidiaries.
At present, there are approximately 250 employees working for IES. Two
hundred of these employees are instructors, while the remaining fifty are staff
members who plan courses, develop learning materials and handle
administrative tasks.
IES instructors teach courses at client headquarters, factories, R&D Centers,
laboratories, branch offices, and at IES offices. Classes are held throughout
Japan, but primarily in large cities such as Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Yokohama
and Tokyo. IES has offices and training facilities in Tokyo and Osaka. IES’s
head office is in Shibuya, Tokyo.
IES instructors are from the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and New
Zealand. All instructors hold university degrees and bring a wide range of
work experience and interests to Japan. Many instructors are specially trained
in the ESL field. Instructors in our specialized courses are certified engineers
and pharmacists.

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All Japanese employees at IES are fluent in English and Japanese. Most
have spent considerable time living overseas and are familiar with Western
customs and lifestyles. In addition to their many administrative duties, IES
Japanese employees act as liaisons between clients/students and instructors.
Making Your Introduction
Support your self-introduction by using the whiteboard. Stand by the
whiteboard as you make your introduction. Draw a simple map of your home
country and fill in place names as you proceed. You can also write any difficult
vocabulary as you go along.
Get your students involved in your self-introduction by asking questions. For
example “Has anyone visited New Jersey?”, “What is Liverpool famous for?”
Do not expect students to understand every word you say. They are probably
worrying about their own self-introductions. Try to interact as much as
possible through compliments and encouraging remarks.
With a very low fluency class, students may understand very little. To prevent
students becoming discouraged, one instructor explained how he overcomes
this problem:
“I feel it is imperative to use a gradual approach. I usually write on the
whiteboard “How do you do”? “My name is ……..” I draw a map showing
where I come from. I list my hobbies, interests, and sports that I like on the
whiteboard. I then introduce myself to each student in turn, shaking hands.
This breaks the ice and you can also check their handshakes as students
sometimes offer their hands limply. Correcting this produces laughter and
relaxes the atmosphere. After this, I proceed with easy questions, such as
“I’m from Los Angeles, where is your hometown?” Through questions, I then
try to build up my own and students’ self-introduction incrementally. At a later
date, students can be asked to give self-introductory speeches”.
Students’ Self-Introductions
The traditional approach is to ask your students to introduce themselves one
by one. Each student introduction should last no longer than three to five
minutes. Encourage students to ask each other questions.
You also can help each student with his/her introduction by prompting them
with questions. Beginners will require a lot of prompting and encouragement
from you. It helps greatly to list some topics on the whiteboard and introduce
some simple sentence patterns which students can use in giving their self-
introductions.
A more interactive approach with slightly more fluent students is to ask them
to interview their neighbor and then introduce that neighbor to other class
members.

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Client Confidentiality
For nearly all clients, IES must sign confidentiality agreements. Please do not
mention specific names of previous companies or students that you have
taught, nor provide specific details or information on any IES clients. You can
mention previous kinds of assignments in your self-introduction in general
terms without revealing specific names.
Discover Students Needs And Fluency Levels
By discussing various topics such as the students’ company, jobs, the extent
they use English in their jobs, whether they have been overseas and for what
reasons, you can quickly discover students’ specific needs and present
English fluency levels. Students’ responses to these type of questions will tell
you much more than answers to a more direct question like, “Why are you
studying English?”
Introducing The Course
Do this briefly. Students will already have attended an orientation (in
Japanese) on IES teaching methods and other related matters.
You should still, however, introduce the main and supplementary texts you will
be using and indicate the amount of time that will be spent on each. You may
also want to indicate the speed at which you will cover the main materials.
Begin Teaching Immediately
If you have half an hour or more left after introductions, launch straight into
the main text. If you have less time, initiate some other activity related to
introductions or getting to know one another until the end of the scheduled
session. It is essential that students see that you are teaching and feel that
they have learned something in their first class.

Part 11
Modifying Your Speech
Ways to Modify Your Speech In Class
Modifying your speech depends on the fluency level of your students and the
course you are teaching. You may need to modify the following elements:
z Speed of Speech
Very slow is best for students at the lower fluency levels.
z Vocabulary
Always use the simplest words at the lower fluency levels.
z Grammatical structures
Use only past, present and future tenses at the lower fluency levels.

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Lower Fluency Level Classes
Speak slowly and very clearly in lower fluency level classes. Pausing between
sentences, repeating key words, phrases and sentences can also be very
helpful in aiding student understanding. Gestures and the use of the
whiteboard are excellent backups to verbal explanations.
Begin Slowly Challenging Your Students
Only after you have established the right vocabulary level and the right speed
of speech, should you begin to challenge your students by gradually speeding
up your speech and using new vocabulary and grammatical structures which
have already been studied in class.
Use Vocabulary/Structures Which Are Already Known
You will quickly develop a natural awareness of words certain students will
understand and those they will not. Try to develop ways of speaking which
use vocabulary and structures already known, while steadily introducing new
words.
Always back up your lessons by using the whiteboard and asking questions to
confirm student understanding.
Volume Of Your Voice
The volume of your voice depends on the size of the classroom, number of
students, etc. Always speak so that the student furthest away from you will
have no difficulty hearing what you are saying. Speaking too softly is one of
the commonest complaints from students.

Part 12
Explanations To Students Through Questions
Ways to Modify Your Speech In Class
Try to make your explanation of a point as brief as possible. Use questions
constantly to check student comprehension. Always include a number of
questions that focus attention on critical points.

Use Good Questions Often In Your Explanations

Good questions help present/explain ideas and check student comprehension.
Questions should be asked in a normal, conversational tone throughout your
lesson. Questions should appear to be part of a continuous, sequential
presentation/explanation of new material. You should incorporate questions
into your teaching to produce natural student-teacher interaction. Students
should expect to be questioned. Questions also add variety to teaching and
set a high standard which students will recognize and respect.

