Hello and Happy New Year to all our English learners!
We recently ran two ‘Phonics Workshops’ for our 3R English adult students.
As everyone who attends our classes will know, not only do we teach all lessons in native British English, but we also prioritise correct pronunciation. We do so because clear and well-spoken English is essential for effective communication and yet is usually neglected by most other English schools. Sadly, the stigma of poor English pronunciation is something that the Japanese are still well known for.
The majority of Japanese English learners don’t know why they struggle with pronunciation. Many students can’t get the hang of it no matter how hard they try. So, they watch online videos or even switch schools in the hope that they’ll find the answer, and yet the solution is perfectly clear to us:
THEY ARE THINKING IN KATAKANA or HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT ENGLISH PHONICS.
Fortunately, at 3R-English, we are well qualified to help learners understand and overcome these issues!
All our children’s beginner classes start with learning phonics. Phonics are the sounds of the letters, as opposed to the names of the letters. Most children are simply taught the 26 letters of the English alphabet by name: A, B, C, etc. (Unfortunately, they are also pronounced incorrectly with katakana, so there is a 2-fold issue at the heart of their pronunciation.)
When adult students join us, they have usually missed out on being taught this essential skill. We therefore run workshops periodically to give the adults the benefit of learning phonics too.
What goes on in a phonics workshop?
Like our English lessons, our phonics workshops are very interactive. We use visual aids such as the whiteboard, flashcards, and a phonics workbook with additional guidance sheets.
We teach the 7 basic groups of English sounds and their alphabet letter equivalents.
The teacher demonstrates how to articulate the sound, e.g., which facial muscles are used and how to control breathing, etc.
We show examples of daily English words that are misunderstood and mispronounced in Japan, e.g., TA-KU-SHEE instead of TAXI.
Students copy and repeat each sound until the correct result is achieved. Different examples are then read in word form by the teacher and students, showing how they sound in conversation.
Once the teacher is satisfied that the sounds are understood and have been repeated correctly, he moves on to the next group and so on.
There is a break for students to rest, converse, or ask questions.
Lastly, once all the groups of sounds have been learnt, there is a revision session. This is followed by a game of ‘Karuta,’using English phonics flashcards instead of hiragana. This gives the students a chance to put into practice what they have learnt in the workshop by hearing and identifying English sounds from the teacher.
Once the students have completed the workshop, there is another chance for questions and advice given. We then ask that the students read through the workbooks and guidance sheets at home and contact us should they need more help.
We have a large number of phonics demonstration videos the students are able to access via our private Youtube link. We ask that students practise regularly and concentrate on quality, not quantity. It is a skill that takes time but will eventually benefit you greatly.
Overall, we believe that the workshops are an important introduction to this largely misunderstood and neglected facet of English.
If you are interested in learning phonics but previously missed out, please contact us.
Many thanks to everyone who participated. Don’t give up!
Wishing you all a successful 2025.
Richard & Miyako
Ofuna, Yokohama.
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