Project-based Learning: English song challenge

Written By Fiona Wiebusch
QI music pbl.png

30 July 2021 I The Queensland Institute


Welcome to the GenQI blog, Yukari.

Thanks for joining us on our NEW blog for the QI Global Educator Network, #GenQI.

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Can you introduce yourself?

Sure! My name is Yukari Shinkawa Kondo and I’m a high school English teacher from Japan. I work in the Tokyo Metropolitan school district and I also teach young learners online, as a volunteer.

What do you love about teaching English?

English has allowed me to travel, meet people from other countries and be involved in unique projects around the world. I definitely want my students to have those opportunities in the future too. That’s why I try to share the ‘real purpose’ of learning English with them in my classes. I love seeing their interest and confidence in English grow.

What’s your connection with QI?

I first met Philippa, Fiona, Melika and Vicki in 2017 during my TESOL program at the University of Queensland. They were my lovely trainers. I learnt so much about active learning, teaching receptive skills and using music in the language classroom. Things that really changed the way I teach. Fiona and I also presented at a conference together for the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education in 2018. It was an amazing experience and we’re still in regular contact today.

Yukari during her TESOL program at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, 2017.

Yukari during her TESOL program at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, 2017.

What’s one thing you learnt from QI that you’ve tried in your classroom? 

One thing I learnt was project-based learning (PBL), especially for online classes. My young learners are quite energetic in Zoom class but I wanted them to enjoy practising English outside of class too. So, I designed a project for them to answer the challenge question, How do we make songs in English?

Over a series of lessons, we worked on vocabulary and pronunciation in class and the students practised and recorded their part of the song on their parent’s mobile phones. The production stage really motivated my learners and definitely inspired their creativity.

After four weeks, we produced our first video clip! The students were so proud of themselves and so was I!

Watch Yukari’s students sing on YouTube:  

Disclaimer: Permission granted by parents to show the children’s performance (31 July 2021).

How have you managed the transition from the physical to virtual classroom?

When our classes moved online in 2020, I asked Fiona to run a Zoom workshop for my highschool teaching colleagues in Tokyo. We shared our challenges and talked about how to elicit vocabulary and strategies to keep students alert and motivated online. It was so fun! It reminded me that most of the strategies I use in the physical classroom, like using pictures, gestures or actions to help students understand my instructions in English, will still work online. It’s definitely helping me in my online classes now.

Zoom meeting with Tokyo Metro teachers and QI Director, Fiona Wiebusch, in 2020.

Zoom meeting with Tokyo Metro teachers and QI Director, Fiona Wiebusch, in 2020.

What about your life outside of teaching?

At the moment, my son Nagito keeps me super busy. I am trying to teach him English too. His favourite word is ‘banana.’

I’m also following my two passions - education and music - by working as a volunteer for the international HEART Global project, which aims to create global connections and nurture future generations through music. We have online projects running all the time. I’d love teachers from the QI Global Educator Network to join us!

Sounds like another great project! It’s been great to talk to you today, Yukari.

It’s my pleasure! I feel honoured to be a part of the QI Global Educator Network (GenQI). I can’t wait to hear other teachers’ stories from around the world in the future.

I know it’s not always easy to teach online but with practice, we can do it. Ganbatte ne! 

Are you a QI Global Educator?
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