20
Six suggestions for using questions are:
z Address a question to the class, pause, then call on a specific student.
This technique stimulates the whole class. This will not happen if you call
a specific student’s name first. There will be a tendency for other students
to sit back and say, “I’m not involved this time, no need to think about the
answer”.
z Scatter questions over the entire class. Avoid any consistent, regular
order of questioning, such as right to left (or vice versa), front to back (or
vice versa), etc. Scattering questions keeps all the students attentive and
on their toes.
z Ask questions within the ability of a student to whom the question is
addressed. There is no point in asking a student a difficult question if s/he
is incapable of answering it. It is just as wasteful to ask a more capable
student questions that are too easy.
z Require students to communicate satisfactorily. If a student has trouble
answering a question and the result is an incomplete or incorrect answer,
ask another student to help. If a student answers in a low voice, ask
another student on the opposite side of the class to repeat the answer in a
louder voice.
z Encourage students to ask each other questions. Student-Student
interaction plus Teacher-Student interaction always creates a better class
atmosphere than Teacher-Student interaction alone.
z Learn to use key words and phrases for questions. Some examples are
how, why, which, what, where, when, define, explain, give an example,
describe, and compare.
Introduce New Ideas Slowly
Introduce new ideas carefully and slowly. Develop several examples in
addition to those given in the text, just in case students do not understand
your initial explanation.
Move from the known to the unknown, from the simple to the complex. In
doing this, work slowly.
Students Need Repetition To Reinforce What They Have Learned
Repetition is essential to ensure that concepts, vocabulary, key phrases, and
structures are learned. Go over certain points, pronunciation, vocabulary, key
phrases, etc. several times and then check student comprehension by asking
questions and having several students apply the new phrases and vocabulary.

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 Part 13
Interacting With Your Students
Communicative Success Is The Main Criterion
Make every effort to use ‘communicative success’ as your principal criterion.
In other words, how well did a student communicate in real-world terms in
answering a question, solving a problem, or accomplishing a ‘communication
task’?
Use criteria also such as structural or grammatical correctness, pronunciation,
organization of ideas in your feedback. Something said can be successful as
“communication” but grammatically incorrect. The converse is also possible,
i.e. something said can be structurally correct, but fail to communicate or
solve a problem.
Checklist For Handling Student Questions
Focus your thinking on instructor/student interaction by asking yourself:
z Am I responding positively to student questions and comments so that
students gain confidence in asking questions and feel comfortable?
z Am I making good use of the whiteboard to reinforce my answers and
help students visualize the concept or problem?
z Am I encouraging my students to ask follow-up questions?
z Am I planning short review activities throughout my course to ensure that
ideas have been fully understood?
z Am I encouraging students to see learning as a two-way process requiring
questions and feedback?

Part 14
Keeping Your Students Motivated
How can motivation be maintained and enhanced throughout a course?
Become familiar with the current English fluency level of your students as
soon as possible. Find out what particular problems your students actually
have and what problems they think they have.
Find out the personal interests of your students and the immediate or future
jobs in which they will be using English. Based on this, select and prepare
effective learning activities for class.
Develop A Good Classroom Environment
Most adults studying English need to have their confidence boosted. Develop
a good classroom environment by:
z Conducting class at the best speed for most students.

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z Carrying out classroom activities so that all or most students can
experience a measure of personal success in learning.
z Praising the ideas and suggestions of students.
z Being positive and patient with all students.
z Giving constructive feedback and correcting the English of the students
tactfully.
z Being enthusiastic and cheerful in the classroom.
Having Clear/Measurable Learning Objectives
IES experience has shown that moderately difficult and specific objectives
lead to a higher level of classroom performance. Equally important, you must
clearly indicate the level of proficiency you expect for these learning
objectives.
Devote enough class time for most students to achieve a reasonable level of
proficiency in each of these learning objectives. Your learning objectives must
be challenging yet achievable.
Encourage Your Students To Guess
Good students are willing and accurate guessers. Many Japanese learning to
speak English are not even aware that guessing, in comparison to the more
culturally acceptable response in Japan of total silence, is good. Even when
an answer is wrong, it often helps a student and the instructor better
understand a student’s specific weaknesses.
Develop Active, Positive Student Participation
Reinforce positive student behavior (e.g. answering questions, asking
questions, participating actively, completing an assignment, guessing when
the answer is not definitely known) which, in turn, will encourages others.
Gradually develop positive student behavior by:
z Praising all student responses frequently, especially at the start of the
class.
z Praising all participation positively and thanking students for their
participation even if the answer is wrong.
z Referring back to students’ ideas and comments.
z Using students’ names always.
z Paraphrasing and use students’ words rather than your own.
z Encouraging friendly interaction among students as soon as possible to
build rapport among students.

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Listen Actively To Students
Active listening helps you to establish rapport with students and stimulates
their participation. A student will be more likely to participate actively in class
when s/he knows you are listening and expecting his/her involvement. By
showing that you are an active listener, you will encourage students to
duplicate your behavior.
Learn Names Of Your Students Quickly
Learn the names of your students quickly. Make an effort to do this with a new
class by the end of your first lesson. Make it a rule throughout a course to
address each student by name whenever you ask a question.
Many Japanese students find it difficult to respond to questions thrown out in
a general way to a class as a whole. Even if students know the answer, due to
cultural inhibitions, they will hesitate to push themselves forward.
Never Speak Japanese While Teaching
Never speak any Japanese in class yourself. Do not allow students to speak
Japanese to each other. All communication in the classroom should be in
English. Make this rule right from the beginning and be consistent in following
it.
Let Your Students Struggle A Bit
Do not be too quick to help a student who is struggling with a problem. Certain
students may have to muddle around for a while before the answer becomes
clear. This muddling process is at the core of learning. By providing an
answer before a student has struggled with the problem, you may also
deprive him of the important experience of learning things by him/herself.
On the other hand, if a student obviously does not know the answer at all, do
not let him struggle on and become embarrassed. You will soon learn to judge
whether a student really does not know the answer, or whether he is simply
searching for the right words.
If a student obviously has no idea how to respond, try using the following
techniques:
z Try re-phrasing a question, several times if necessary, using a much
simpler word or sentence structure. You may virtually give a student an
answer in the end, but it is much better if he ‘finds’ the answer by himself.
Prompting is an effective way of giving assistance, without giving a
student the answer.
For example, if you ask for a synonym and a student cannot think of one,
put the first letter of the synonym on the whiteboard, then the second
letter, and the third letter, until he recognizes it.
z Ask another member of the class the same question, but only when you
are certain the original student cannot answer it. If no member of a class
can answer, you will obviously have to answer yourself.

