Language Sensei

A Language Teacher's Journey

January 4, 2016
by leesensei
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The #authres Infographic & Digging for Information On Cultural Practices/Attitudes

  It starts with an authentic resource…and this one from Yahoo Japan about the top 20 Keyword searches related to Christmas via infographic.jp (an awesome source for Japanese language infographics!). Yes we have touched on the typical “holiday in (fill … Continue reading

April 7, 2014
by leesensei
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Background Music and Avoiding the Awkward “Silence” in MFL Activities

Like most MFL teachers I like to use music in class. I source and find a “song of week” from the iTunes Japan chart every 10 days or so. As I’ve written about before – I use the music (legally … Continue reading

October 1, 2013
by leesensei
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A Picture for 1000 Words (or Situations)!

As a world language teacher a picture or visual is key for me. In the past that meant finding, cutting out and preparing pictures for a variety of uses.My cupboard is packed with laminated photos – of items, places and … Continue reading

April 30, 2013
by leesensei
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“Song of the Week” Part 1: Sourcing & Using

Music is a powerful tool in world language learning. As an ‘authentic resource’ it’s accessible to students, timely and full of language that speaks directly to students. I don’t allow students to use headphones and listen to their own music … Continue reading

March 12, 2013
by leesensei
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Authentic Information as an “Authentic Resource”

What is ‘authentic’? According to the Oxford Dictionary it is something that is  “genuine”, “accurate”, “based on facts or reliable”.  There’s a big push for ‘authentic resources’ these days in the MFL classroom. And there should be. I want my … Continue reading

March 6, 2013
by leesensei
1 Comment

The Value of Being “Forced” to Make Lemonade

What happens when your ‘traditional’ way of doing things in class doesn’t “fit” with the times or the situation? I confronted that this week. In prepping my Japanese 12 students for a debate on the value of a school uniform … Continue reading

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