Toryo Camp - The Workshops

I just arrived home after spending 3 days at English Camp with Toryo high school. I had so much fun at “cabbage camp” last year that I had to come back (we nicknamed it cabbage camp as they serve cabbage at every meal.)

There was no night-time “scare the hell out of the kids as they walk around a pitch black trail” activity this year but we had fun anyway. I was working with the first years again so we had a one minute speech contest and then on the second day I prepared a typhoon workshop where the students had to try and keep an English conversation going with each other after being given a topic card.

It was the first time I have used this idea and it worked really well because each time they had to do it, they all got better.

First round – topic “sports”

What sports do you like?
I like tennis. How about you?
I like volleyball.

Then I reminded them that the idea was to keep the conversation going as long as possible and I gave them hints about connecting topics.

Final round – topic “sports”

What sports do you like?
I like tennis. How about you?
I like volleyball.
My mother likes volleyball. She watches it everyday.
Oh really? My father likes baseball.
How many people are in your family?
There are 5; me, my mother, father, brother and sister. How about you?
There are 6 in my family; me, my mother, father, 2 brothers and my sister.
My mother makes my lunch everyday. She works hard.
What is your favourite lunch?
I like curry and rice.
Me too! I wish I could eat curry and rice everyday.

You get the idea!