Things HRTs & ALTs Can Do  

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I've been working on this for a while (see the video in the following post), and still have more I want to do.  But this is a good time to get this information out, I thought, so here it is without much explanation. I'd be very interested to get feedback on this list- please take a moment to leave a comment at the top or bottom of the post. And thanks...

Share and discuss this list with your team-teaching partner(s), and learn to expect to interact and support each other while teaching.

The list is numbered to easily recognize grouped/relevant activities (and to make it easier to talk about).
The list is divided up into these sections:

  1. Before Class
  2. Every Class  
  3. Starting the Class 
  4. From Start to Finish  
  5. On the Blackboard  
  6. Leading & Doing Activities  
  7. English in the Classroom 
  8. Cultural Discussions 
  9. Communication Discussions 
  10. Ending the Class 

Before Class

1- HRT- Decide lesson content and lesson sequencing.
2a- HRT- Make requests to ALT for preparation at least one day before the class (several days, or a week or more, is better).
2b- ALT- Prepare activities, materials, songs/chants and/or lessons as requested by the HRT.
3a- HRT/ALT- Have a meeting (uchiawase) before class to discuss the lesson plan- who does what, how to do activities, review materials, practice dialogs, games and chant melodies, etc.
3b-ALT/HRT- Brainstorm/Discuss cultural and communication points that can be discussed in class.
3c- ALT/HRT- Review classroom English to use in the classroom.

Every Class

4- HRT/ALT- Talk and use the target language together. Do model dialogs together.
5- HRT/ALT- Work to make language real, not just academic language or textbook practice. Give the language life.

Starting the Class

6a- ALT- Do opening greetings in English (&/or other foreign languages).
6b- HRT- After opening greetings, tell students the plan, goal or focus of the day’s lesson.
7- ALT/HRT- Have simple English conversations with the other teacher in front of the students.

From Start to Finish

8- ALT/HRT- Stand (mostly) in front of the class.
9a- ALT- Speak slowly!
9b- HRT- Say to the ALT, ‘Please speak more slowly!’ and ‘Say that again, please!’ again & again throughout the year, and encourage the students to do it, too.
10- ALT/HRT- Support and encourage students to communicate, not just speak English.

On the Blackboard

11a- ALT- Write English on the blackboard.
11b- HRT- Write Japanese on the blackboard.
11c- HRT- For written English on the blackboard, before writing the Japanese, (if time) ask the students, ‘What does it mean (in Japanese)?’ After the students have told you, then write the Japanese on the blackboard.
12- ALT/HRT- Write page numbers on the blackboard.

Leading & Doing Activities

13- T1- Clearly tell or signal to the T2 when it is his/her turn to take the lead in the class.
14a- ALT/HRT- Demonstrate activities together.
14b- ALT- Demonstrate in English.
14c- HRT- Check students’ understanding by asking questions in Japanese. If & when possible, don’t translate English to Japanese for the students, but ask instead, ‘What did she say?’. Ask ALT to ‘Do/Say it again, please.’ if needed.
15- ALT- Lead activities and/or lessons (as requested).
16- HRT- Prompt students for Words They Already Know. The best-known word groups are Food & Drinks, Sports, Colors and Animals.
17a- ALT- Read kamishibai/storyboards/picture books aloud.
17b- HRT- Assist with kamishibai. At the right times: Preview the story by showing students the cards 1-by-1, without reading, and asking the students in Japanese what the story might be about; Ask students the meaning in Japanese after a page is read by the ALT; Lead the students in Repeating after the ALT; Organize students to read parts of the story; Lead students to read the story as a group, without the ALT (start with a leading first/second word, or say the lines in Japanese for students to translate).
18- ALT- Lead songs and chants.
19- ALT- Lead Listen & Repeat/Respond activities (flashcards, CROSSFIRE, Listen Repeat & Point, etc.).
20- HRT- Lead Eigo Noto-based activities (Let’s Listen , Let’s Play, Activity).
21- ALT- Read scripts for the CD more slowly.
22- HRT- Check students’ answers after Listening Activities.
23- ALT/HRT- Demonstrate a repetitive activity you know (CROSSFIRE or Maru-Batsu, for example) 2 or 3 times, then ask/let the HRT take over/take the lead.
24- HRT- When a student is called randomly (chosen by dice, for example) say the child’s name aloud so the ALT can hear it and use it (ALT rolls the dice to choose a student... ALT- ‘Number 3-4!’ HRT- ‘Haruka!’ ALT- ‘OK, Haruka. Please.....’).
25- ALT/HRT- Participate in activities with students.
26- HRT- When the ALT asks students to form small groups, help the students to form groups of the right size/number.
27- ALT/HRT- Listen for common mistakes during free speaking activities to note as negative evidence (‘What do you like color?’, NOT ‘What color do you like?’) on the blackboard afterward (and then for students to check and correct).
28- HRT- Lead the class to transition from one activity to the next.

English in the Classroom


29- ALT/HRT- Together write a list of classroom English to use in the classroom.
30- ALT- Use simple classroom English repetitively (don’t say it just once, but several times, including after the HRT has translated it to Japanese).
31- HRT- In first term classes, say in Japanese the simple classroom English the ALT is using after he/she says it.
32- HRT- Use simple classroom English in every class.
33- ALT/HRT- Use communication and conversation phrases together often (Pardon? What’s this? What’s this in English/Japanese? etc.).

Cultural Discussions

34- ALT- Share home culture and foreign culture experiences, speaking and with visual support when possible.
35- HRT- Help students discuss Japanese culture as a basis for understanding/comparing foreign culture points. (Do we do it like this in Japan? How do we do this in Japan? What do we do in Japan in this situation? Is this the same in Japan?)

Communication Discussions

36- HRT/ALT- Demonstrate together in English the communication pattern used in the lesson.
37- HRT- Check students’ understanding of the meaning and use of the communication pattern (in Japanese).
38- HRT- Ask for, and give, examples of how the communication pattern is used (or not) in Japanese.
39- HRT/ALT- Ask students when the communication might be used, and give examples of when it is used.

Ending the Class

40- HRT- Do the class wrap-up (matome) in Japanese at the end of the lesson.
41- HRT/ALT- Write on the blackboard in English an example (from a speaking activity) of the WRONG way to say the target English or the conversation, or an exemplary POSITIVE usage. Ask the students to correct the error, and write the corrected version on the blackboard. Have the students listen and repeat the correct version. For higher level students, ask if students can present a variation (Change 1 or 2 Words) of the pattern (give an example in Japanese to translate).
42- HRT- Discuss or review culture or communication points from the lesson. Discuss how these are the same or different in Japan/Japanese.
43- ALT- Do closing greeting in English (and/or other foreign languages).



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