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mychemicalficrecs · 4 years

Note

any good frerard fics that take place before the 2000s? so like anywhere from the 1990s-1600s or whatever it doesn’t matter to me :)

Hi Nonny!

There's a great variety of Historical AUs, have fun with these!

Frank/Gerard Historical AUs

You Sparkle Like My 6 Gun by jet6black6feeling6, 7k, Explicit. Gerard does drag at a prohibition era night club that mafia boss Frank owns. Duh.

The Heart I Left Behind by gloomboyz, 8k, Mature. Various scenes of how Gerard and Frank find each other throughout history.

Sincerely (Yours) by Tezy, 34k, Explicit. (Late 19th century AU) Frank is the son of a merchant, with no money, and no title. But he's smart, and he enjoys teaching, so when the opportunity arises for him to help with the two children of a particularly wealthy family, he decides it is worth the risk. The children are precocious, outspoken and they quickly become his favourite students. Their slightly peculiar uncle, however, is the real mystery for him.

timelines and sceneries by daydreamsago, 42k, Teen And Up Audiences. "My brain wants everything to be figured out so it can stop worrying about what life will be like in ten years or so," Frank admitted. "Time is such a weird thing, because one moment, you're young and dependent on your parents, then... boom. You're graduated and everything matters all at once. Time is consistent. It doesn't slow down, or speed up at all; our perception of it does."

Line-Crossing by orphan_account, 12k, Explicit. When Frank finally gets up on his feet, he finds a job taking care of the greenhouses in a manor house. He hopes this new beginning will help him forget and allow him to heal. Moving into the country, Gerard hopes he'll finally be left alone by all the people back home who can't seem to stop criticizing everything about him. He also hopes to find some peace and maybe even (yes, he actually dares to be that optimistic) happiness.

Shadows Fall Behind by anoceanmonster, 39k, Explicit. Just before the turn of the twentieth century, the Iero household experiences it’s second devastating loss. When Edward Iero, world renowned architect, replaces the recently deceased and much loved head of staff, Donald, with his eldest son, Gerard, no one knows if anything will work out. Frank is a book loving recluse who rarely sees the outside of his study, but when Gerard enters his house and his life, he gets a love story all of his own.

A Lovely Apparition (or, The One Where Gerard's A Crossdresser in the 1790s) by wordslinging, 22k, Mature. Michael didn’t seem particularly shocked when Gerard approached him with the idea, but then, Gerard had never seen his younger brother look particularly shocked at anything. He merely looked at Gerard, blinked once or twice, and repeated in a flat tone, “You want me to help you dress up like a woman.” “It’s the stays in particular I think I’ll need help with,” Gerard told him. “Well, and buttoning the dress, and perhaps the wig.”

A World So Small by wordslinging, 31k, Mature. When Frank, a sickly young man, is advised by his doctors to leave London for the country, he makes arrangements to stay with his friend Michael, who just so happens to be in possession of a large, old, and somewhat creepy manor house. What Frank has no idea of at the time is that Michael has an older brother, whose presence in the house he conceals. Gerard is an eccentric recluse who spends most of his time hiding in the attic and avoiding any kind of interaction with people, but he finds himself fascinated with Frank, who in turn realizes that the house has secrets, and becomes determined to uncover them. When he finally does discover Gerard, their first meeting is only the beginning of their story.

Vampire AU by Andromedas_Void, 26k, Explicit. Mister Francis Anthony Iero, Junior, Your presence is requested this evening at 221 Upper Birch Lane, North London. A carriage will be awaiting you at 3:00 pm sharp. Cordially yours, Gerard Arthur Way, Esq.

Riot Grrrl!Gee by my99centdreams, 7k, Explicit. It’s the fourth party she’s been to this week if the one Taylor Kennick threw for herself while her parents stayed in their room counts (it probably doesn’t but whatever, the point is she’s been far too social lately and is just about ready to revert back to her hermit ways). Seriously, if it gets to the point where Mikey breaks out the password they created for emergency situations, and by emergency situations she means their lives have turned into a body snatchers movie, then she knows it's time to put on her pajamas, lock herself in her room, and eat ice cream straight from the carton.

This Tornado Loves You by theopteryx, 44k, Mature. 1933. Frank's been on the run a long time and he's forced to stop in his old hometown. At first things are about what he expects - old friends, unpleasant memories, and a less-than-desirable home life. Everything changes one night when he stumbles on an old hedge maze hidden in the woods. It's not the hedge maze that intrigues him the most, though, but the secrets of the house hidden inside.

NASAverse by fleurdeliser, 22k, Explicit. The second basement of Building Six at the Kennedy Space Center is not, Frank reminds himself, straightening his shoulders and stepping out of the elevator, one of the more intimidating offices in the NASA compound. It is, in fact, just one workshop out of many, where fabricators test out designs that come from the engineers upstairs--where Frank works.

Variations on a Fugue by mrsronweasley, 36k, Explicit. Frank Iero is a young nobleman currently living with his parents in the Lake District, where he plans on leading a quiet life away from London and its temptations. However, temptation moves into his neighbourhood in the face of one Gerard Way. (Early Edwardian AU.)

Public Enemy by tabulaxrasa, 21k, Explicit. In 1932, Gerard Way has been making a name for himself robbing banks up and down New Jersey. Frank Iero, analyst for J. Edgar Hoover's Division of Investigation, is determined to catch him.

Against the Wind by theopteryx, 21k, Explicit. Frank is the tutor for the two young children of Michael and Alicia Way. He has always been sickly, but when he begins to fall seriously ill he tries to hide it from his employers, terrified he will lose his position and have nothing. When Michael’s older brother Gerard unexpectedly returns from the continent, however, his problems only grow.

Can Never Wrong this Right by theopteryx, 24k, Explicit. Written for the hc_bingo challenge, for the square of 'forced soul-bonding.' It's 1949 and Dr. Way is a professor of Archeology and Frank is his constantly exasperated (and secretly pining) assistant. When their latest trek takes them to South America to locate the fabled Blood Stone, however, they both find more than they bargained for.

