Teachers across Japan no doubt understand the struggle to get junior and senior high school students interested in learning English. For elementary school-aged kids, that task takes a lot of creativity.
That's where CALL comes in. The Circle of Acting for Learning Languages has been presenting English performances at schools and theaters since 2003 to audiences generally comprising children up to the age of 13. Troupe member Julia Yermakov, 53, says the challenge is to keep things fun and avoid becoming too "educational."
"We know all too well how the Japanese in general get a mental block when it comes to English," Yermakov, who is of Japanese and Russian descent, tells The Japan Times. "We think that the drama and music can provide an opportunity for children to relax and let the English enter them naturally."