I couldn’t yell it at my Japanese co-workers so I’m gonna write it here: people don’t learn a language through tests! I say this from experience. English is my second language. Until the age of 8.5 I could not speak a word of it. In fact, I loathed the damn gibberish I couldn’t decrypt. So much so, that I remember crying to my mother, to take me out of NZ and back to our home in Iran where were my close friends. And, look at me now! I run this silly blog where I write in English! I hold a University degree in English literature, and I spent a year and a half teaching the very language in Japan to hundreds of students. The secret? Learning through action. Through doing. Through activities and through games. Through entertainment! Through watching the TV show F.R.I.E.N.D.S. No one wants to practice grammar! Ain’t nobody got time for that (or the patience)! People want to converse, to do, and to connect. Which is why I LOVE this book right here. I’m writing a post because I want to personally recommend it to all of my friends. And no, I am not on commission.
So. Whether you’re a legit ESL teacher, a part-time tutor or a helpful friend wanting to teach your helpful friend some England, this light and thus easily carried book is full of fun games and activities to spice up your lessons. For more info click HERE or HERE.
iaccidentlyatethewholething 
You are so right! Great post.
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Reblogged this on Take it Easy Teaching.
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True, I mastered German (at nine) by speaking with classmates, watching TV and by reading Asterix! Swiss German by playing with the neighbours outside and French (despite having had to learn it from the age of 12 in school, which was a tedious process) I finally mastered it through being in a relationship with a French speaking Belgian – and again, by reading Asterix. lol and Stieven picked up on English through FRIENDS and Hollywood movies and polished it having conversations with me. :)
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Hi my beautiful friend! I miss you so much! I think of you often and am always gladdened when I see your Instagram posts. Lots and lots and lots of love to you xx
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Miss you too! Big time! Very happy to see and read your Insta/blog posts knowing you are having a good time! Big bear hugs and love to you, too, sweet Anisa! xoxo
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You know how it goes, though! Life’s not all happy pictures. I am struggling here and there like everyone else but doing my best everyday.
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Hehe, yes, I can relate to this. For you my eyes are always available for thoughts beyond the blogsphere :) :*
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I love you! Same to you, my dear dear friend.
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Hi there, where can we purchase the book?
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Hello! From AMAZON in the first link :)
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You’d think I’d have been able to read that. Thanks :)
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Thank you very much for your interest!
https://www.amazon.co.jp/Take-Easy-Teaching-Rie-Kanzawa/dp/136688213X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479373484&sr=8-1&keywords=take+it+easy+teaching in Japan.
In Japan
https://www.amazon.com/Take-Easy-Teaching-Rie-Kanzawa/dp/136688213X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479373577&sr=8-1&keywords=take+it+easy+teaching
Elsewhere
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Thank you very much :)
I’m planning to travel overseas next year to teach English for the first time, so I think a book like this will be a very useful resource :)
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That’s great! Have you had any ideas about where you’d like to teach? It’s a really good way to get around, and it’s usually a pretty sure fire way to get employment lined up to support your adventures :-)
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I’m thinking of teaching in China first up, although I wouldn’t mind work in Japan or South Korea either :)
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You’re quite right about it being easier to learn a language if you’re immersed in it. Of course, it also helps if you have an innate ability to learn new languages. Some people don’t. Thanks for liking my blog.
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I used to teach esl in China, and now I’ve transitioned to teaching Chinese students online! It can get very frustrating trying to teach a language in a memorization- based culture. My school in China wanted our students to roboticly repeat sentences after us! I agree entirely, and I know from experience, the students who use their language in conversation or through traveling learn faster, and are able to speak more naturally, then their classmates who try to memorize the language once sentence at a time. Great post and thanks for the suggestion!
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