Love and Other Cliches by two_ravens, xaritomene, 29k, Not Rated. Bob Bryar is the best witch in the whole damn scene, even if he does say so himself. Which is just as well, because he's got responsibilities, most of which involve his charge, Gerard. Mainly, Bob's supposed to keep Gerard from falling down a well, or losing his sketchpad - little things, but Bob is a conscientious guardian. But when it becomes obvious that Gerard and Frank are hopelessly, silently in love with each other, Bob suddenly has bigger things to worry about. Nothing he's tried has ended in the declarations of love he'd been aiming for (not the fireworks, not the sunsets, not even the four hours they'd spent in locked in a closet). In a last, ditch attempt, he resorts to real spellwork, the epic, Cinderella kind, and now Frank and Gerard are stuck in a romance novel... with only one way out.

What Ships Are For by mwestbelle, 22k, Explicit. A ship is safe in a harbor, but that's not what ships are for. -William Shedd Gerard is most concerned when he finds that, while away at university, his father has taken in a new ward of his own brother's age. But upon his return home, he finds the young man to be particularly enchanting; unfortunately, according to the High Society he lives in, not only is Frank entirely too poor to be considered, but they might as well be brothers.

Like a Horse and Carriage by mwestbelle, 9k, Mature. Frank was raised wild, on a merchant vessel that sailed all around the world. When he returns home, an orphan, he is wed to a man with money and name that he has never met. A Victorian AU.

Illyria (King and Country) by tabulaxrasa, 57k, Explicit. Today, they'd woken up and Gerard was King of Illyria. Frank hasn't really been a stable boy since he ended up in the archduke's bed, but now Gerard's exile is over and he's king. Frank has to survive court, politics, and scheming nobles to figure out exactly what he is now.

#frank/gerard #frerard #fic rec list #alternate universe #historical au

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studentville-struggles · 5 years

Text

Spontaneous Combustion // Loki Laufeyson

Prompt from @nooowestayandgetcaught @dailyau

Pairing: Loki x reader

Words: 2,265 - oops

Idek what this is anymore, but I kinda liked it

Proofread? Hell nah

Masterlist

Loki wasn’t someone you’d had a chance to talk to much since your arrival as a recruit. Most of your time at the Avengers site had been spent in the gym, doing drills or completing your trainee assignments. All you had wanted to do for as long as you could remember, was help people, and the presence of an actual god wasn’t going to change that now. Having passed all of your exams and being accepted as a full agent, you had started to become acquainted with a few of the original avengers over the last few months.

Loki was still earning the trust of those around him and all junior agents had been informed they were to be cautious around him. For that reason, you both wanted to know more for it seemed harsh to ignore someone without allowing growth, but also to stay away until you had found your feet in this world.

As you continued to impress those around you, and above you, with your dedication and continuous improvements, your interaction with the Avengers became more and more frequent, meaning your interactions with Loki were also becoming more frequent. You weren’t sure if it was the stereotypical ‘bad boy complex’, or his mysterious nature, but you were developing a soft spot for the god. It was worrying you a bit; how could you work for/with someone – in a potential life or death environment – and have a schoolgirl crush on them. It simply wouldn’t do.

You knew it would never amount to anything, his views on ‘mortals’ crystal clear to everyone on site, there was no hope of you being any different. You thought if you could ignore it for long enough, that your crush would go away. What long enough was, however, you had no idea and it was beginning to irritate you. Every time you were in a meeting with him, you felt like a total fool, a lovesick teenager. You couldn’t help but glance over at him, but you also had the horrible feeling that he knew. It wasn’t exactly within your training to learn how to hide a crush. Lies were no problem, physical attraction would take a bit more experience.

Another month passed, and you still couldn’t ignore the schoolgirl crush you had on Loki. He was a distraction, thankfully not enough to impact your work, but paperwork sure took a lot longer when he was around. What you didn’t know, however, was that things were about to get a whole lot more challenging for you.

“Agent Y/L/N, report to my office in two hours, in civilian gear, bags packed for a mission. You’ll need civilian clothes and combat gear.” With that, your superior turned and continued marching through the corridors.

It wasn’t your first mission, but it was a new enough experience that it set a swarm of butterflies off in your stomach. Rushing to your room, you grabbed your to-go bag and began pulling a range of clothes out, deciding what to take. Combat gear was easy to pack, you pretty much just emptied all you had into the bag. Civilian clothes were a little trickier; you had no idea where you were being sent to, so best to pack a range of clothes so you had most things covered. You were always taught it was better to have a lot of normal or plain clothes so that you were able to blend in, in most locations.

Upon arriving at your superior's office, you knocked and entered when called, immediately clocking the three other agents in the room. You were to join Sam Wilson, Loki, and Natasha Romanov on this mission. You were the only rookie. You stood like a soldier, to-go bag still on your back, receiving your mission plan.

You were being brought along because of your incredible fighting skills. You had impressed Natasha enough that she was willing to recommend you for this mission. Primarily, it was intel gathering. If things were to go south however, it was handy to have agents capable of removing threats quickly, quietly and efficiently.

The group of you headed straight to the hangar bay, into the prepared air transport vehicle to take you to your classified location. The flight was quiet. Natasha and Sam near each other, having been friends for years, Loki was sat quietly by a window on the far side of the vehicle, occasionally contributing to Sam and Natasha’s conversation when he felt inclined to. You sat near Natasha and Sam, close enough to be involved if the conversation should turn to the mission, but far enough both you and them had privacy.

“One hour to touchdown.” A voice came over the intercom.

“Right, time to recap the plan. Gather round.” Natasha’s demeanour switching to that of a commander immediately.

With the plane being disguised as a private jet, you had the luxury of being able to sit around a table. You sat down next to Sam, wishing to focus all your attention on Natasha, who was taking point on the operation. Unfortunately, it meant you were also sat directly opposite Loki, who merely winked at you upon making eye contact.

The final hour of your flight passed quickly, discussions of cover identities reviewed, base locations revealed and target persons and locations discussed. With landing complete, you all took on the role of a tourist from the moment the plane doors opened. Much to your joy and dismay, your cover involved that of a couples trip, with Sam and Natasha being one couple, and Loki and yourself as the other.

You had barely spoken to the Avenger and now were supposed to act as though were engaged. All in a day's work, right?

Reaching the main terminal, you all began laughing and joking as if this was a real holiday, now understanding the random acting classes you all called ‘dumb’ and ‘pointless’ in training. Natasha threw a look towards you over her shoulder, double checking all was okay, smiling back you reassured her without saying a word.

“Come on darling, we don’t want to fall behind those.” Loki turned on the charm, grabbing your hand before picking up the pace in order to stick close to Sam and Natasha.

