Event Highlight: Kikokushijo Academy Students Take English-Learning Outdoors

日本語版はこちら.

Recently, over fifty fifth-grade students from Kikokushijo Academy visited the Sport & Do RESOL NO MORI resort in Chiba for the program’s new Outdoor Retreat event.

The trips took place on May 16th to 17th and June 13th to 14th, with a similar itinerary on both weekends. Students from every KA school participated in the trips, where they studied original KA materials, played sports both indoors and outdoors, and spent a valuable time making new friends while staying together in log cottages.

Kikokushijo Academy Lessons

On each day of the trip, students took part in lessons created specifically for the overnight retreat. Lessons included practicing interview skills vital in the students’ Juken journeys. They also read and examined a reading passage based on the lesson’s topic before moving on to a writing activity.

Students worked in pairs to create spooky stories that they would perform later that night around a campfire. Before writing their stories, the students worked together to brainstorm ideas and plan their story.

Once students started writing, KA instructors helped guide them with their writing. This is a key attribute of all KA lessons, where teachers give advice and guide students on how to improve their writing instead of only correcting their mistakes for them.

After writing, students practiced performing their stories. KA instructors gave advice on how to convey different emotions in their storytelling. All of this led to an engaging campfire activity where the students reenacted their spooky stories in front of their peers.

Health in Focus

On the second day’s lessons, the students worked on their own to reflect on the weekend’s activities, with the assistance of the KA instructors for the Assisted Writing Exercise.

Throughout the trip, students participated in a variety of sports and other activities both indoors and outdoors.

On the first day, they spent two hours inside a large indoor gymnasium, where the students played volleyball, badminton, curling, and races.

On the second day, students played a version of tag called “Sharks and Minnows,” kickball, and ultimate frisbee on a large outdoor field.

The purpose of the activities was to have students speak in English in a more active environment. After each activity, the students wrote in a journal to reflect on their experiences, which was then used in a lesson on the last day.

In addition to the sports, students enjoyed delicious meals from the resort’s buffets. Most of the food was made from local products and was carefully prepared with a healthy diet in mind.

At Kikokushijo Academy, we believe that English can go beyond the barriers of a classroom, and we hope that every student had a valuable experience while focusing on leading a healthy lifestyle.

Parent Testimonials

The feedback from both students and parents alike was overwhelmingly positive, with many stating that the overnight trip gave them confidence to speak English even more. Many parents were also elated that their children made new friends on the trip.

The events team at Kikokushijo Academy is working hard to create opportunities for our students to enjoy new experiences in an all-English environment. We believe that making friendships is vital for students to continue their bilingual pathway to the future.

We hope that our students are looking forward to all our future events and can gain valuable memories from them!

About Kikokushijo Academy

Founded in 2004, Kikokushijo Academy (KA) is Japan’s leading after-school program for returnee and bilingual students. Over two decades, KA has built a network of more than 16,000 alumni at top universities and in global careers.

KA also operates Rising Stars, a program for domestic students beginning their English-learning journey. KA is part of Global KA Holdings, Inc.

Learn more at kikokushijoacademy.com and globalka.com.