Ideas for a Great ALT Self-Intro lesson

During the first week of the new school year, ALTs will be expected to introduce themselves to all of their classes. This first self-intro lesson can set the tone for the rest of the year. It’s important to have an easy to understand, fun and interesting introduction prepared.

Let’s take a look at some ideas and materials you can use to introduce yourself.

Side note: If you’re computer savvy and like making slideshows etc. I would suggest checking with your HRT/JTE first to make sure your files can be transferred and presented. It would be pretty disappointing if you put together a great slideshow only to find out that you cannot use it.

Also, you will probably be doing your self–intro lesson many times (depending on the size of your school) so your materials should be easily accessible and ready to go.

Pictures and photos

Pictures and photos are probably the easiest and most straight forward method of introducing yourself. Using pictures along with simple vocabulary is the best way to get your ideas across. Here are some good picture ideas:

1. Likes and dislikes

– showing your likes and dislikes is a great way to connect with your students. If you like pizza, show them a picture of a pizza and say “I like pizza!” I guarantee you will get a good response. If you don’t like spiders, show it and say it and see who else feels the same way.

2. Hobbies and interests

– Sharing your hobbies and interests with pictures is a no-brainer. If you are into drawing pictures, you can share some of your drawings. If you like reading books, you can share your favorite book or genre. If you like sports, you can share who your favorite athlete is.

3. Home country/ hometown

– Sharing a picture of your home country is essential. Show your country’s national flag and then follow up with some recognizable landmarks. You can also be more personal and introduce your hometown. Share what your hometown is famous for. For example, the best fried tomatoes in the country! Or the best chicken soup! The students will love to hear about it.

Realia / physical items

Realia can be a fun and interactive way to introduce yourself. If you are crafty and like making things, you can bring something you made and pass it around. Also, showing any items from your home country (nothing really big and fragile), can be a really nice addition to your self – intro. For example, a boomerang from Australia, metal chopsticks from Korea or even some coins or paper currency from your home country can work!

Keep it simple

While giving your self-intro, remember to use simple and easy vocabulary. Using pictures will help you get your point across and pointing to the specific images while speaking, will make it even easier. Interacting with the students during your self-intro is also a great idea.

For example, many students are already familiar with colors or the phrase “I like…” So, if you say “I like blue” take that opportunity to ask the students what color they like.

Leftover Time

After your self-introduction is over, there are a couple of things you can do with the remaining time left in your lesson.

1. Q & A – Depending on your Japanese ability or your HRTs/JTEs English ability, you can use the remaining time of your lesson for a fun Q&A session. Let the students freely ask you questions in Japanese, but of course, encourage them to try English. This is really fun for the students and lets them find out more about you.

2. Self-introduction game – Have the students stand up and walk around the classroom and introduce themselves to each other. You can give them a simple script to follow and practice it with them, for example:

Hello, my name is …
I like…
Nice to meet you!

Depending on how much time is left in the lesson, you can set a timer or give the students a limit of classmates to introduce themselves to, for example: Please find 3/5/10 friends! Ready, set, go!

Written by –E.P. Musashino ALT.

We hope this gives you some ideas for a great ALT self intro lesson! If you are interested in being an ALT in Japan, check out our Apply page for our latest jobs.