This trip was one of the first where you had to leave the US and so you still had a few butterflies to mask going through customs. You knew your documents were good, you were still all too aware of the consequences that could arise should they not be good enough. Seemingly aware of this, the rest of the team were very good at joking around and distracting you from your worries, allowing you to settle into your cover further.

The most surprising aspect of the mission, you thought, was the depth of character Loki took on. You ought not to be surprised, you pondered, since he is the god of lies, he should be good creating a fake persona. Even still, he seemed to always have a hand in yours, a hand on your back, putting in all the effort to create the illusion that you were a newly engaged couple enjoying the holiday of a lifetime.

Once inside and out of sight, however, few words were spoken outside of the mission parameters. However, about a week into the mission, you had gotten up early to walk to the nearby bakery with Natasha, following a tip that the regulars were a chatty bunch and you might happen upon some new information. Loki was still asleep in your shared apartment when you had left, but was awake and sat silently at the dressing table, eyes fixed on the door, on your return.

“Is everything okay?” You enquired.

“Yes, just keeping guard in case you had been taken.” At this point, Sam and Natasha were coming through to your apartment for breakfast.

“What she didn’t leave you a note? My fiancée left me a note.” Sam mused out loud, winking at you and dodging the slight punch coming from Natasha.

“Eat up boys, we got a lot from the bakery.” Natasha announced. The two women sitting down to note down all they had heard from the bakery and walk home.

All throughout this time of eating and condensing information, you could feel Loki’s eyes on you. Occasionally you would turn to look and he would simply smile and give you a curt nod, but he would not look away. After fifteen minutes of this staring, the others were starting to take notice. Ever the loyal leader, Natasha leaned in towards you to ask if there had been any issues when the two of you had been alone. As far as you knew, there had been none. You were both professional and focussed on the task at hand, and you had shared this with Natasha. Her response was only to nod and smile.

“Yo, what’s the issue man, you know you’re not supposed to stare like that?” Sam always was straight to the point.

“I’m really sorry I keep staring but I dreamed about you horribly dying last night and I just wanted to make sure you don’t spontaneously combust” Loki responded, but not to Sam, to you. His eyes locked on yours, not for a second looking away.

What on earth are you supposed to say to that? Thankfully, Sam had you covered.

“Is that a risk?” He sounded confused and then seemed to have a realisation. “Is that a threat?”

“No, no, not a threat, it was just a strange and worrying dream compared to the normal.” Eye’s still locked on yours.

The remainder of a mission can only be described as strange. Nothing changed when out doing the tourist rounds, eavesdropping on as many conversations as possible. However, the touches seemed to linger a little longer, his touch a little lighter, when you would be sat in coffee shops or out having dinner, his gaze on you with an unreadable emotion whilst in your cover apartment. You had managed to push aside your crush on Loki, knowing it would only make this mission harder and more painful for you, but these small touches, long gazes, and general softness of Loki over the past few days were making this a whole lot harder than it had been initially.

On the penultimate night of the mission, you had all gone out to a local bar. There was a salsa night on that you had heard was frequented by a lot of the local community, it was a good point to conclude the mission. If there was any information you hadn’t heard already, you’d find it here. Loki had you spinning around as if you hadn’t a care in the world, although there was every care and you were really starting to get dizzy now.

Retiring to the bar, hoping to hear a few more tid-bits, Loki had you sat on a stool, with himself next to you, stood between your legs, ever the doting fiancé. Except this time, instead of the usual play pretend routine the two of you had down to a T, Loki was being far touchier and almost intimate, it was surprising.

He placed a hand on your cheek, leaning in to, you thought, whisper in your ears, however, instead you were met with an electric feeling of cold lips where your face meets your neck. A shocked gasp escaped you, something Loki seemed to find entertaining, a soft chuckle quiet in your ear. You knew if you looked at him now you would kiss him, and you knew you couldn’t afford a distraction like that now, not in the field. You could feel Loki’s hands moving to pull you close, your will power beginning to fail.

“We can’t, not here.” You managed to mutter, voice breathy.

You could see the hint of pain in Loki’s eyes for the remainder of the night. Even through the walk back to your apartment block, he still performed the part of the doting fiancé, but without the additions of the previous days.

Completing the nightly debrief, as well as receiving information for the pick-up point the next day, you and Loki retired back to your apartment to pack and rest for the flight home in the morning. Locking the door to your room you could still see the slight hurt in his eyes.

Loki began apologising, thinking he had mis-read your looks towards him. “I’m so-”

You couldn’t even let him finish, months of pining for a man you thought out of reach adding up. You all but jumped onto him, crashing your lips onto his. It took a second for him to respond, but soon his arms snaked around your back ensuring you couldn’t be anywhere but in his arms. Deepening the kiss, Loki moaning into it. The two of you began moving towards the bed, barely any space between you.

Loki had picked you up, lips still peppering your skin with kisses, and was leaning you down onto the bed when there was a knock at the door. It was as if nothing had happened, both immediately on guard, you grabbing the nearest weapon.

Again, there was the knock. Checking through the peephole, you lowered your weapon and swung the door open.

“You scared the shit out of me.” You announced; a smirking Natasha stood in your doorway.

“Just wanted to say to the love birds that you should really turn your comms off before getting it on.” With that, she winked at you and walked out again, leaving you and Loki alone again.

#studentville-struggles #rachel tries to write #loki #loki laufeyson #loki x reader #loki laufeyson x #avengers fluff #loki fic #avengers #avengers fic #avengers x reader #natasha romanov #natasha romanoff #sam wilson #loki imagine #loki imagines #avengers imagines #loki drabble

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blazefire-engine · 6 years

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pikachugirl1996 said: For the Lightis Drabble “Noctis meeting Serah for the first?”

AN: I’m sorry for disappearing for ~2 months. Life happens, problems arise (ie. still no laptop), you know all that bullshit. Anyways, this prompt evolved from a drabble hahaha I needed to do it justice, so hope y’all enjoy it and thank you so so much pikachugirl1996! (Sorry for the oh so late fic, there are also other prompts I haven’t forgotten).

- - -

Radiance

Based on Lightning’s Theme in Lightning Returns OST.

Ages: Serah - 15 ; Noct & Light - 18.