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Review Regularly To Ensure Understanding And Learning
Start class with a brief review of the material you covered in the previous
lesson. Students will appreciate a review.
It is also a good idea to check whether or not they really understand a difficult
area (e.g., words or phrases, pronunciation, an idea, etc.) previously covered
and know how to apply it. A review will also be useful for students who have
been absent.
Techniques To Help Initiate Greater Student Interaction
Student interaction is critical. A high degree of interaction is an excellent
motivator. First, it gives students an opportunity to speak more often. Second,
it creates a rapport among students in a class. This rapport helps to maintain
motivational levels. Two techniques for generating such interaction:
z Student-Centered Activities
Traditional approaches to language teaching were nearly always teacher-
centered, with the instructor directing all conversation. Exercises and drills
were done in a single group, with an instructor calling on individual students to
supply answers. Communication was, for the most part, between teacher and
student.
Today, it is widely recognized that student-centered activities, which promote
interaction among students themselves are preferable for language learning.
In exercises and drills, students communicate with each other in small-group
activities. This leaves you free to move from group to group, giving aid and
advice where needed and ensuring that communication is indeed taking place.
The consequence is that ‘teacher-talk’ is minimized, while ‘student-talk’ is
maximized.
z Students As Sensei
Another way to maximize student interaction is to use your students’
knowledge in your teaching. When students have questions, encourage them
to first field the question to classmates. Then, if no answer is forthcoming, you
may answer. Also, encourage your students to correct each others’
pronunciation and grammar.
Training all your students to actively participate is an invaluable teaching
technique. As student interaction increases, it is extremely gratifying to see
classmates helping and correcting each other. You may also be surprised at
the pleasure students take in being able to give, as well as to receive,
instruction.

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 Part 15
Increasing Student Participation
Encourage students to participate actively in all activities. To help remember
this principle, IES has given it a simple name – the 70/30 Rule. This means
that students do the actual talking 70% or more of the time and you should
talk, at the very most, 30% of the time.
You must, however, show leadership and be sure to actively direct a class,
coordinate and create interaction, organize discussions and activities into a
pattern, make corrections and direct learning activities.
In other words, even if the students are encouraged to speak and interact
70% of the time, you must still demonstrate leadership through an observable,
strong, in-charge presence at all times.
Six Guidelines To Achieve Greater Student Participation
The following six guidelines will help you achieve the 70/30 Rule:
z Never lecture the students. If you are speaking for longer that 2 minutes at
any one time, you are starting to lecture.
z Learn to ask questions which elicit the ‘right’ response. The ability to ask
the ‘right’ questions to the ‘right’ students at the ‘right’ time is critical.
z Encourage student interaction. Discussion activities which are always
teacher – student – teacher based are very counter-productive in regards
to the 70:30 Rule.
Early in the course, develop the habit of having students ask each other
questions. Break the student – teacher – student pattern. If one student
has difficulty understanding a word or phrase, always try to have another
student explain the meaning if possible. You may have to add your own
comments to a student’s explanation.
z Use the whiteboard and get students to use the whiteboard to assist in all
explanations.
z Conduct activities such as role-playing that are excellent for the 70:30
Rule.
z Occasionally have students give speeches/mini-presentations on a given
topic and have other students prepare questions to ask afterward.
In following the 70/30 Rule, never neglect to correct students’ errors. This is
one of your most important responsibilities.

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The Importance Of Instructor Gestures
Directly related to the 70/30 Rule is the importance of classroom gestures.
You can further reduce ‘teacher-talk’ by establishing a series of standard
gestures which take the place of verbal commands.
What gestures would you use to replace the following instructor comments?
z Listen again.
z That’s perfect!
z Please don’t interrupt.
z Use the past tense.
z Use the present tense.
z Use the future tense.
z Make a complete sentence.
z Make a question.
z Reverse the word order.
z Keep going.
z You’re almost right.
z Add a preposition.
z Join in.
Be Sure To Involve As Many Students As Possible
Be sure that all your students are involved in class activities. Ask all the
students questions. Don’t leave anyone out. Carefully adapt your questions to
each student’s level. Be careful not to appear to be favoring your more
fluent/outgoing students.

Part 16
Correcting Student Errors
One of the major criticisms frequently made of IES instructors is that of
insufficient correction. In IES history, we have NEVER had complaints about
over-correction. We receive many complaints about under-correction.
Correcting is necessary as students often do not realize when they have
made an error. Students cannot correct themselves unless they are aware of
mistakes they make. Japanese students are sensitive to criticism, so the
instructor must be tactful in identifying errors and making corrections.
What Kinds Of Errors Should Be Corrected?
1. You should correct communication errors.
z Is a student’s answer successful as communication?
z Would a native speaker understand it?
z Is it appropriate to the situation?
z Is the answer socially acceptable?

