今朝、5、6年生の児童3名の代表が、ビデオチャットを使った生中継でハワイのカメハメハ・スクールと交流をしました。カメハメハ・スクールの3、4年生が"Mele Kalikimaka"と呼ばれるハワイのクリスマスソングを歌ってくれました。私たちはお返しに"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"を英語で歌いました。その後、冬休みや、お正月の過ごし方などについて質問をしあい、お互いの国や学校について話しながら交流しました。19時間の時差を超えて、その場でやりとりができ、子どもたちはとても楽しんでいました。
ビデオチャットを使っての交流は初めてでしたが、また2018年もこのような交流を楽しみたいです。
Today, three students from fifth and sixth grade participated in a live video connection with a famous private school in Hawaii called Kamehameha School. Third and fourth graders in Hawaii sang a Hawaiian Christmas Song called Mele Kalikimaka to our Tezukayama students, and we sang s We Wish You a Merry Christmas to them. There was time to exchange questions and answers from both sides. The interaction was very lively and fun. This was the first time to do a live video connection this year. We hope to continue in 2018 with this partner school as well as other schools in the future!
5年生は今学期、What an interesting world!という内容で世界について、また日本について勉強しています。
本日、5年生たちは関西国際空港で海外からのお客様たちにインタビューをしました。空港での課題は3組の海外からのお客様にインタビューをすることでした。今日までに児童たちは授業でインタビューの練習を重ねてきました。積極的に声をかけることができる児童や、少し恥ずかしくて勇気が必要な児童もいましたが、どの班も今日の目標を達成することができました。
今回のインタビューで児童たちは、実践的な英会話の経験だけでなく、勇気を持って声をかけることの大切さも学びました。少し厳しそうだなと感じた人も、実際にインタビューに答えてくださる時には優しい笑顔で対応して下さり、見た目だけではどういう人かはわからないということも学びました。
今日のこの体験は児童たちにとって、とても有意義な体験でした。そして今日の活動を通して、さらに彼らの世界観が広がりました。
インタビューを許可していただいた、関西国際空港の皆様、そしてインタビューに優しく答えてくださった多くのお客様、本当にありがとうございました。
After weeks of practice, we took the 5th grade children to Kansai Airport. The mission was for each group of students to interview at least 3 people from other countries in English.
Some children had no problem approaching people and some were shy and needed a little encouragement, but by the end of the time everyone completed their goal.
Besides getting practical English conversation experience, the kids learned to overcome their shyness and step out of their comfort zone. They also saw first hand that kindness cannot be judged by how a person looks. They met many kind strangers, who at first "looked scary."
Overall it was a great time for them and a valuable life experience that expanded their world views.
Recitation Contest
Three representatives from Tezukayama Gakuin Elementary School participated in the 5th Yuri Gakuin English Recitation Contest on Saturday, November 4. Two of them participated in the 15th Western Japan Private Elementary School English Recitation Contest on Monday, November 6.
All three students practiced very hard after being selected from our school's recitation contest. After each practice, they over came pronunciation difficulties and thought of ways to tell their story to their audience in more effective ways.
Unfortunately, they did not get an award, but what they received was bigger than a trophy. To speak in front of many people and to give a speech in English is not easy. What was important is they tried their best. Their hard effort and the experience gained by doing this was their true prize.
From this experience, they will be able to build on it and become more successful in the future.