Setting: Brotherhood Timeline; Insomnia

- - -

Eager that school was finally over, the Prince picked up his things and walked out to the school entrance where Ignis always picks him up. With the Regalia and his royal adviser in sight, all he needed to do was cross the courtyard to meet him. However, from the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar shade of pink, sitting in one of the benches, head down with a book in hand.

Purely by instinct, he approached her and called her name almost too excitedly. She was back. “Lightni-.” When the person lifted her head, he realized it wasn’t her.

“Uh, s-sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

If it weren’t for his moment of tunnel vision, he would have clearly seen that it wasn’t her. This young girl wore a different uniform, a familiar one as it was the female uniform of the junior high school he attended. Aside from the pink hair, he couldn’t deny other similarities, such as her facial features and eyes, reminding him that this person was no doubt related to Lightning.

“Prince Noctis! I’m actually here to see you.” She immediately closed her book, stuffing it into her bag and stood up, apparently unfazed by his mistake. “I’m her sister, Serah.”

“Sister?” He blurted out in surprise, but quickly apologized for his rudeness. “Ah, sorry. I had no idea Light had one.”

Serah smiled, again seemingly unperturbed. However, she smiled due to him calling her sister’s shortened name. She even gave a tinkling laugh. “Oh, it’s alright.” She waved her hand. “I’m sure she had her reasons.”

“Right. So, what brings you here today?” He asked awkwardly.

“Oh, well.” Serah’s cheeks brightened. “I just wanted to look at the school since I’ll be attending here next year.” Then with a shy smile, she continued meekly. “But, I was also hoping to run into you. Now’s a good time than ever, since Light’s on a mission, and she rather gets overprotective…”

Ah, she wants to talk…

And, as always, Ignis is there to save the day.

“Your Highness. May I suggest a detour of afternoon tea?”

- - -

After a rather awkward car drive to one of the cafes in Downtown Insomnia, the two finally settled in comfortably, drinks and snacks in hand.

“Oh, I’d much rather pay for mine.” Serah scrambled as the Prince paid, getting two slices each of Kupoberry Cheesecake and Golden Chocobo Tart and some iced tea.

“No, no, I dragged you here, this is my treat.”

Serah sighed. “Thank you, Prince Noctis. I’ll repay you someday, I promise.”

He knew she would make do with her promise, no doubt. She was Lightning’s sister after all. Always keeping promises, and can be adorably stubborn at times.

“Enough of that prince stuff, please.” He groaned and waved his hand as they sat down on a table situated in a cozy corner, near the windows by the busy streets. “Just call me Noct.”

“Noct it is then.” She fiddled with her fingers. “Hm, where to start… I didn’t plan this far ahead, all I really wanted to do was meet you in person.”

“Well, why did you want to?”

“I guess… I wanted to see the person my sister talks so much about.”

Now if eyebrows could fly off of one’s face, Noctis’ would have been halfway to Tenebrae. “She talks about me? Like a lot?”

Serah laughed. “Well, relatively speaking, this is Light we’re talking about. She mentions you quite frequently.”

His heart stammered. “About what?”

“Oh, she has a ton of nicknames for you. Let’s see… ‘Pompous Prince,’ ‘Chocobo Turd,’ ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ oh the list goes on.”

He groaned again. “That was not what I was expecting.”

“Well, I take it as a good sign.”

Oh, he was sure she was teasing him. “How?!”

“It’s one of her ways of showing affection. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, she calls Snow an idiot all the time.” Serah's blue eyes twinkled mischievously.

Noctis scowled, he didn’t feel any better to be on the same level as Snow Villiers.

“Anyways, I knew you weren’t really one of those things, but I wanted to see the kind of person you were, the real person behind the social media. And I’m not disappointed, just from our brief interaction, I know you’re a person who values friendship, and you don’t like to use your title. You want people to see the real you. I’ve got you all figured out.” She sang the last part, taking a sip of her iced tea.

He was rather stunned. He’d met this girl not even an hour ago and she had him down like a book. She’s definitely Light’s sister.

“I’m glad you are Light’s friend.”

He somehow felt relief from what she said. To be accepted by Lightning’s sister was a big deal.

“Hey, Serah. Can I ask you something, about Light?”

“I’ll try to answer as best as I can.”

“Light’s always been… guarded, closed off. She only chooses to become close to a select few. Why is that?”

Serah sighed. “I’m sure you know how we became citizens of Insomnia?”

“I’m aware that you resided in Bodhum and had to become refugees when Niflheim invaded the region.”

“Yes, that is part of it… but even before that, our life in Bodhum wasn’t all that great. Our father died when I was very young, we don’t know what happened, and a few years after that, our mother passed away as well. So you see, please don’t blame her for being cold and unfeeling, I know you understand but people judge right away. They don’t know what she’s been through.”

He had to admit, his first impression of Lightning was unlikable.

“Anyways, we didn’t have relatives, it was only us two and she had to provide for us to survive.” She looked out the window, her eyes looking distant. “I remember clearly. On the day we buried our mother, there was a tropical storm, lightning flashed before our eyes and that was the moment she changed her name.”

A shocking revelation. Lightning wasn’t her true name… so what was her real name? As much as he wanted to ask, he had to respect her decision of changing her name. Perhaps over time, she’ll tell him… or maybe he’ll never know at all. He had no right to ask, no right to know: who was he? A Prince born with a silver spoon, everything given, a life of luxury, carefree, where his greatest problem was when he could take a nap or play video games. No wonder Lightning was such a hardass to him, he knew nothing of hardship, self-determination, and independency.

The only person to give that privilege, of knowing her true name, is Lightning herself.

“I’m not… a good person.”

“What do you mean, silly? Yes, you are.”

“No. Light’s right. I’m lazy, irresponsible, spoiled. I’m a picky eater, I take naps when I shouldn’t, I go to the arcade, neglect my studies… but, I’m doing better. After meeting Lightning, I see the hard work she does everyday. Going to school and being a Glaive. She motivates me to be better.”

Serah nodded and giggled. “Yup. That’s it, that’s the Lightning effect.” She played with the straw of her drink, stirring it around. “She’s grown to the name, almost as if she was born with it. It’s rather fitting. The radiance of her presence just sparks something within us; whether it’s determination, hope, strength… She inspires me.”

She smiled, the afternoon light shining ethereally on her face, and Noctis can't help but wonder if Lightning would have that same bright, radiant smile.

