スミス英会話相模原校　カリキュラム開発

スミス英会話相模原校は2005年にオープン以来、カリキュラムを改善し続けています。幸運なことに、新しい英会話レッスン資料、レッスンを作り、それを自由に使う権限を持っています。スミス英会話の設立者であるマークスミスは、日本の多くの英会話スクールが使っているテキスト本を使わないことにしました。代わりに、彼はカリキュラムの開発を続けるため、スミス英会話の講師である私たちに完全な信頼と信用を置いています。

スミス英会話相模原校は相模原地域の生徒様を21年以上教えています。はじめは、マークスミスが開発したコア（核）となるカリキュラムを使っていました。このカリキュラムはスミス英会話すべての講師や生徒様が守らなくてはいけない決まったカリキュラムではありません。柔軟に、長い時間をかけて私たちは広げてきました。私の多くのアイディアは相模原校の生徒様から来ていますが、彼らはそのことを知りません！

English Conversation Lessons in Sagamihara: Introducing a Grammar Point

Smith’s School of English Sagamihara has continued to improve its curriculum since opening in 2005. Fortunately, I have the freedom to develop new teaching materials, create lessons, and use them at any time. Founder of the company, Mark Smith decided long ago that we would avoid using textbooks like most other English schools in Japan. Instead, he has put his full faith and trust into us, Smith’s English conversation coaches, to continue developing our curriculum.

Smith’s School of English Sagamihara has been serving the Sagamihara community for 21 years thus far. In the beginning, I started with the core curriculum developed by Mark Smith. The core curriculum is not a set curriculum for all Smith’s English teachers and students to adhere to. It is entirely flexible, and over the years we have been continuing to expand it. Most of my ideas come from my English students here in Sagamihara. But they don’t know it!

All of my English students at Smith’s are unique language learners. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, different self-study habits, and different reasons and opportunities to use the English language outside of the classroom. I pay attention to them, and new ideas for English lessons always come. Developing new lessons is fun and I am always eager for the first time to try them.

Recently, instead of developing one new English lesson, I decided to begin a project; one that has no end to it, and one that will help English learners not only in Japan at Smith’s School of English, but all over the world. It involves listening to short sentences and phrases in English while viewing an action related to it. All from a North American native speaker of English- me.

“Kikitoru 聞き取る”- to be able to catch/understand spoken words, I believe is an essential part of English learning, especially when faced with native English speakers. Too many times, when returning to Japan from abroad, my English students at Smith’s Sagamihara have told me that they couldn’t understand the people because “they spoke so fast.” While this may very well be the case, ongoing short listening practice can only help. That is my intent with this project. And I can already see from the comments I am receiving that they are enjoying it!

Here is a true story that recently happened. A month ago I received a private message from a Japanese woman living in Italy. Her hometown is Sagamihara. She will be returning for the months of December and January to visit her family. She said she had just gotten off the phone with someone from England and couldn’t understand a word he said! Then she asked me if I could help her. Of course I can! Anyway, she is planning to take a short course at Smith’s English Sagamihara while she is in town!

I opened an Instagram account several years ago. It was more or less “a diary,” focused on family, music, and my job as an English teacher. The focus has changed- now solely on “kikitoru.” I am having a good time posting almost every day, and from the feedback I receive, I can see that English learners in Japan and the rest of the world are finding some value in it.

I’d like to invite anyone reading this to have a look at my Instagram and decide for yourself if it is a fun and effective way to challenge your listening skills.

And, as always, trial lessons in English at Smith’s Sagamihara are always free, fun, with no
obligation to join. Come talk to me, regardless of your level! I guarantee you will feel more
confident when you leave! Thank you for reading!

Jim