EBspeakSadayo

Parents

Sadayo (Japanese, bilingual - Japanese,English)

English Blast has significantly changed my ideas in terms of methodology of
learning and teaching. Because English Blast has different members from
different backgrounds, it incorporates a variety of ideas and approaches into
each thematic class. English Blast has also reminded me of the importance of
critical thinking, a notion which is emphasized less in many Japanese schools.

My family’s approach to bilingualism when our child was a toddler was to simply
maintain English as our home language. The decision to take this approach was
quite easy -- I wanted to have a common language within my family rather than
having my child speak to me in Japanese and to her father in English. However,
as our child grew older, I realized that speaking English at home was not
sufficient to maintain and further develop her bilingualism. English Blast has
helped us significantly in this regard.

What I enjoy about English Blast are the thematic learning style; the creative
activities the members generate and incorporate in the classes in order to
enhance the children's retention of information; the firm commitment of the
member parents in developing their children's English language ability; and the
friendships among member parents and children. There is nothing about what
we do in English Blast that I dislike. The only aspect we find difficult sometimes
is the traveling involved. The traveling to/from the meeting location can be time
consuming and tiring for my child after spending all day at school. I think she
has been able to manage this because she has to do this only once a week.

If I must choose a few "most" positive experiences, then I would say the
classes in which we studied different countries, including ancient Egypt, ancient
Greece, ancient Rome, China, Mexico, Africa, and India. These classes were
special because we applied lots of activities that enabled children to experience
what people do in those countries. We tried to have them dress up in the
clothing of those countries, reproduce what they make for their special
occasions, learn traditional dances, and even invited some guests who
represented the countries. Various science projects and dramas were great fun
as well.

It has always been a big challenge for me to find appropriate materials and to
teach a group of children in my second language. I always thought that teaching
is about sharing your knowledge with those who don’t have that knowledge.
However, it feels difficult to me sometimes to share the knowledge that I gained
in the Japanese language using Japanese approaches with someone in English.
My role as a teacher in English Blast could not have been performed without
other members’ utmost understanding and patience. Thanks, friends!!

My child enjoys the thematic activities parents conduct during the class. She
asks me what the theme will be for the following week and looks forward to it.
Such activities often involve physical movement, answering to an open-end
question, and conducting research and presentations, which are very effective
ways of engaging her mind to whatever she is trying to learn. These activities
are also very different from what she does at school, and that's why I think she
is able to appreciate them even more. Besides, learning with the English Blast
children who have grown up together since they were babies creates a more
relaxed environment, and she feels more open about what she thinks or says
during the class.

My child likes the kind of homework that requires research! She takes the
initiative in going to a local library and manages to find useful books. She also
urges me to help her look for information on the Internet. On the other hand,
she needs to be reminded to work on the phonics workbook almost every week.
She is usually willing enough to do any of the English Blast homework, but I still
have to give her a little push to do certain types of homework.

It's so much fun to join the children as a student! I feel that showing the children
how much fun we can have together learning something highly stimulates the
children's intellectual curiosity and motivates them to learn. I wish all school
teachers could have this quality in their profession.