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2. You should correct all mistakes in:
z Pronunciation
z Vocabulary
z Grammar
3. You should correct all mistakes in Japanese-English.
4. You should correct all awkward phrasing. This occurs often when students
translate directly from Japanese into English.
5. You should correct errors in logic and/or sequence of events.
6. You should correct errors in cultural appropriateness.
Have Students Repeat Corrections
Be sure to ask a student to repeat your correction. If a student’s original
response did not communicate successfully, ask him/her to try again.
Ask other students to repeat a correction. Devise an exercise on the spot to
check that other students in the class have understood your correction.
You cannot do this type of correcting for each and every error. You have to
decide which errors are really worth correcting thoroughly and which you have
to ‘let pass’ with only a quick correction and one repetition by the student who
made the mistake.
When To Correct Errors
Usually it is best to correct errors as students make them. Do not wait until the
end of class to present a great many corrections. Students have generally
forgotten the context in which they made the mistake by then. Immediate
feedback on errors is a necessity. Be sure to let a student finish what s/he is
trying to say. Do not cut him/her off in mid-sentence, as this is inhibiting and
demoralizing.
Be Aware Of Complacency
As a Westerner living in Japan, you will frequently hear incorrect English. You
will become accustomed to limited, inaccurate, or even incomprehensible
English on the street. However, in the ESL classroom, you must stress proper
English.
Your students expect and appreciate your corrections. Do not unwittingly
begin to anticipate and become oblivious to certain errors. If you expect
Japanese students to forget articles, plurals, objects, etc., you may no longer
hear such errors and will lose your chief asset as an instructor.
Instructors have actually been heard to reply in kind: “I’m glad you enjoy.” This
is a result of constant exposure to Japanese-English, but is obviously
INEXCUSABLE in the classroom. Scrutinize your own speech and
concentrate on every word your students say.

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Checklist For Correcting Student Errors
z Do you correct major basic errors in English in your classes as often as
needed?
z Do you correct errors In Japanese-English?
z Do you correct awkward phrasings, idioms, and explanations?
z Do you correct mistakes in logic or sequence?
z Do you ask students to repeat an idiom, sentence, or answer correctly?
z With serious errors, do you try to determine whether a majority of the
students have understood a correction by careful questioning or an on-
the-spot exercise?
z Are serious errors corrected immediately?
z Do you praise students sufficiently as part of the correction process?
Correcting student errors is one of the most important responsibilities of an
IES instructor and one that requires both attention and time to develop.

Part 17
Japanese Image Of A Good Teacher
The following list was compiled from a number of comments made by IES
students in response to the question “What do you feel makes a good
teacher?”
A good teacher …….
z Has a thorough knowledge of the subject matter.
z Prepares and controls the classroom well.
z Uses a variety of methods, materials and activities.
z Is willing and able to answer student questions.
z Conveys self-confidence, is enthusiastic and animated.
z Enjoys teaching, is fair and has a sense of humor.
z Does not mind reviewing material if the students have trouble
understanding it.
z Motivates students to respond by praising and encouraging them.
z Is patient when students have difficulty understanding.
z Does not belittle or embarrass students when errors are made.
z Is optimistic about people.
z Knows how to communicate with and relate to students.
z Is warm, empathetic, and considerate.
z Creates a friendly, informal, and relaxed atmosphere in the classroom.
z Reviews and summarizes past material and previews future course
content.
z Is flexible and able to change techniques, materials or activities when
necessary.
z Is open to ideas and suggestions from students.

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z Is able to sense when a change of routine is necessary.
z Teaches so that students make continual progress.
z Is able to judge the level of the learner and does not go through the
content too fast.
z Presents material clearly and logically.

Part 18
A Wide Variety Of Texts & Learning Materials
Over the years, IES has developed a wide variety of texts to satisfy the many
job-related needs and various fluency levels of our students. IES also uses
published texts.
Major IES Training Programs
The following is a list of IES texts that are currently popular with students:
z Business Conversation Texts (Basic Levels)
Fresh Start
Basic International Communication Skills
English Skills For Global Business
z Business Conversation Texts (Intermediate/Advanced. Levels)
English Skills For Global Business
Working With Overseas Partners
Going Abroad
International Business Manners
Working Abroad Books 1 & 2
Global Managerial Communications Books 1 & 2
Green Futures
z Business Skills Texts (Intermediate/Advanced. Levels)
Presentation Skills For Global Meetings
Global Meeting Skills
Global Negotiation Skills
z Business Writing Texts (Basic/Intermediate. Levels)
Email Communication In English
Better Writing Skills
Business Proposal Writing Made Easy
z Managerial Communication Texts (Int./Adv. Levels)
(taught by instructors with management backgrounds)
Strategic Market Research
Supply Chain Management
Global Outsourcing
Global Procurement
Business Ethics

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 Brand Management
Enterprise Resource Planning
Basic Accounting
Introduction To The American Legal System
Global Corporate Finance
Global e-Commerce
Intellectual Property
Cross-Cultural Business Sensitivity
z Technical Communication Texts (Basic/Intermediate. Levels)
(taught by instructors with engineering backgrounds)
International Project Management
On-Site Operations Overseas
Basic Project Engineering & Management
Basic Engineering Communications
Environmental & Business Perspectives
International Engineering Case Studies
Essential English For Engineers
Global Automotive Design
Customized Learning Materials
In some classes, you may be asked to use customized learning materials.
These learning materials are usually based on information provided by clients.
These learning materials deal with various aspects of a client’s history,
organization, products and management philosophy.
In situations where students are likely to be sent overseas to work, it is often
necessary for them to discuss about their company’s products and services
with customers, dealers, wholesalers or non-Japanese employees of the
company’s subsidiary.
If Texts Or Learning Materials Are Too Difficult For Students
Once in a while, you may find that a text or learning materials selected for a
class are too difficult for your students. Before considering switching, however,
be sure to use the selected learning materials or text for several sessions.
Many students need time to become re-acquainted with English or to
recapture their English fluency. If most students in a class are still unable to
cope with a text or learning materials after several sessions, please notify the
Coordinator in charge of the class.

Part 19
Classroom Activities/Techniques: Listening Comprehension
Practice
Another way to extend your teaching beyond the main text is to become
knowledgeable about various activities commonly used in ESL training. One
such activity is listening comprehension. IES has several texts which you can
use for this purpose.