- - -

Perched on one of the many leather sofas in the Citadel Lobby and having returned from his meeting with Lightning’s sister, he had some things to think through.

He was rather stunned. Serah was optimistic, bright, and happy -- almost a complete opposite of Lightning. And their conversations left him at perceiving Lightning… in a new light.

Now he understood why she resorted to becoming a Glaive. Not by choice, but as a means to survive. Orphaned at a young age, she and her sister became refugees. Noctis wasn’t ignorant, he was aware that outsiders were shunned and discriminated. No wonder she grew a hard shell around her heart.

And with that, he reached a decision. He'll work harder, become a better Prince, a future leader.

For the second time that day, another flash of pink at the corner of his eyes. Without even a glance, Noctis came up to her and engulfed her in an embrace, grateful for her presence once more. He sighed, it felt like she was gone for three months, rather than three days.

“Uh, hey, Noct.” Lightning said against his shoulder, hesitantly responding to his hug by loosely wrapping her arms around his waist. “Something wrong?”

“No. I’m just glad your home, Light.”

Maybe it was his imagination, but he swore he felt her arms tighten.

“... Me too.”

#lightis #nokurai #noctis lucis caelum #lightning farron #ffxv #ffxiii #i wrote a thing #animus #sorry for disappearing guys #work and other shit as well #still a bit depressed tho #but i hope y'all enjoyed this #i did :d

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liliannorman · 4 years

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Learning will change with COVID-19’s social distancing

In response to the spread of COVID-19, on February 3, 2020 the islands off the east coast of China, known as Hong Kong, closed their schools. This sent home more than 900,000 students in this self-governing region of China. The students’ first priority: Begin some serious social distancing.

Here are some free resources for kids (and parents) now learning at home

With half the school year yet to go, nearly all schools reached out to offer those students online learning. Much like those in the United States soon would be, teachers and students were caught off-guard. They had little time to adapt.

After weeks of trial and error, Hong Kong’s teachers — and students — can share what they’ve learned. Plenty of challenges emerged. So did some tips for success. What they now share can help communities of students anywhere who may be forced to face the new normal of learning from home.

Student voices

For 11-year-old Emma, there hasn’t been much difference between distance learning and attending classes face-to-face. She begins her lessons at 8:30 a.m. Instead of walking into a classroom, she now turns on her computer to see live-streamed lessons. Emma takes about four classes per day. Each lasts around 30 to 40 minutes.

The seventh-grade student attends King George V. It’s an international school in Kowloon Tong. To Emma, “It’s good to keep a schedule. In the beginning, it was hard to get into a routine and I ended up missing a few deadlines. Now, I think of it as a normal school day.”

Students are using several online-learning platforms to join daily meetings with teachers and classmates. Some schools have paid for their classes to take place on Google Hangouts Meet. Others use Zoom, Microsoft Teams or BigBlueButton.

Webinars are live, usually interactive events that take place online. Instructors use audio and visual communication to share data, skills or information with their virtual students. The software for these programs allows teachers (or students) to share slides or uploaded pages. The group then can share or discuss these in real-time through chat boxes or other features. Some platforms also allow a webinar to be recorded and viewed by invited users at a later date.

In theory, webinars should make access to real-time communication easy. In practice, however, students have experienced some challenges.

“It can be easy to get distracted when you’re online,” says Marcus, an eighth-grade student at Island School. “I keep my camera on to help pay attention but get sidetracked when I see the gallery of faces. It can be hard to resist the temptation to send messages or check my email.”

Along with the challenges of online platforms, research shows that staring at a screen for long periods can lead to fatigue and stress. And coupled with kids’ already heavy use of screens for entertainment, using them all day for classwork from home may tempt students to overdo it. And many studies have shown that can be unhealthy.

‘Mindfulness’ defuses stress in classrooms and teaching

With a student’s health and wellbeing in mind, many schools have therefore set aside time for “brain breaks.” These allow students a chance to move, dance or play. Says Emma, “Taking regular breaks helps me relax and gets me ready for the next online session.” Also, in her small neighborhood, the kids have coordinated recess times to get together — at a distance. “Everyone needs to get out, exercise and talk to friends,” she says. “We just make sure to keep enough physical distance.”

Elsewhere, even such brief in-person meet-ups may be discouraged. The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has been especially aggressive in the United States. Since late March, people there have been asked to stay home as much as possible. They can congregate only via their phones or the internet.

Problems as opportunities

Zachary Post is the middle-school principal of the American International School in Hong Kong. He says that students’ online-learning experiences have been improving as they adapt to new technologies. “Teachers and support staff have been reaching out to parents and are working extremely hard to troubleshoot a variety of issues,” he finds. These can range from problems logging in to downloading the needed software.

Here’s the screenshot of a faculty meeting at the American International School in Hong Kong. Since the coronavirus pandemic, they’re convening online.Z. Post

Natalie Milman confirms the importance of communication during this “emergency remote teaching and learning.” She works at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. There, she directs the Educational Technology Leadership program. Her advice for participants in this online-learning world is to communicate expectations and problems. Milman says, “They need to know the different platforms they are using and how often to check their email for announcements.”

There is no way to know everyone’s situation, she explains. So teachers need to be patient and flexible. And they also need to “go the extra mile and reach out” to those who may be struggling.

Post agrees that constant communication is vital to making sure all students can access their lessons and feel supported. Now, after weeks of watching kids build new tech skills, he sometimes drops in on their virtual classrooms. And he reports seeing students and teachers “confidently” navigating their digital portals to online learning.

His school has attained a very high attendance rate. This is true even though its students and teachers all work remotely. In the end, he “aims to achieve a level of progress similar to a typical school day,” he says.

Post acknowledges there have been some initial hurdles to online learning. But he also recognizes some new benefits. “I like to see problems as opportunities. I believe this situation is giving students a chance to effectively manage their time, apply their IT [information technology] skills and communicate across a broader setting. They are becoming true 21st-century learners.”

Dynamic collaboration

With little time to prepare, most teachers have been “learning on the go,” says Vanessa Sheppard. She’s a middle-school teacher at Kowloon Junior School. Most of its teachers were using computers or tablets to teach before the COVID-19 crisis. Since the pandemic shuttered their school, they have successfully adapted to moving all of their lessons and interactions with students online.

It took some work to make this transition, she says. But she’s finding that “teachers are learning from each other. Online programs are now shared between teachers at warp speed to help create a vibrant learning experience for students.”

