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How Are You? Have a Simple Conversation With Pinka! 元気?ピンカと簡単な会話をしましょう!

How Are You? Have a Simple Conversation With Pinka! 元気?ピンカと簡単な会話をしましょう!

Asking "How are you?" is a great way to start a conversation. Let this week's video show you how to ask and several different ways to answer. 「お元気ですか?」と訊くことは会話を始めるのにとても役に立ちます。今週の動画で訊き方と色々な答え方を見てみましょう! Classroom Tip Here is another important function for our students...

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Build your child’s vocabulary with the Flower Chant! フラワーチャントでボキャブラリーを増やそう!

Build your child’s vocabulary with the Flower Chant! フラワーチャントでボキャブラリーを増やそう!

This week's video lets your child learn and practice some fun everyday words, while practicing the important phrase from last week's video. 今週の動画では、日常でよく使う楽しい単語を前回紹介した動画の重要なフレーズにあわせて覚えます。 Classroom Tip After doing the Flower Chant, play this video and have students do...

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Summer Crafts

Summer Crafts

At Modern English, where I teach Happy Valley 1 and Happy Valley 2, we spend the week before Obon doing a summer craft. This year the Happy Valley 2 kids (4-5 yo) made beaded bracelets and the Happy Valley 1 kids (and one Happy Valley 2 kid in for a make-up) made rainbow fish.

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Thank You

Thank You

Thanks to English Books Japan, SEELS and Mabuhay Classroom for your great support and to all the participants who truly made the weekend a fun-filled experience for me. I am truly grateful.

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Back to School

Back to School

I used the Happy Valley 2 “Hi, Hello” song to begin class with a bang. It didn’t just bang, it twirled… What I love about trying new things is seeing how the kids react and what they naturally do. Those moments are where I often learn the most about HOW to teach.

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Happy Valley 2 & 3: Lesson Plans

Happy Valley 2 & 3: Lesson Plans

This Friday, we will have the Lesson Plans for Units 1-5 for Happy Valley 2 and Happy Valley 3 up with Units 6-10 Lesson Plans following next week. I will also be adding an updated version of the Routines, Games and Activities Guide next week.

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Since being back at school, my students and I have been using HV1 U8. The kids have really taken to the creatures around the pond near Kinka and Pinka’s tree house. Yesterday we played the game “Is it a…” from the Games and Activities Guide in the download section.

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Unit 7 Speaking and Counting Activity

Unit 7 Speaking and Counting Activity

Hi, Everyone! I hope you all are surviving the final days until winter holidays begin. My Happy Valley 1 class just wrapped up Unit 7 "Bathtime" and we had some fun with my iPhone, the kids' heads, shoulders, knees, toes, fingers and counting 1 to 10. The procedure...

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Happy Valley Presentation at ETJ Chubu Expo

Happy Valley Presentation at ETJ Chubu Expo

名古屋でのプレゼンは、少人数でしたが、経験豊かな先生方と一緒に、Happy Valleyのフラッシュカードなどを使ったアクティビティーを楽む場となりました。プレゼンの間には、「私の生徒は、黙ってジェスチャーなんてしてくれないわ!」「ぬりえは時間がかかるから、あまりしない」という経験豊かな先生らしい意見も出ていました。

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