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Select A Reading
Select a passage for listening comprehension that is slightly below the fluency
level of a class. This prevents students worrying about new structures and
vocabulary rather than listening to the passage you are reading.
Listening Is A Collection Of Sub-Skills
Listening is a collection of sub-skills. Below is a list of skills regarded as
important for listening. You can use this list to help develop goals and
questions to ask your class. It can also help you evaluate the students
progress concerning listening comprehension throughout a course, as well as
for your final evaluation.
z Understand the central theme.
z Understand the main idea.
z Distinguish facts from opinions.
z Identify the main and supporting ideas.
z Perceive differences between similarly worded statements.
z Identify correct English usage.
z Comprehend oral instructions.
z Hear details.
z Judge relevancy.
z Recognize a speaker’s intentions.
z Understand how words can create a mood.
z Understand denotative meanings.
z Notice sequence of ideas and details.
z Evaluate and apply material presented.
z Judge whether a speaker has accomplished his/her purpose.
z Recognize self-contradictions of a speaker.
z Be aware of persuasive devices used by a speaker.
Teaching Listening Comprehension
Use the following steps when you teach listening comprehension:
z Write the title of the passage on the whiteboard.
z Teach any vocabulary students may not know. It is helpful to write new
vocabulary words on the whiteboard.
z Write any proper nouns which occur in the passage on the whiteboard.
z Read the passage at a slightly slower speed than normal. Pause briefly
between sentences. Alternatively, many listening comprehension texts
have accompanying CDs.
z Read (or play) the passage again, one or two times, until most students
seem to understand most of the passage.
z Probe your students with lots of prepared comprehension questions about
the passage (many of these questions are already provided in the text, but
add a few more of your own). Be sure to vary your approach with yes/no

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 questions and true/false questions as well as who, what, why, when,
where and how questions. Read (or play) the passage once more. All
students should have a good comprehension by this time.
z Have students retell the story in their own words. Discuss the meaning,
moral, etc., connected to the story.
How Often Should You Conduct A Listening Comprehension Exercise?
A listening comprehension exercise tends to take from 25 to 35 minutes.
Generally speaking, it is best to conduct one at least every four hours of
teaching. This depends, however, on the class.
You should conduct a listening comprehension exercise more frequently if
your students are particularly weak in this communication skill or have asked
that ‘improving listening’ be a major goal of the course. Conducting a listening
comprehension exercise is always a useful way of adding variety to your
classes.
Two Examples For Making Listening Comprehension Exercises More
Realistic/Communicative
In addition to the aforementioned traditional listening comprehension
exercises, you should try to develop more realistic/communicative listening
exercises. Two examples of more ‘realistic’ listening exercises are:
z Airplane Or Railway Announcements
In this exercise, you mimic announcements made at airports or railway
stations providing information on arrival or departure times. You should speak
at normal speed. Students must mark down what they hear, including
destinations, platform or gate numbers and departure or arrival times. The
accuracy of their notes determines their listening comprehension.
z Locating Destinations On Maps
Students are given photocopies of simple maps. You verbally give them
directions to get from a starting point to a finishing point. Comprehension of
verbal commands is easily checked since all students should end up at the
same point on the map.

Part 20
Classroom Activities/Techniques: Role-Playing
Role-playing adds realism to your teaching. It provides students with an
opportunity to engage in the kinds of communication they would normally use
on their jobs. It provides you with a chance to have your students practice
skills they have been studying in a spontaneous and unrehearsed fashion.
What Is Role-Playing?
A role-play is simply a mini-play with students as actors. The themes and
complexity of role-playing situations will depend on the subject being taught,

33
the fluency level of students, and the amount of time to be devoted to role-
playing.
Role-playing can be attempted at four main levels of complexity:
z Using role-plays suggested in the main text.
z Reproducing dialogue from the main text.
z Improvising, using the main text as a starting point.
z Using a completely original situation.
Questions Concerning Role-Playing

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about role-playing.

z How often should role-playing be conducted?
Role-playing is an extremely effective learning activity in which students
actually use material from the main text. For this reason, conduct role-plays
as often as possible. Every lesson you teach should contain some variation of
role-playing.
z How much preparation should be done for role-playing?
When you schedule your students for role-playing, set aside an extra ten
minutes for their preparation. Discuss such pertinent points as the setting, the
relationship of actors and the subject matter. Preparation time will vary
depending on the activity and the level.
z Should students be allowed to use scripts/notes?
Scripts should never be allowed, used or written as they kill all spontaneity.
Notes, too, cause students to look down too much. If a long role-playing
situation is to be attempted, a series of prompts may be written on the
whiteboard.
z How important is it to get students out of their seats and use props?
Ask students to move out of their seats for role-playing. It really makes all the
difference in regards to realism, as well as making an activity more enjoyable.
The importance of planning cannot be overstressed. Think of small details
such as the plan of the room. How are you going to re-arrange tables and
chairs? Where will those students who are not performing sit?
z How can I ease a nervous class into a role-playing activity?
You might try introducing ‘mini role-playing’ of just a few sentences at first.
You could begin by simply saying “What could you say in this situation?” This
can be extended by gradually bringing in extra characters and soon full-scale
role-playing can be attempted.
z How should a role-playing situation be concluded?
Plenty of time should always be reserved after performances for a detailed
critique. Discuss student errors, grouping them by type (e.g. prepositions,
Japanese English, etc.) and have students help correct such errors.

34
Students can also ask each other questions they prepared during the role-
playing.
Small sections of the role play might even be tried a second time after all
corrections have been made. Students like to gauge their improvement and a
second chance is often gratefully accepted.