Since early February, this Hong Kong eighth grader’s bedroom has doubled as her classroom.V. Sheppard

What’s changed, she notes, is the classroom interaction. “You don’t realize the micro-adjustments you make when getting live student feedback,” says Sheppard. She doesn’t see the look of puzzlement or boredom when students don’t understand something — or excitement when they suddenly experience a eureka moment. “I miss the active collaboration,” she says.

And students can experience similar frustrations. Teachers may not see how they are reacting to a lesson. Classmates no longer collaborate in hands-on projects. And when problems arise, students have to be more pro-active to let their teachers know. That can be hard for students who are shy.

The American International School uses Zoom Pro. It features a Breakout Room function as well as live whiteboard tools. During lessons, students are assigned to small group discussions. They also can make presentations that are observed by parents and teachers alike. “This has created a more class-like social-learning environment,” says Post. Even online, there can be a “back-and-forth dialogue between multiple people.”

Also, teachers say creating a student-led learning community has increased student motivation and engagement. The result: Students have been turning in higher quality work.

Hurdles to learning online

Some research has found that students can perform equally well in in-person versus virtual classrooms. Among them is one study conducted more than a decade ago by researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the University of Arizona in Tucson. It found that students could learn more from a course taught online than in the same class — taught by the same teachers — in a traditional school classroom.

This was true when the online lessons were paced by a learner’s needs, reported Dongsong Zhang at Maryland and his colleagues. Some materials for the class were posted online and could be replayed again and again until a student understood them. Or, students could skip ahead when coming to material they fully understood.

In fact, online classes may need to be presented somewhat differently, says Richard Culatta. He heads the nonprofit International Society of Technology in Education. It’s based in Arlington, Va. “So often, when we start to move over to online learning,” he says, “we immediately think of the content.” By that, he meant that teachers might upload their notes or text to an online portal for their students.

Kids today grow up on fast-paced games and entertainment. They may need to show some patience as their teachers learn how to make engaging lessons for delivery online.Courtney Hale/E+/Getty Images

But that can be boring and impede learning, he says. To be effective in the online world, teachers will have to do far more, he says. To help them, dozens of educational organizations (including his) created Learning Keeps Going. Produced in response to the COVID-19 crisis, this website has links to lots of tools.

Learning works best when it’s a social and engaging activity, he says. And, he adds, teachers have to “think about how to make sure there’s still times where everybody can get together” — even if it’s just online in a shared meet-up.

Of course, not all subjects transfer to online teaching equally well. Beverly is a seventh-grade student at Renaissance College in Hong Kong. She has found it especially challenging to keep up with science lessons. You can’t do the same lab work at home as in well-equipped classrooms. “At school, we would have the necessary equipment to conduct experiments,” she notes. “But we don’t have this at home.” While she can still learn knowledge and concepts, she misses “the hands-on experience.”

And that’s understandable. But Culatta points to virtual science labs as one alternative. For safety reasons, he notes, “a lot of schools say you have to do a virtual chem lab first [before doing labs in the classroom].” Are these as useful and rewarding as doing experiments in a real science lab? “Of course not,” he says. “But it is a pretty darn good solution if you don’t have access to one for a while.”

In times of social distancing, your teacher may be a few miles away, as the crow flies, but still right in front of you digitally. Don’t be afraid to chat, trade jokes or ask questions as you would have in the real-world classroom.fizkes/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Some teachers are trying to simulate the hands-on experience remotely. Caroline Pringle is one of them. She’s a middle-school science teacher at the American International School. Hands-on science and testing let students “learn from their mistakes,” she says. It also helps them understand the gap between theory (what should happen), she notes, and practice. (That’s what actually happened when you tried to do something.)

Pringle’s goal is to design experiments that students can do at home — ones that encourage them to develop their scientific skills. For instance, her eighth-grade students are modeling the process of cell division. Their equipment: Play-Doh, toothpicks and string. Seventh graders are using books to model plate tectonics. Pringle also uses programs that provide online science simulations (such as Gizmos and PhET by the University of Colorado Boulder).

“In the beginning, everyone was overwhelmed,” she says. “Students were easily distracted.” To counter this, she developed a range of ways to hook their interest. For instance, she might have students answer two questions posed by classmates. Or they might complete a mini-quiz on Padlet. That’s an online bulletin board where students can post their answers and ideas.

Pringle also finds that instead of setting one big deadline for the end of an assignment, it is better to break up tasks into smaller parts that are due throughout a week. “I am now getting well-thought-out projects. And the students find it easier to stay on track,” she says.

The virtual world

The biggest hurdle to online education, of course, would be a lack of access to the internet. And there are still families that don’t have a computer or a computer that can handle the needed software. Many households also lack the high-speed internet that would give kids stable access to virtual classrooms or an ability to browse the internet.

Such limitations can make online learning seem impossible. But it doesn’t have to be, Culatta says. In response to the ongoing pandemic, some U.S. schools and companies have stepped in and begun offering families laptops, tablets or other technology. This can include temporary access to school computers and very low-cost internet (see sidebar),

Without question, Culatta says, the COVID-19 pandemic is “a tragedy.” And the call for social distancing has created an extremely challenging environment for students, parents and teachers. Eventually, however, life will return to normal. When that time comes, he believes, online learning will also be normal.

When schools reopen, he predicts, students will return to them with a new appreciation for how well they can navigate in both the real world and the virtual world. In fact, he argues, both teachers and students are going to need their digital skills “to be successful in the future. This might not have been how we wanted them to get [those skills], but there is value that comes out of this [trying time].”

Post agrees. And those skills may not just be of use in the distant future. What kids are learning now, he says, will prepare them for future disruptions — and not just pandemics. “This experience will change how we approach school suspensions for things such as bad weather days,” he says. “The next time we need to move to remote learning, we will be prepared.”

Learning will change with COVID-19’s social distancing published first on https://triviaqaweb.tumblr.com/

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cassiopeiathewraith · 7 years

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Books you should read because I LOVE THEM

Dedication: For @kissmybruisedknuckles who told me to make this because she’s too lazy to make one lol

1. Strange The Dreamer - Laini Taylor

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

2. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.

Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.

3. Unwind - Neil Shusterman

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state, is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.

4. Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder's brain interference has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it "a matter of national security," but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.

