先日、AES英会話のTiffany先生が名古屋の椙山女学園大学で開催された英語教育イベント「English Educators’ Extravaganza」に参加しました。今回は、その学びや気づきを先生自身の言葉でご紹介します。

Creating Connections: My Experience at the English Educators’ Extravaganza

Hello, Tiffany here!

I recently had the opportunity to attend the English Educators’ Extravaganza at Sugiyama Jogakuen University in Nagoya. English teachers from all over Japan gathered to share ideas, learn from one another, and reflect on how we can better support our students.

It was such a refreshing and inspiring day. I came home feeling excited and full of new ideas for our students at AES.

The theme of the event was:

“Creating Connection. Deeper learning begins with shared experiences.”

That message really stayed with me.

Throughout the day, I joined presentations about children’s growth, language development, and practical, engaging ways to teach English in the classroom. Listening to other teachers reminded me that learning English isn’t just about memorizing vocabulary — it’s about building confidence, communication skills, and meaningful real-life experiences.

One presentation that especially stood out was by Katie Kato and Brian Shepherd. They spoke about “learning language through play and experience,” which felt very natural and aligned with how children truly learn.

They asked a simple but powerful question:

How do children learn best?

The answer: through exploring, asking questions, and creating.

When we think about our own childhood, we didn’t learn everything from books. We learned by trying things, talking with friends, being curious, and even making mistakes. That’s when learning becomes meaningful and memorable. Language learning should feel the same way.

This event was organized by the InTogether Educator group, a community of passionate English educators in Japan who focus on collaboration and practical classroom development. Being surrounded by teachers who are actively learning and sharing ideas reminded me how important it is for us as educators to continue growing too.

After hearing the presentations, I started thinking about how I can bring more of this approach into my classes at AES.

I would love to use more picture books and storytelling activities to spark conversations. Even discussing a single image together can help students feel more comfortable expressing their ideas. When children feel like they “have something to say,” their confidence grows naturally.

I also want to create more hands-on experiences where students can use English in real and fun situations — such as student-run events, cooking activities like making their own pizza, or special programs like a summer camp at KyotanGO SPOT.

These experiences allow students to explore, collaborate, and be creative. They become special memories — and English becomes part of those memories, not just something from a textbook.

My hope is that our students see English not only as a school subject, but as a tool to connect, express themselves, and enjoy new experiences.

I’m truly grateful that I could attend this event and learn from so many dedicated teachers. I’m excited to bring these ideas back to AES and continue building a classroom where students feel confident, curious, and happy to use English every day.

— Tiffany