Part 21
Classroom Activities/Techniques: Using The Whiteboard
Effectively
Use The Whiteboard As Often As Possible
The whiteboard is the most common visual aid in the classroom. It will be
used more frequently than any other visual aid. The whiteboard is the easiest
to use, and perhaps, the most versatile in terms of the various ways in which
you and/or your students can use it.
You should use the whiteboard as often as possible to visualize or help
explain what you are teaching. Encourage your students to use the board as
often as possible also.
Specific Suggestions For Using The Whiteboard
A few suggestions for using the whiteboard effectively are:
z Plan in advance what points are to be written on the whiteboard, in what
order, and when you will write them.
z Write a little larger than is necessary for clear and unambiguous reading
from any part of a room. This will generally be larger than a person
standing near the whiteboard would guess.
z Write, print, or draw neatly and legibly. Do not scribble. Use standard
abbreviations if their meanings are obvious. Do not resort to abbreviations
as a cover-up for spelling deficiencies. Be sure you spell correctly when
using the whiteboard.
z Remember that what you write on the whiteboard visually supports your
oral explanation. Devote equal care to each. In order to learn effectively,
your students need the combined impact of sight and hearing on their
senses.
z Stand in such a position that what you have written or are in the process
of writing is visible to all your class members.
z Don’t forget to use the whiteboard systematically. It makes note-taking
easier for students, has an orderly appearance and permits your students
to review the past steps that you have already covered without searching
for disordered bits here and there.
z Always encourage your students to present their ideas on the whiteboard.

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 Part 22
Classroom Activities/Techniques: Using Newspaper Articles
Newspaper articles have a lot to offer as learning materials. Preparation is the
key point, as without it, a newspaper article can become a monotonous
reading exercise, with no real benefit for students.
A wide variety of teaching techniques are available to you for making
newspaper articles an exciting learning activity.
Determining The Interests And Comprehension Level Of Your Students
Before using a newspaper article in class, find out your students’ interests and
comprehension levels. This will help you determine which newspaper articles
are most appropriate for them. Some classes may want to study a particular
subject such as the economy or culture, while others may prefer a variety of
topics with the choice left largely up to you.
The length and complexity of newspaper articles used in class depends on
the students’ comprehension levels. For lower-level students, shorter articles
with fairly straightforward subject matter are most useful; a higher-level class
might be able to handle lengthier articles with more challenging vocabulary
and idioms.
Some classes may prefer to look at one article over a series of two or three
lessons. Take a little time to determine interests and comprehension levels to
ensure a satisfying and productive learning activity.
Preparation By Students
Even if your students are at quite a high level, they will probably find
newspaper articles rather difficult. Articles can be made easier to handle by
sufficient preparation.
The article should be given to students one lesson in advance with specific
instructions for preparation, such as looking up unfamiliar vocabulary,
underlining idioms, making up comprehension questions, or preparing
discussion topics. If an article is quite long, it can be divided into separate
portions for each student to prepare individually.
Although you may carefully outline preparatory tasks for your students, they
may not do them. For this reason, it is necessary to have a back-up plan. Do
not structure your whole lesson on the assumption that all students will do all
their preparation.
Preparation By Instructors
Teaching a newspaper article is not that different from teaching other text
material.
Keep an eye on newspapers like The Japan Times, the International Herald-
Tribune and weekly magazines like Newsweek or Time as sources for articles
that would fit the needs of your class. Magazine articles are definitely

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extremely challenging for most students and should be chosen with great care.
Often they are too long and the vocabulary/idioms used too complicated for
classes other than at the advanced level.
In some situations, as with cultural or general affairs topics, a current article is
not absolutely necessary, so you can build up a stockpile of articles to choose
from.
Make enough copies for all students and give it to them in advance. If you find
that it contains idioms that students may not be able to find in their electronic
dictionaries, point them out before students do their preparation.
You may also want to give students a few questions to answer in preparation
for a lesson, or ask them to prepare specifically for some activity, such as
debate, discussion or role-playing.
Use a systematic teaching approach to using the article:
z Pronunciation and intonation check
(through students taking turns reading out loud specific paragraphs)
z Vocabulary check
z Comprehension check
z Pattern practice
z Short listening comprehension questions
z Discussions
Pronunciation and intonation checking should be done as usual for unfamiliar
words and problem sounds. Vocabulary check will probably take up a large
amount of time because newspaper articles are written mostly for native
speakers. Comprehension check can be done with prepared questions from
you or with your students questioning each other.
Short passages can be taken from articles and read to students to improve
their listening skills. Students who have trouble comprehending while they are
reading aloud will find this especially helpful.
Finally, discussion should be encouraged and welcomed at any time. It gives
students a chance to show their reactions and opinions while practicing other
activities mentioned previously.
For higher-level classes or for a class in which you are using a fairly short
article, you may want to use the article only as a basis for debate, discussion
or role-playing. In this situation, much less time is spent on pronunciation,
vocabulary and comprehension check.

Part 23
Classroom Activities/Techniques: Language Games
Instructional Value Of Games
Everyone knows that games are fun, however, some students do not realize
that they have instructional value. It is essential therefore to explain to
students WHY they are playing a game.

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Games are an enjoyable way of achieving the following objectives:
z Games can be used to reinforce newly acquired information or skills
immediately after they have been taught.
z A game is an entertaining way to review material that has been taught in a
previous lesson.
z A game makes an excellent reward that encourages students to
cooperate during more demanding classroom activities.
z A quiet game is a fun way to relax after other energy-draining exercises.
z Games tend to reduce inhibitions, especially if the competitive element is
diminished or eliminated. A shy or linguistically weak student will feel
more at ease and will participate more freely, if the object is just to have
fun and not to score points and win. Although competition often adds
excitement and increases participation, it also intensifies the pressure to
perform well, thereby excluding timid students and students who are less
sure of their ability with a language.
z A short, snappy game can raise attentiveness, revive a class, and make
students more receptive to further learning.
z A game provides a teacher with a method for rapid rectification of
students’ errors. Correcting errors immediately prevents them from
becoming deeply rooted in students’ memories.
z Games aid retention, since students tend to remember best the things that
they enjoy doing.
z Games are fun, encourage student participation, and are instructionally
effective; all these factors stimulate and motivate students.
Essentials For Organizing Games
Some things to consider when planning games:
z Ease of explanation; the rules of a game should be few and simple.
z Absence of complicated materials.
z Versatility: games that can easily be adapted to suit the number, age, and
linguistic level of your students.
As part of your orientation process, you will receive some ideas for using
language games in the classroom.

