Uh-huh

[jeisensei]

Hello all

Over the past years I have been asked to teach a lot of stuff that is only slightly related to the textbook (which I have no problem with) but Friday I have to teach New Horizon second year book page 73 (let's chat 2). The point is "lucky you" and "that's too bad" but also uh-huh turns up in the conversation. Long story short, the teacher decides the forget the main point and wants to teach the kids conversation linkers (uh-huh-, yeah, really? ect ect.) The problem is I have no good activity for those and I can't find one on the site. Does anyone have one or can anyone think of one off the top of their head?

Puliizu heerupu!

[Otaku]

Personally, I hate that lesson.

There are two activities for that on the site. Don't know how they are since I've never used them: http://jhsenglipediaproject.com/JHS_Grammar_LetsChat.aspx

[moolooman]

The site is so sexy.

[Paul]

I also highly dislike having to teach fillers, like Japanese kids often use ...eeetoooooo.......I think it's wrong to teach them because it also promotes bad habits in speaking English as well.

I think that people who frequently use uh-huh or ya have a few missing nuts and bolts.

If you can do it I would suggest trying to teach the kids that the polite and proper way to fill in during a conversation with someone is to use facial expressions, and or body language to confer the meaning that you want to get across. Either that or STFU until the other person is done speaking and then interject a polite, yes, I understand, or I agree/disagree, etc etc.

Why screw with them more than necessary. If one of your kids starts talking to me going uh-huh, ya, or something like that, I'll
over their sweet little heads.

[Jeimuzu]

If you don't teach those kids how to say 'uh-huh' how will they understand the following lyric?

"That's the way, un-huh uh-huh, I like it, uh-huh uh-huh"

[Paul]

I have to add that when I was a kid both my Mom and Dad used to wack by brothers and sisters and me up side our heads if we ever said Uh-huh.

I guess I had it beat outta me.

[jeisensei]

Personally, I hate that lesson.

There are two activities for that on the site. Don't know how they are since I've never used them: http://jhsenglipediaproject.com/JHS_Grammar_LetsChat.aspx

Thanks. I looked at them but they are focused on the other part ("Lucky you." and "That's too bad.") so I can't use them (and, trust me, I tried to sell that teacher on them).

@Paul: I totally agree. I hate those filler words as much as you, but a request from my teacher is a request from my teacher so I sort of have to teach it.

So far, what I have thought up is the kids will write 5 facts about themselves or what they are planning on doing during winter vacation. They then have to find a partner and play janken. The loser has to tell the facts and the winner has to take notes and interject an "uh-huh" or another word like it between each of the facts. After winning janken 5 times (and taking 5 sets of notes) they have to sit down and write up some English sentences about the information they just found out.

Not exactly riveting or even interesting but they best I can do for now unless someone has a way to spice it up.

*Edited for spelling*

[Paul]

*Edited for spelling*

The rain down here is getting to me!

[Otaku]

Sorry, I can't really offer any ideas because I don't believe in building a lesson around filler words.

Can't even hold a simple English conversation and they worry about filling the silence with craptastic English with no meaning? Don't think so...

I had a friend tasked a few years back to make a 50 minute lesson with this very topic. Let me look her up and see what she did...

[jeisensei]

Nice!

But no, it would have been confusing to read if I didn't edit it. Instead of "I tried to sell..." I typed "I tried to see..."

[jeisensei]

Sorry, I can't really offer any ideas because I don't believe in building a lesson around filler words.

Can't even hold a simple English conversation and they worry about filling the silence with craptastic English with no meaning? Don't think so...

I had a friend tasked a few years back to make a 50 minute lesson with this very topic. Let me look her up and see what she did...

I am in the same boat Otaku. I would be awesome if you could do that.

[Otaku]

Emailed her...waiting for a reply.

[Paul]

Emailed her...waiting for a reply.

Now we wait...........

I must be turning Japanese and getting "visual" in my use of language! (At least it isn't pixelated )

[jeisensei]

I must be turning Japanese and getting "visual" in my use of language! (At least it isn't pixelated )

Don't make me get visual in the use of my language! (Just kidding )

[azuhlLt.]

