Numbers are one of the first topics introduced in a foreign language classroom. Although basic to daily life, counting in a foreign language can be difficult for students to internalize. Large numbers in Japanese are especially difficult for English speaking students to comprehend because of the English system of reading numbers according to the three digit placement of commas. For example, "30,000" is read "thirty thousand" with the comma indicating the thousandth digit. But as we know, in Japanese, "30,000" is read "sanman" rather than "sanjyu-sen."

In order to teach this difficult concept with minimal verbal explanation, I use visual color and size concepts to introduce numbers using Cuisenaire rods. This method has been very effective in teaching large numbers to students from grade school to university levels. I use Cuisenaire rods, which were devised by an European educator Georges Cuisenaire to teach arithmetic concepts. Caleb Gattegno, inventor of the Silent Way of language teaching, was the first to apply these rods to language teaching.

MATERIAL:
Cuisinaire rods can be purchased at any educational supply store or can be replaced by any other object that has various colors and sizes.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Students should have been introduced to numbers 1 to 10 and the words for hundred (hyaku), thousand (sen), ten thousand (man), and one hundred million (oku) before this exercise. (What counters you teach them depends on how large of a number you want to cover.) Although, the students get very excited and impressed when they can read 999,999,999,999 after their first exercise.

METHOD:
Organize the rods in your box or container according to size and color. Place rods one at a time on a table in front of the class starting with the smallest rod. While you are placing these rods, have the students count them out-loud in chorus starting with one all the way to nine for the first set of rods. Make sure you do not participate verbally with the class. Then, for the tenth piece, place one of the next sized rods. Because the size and color are different most students will understand that it is for the next digit, "ten." Confirm that the majority of the students understand this concept by placing the rods used for "ones" next to the "ten" rod and make them count to "nineteen." Then continue by repeating the same method for the "tens" rod until you reach "ninety-nine." Then you can proceed using different sized rods until you reach 999,999,999,999.

ASSESSMENT:
According to the number of rods on the table write the actual number on the board. Emphasize how large the number is and the fact that the students can actually recognize this. Follow with exercises of reading a list of large numbers. Writing large numbers can also be implemented depending on the age level of your students.

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Situational Drawing

Aural/Oral:

  • Rather than using magazine pictures or photos with specific vocabulary and scenerios, simple stick figure drawings can be used for open-ended themes and purposes.
  • Introducing/reviewing action verbs by flashing cards in front of the students.
  • Asking questions to personalize the pictures by using interrogative questions.
  • Have students interview/ask questions relating to the picture.-Students can create personal mini situations of fellow students by combining answers and phrases.

*The key to the success of this exercise is to have simple, genderless drawings without detailed information creating a (low-affective filter) environment. This way the students can use their imagination to create stories applicable to their lesson and ability of the target language. For example, it can be used to introduce mimasu and expand the use to introduce compound sentence as, "Tomodachi to uchi de maishuu nichiyoobi no rokuji kara hachiji made terebi o mimasu," etc.

Reading/Writing:

  • Action verb bingo game.
  • Scramble sentence game.
  • Use of realia: ie. Japanese TV program; movie reviews written in Japanese
  • Review handouts:ie. particle fill-in the blank exercise; vocabulary matching exercise; listening comprehension multiple choice exercise; paragraph reading sheet followed by w/h questions.

National Standards: 1.1, 1.2

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Sequential Drawing

Aural/Oral:

  • one drawing associated with a phrase/sentence.
  • sequence of pictures forming particular dialogue/story
  • enhance listening with visual aid of drawings; allowing students to associate phrases/dialogue with particular picture.
  • asking questions pertaining to the pictures.
  • students reproduce dialogue using pictures.
  • personalize dialogue based on original script; students retell personalized version of the script.

Reading/Writing:

  • Action verb bingo game/karuta game.
  • Scramble sentence game.
  • Use of realia: ie. Japanese TV program; movie reviews written in Japanese
  • Review handouts:ie. particle fill-in the blank exercise; vocabulary matching exercise; listening comprehension multiple choice exercise; paragraph reading sheet followed by w/h questions.

National Standards: 1.1, 1.2

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