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 Part 24
Classroom Activities/Techniques: Homework Assignments
The Theory Behind Homework
Homework should help reinforce, provide review, or help prepare students to
learn specific goals. Homework should only be assigned to help students
better understand and/or practice your lesson goals.
Generally speaking, students taking class after work, once to twice a week,
should be given far less homework than students participating in an intensive,
full-time English training program.
Examples Of Homework Assignments
Some examples of typical homework assignments:
z Practice of a sample dialogue in the main text.
z Practice exercises from the main text.
z Preparation for an in-class discussion.
z Preparation for a role-play.
z Preparation of a mini-speech/presentation.
z Preparation of a newspaper article.
z Grammar exercises from a supplementary handout.
z Vocabulary exercises from a supplementary handout.
z Idioms practice from a supplementary handout.
At the end of each lesson, tell students what will be covered in the main text in
the next lesson and encourage them to look over the material in advance. It is
important to define learning goals being studied or practiced in the homework.
Be sure that your homework assignments are clearly stated and thoroughly
understood. To avoid any misunderstanding, it is good practice to write
homework assignments on the whiteboard.
Written homework is generally not required in a business conversation class,
but may be requested depending on the type of course, goals, kind of training
schedule and the particular students involved (some classes may actually
request written homework).
Most of your students will be businessmen (e.g. researchers, engineers,
salesmen, etc.) who will not have time to do written homework. Some
students may not have time to do any homework if their work schedules are
heavy.

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If you assign written homework, please be sure to carefully correct and return
the work with your corrections to students as soon as possible.

Part 25
Guide To Evaluation: Why Evaluations Are Important
Evaluations May Affect Jobs And Careers
Major decisions affecting jobs and careers of your students may be made as a
result of the evaluations you provide at the end of a course.
Evaluations May Affect Overseas Postings
Your evaluations may be one of the factors considered in deciding if a student
should be assigned to a project team to be sent overseas. They could be one
of the factors used in deciding if a student should be assigned to an overseas
subsidiary, or in selecting an employee for further education overseas at the
graduate level.
Evaluations May Influence Decisions On Further English Training
Your evaluations may be a factor in deciding if a student needs more English
training or if his/her communication skills are sufficient for his/her present job.
Evaluations Will Be Used To Judge IES And Its Instructors
In judging IES and its instructors, your students and equally important – the
company managers in charge of the training, and the managers in whose
departments the students work – will carefully review the evaluations you
provide. A well-done set of evaluations is perceived as reflecting a competent
instructor.
Evaluations should be kept professional and business-like. Avoid references
to informal, outside socializing situations which you may have enjoyed with
the class.
It is important that you be direct and honest when evaluating your students.
Individuals learning another language have a general understanding of how
well they are doing. If they are evaluated inaccurately as either doing too well
or not well enough, the instructor, and in turn IES, loses credibility.
Inappropriate evaluations are also the major cause of inappropriate student
placement in future classes.
You can be sure that during a course, students do their own evaluating of
their progress. In many instances, they have taken previous English training
and have been evaluated by other native speakers.
Japanese learners tend to be perfectionists and therefore want detailed
feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. Vague, general evaluations are
not appreciated.

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 Part 26
Guide To Evaluation: Overall Considerations In Evaluating
Your Students
Distinction Between Testing And Evaluation
While everyone instinctively understands the difference between testing and
evaluations, it may be worthwhile to re-define these terms.
Tests, in our context, are instruments such as the IES Systematic Test Of
English Placement (STEP) or the TOEIC Test. Evaluations, in the IES context,
are made by instructors usually midpoint and/or at the end of a course. They
are judgments based on your in-class experience (e.g. observations, your
own mini-tests, notes, etc.) with students.
Frequency Of Evaluations
Generally, you will complete evaluations at the end of each assignment.
However, if your assignment continues over a long period of time, then it may
be necessary to make evaluations more frequently. The Coordinator in charge
of a class will inform you if more than one evaluation is needed.
If you are leaving an assignment prior to its conclusion, it may be necessary
for you to complete a Student Evaluation Report for each student.
Evaluating Within Level
Our present approach evaluates students within their current level of English.
You are not to compare them to a native speaker of English. This means, in
theoretical terms, that a student in an introductory class can receive a high
score if an instructor thinks a student fits the verbal description given in a
category.
For example, an introductory student (the lowest level within the IES
framework) can receive a 3 for Vocabulary (language vocabulary/knows many
words/idioms). This would mean that s/he has a large vocabulary for an
introductory student.
Turning In Your Evaluations Promptly
Please turn in the student evaluation report within two working days after you
have completed a course. The same time period should be used if you are
leaving a course prior to its completion.
For example, if a class ends on a Friday, please have the student evaluation
report, for all students in class, turned in to the coordinator by Monday
evening. The coordinator must prepare all evaluations and send them to
students/client within two weeks of the completion of a course.

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No Need To Discuss Final Evaluations Directly With Students
There is no need to discuss final evaluations with the students being
evaluated. One reason for this is that the entire area of evaluation is, at best,
a rough approximation of an extremely complex linguistic performance.
Certain students are also extremely sensitive about this matter for a number
of reasons. These reasons include, but are not limited to, their own beliefs
and judgments on their English skills. Another reason for student concern
about and sensitivity to evaluations is that career decisions, overseas
postings, etc. may be made on the basis of evaluations.
Frank Evaluations Are Preferred
Students themselves have frequently claimed that they prefer frank comments
rather than overly optimistic comments, which we are tempted to make in
order to encourage students. They recognize these as such, and place little
value on them. This is sometimes cited as a difference in the expectations of
Japanese students and Western students.
It could, however, also be said that constructive and fair criticism is accepted,
indeed welcomed, everywhere, by everyone who really wants to know how
well s/he is doing.
Substantiate Your Evaluations
During a course, give oral and/or written mini-tests regularly. Your tests can
focus on pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and of course communicative
ability.
Please keep a record of student test scores. Keep a record of students’
progress, weaknesses and strengths in your notes on a class. Thus, when the
time comes to evaluate, you have something solid on which to base or back
up your judgments.
Be ‘Kibishii’
Be ‘Kibishii’ (Japanese for tough, strict, and professional) when writing your
evaluations. People in charge of training expect complete, accurate, and of
course ‘kibishii’ evaluations. If instructors are not frank and honest in their
evaluations, both they and IES lose credibility.

