Getting the kids to talk inside of class is often difficult. Getting them to voluntarily use the stuff they are learning outside of class is nigh on impossible. I make up  "Conversation Cards" for the kids once a week with new grammar points for them to use on me outside and only outside of class for a stamp on their passport sheets. Each stamp is work 5 dollars towards the end of term or mid term auction. This has been a huge success at my base school.

Conversation Questions

What time must you get up everyday?

Is there ______(baseball, sushi) in Australia?

How was the weather in Australia yesterday?

An example of what my conversation cards look like. If the kids memorize the questions or vary them, then I award extra stamps.

Motivation - The Carrot and the Stick

First Up, The Stick

I love my kids, yet I have never met a more unmotivated bunch of life forms in my life. Motivation is 90% of the teaching equation, so if you can't motivate your kids, forget about it. They won't learn anything, and I would sooner buy a plane ticket home.

Japanese kids also seem to have an affinity for bad behaviour that goes unchecked in most classes. It never ceases to amaze me that kids have to have their socks and sweater zippers at regulation length, yet they can sleep, talk, keitai, read manga, or do whatever they want in class.

To be blunt, I don't play that shit, full stop.

I let it known from the outset that this singing, dancing monkey, doesn't tolerate the crap they can so freely get away with in other classes. If the JTE doesn't want to intervene, then (cracks knuckles), "let's dance." Kids don't bare grudges in most cases (and if they do, who cares), so if I have to break one or two kids over my knee to make a point to the rest, I gladly do it.

Seriously though, it's extremely rare that any nonsense occurs in my classes. My JTE is brilliant, and turns the Yakuza mean guy on at the slightest provocation.

Don't get me wrong, my classes aren't dictatorial, and we have heaps of fun. BUT, you need to establish the ground rules from the outset, or the kids will walk all over you for the time you are here. Back in teaching college, I learned, start off hard, and gradually lessen your grip as you go. (haha, that sounds WRONG in more ways that one!)

Followed by the Carrot

When I first started teaching in Japan and realized how low the intrinsic motivation levels were in the classes, I knew that I would have to rely primarily on extrinsic motivational techniques. This is thanks to the Japanese educational system whereby effort is only yielded at the possibility of external reward, and very little is done for intrinsic value.

At first it was candy. Candy for the winning, groups, candy for good volunteers etc. But at the end of the day, we're here to make money, not give it away.

I now print up a passport sheet whereby the kids get inkan stamps for winning games etc. At specific points during the term, they can redeem the points for auctioned prizes. Yes it's still outlaying money, but it's not as expensive.

I also found that good old fashioned praise, using the kids name along with an enthusiastic thumbs up and smile, goes a long way. Kids receive no praise or recognition in classes, and this usually has the kids clamouring to answer and volunteer. I also make the class applaud any good answer, try or volunteer effort.