An Example Lesson
This example lesson is for an eikaiwa class 2 hours, once per week. The lesson can easily be shortened for standard 50 minute classes and age appropriate material inserted.
Riddle (10 min)
- Arrive 10 minutes before class and write a riddle on the board. Give the class until 10 minutes into class to guess the answer. As time winds down, give hints.
- Since this activity doesn’t require an introduction, it’s good for those students who come to class early, and for those who straggle in a bit late.
- Be careful when choosing riddles, as some rely on nuances of English, as opposed to creative thinking.
Hangman (10 min)
- Your standard game of hangman, with two twists.
- Twist #1: Instead of a single word answer, choose an English proverb. When the sentence is revealed, ask the class to guess its meaning.
- Twist #2: No need to draw the gallows. Divide the class into teams and have them compete against each other. Teams earn one point for each time a letter they choose appears in the sentence.
- Example: ”When the cat is away, the mice will play.”
Chitchat (10 min)
- Talk to the class about things they’ve done since you’ve last met and stuff that’s made the news.
- Make sure everyone has a chance to say something.
Game #1 (25 min)
- Games are a great energizer, unless they drag on too long. To break it up, play two short games (Game #1 and Game #2). Or alternatively, play the same game, but use the Break and Role Play time as an intermission.
- See the ‘Links to Games & Lessons’ for game ideas.
Break (5 min)
- Before the class breaks, tell them what time class will resume.
Roleplay (35 min)
- Introduce a real-life situation and a sample dialog to the class (10 minutes).
- Have the class break into pairs, and create their own dialog (10 minutes). Ask for volunteers to act out their dialog (15 minutes).
- Optional: Have the class vote which dialog was the most creative, and give the winning pair a small prize.
Game #2 (25 min)
- See Game #1 above.
