INTRODUCE
Cram schools are considered essential to move on to higher education in many Asian countries such as Japan and Korea, but some people question if they’re really good for children.
PRESENT
STEP A EXPRESSIONS
Go over the first two expressions with your tutor and answer the questions. Then, guess the meaning of the third expression based on the clues provided.
1. To fill in the gaps means to add something that is needed or missing.
Several teachers have gone on maternity leave this year, so we need to look for a few new people to fill in the gaps.
Q: If you felt that your English vocabulary was somewhat lacking, what would you do to fill in the gaps?
2. To unwind means to relax after doing something tiring or stressful.
I always make sure to unwind after a long day at work.
Q: How do you unwind after a hard day?
3. .
I know that it’s unhealthy to eat fast food every day, but it’s become a necessary evil for me because of my busy schedule.
Q: What do you think a necessary evil means?
STEP B SPEAK YOUR MIND
Sometimes you want to express that your opinion on something that happened in the past has now changed.
Why didn’t you listen to Mom when she told you not to go to that local college?
Well, I thought it was the best college to go to since it’s cheap and near our house. In retrospect, I should have gone to a well-known university instead.
UNDERSTAND
SPEAKING
Masa is chatting with his American friend, Kevin, at a park.
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- Kevin:
Woah! Look at those kids, man. I feel bad for them.
- Masa:
Why?
- Kevin:
They have to go to cram school right after their regular school. That must be really exhausting!
- Masa:
Oh, don’t worry. That’s completely normal here. I went to a cram school myself when I was in high school.
- Kevin:
Really? Why?
- Masa:
Because I wanted to get into a really good university. And I needed the help of a cram school to pass the entrance exams.
- Kevin:
Uh, isn’t that what regular school is for?
- Masa:
Yeah, but it’s not enough, so cram schools fill in the gaps of regular school education.
- Kevin:
I just think it’s too much. I mean, kids need time to be kids – time to unwind after school. When I was in high school, I did my homework for an hour, then I would be off hanging out with my friends or doing my hobbies.
- Masa:
Well, to be honest, I hated going to cram school at the time. But in retrospect, it really helped me a lot. I mean, I got into my dream university, so it wasn’t all bad! I guess I see it as a necessary evil.
- Kevin:
Oh, man, speaking of necessary evils, my mother-in-law is coming to town next weekend. (laughs)
TRIVIA
Cram schools got their name from the slang term cram, which means to study a large amount of material in a short period of time. The original meaning of the word cram is to try to fit a lot of things into a small space.
O I stayed up all night cramming for the test.
O I had a hard time cramming all my clothes in the closet.
PRACTICE
Complete the dialogues using the pictures and the expressions in the box. Some expressions may be used more than once, and the form of some expressions may need to be changed.
1.
Tutor: What do you usually do when you want to take a break?
Student: ____________________.
2.
Tutor: What is something you don’t like doing at work but is really important?
Student: ______________________.
3.
Tutor: Another old Earthworms record? Haven’t you already collected them all?
Student: _______________________.
4.
Tutor: Where do you go when you want to relax after a busy period at work?
Student: _______________________.
5.
Tutor: Why do some people say that it’s okay to fail?
Student: _______________________.
CHALLENGE
Challenge 1
Your foreign friend is curious why a lot of students still go to cram schools despite the high quality of education in Japan. Explain about cram schools to your friend.
Today's Expressions
- fill in the gaps
- unwind
- a necessary evil
Speak Your Mind
- In retrospect, …
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Challenge 2
What do you think? What does your tutor think? Discuss.
If TimeAllows
1 UNWIND |
2 NECESSARY EVILS |
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1 UNWIND
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2NECESSARY EVILS
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FEEDBACK
I can discuss the need for cram schools.
LESSON GOAL ACHIEVEMENT
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4
Very GoodCould complete the task with ease
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3
GoodCould complete the task with some clarifications
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2
FairCould complete the task with additional instructions
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1
PoorCould somehow complete the task with difficulty
PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK
- RANGE
the ability to use a wide variety of vocabulary - ACCURACY
the ability to speak correctly - FLUENCY
the ability to speak smoothly without pauses or fillers - INTERACTION
the ability to manage a conversation