5. This Savage Song - Victoria Schwab

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

6. The Darkest Part of The Forest - Holly Black

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

7. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

9. Illuminae - Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more

10. Legend - Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

11. Angelfall (Penryn and the end of days) - Susan Ee

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

12. Caraval - Stephanie Garber

Remember, it’s only a game…

Scarlett Dragna has never left the tiny island where she and her sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval—the faraway, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show—are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

13. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed.

There is.

14. An Ember In The Ashes - Sabaa Tahir

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

15. The Darkest Minds - Alexandra Bracken

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that had killed most of America’s children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they could not control.

16. The Wrath and The Dawn - Renee Ahdieh

One Life to One Dawn.

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.

11K notes · View notes

geniuszone-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on Geniuszone

New Post has been published on https://geniuszone.biz/problems-in-english-education-in-japan-the-three-cs/

Problems in English Education in Japan: The Three C's

Everyone worried in the language training sector in Japan will freely admit that English education inside the country has been on a level at pleasant over the last couple of a long time, and plenty of arguments may be made that the same old of English from faculty-leavers is definitely decreasing. At the equal time, education in South Korea, China, Taiwan and somewhere else in Asia are experiencing English language books with youngsters becoming very gifted within the language from an early age. While there are some of the reasons inflicting this relative decline in Japan, I suppose there are 3 principal contributing factors resulting on this repute quo. These are a suppression of creativity in college students, and the shortage of undertaking offered to them.

Creativity

I write this from the standpoint of a teacher at a junior excessive college, even though the latter element simply applies to later grades of primary school, and is a problem I will pass into later. The training system in Japan revolves around a set event and making ready for it. At essential faculty the students are centered closer to entering into Junior High School; after they get there their sole goal is to skip the excessive faculty front exam (for the ones that will go to school). Once into excessive college, the purpose of each student is to pass the “Centre Test”, the Japanese call for the college front examination, a good way to awareness the relaxation of their lives. Anything that is not worried about getting to these dreams is deemed unimportant, and english grammar points not to be examined (even if crucial to study for English language comprehension) are exceeded over.

education

At the senior excessive school degree, I was fortunate enough to teach at a high-level faculty, which presented two English grammar-based subjects that have been now not at the Center Test: Model United Nations and PCLL (a subject with 3 additives: speech, skit, and debate). When these topics had been delivered, instructors have been met with the aid of a strong resistance from mother and father, who complained that their kids should not be wasting their time on things that would not directly be tested. It took a strong predominant and organization of instructors to protect their role and to try to provide an explanation for the advantages that the subjects might have; each in the English language skills spectrum, and at some stage in their range of research and past.

The argument becomes made that those subjects have been no longer just preparing college students living in a small village in Okinawa for an unmarried check, however giving the adults of tomorrow the skills, expertise, and means to develop for existence in an honestly worldwide society. I recognize there are an entire bunch of buzzwords in there, however, it is the first-class way to provide an explanation for it. And whenever I meet former students from that high faculty (who are perpetually doing very well of their lives), they take into account definitely the ones instructions, the topics discussed, and the skills they learned.

It turned into a high-level college initially, but the truth that it was inclined to appearance a little outdoor the container transformed it from being an average to low stage college 15 years in the past to one of the top 3 in Okinawa these days. But appearance right down to the general scenario of American English language training at junior excessive faculties in Japan (even more so in Okinawa), and matters are plenty different. Scarily sufficient, I am still unaware if there may be any real syllabus set out by way of the Ministry of Education in Japan that states what college students should realize on the stop of every 12 months of mastering. The textbooks which can be accepted by means of the Ministry of Education absolutely educate specific material at distinct points to students, so there’s no consistency there. But what there is consistency in, is putting off all traces of creativity from students.

At elementary faculty college students research that the solution to the question, “How are you?” is, “I’m satisfactory, thanks. And you?”. There isn’t any different response. At junior high college you’ll count on students to be able to be given range to express their real emotions, but even then they’re restrained to a handful. You are allowed to be exact, exceptional, tired, hungry or have stomach pain. Other feelings will now not be at the give up of 12 months examination and so need to no longer certainly be discussed.

Students are spoon-fed information so much that they come to be not able to consider even the best things with the aid of themselves. The best instance of this would be earlier in this academic 12 months. The sentence is found out (sentences are almost usually found out in phrase form, that means students are regularly unable to apprehend how the grammatical systems in them are formed) become “I visited my grandmother at eight o’clock”. After a English conversation practice lesson, most of the students have been capable of mentioning it fairly well, and I wanted to offer them a threat to manipulate what they say, so requested the first scholar to mention the sentence but alternate the time from eight o’clock to something else.

english

This becomes defined in Japanese so the pupil understood (extra on that later too), who made as massive an acknowledgment as your traditional Japanese junior high school pupil can muster that they understood. And then they had been given the floor to make a modified sentence. And for nearly 2 mins the elegance waited. The student put their head down, seemed into their e-book, looked out of the window hoping awareness could shift off them, consulted with or three of their classmates, after which in the end gave the same unique answer, “I visited my grandmother at 8 o’clock”. It took another scholar a minute before they could truly trade the time to 9 o’clock. A similar barrier became created when the member of the family turned into requested to be changed from a mother. This appears to be the norm, in place of the exception. They get drilled into them a sentence shape (in this situation “my mother… “) that it’s miles the simplest element they could understand. When given the hazard to apply a phrase like “father”, “brother” or “sister” in the location of it, the selection seems overwhelming to them rendering them unable to make what many might deem to be an easy and unimportant choice.

This loss of creativity is found, or even advocated by way of a few spoken English videos instructors, impacts the students somewhat when they arrive at exams, but a lot greater it’s far rendering many incapable of speaking efficaciously in English in an actual-life environment. Because they examine certain terms and set systems only, every time something is going out of doors of those limitations, the students are not able to observe it and reply. Originality is something this is seldom heard or study because the set terms are the handiest manner the students recognize how to express their thoughts.

I have to no longer that that is sincerely now not the case all of the time. Students frequently have the capacity to affect and wonder with their English and willingness to attempt connecting grammar factors they have learned, however not always learned together, with a purpose to talk their mind. These college students, although they do not have the high-quality raw English capability, are generally those that see the biggest development in their language capabilities. But it’s far truly the majority from my reviews.