As is spelling isn't important in our jobs.

[jeisensei]

As is spelling isn't important in our jobs.

Gawd noes its knot.

[jeisensei]

Oh, and what ended up happening (at the moment any way) is the kids will make a three line conversation based on a few example conversations what I make up. They will then find partners and play janken. The loser starts the conversation and the winner gets to throw in the words like "uh-huh" I made a worksheet where they can write their conversation and there is a list of 10 of those words at the bottom of the worksheet. The winner gets to mark their paper every time they use one of the words. Each mark is one point. At the end of the conversations I will choose a "lucky word," the points are doubled for that word.

Better than my first thought but still "meh."

[Otaku]

Still waiting back from my friend, but I was thinking about it a bit more...

You could make story. After each sentence of the story, the students have to choose an appropriate response: Uh-huh, ok, no way!, lucky!, wow!, that's too bad, etc. When there is not anything special/exciting after a sentence, the students can choose 'uh-huh/ok' but never back-to-back same responses.

Does that make sense? Uh-huh or No way?

[jeisensei]

uh-huh. That sounds fun actually.

[Otaku]

...and the story should be blown way out of proportion just to emphasize the responses. For example,

"Today, I walked to school." <uh-huh> <maybe 'no way' if you don't normally go to school that way.>
"I was hit by a car!" (responses like 'uh-huh,' 'ok' or 'lucky' would be very strange. They would have to respond with something like "No way!" or "How unlucky!" "That's too bad." "Are you ok?"

[jeisensei]

I swear that my teacher just exists to raise my blood pressure. I told her Otaku's idea and she said no because she wanted the kids to interview each other. I said that they could do that after, but she said there was no time.

Just got to smile and bare it I guess.

[Otaku]

You're teacher's an idiot.

[jeisensei]

You're teacher's an idiot.

You are correct sir.

[Otaku]

Friend got back to me. She said:

"I taught it like it was just another lesson:

1. Introduce the vocabulary.
2. Maybe show some comic strips and ask the students which word would fit best for the scenario. ie. a picture of a person thinking, use 'umm'.
3. Then provide some question cards or topics and get students to practice with each other. They can also make them into prompt cards to remind the students to use it.
4. To burn more time, get students to write a short conversation with the filler words in it (they can come up with their own scenario or be provided with one) and do a role play. If they are shy, get them to draw comic strips (show them some examples of the North American ones).
5. Then have them go around and check each other's work and vote which one they like the best."

-------------------------------------

OTAKU'S ULTIMATE IDEA: Sit at the front of the class saying different filler words to the students for 49 minutes.

Then, as the 50th minute strikes, ask them if they thought the lesson was useful.

[himitsu]

OTAKU'S ULTIMATE IDEA: Sit at the front of the class saying different filler words to the students for 49 minutes.
Then, as the 50th minute strikes, ask them if they thought the lesson was useful.

[jeisensei]

Thanks Otaku

My teacher refuses to budge. When she gets an idea in her head she runs with it (or actually makes me run with it).

Maybe if she notices how unenthusiastic I am during class she will figure out that she should sometimes listen to the ALT... I doubt it though. She has her head so far up her own @$$ that all she can see is her own large intestines.

[Paul]

Maybe if she notices how unenthusiastic I am during class she will figure out that she should sometimes listen to the ALT... I doubt it though. She has her head so far up her own @$$ that all she can see is her own large intestines.

But you forget if she listened to you and your suggestions she would have no one to blame when things don't work out and you have crappy classes. You are her "out".

[jeisensei]

But you forget if she listened to you and your suggestions she would have no one to blame when things don't work out and you have crappy classes. You are her "out".

I am always someone's "out"
I guess that is why I always try to lay back and be relaxed

[jeisensei]

OK

It's T-minus 10 minutes until this lesson plan hits the kids (and the shite hits the fan as far as I am concerned). I will let you know how it goes and if it actually works I will upload it to the site

[jessen100]

I have to add that when I was a kid both my Mom and Dad used to wack by brothers and sisters and me up side our heads if we ever said Uh-huh.

I guess I had it beat outta me.

just noticed this, but what in the hell for??? did they think of it as impolite or something?