Happy Halloween Time was over!
11月2日(土)朝、勤研センター前に、今頃ひっそり咲いている紫陽花 (花言葉：威張り屋) を発見。周りは猫柳 (気まま) や薄：ススキ (活力) が枯れているというのに。「自燈明」に頭が下がります。
Yoshy found a hydrangea (its language of flower: a turkey cock) obscurely blooming in front of Kin-ken Center in the morning on Saturday, November 2nd while the rosegold pussy willows (coltishness) and the eulalias (vitality) are already withered. I am very proud of this hydrangea who is “not lonely but shining alone”!!!
「LLハロイーン・ウイーク」：10月23日(水)～29日(火)の一週間、習熟度別ですので、12クラス夫々異なったレベルで、「英語で」楽しみました。
“LL Halloween Week” was held from Wednesday, October 23rd to Tuesday, 29th. We could fully enjoyed it “by using various levels of English”; the way of activities depended upon each class, whose level is different.
ハロイーンが近付くと、毎年、楽しみながら、「今年はどんな英語ゲームをしようか？」準備します。
Whenever Halloween Day is near, Yoshy is always enjoying preparing games or activities concerned to it, thinking in my mind: “How shall I have LL students be happy with games or activities?”
先ずはハロウイーンの基礎知識を解説：英検5級レベル以上のクラスでは、「ハロイーンって、何だろう？」、「日本のお盆との違いは？」…よほどの日本通でない限り、外国人英語教師にはこれが難しいのです。「万聖節」と、親鸞聖人の法要の「おたや：報恩講」との違い…などもね。
First of all, a sheet of document of briefing material about Halloween was given to every class; e.g. in the class above 5th grade of Eiken, we learned “what Halloween was on the earth”, “what the difference between Halloween and Obon: the Festival of the Dead was” and so on. Probably, it must be very difficult for ALTs to explain these questions like them. The difference between “All Saints’ Day” and “Otaya: the Gratitude Festival to Saint Shinran”, and so on are, too.
ヨッシーが英語で説明したことが、配布の「日本語での説明資料」のどこに書いてあるかを当てっこしたり、ヨッシーの「ジェスチャー混じりでの説明」を、想像してみんなに話して、その正誤を競ったり、…と、楽しみ方に差をつけました。
After they finished reading the document, they tried to find the place which I had told in English; or higher leveled students tried to explain what Yoshy had told with gestures.
毎年楽しんでいる「福笑い」も、例えば、PA～PDクラスでは、「この物差しの長さは？」 - 「30センチです。」は既習事項ですので、誘導する生徒は、「口は右へ9センチ動かして！」… 物差しを使えないのですから、日頃馴染んでいるはずの「口を5センチ右へ！」がけっこういいかげんになって…「正に、不気味な、お化けカボチャ」に！：大笑い！
The way to play “Making Face Game” which is almost used every year has been also changed. This year, Yoshy added a 30 cm ruler in this game at the class from PA to PD. They know this Q-A: “How long is this ruler?” – “It is 30 centimeters long.” However, in case of saying him/her, “Move Mouth to right five centimeters!”, he/she couldn’t move it so accurately that the face of Jack-o-lantern became “really weird ghost pumpkin”. They burst into laughter almost every time.
英検4級～準1級レベルクラスでは、例えば、ドリス・デイの名曲、「ケセラセラ」の穴埋め競争を。
In much higher leveled classes from 4th to Pre-1st, e.g. they tried to fill in blank spaces; we enjoyed the song “Que Sera, Sera” of Doris Day. Some class challenged doing not listening to it, some did by listening to.
小学低学年のGAクラスでびっくりしたのは、「ハロイーン・キャラクター」と「その名前：英語表記カード」のペアづくり！約30組あるのですが、…例えば、「黒猫の絵」と「Black Cat：のカード」がペア…。ヨッシーが、発音でヒントを上げたカードは、たったの3枚の「英語表記カード」だけ！
To my surprise in GA whose students are in lower grades in E/S, they could make correct pairs of two kinds: one is written only an English word, the other is a picture. There are about thirty pairs! … E.g. one pair was “the picture of Black Cat” and “its spelling”. Yoshy gave them the pronunciation of only three pairs!
「英語力を高めるには、発想力を高めることです！」と、10月6日のSCで、ヨッシーのスピーチで力説しましたね。英検3級レベルのクラスで、予期しないことが起きました。それは、…
Do you remember Yoshy’s speech at LL Speech Contest on October 6th? I said, “Learners need rich or lots of imaginative power in order to improve skill of English command!” An unexpected happening occurred in the class of the level of 3rd Eiken, that was …
ヨッシーが、キャンドルに点火しようとした時、写真のように、形が似ている「文鎮：紙押さえ」でカチャカチャ…生徒たちが大笑い。…
When Yoshy tried to light candles, as you see the picture, I used “a paperweight” instead of a lighter; both of them were very similar in shape each other. Click-clank! … All the students there burst into laughter!
そこで、ヨッシーが考えさせました。 「今のヨッシーのドジを外国友人に、どう伝えるかな？」…「あのね、ヨッシーがね、…」で英会話スタート！
Then, in the next breath, Yoshy had them think like the following; “How are you going to explain this failure Yoshy did now?” … Please try to do from the beginning of “Let’s see, Yoshy …”; an English conversation started!
とまあ、LLシホヤ新井教室では、ハロイーンそのものを教えるだけでなく、「英語で」楽しんでいます。
Therefore, in LL Shihoya Arai School, Yoshy is not only teaching Halloween itself , but also having them enjoy this event time or lesson “in English”.
エリーも楽しんだクラスがありましたね。
Erie was also happy with them in some classes.