Smith’s School of English Newsletter is a free service offered to all students and anyone that would like to subscribe. Head Office sends it out every Sunday morning. The newsletter includes the week’s “one-point” lesson and one or two blogs written by our teachers. Our teachers write them in English, and our staff provides a Japanese translation to support home study. In addition, it supports learning what is new at all Smith’s schools by providing links to our social media of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Some of Smith’s schools have begun including small portions of the newsletter in conversation classes. In preparation, I really enjoy reading and replying to student online responses to the “one-point!” I am also very happy when our students read a teacher’s blog and come to class ready to talk a little about that particular blog. The benefits of opening the newsletter, replying to the one-point, and reading the blogs all come together when we talk about it in class. It’s fun!
Smith’s One-Point and Blogs Lead to Good Conversation
The “one-point” is a simple (naturally spoken) question. It very often contains words or groups of words that a language learner may not be familiar with. Our staff also provide an explanation in Japanese. Smith’s teachers volunteer to write blogs every week. So our is staff is always busy writing professional translations for our students.
Our focus is always on student talk time (STT). In-class reading is minimal, but a little bit of English reading at home is an important strategy to improving English conversation skills. So we provide this guided reading study via the newsletter. If students don’t understand something, all they need to do is click on the translation. For example, the translation for this blog can be found by clicking here. In class, Smith’s teachers set weekly challenges within the blogs for the students. It is nothing difficult! This free service is an opportunity for a little guided English study at home, and results in good conversation in the next class.
Smith’s School of English Newsletter Offers More Than the One-Point and Blogs
The newsletter is loaded with information. Links are provided at the top of the page when opening the “one-point” lesson/blogs. Within those links there are free quizzes, access to viewing every school and teacher in Japan, TOEIC lessons, our YouTube channel, and seemingly unlimited reading here. Did you know that Smith’s teachers have written over 2,500 blogs over the years? That’s a lot of interesting reading!
Smith’s English students and teachers alike are enjoying some “one-point” and blog talk-time in class. And it all comes from Smith’s School of English Newsletter! Please open it and explore!
Thank you for reading!
Jim @ Sagamihara http://smithweb.co.jp/sagamihara/
Perfect Jim. Updates, blogs and One Point Lesson. All packed in the newsletter, every week in your mailbox. Simple.