Challenge

The 2nd large element is the shortage of a project for college students. I am a company believer that if you assignment college students then you will get the fine out of them. It is a first-rate balancing act, as pushing them too much and within the wrong way can provoke resentment and a pupil absolutely refusing to examine (specifically as the student enters their young adults at junior high faculty). But I feel many teachers in Japan are catering their training for the lowest degree learner present (some who strive tough but find English very hard, and others who are unwilling to examine in any of their classes). This means the general public of college students who absolutely start the hobby (many simply look ahead to the answers or do nothing in any respect) finish speedily because the activities aren’t in any respect testing for them.

japan

It then went on the use of the same style however for “No, I am no longer”. Learning then went directly to cover the “you”, “he”, “she”, “we”, and “they” bureaucracy, but the activities have been without a doubt the equal; sincerely copying the answer from the phase above. Following that worksheet, consciousness becomes moved onto some other point and this phase simply blanketed may be checked off the listing and forgotten about. No growth of answers, experimenting with making their personal questions (studied within the preceding magnificence) and asking their friends become accepted, as it would not be in the check and therefore become superfluous. And there has been no hazard to take what that they had learned and take it to the following degree, increasing their know-how of that point and giving them the hazard to hyperlink it to different points that understand now and could learn in the destiny.

Vocabulary assessments are infrequent, and once they arise students are usually given five phrases to learn, with them understanding the precise order in which they will come to the check. Consequently, you have got students best practicing in the closing five mins before the take a look at and then being determined to get the paper so that they can write down what is of their short time period reminiscence earlier than they overlook it. Asking a pupil the meaning of considered one of their check phrases 15 mins into the elegance is comparable to getting blood out of a stone, as it has lengthy due to the fact that disappeared from their quick time period memory banks.

Once again, no real evaluation of English know-how or capability is attained via undertaking the take a look at; it’s miles only seeing who can spit out the precise phrases they had been given inside the 30s-1min among remaining their books and receiving their test paper. I can most effective talk from my point of view, however on the junior excessive college I had weekly vocabulary exams (both L1->L2 or L2->L1, or a combination of both; no longer recognised until the test changed into given), which constructed from at least 20-30 words, with 10-15 being chosen at random. When this turned into stated previously to co-people they remarked it have to had been so difficult for college students to do. It wasn’t smooth now and again, but it made us very green novices.

Once again the students who try to push themselves (which need to be finished in my opinion, because of there being no “talented freshmen” elegance or comparable in most faculties) with the aid of working to apprehend more than the quick define supplied to them acquire the rewards, whilst it comes to check time and additionally out of doors the school room, when undertaking any activities in English.

But now that I mentioned assessments, it brings me onto another “C” that could be a massive aspect in why English schooling, and on other topics too, is the present process such issues in Japan.

Consequences

Consequences, or as an alternative lack of them, can’t be underestimated inside the mediocrity of English language schooling in Japan. Thinking returned, I experience I studied pretty difficult at school, especially because I realize my mother and father had given me an amazing possibility, and I failed to need to waste it. In certain topics I worked difficult thru worry of incurring the wrath of the teacher; others have stated they labored difficult to get into a terrific university because they wanted their parents to be glad etc. Homework changed into always performed to the quality of my capability and exams were studied difficult for.

We all knew that if weekly vocabulary exams have been failed (under 50%), retests would occur lunchtimes or after school every day (identical vocabulary listing, however, extraordinary test words) till 50% changed into completed. Some college students observed it tough before everything or didn’t like the retests, but inside a month or so all of us turned into attempting hard to get the quality rating viable. At the opposite cease of the scale, high rankings have been positioned closer to points to a “Good document” on your homework diary e-book; a document of every piece of labor you needed to do at domestic, and which parents needed to sign every week, so they may see how well you have been doing, or trouble you have been worried in at college. This turned into an easy gadget but influenced some people greatly as they wanted to electrify their mother and father and show what they could do.

Now let’s leap over to Okinawa and the vocabulary test I noted above along with 5 phrases that the students already recognize the order of, and they may be the only phrases they should examine. A scholar does not examine in any respect, sleeps all through the ten-minute test and receives zero points. They don’t surely care because there’s no consequence of the test. It may also or won’t be positioned for the student’s very last term or year-stop grade, however when you consider that these grades haven’t any actual that means both there’s no incentive for them to place any attempt in. Retests are non-existent at lunchtime or after college (within the case of the latter I turned into told, “Students want to move home or have clubs”, and sports golf equipment normally take precedence over educational things).

So you can end up with a pupil at the stop of the year who has finished no homework assignments, were given 0 in each take a look at and in all likelihood mustered the electricity to put in writing their name on their lease of 12 months examination before going to sleep, and simply being instructed they need to work tougher subsequent year. They don’t, and so the method continues until they go away the school machine. There is a reward gadget in an area within the form of stickers or stamps, at plenty of junior excessive colleges, and those encourage some college students to volunteer and do paintings. But I constantly don’t forget to analyze a quote from someone a whole lot greater professional than me, who stated that prizes/bribes/rewards are excellent, however, care ought to be taken to ensure they don’t turn out to be the sole purpose of gaining knowledge of. Once this happens, and the praise is removed, so is the motivation for analyzing.

The field gadget does depart a good deal to be favored too in Japanese colleges. I’m now not advocating bringing returned corporal punishment (initially wrote “capital punishment”… A Freudian slip, possibly?), however, college students appear to wield complete strength, even more so than in Western faculties. It is genuinely not possible to do away with a pupil from a category due to the fact it’s far “depriving them of a schooling”, even if their moves are depriving the relaxation of the class of the danger to research. Which can lead to anarchic lessons every so often? In a category I witnessed some weeks in the past there had been 20 students; 7 had been drowsing, 6 spoke with every different throughout the school room, three had been analyzing their personal books, with handiest four students attempting to pay attention to the trainer. Every so often the trainer would try to wake up a number of the scholars or forestall them speak to every other. The college students might simply wave or push away the instructor and move back to what they have been doing. In addition, principles and vice-ideas are not concerned within the disciplining; that role is assigned to an exceptional teacher every 12 months.

This has ended up being loads longer than I notion it might be, so thanks in case you’ve caught with it and got via all of it. These aren’t all the problems involved, and there are some appropriate sides to English training right here. Hopefully, in a piece of writing I the near destiny, I will check a number of the other factors concerned in teaching English here in Japan.

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