Part 27
Guide To Evaluation: Evaluation Reports
Computerized Subjective Descriptors
The Computerized Subjective Descriptors are divided into the following
dimensions:
1. Fluency
2. Listening Comprehension
3. Communicative Ability

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 4. Vocabulary
5. Grammatical Usage
6. Pronunciation
7. Additional Comments Guidelines
Major Indicators
For each of these dimensions, you will find a major indicator. Each major
indicator consists of a series of descriptors that describe the skills that a
student might possess after studying English for a period of time covered by
your evaluation. Select the one you think is most appropriate for each student
in the class with an attendance record of 50% or more.
Numerical Guideline Form (Part 1. Fluency Only)
Fluency
Comment 5
You speak smoothly, with a minimum of pauses. Selection of words is good
and meanings are clear most of the time.
Comment 4
You speak smoothly more often than not. Pauses are not long. Selection of
words is generally good, and meanings are generally clear.
Comment 3
Your speech sometimes contains long pauses, but they do not interfere with
understanding. Word selection is sometimes inaccurate and meanings are
sometimes unclear.
Comment 2
You have some difficulty expressing yourself in English. Pauses are frequent
and at times interfere with understanding; selection of words is poor or
Japanese English. Meanings are frequently unclear.
Comment 1
Your English speaking ability is limited.
A. (3) Length of expression is excellent.
(2) Length of expression is adequate.
(1) Length of expression is limited.
B. (3) Rate/speed of expression is excellent.
(2) Rate/speed of expression is adequate.
(1) Rate/speed of expression is limited.
C. (3) Choice of words/idioms is good standard English.
(2) Choice of words is a mixture of Japanese English and standard
English.
(1) Flow of expression is too fragmented.

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D. (3) Flow of expression is very smooth.
(2) Flow of expression is broken but understandable.
(1) Flow of expression is too fragmented.
E. (3) Clarity of expression is excellent.
(2) Clarity of expression is adequate.
(1) Clarity of expression is limited.
In the example, the first category of the Computerized Subjective Descriptors,
‘Fluency’ is presented here. Note the range of comments in the ‘major
indicator’ section.
In all the categories (Listening Comprehension, Vocabulary, etc.), the highest
number represents the highest achievable level; conversely the lowest
number is the lowest level. One major indicator must be identified for each
category.
The series of alphabetical letters that follow focus on specific aspects of the
verbal performance. In this example. ‘Fluency’, the specific sections include:
length, rate/speed, flow and clarity of expression and choice of words. In each
alphabetical category, one numerical rating (minor indicator) must be
identified.

Part 28
Guide To Evaluation: Using PROGRESS For Your Student
Evaluations
Introduction
How much progress have I made? Is it sufficient in terms of my present job or
a future overseas assignment I have to carry out? What additional training, if
any, do I need to improve my English skills? What are my major weaknesses?
How often do I make these errors in English?
These are just a few of the questions that your students frequently ask before,
during and after studying English. In your evaluations, you are trying to
answer these questions for your students and for those at higher levels in the
company responsible for handling training and making decisions that affect
your students.
You are likely to do a much better job of evaluating if you see it as a process
of distinct but interrelated steps to be done as you teach, rather than as an
activity to be done in a rush at the end of your teaching assignment.
With this in mind, we have outlined a series of steps in an easy-to-follow
manner. We have used the word PROGRESS to explain each of the steps
and to remind you that you are judging improvement in the communicating
skills that you selected as the specific objectives for a course.

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PROGRESS At A Glance
P Plan your approach.
R Record your impressions and information.
O Organize your data.
G Group your students.
R Rate your students and pick your comments.
E Edit your reports.
S Submit your reports to the coordinator in charge.
S Sit back and wait.
PROGRESS: A Step-By-Step Explanation
P Plan your evaluations carefully at the outset. Good evaluations take
planning early in the course. Always keep your objectives in mind
throughout the course.
Test communication skills. Test for mastery of the ‘communication
skills’ you have been teaching. Plan when and how often you will test
your students’ progress in English. Regular tests are recommended
(students appreciate you testing them).
Plan a combination of oral and written tests. Plan a regular schedule of
days when you will pay particularly close attention to writing down the
strengths and weaknesses of your students. Do not wait until the last
week of a course and get caught without any information. Start
evaluating early in the course.
R Record your impressions and information. Do not trust your memory.
Write it down. Homework assignments and written tests are useful
records of student performance.
Your day-to-day impressions of how students speak are also important.
Write these down on a regular basis and use them for evaluating,
preparing specific objectives, and for planning what your students need
to learn in class.
O Organize your data for each student. Just before you begin to complete
the evaluations, organize the information you have gathered on each
student.
You can organize it to correspond to the elements of the evaluation
report: fluency, listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammatical
usage, pronunciation, progress, participation, potential and suggestions.
This will make it easier to complete both the Numerical Guideline and
the Additional Comments Guideline Forms.

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G Group your students as a class. Group students according to their
ability in each of the areas of the evaluation report. You can use this
information to help determine which major indicators you select for
them and to choose the appropriate comments from the Additional
Comments Guidelines.
R Rate your students and select your comments. Please choose your
comments very carefully. Be sure that you can support your choices.
E Edit the report. Check your evaluations to make sure all the required
numbers are circled, and make sure the comments read logically.
S Submit the reports to the coordinator in charge of your class. Do this, at
the very latest, two days after the end of a class. If s/he has any
questions about what you have circled, s/he will contact you.
Sometimes you may be asked to complete evaluations before the end
of a course, especially if your students are scheduled to travel
overseas.
S Sit back and wait. After the students and the company sponsor of the
training receive the evaluations, they will read them carefully. If they
have questions about your evaluations, they may contact the
coordinator. The coordinator may ask you to elaborate on an
evaluation.

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