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Kanji Names
EIGO NOTO: 1-1 SUBMITTED BY: Matt Wheatley BORROWED FROM / INSPIRED BY: My homeroom teacher`s idea DATE ADDED: Mar 24, 2010 EDITED BY: Mooloo
 Ó 50 min. + If you're going to give this activity a low-rating, please post a useful comment to help make it better. SearchENActivity  |
Brief Outline
Students learn the English meaning of the kanji in their names. It`s good for learning new (usually) simple words in English and finding out about various kanji meanings.
Materials Needed
- Students name in kanji. Before the lesson, print out a list of all students in your class with their kanji characters: 貴子 川橋 (Takako Kawahashi), etc.
- Scratch paper (one for every student)
- Small blank business cards (Thicker paper works best). Simply cut up enough cards for each student, making a couple extra in case some of them make mistakes.
Detailed Explanation
- Hand out the scratch paper and have the students write their full name in kanji. Then, they choose one kanji, underline it and write the English word for it. For example, 貴子 川橋 means precious, child, river and bridge. So, if the student chose 'bridge', they would write it something like this: Takako Kawahashi 貴子川橋 (bridge). NOTE: While students might know how to say a particular English word in their name, they will most certainly need some help spelling them.
- Then, as a class practice the phrase, "I have ______ in my name." Once they become comfortable with the phrase, have them stand up, talk with three different people and sit back down:
- Student A: "Hello, my name is Takako Kawahashi. I have bridge in my name."
- Student B: "Oh, nice! My name is Miko Abekawa I have river in my name."
- A & B: "Goodbye!"
- When they return to their seats, have them start making business cards by writing their name on the small blank business cards you will have put on their desks when they are meeting/greeting three of their friends. They are to write their name in kanji & romaji, along with the English word that is in their name.
- Finally, have the students practice exchanging cards. They meet, greet and play Janken. The winner starts:
- Student A: "Here you are."
- Student B: "Thank you."
- Student A: "I have _____ in my name."
- Student B: "Wow!"
Tips/Cautions
- Be careful, some students (mainly, non-Japanese ones) might not have any kanji in their name.
- Also, some students have words in their names (saru - 'monkey') which could lead to some students getting bullied. Try to stop the bullying before it starts.