宝仙学園理数インターでは、英語でのプレゼンテーション能力の育成にも力を入れています。2018年度の英語プレゼンコンテストは、中学の部が2019年１月19日 に開催されました。翌年のアメリカ研修を目指して行われる高校1年の部は3月18日に予選が行われました。どのプレゼンも素晴らしく、聴き手の心を打ちました。

理数インター＝「理数的思考力」×「人と人とをつなぐ人材力」

学校名そのものに「自分の考えをきちんと論理的に構築できて、それを相手に分かるように伝えるチカラを育てたい」という思いが込められています。それぞれの学年のカリキュラムの中で行われてきた言語活動や、プレゼンテーションの機会で研鑽してきた成果を発表するプレゼンコンテストの裏側では、ネイティブの先生方の熱心な指導が行われています。

ピタゴラ通信（理数インター父母会通信）Vol.19ではお伝えしきれなかったネイティブの先生方のインタビューをWeb号外完全版でお届けします。

生徒の皆さんは、ぜひ、英語の原文で読んでみてください。

(取材・記事・インタビュアー/理数インター父母会広報委員の保護者）

David： I had a very good impression from today’s presentations. All of us have been working with the students developing, making and practicing the presentations. I think we all feel the same way probably. It was very satisfying to see them succeed like they did today. Many students were nervous, but they did a good job anyway.

Lee: I am very impressed how they’ve prepared the presentation. I can tell they’ve been working so hard. And they used a good part of the presentation skills like using visual aid and body gestures. I think it was pretty good.

Peter: This is actually my second year. Last year, I was not a teacher here but I came to observe this contest. I was involved in helping them make their speeches and practicing. Generally speaking, speeches help to make character by presenting in front of many people. Presenting your ideas, I really feel, helps students grow. So, it’s a very good experience for them. It helps them become bigger. I think they really feel happy to be able to express an idea that they feel is important in front of many people. And, it helps them to gain confidence.

Megan: I agree. I was really proud. I think because of the timing today（we had the winter break in between the practicing）We were all a little nervous coming up to today. But, they turned it out. They are amazing!

David: I tried to make the students focus on the meaning, the meaning of what they want to say, and not worry about surface things like so much pronunciation or grammar. There can be mistakes in grammar or language but it doesn’t change the message.

Lee: I think I just did the same thing as David did. We just focused on what you were going to say about and what your main idea was. We also focused on the way you convey your main idea, what body language and visual aids like PowerPoint you want to use. So, I just gave them options.

Peter: The speech is the message. The message is everything. So often when I help students prepare their speech, I will have them write it first. Then I ask them how to make their message more powerful. So, I interview them and maybe give them a bit of direction. At the first stage, I like to try to interview them and get them think about how they can present their message in a more powerful way. Then, next is presentation skills: voice, pronunciation, and so on. That is the next stage. But, the first stage is very important. It is making their message and it has to be logical.

Megan: During the in-class presentations we selected students who were most passionate about what they wanted to talk about. This was also the case with the students who volunteered. A lot of the students that we decided on already had really good presentation skills. So I think we did focus a little bit on pronunciation, especially with the third years, as well as the way that they interacted with the audience.

Peter: Presentation skills are one of the most important things. For example, in kindergartens in the West,we have a time called “Show and Tell”. Children bring their favorite stuffed animal and they have to talk about it. So, many western-educated kids are used to it.

Megan: Practice makes perfect. Presentation skills are really important, so just keep trying. For me, I was presenting the whole way through school.

We had to complete many compulsory PowerPoint presentations, speeches and monologue assignments in high school, so we became pretty used to public speaking. I think memorizing what you have written down is helpful, that way you can focus on presentation techniques such as eye contact, hand gestures, etc.

Lee: From my experiences teaching in the elementary school in the States, they start from ‘Think-Pair-Share’ in class. The teacher asks questions and has students think and share ideas in a pair first. Starting from there, they share the ideas in a group and do a group presentation.

David: I don’t really have much to add to that. Most students are very shy when it comes to giving a speech, especially in a foreign language. Many of them say"no thank you", even if the actual language is not a problem. For me it is the biggest challenge to convince them, because it only gets easier when a student takes those first steps.

Peter: I would say what (teacher)Cedrick said today in his closing remarks. In order to improve, you have to do. You can’t do it unless you do it.

Lee: Just take chances or take the opportunity to go forward and make mistakes. Don’t be afraid about making mistakes. Failure is another opportunity to grow.

Peter: I think students discuss more. Discussion is so important especially topics that happening in the world, politics or some events, some crimes... students need to talk about it. What do you think about that? If you were him or her what would you do? There is not enough discussion. Discussion is one of the basic practices for a speech-giving. So, students need to discuss not only their fun times but also serious problems or threat happening in society. They should try to give each other’s opinion and by hearing different opinions they learn there is another opinion also.

Peter: Compared to many different junior high or high schools, Hosen values speeches very highly. This is very good aspect. Not every school has such presentation contests. As you know in the 5th year, they will make a presentation and go to the states. This is sort of the highlight. So, all the presentations we are doing now are moving towards the 5th year’s speech. So, I think this is a very good educational program. I’m very impressed with Hosen’s commitment for speeches.

END

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