The Language Teacher
September 2000
Batter Up! English Classroom Baseball
Michael Graves Klug
Ibaraki City Board of Education
QUICK GUIDE
Key Words: Speaking, Listening, Review
Learner English Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Learner Maturity Level: Junior High School
Preparation Time: 15-30 minutes
Activity Time: 30 minutes or more
Classroom Baseball is a classic American elementary school activity that is readily adaptable for use in junior high school classrooms in baseball-loving Japan. Although in my own elementary school days, Classroom Baseball was usually played to review arithmetic, the game has more recently served well in my team- taught Japanese English classes. This useful and enjoyable activity enables students to get up and move about the classroom while using English. In the game, students make hits and score runs by successfully answering questions in English. Classroom Baseball is highly flexible in terms of what type of English language content may be employed to serve as the basis of the activity. In my own classes, Classroom Baseball is utilized as a periodic review activity for unit content from the Sunshine English Course textbook. The game encourages spirited competitiveness and engages students regardless of ability level.
Setup
In Classroom Baseball, the four corners of the classroom serve as the bases on the baseball diamond. The ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) assumes the role of permanent pitcher, offering up questions for each batter to answer, while the JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) serves as umpire, standing behind the hitter and making the necessary judgment calls. Outs and innings are variable. Although baseball innings commonly consist of three outs, allowing only two outs per inning can make Classroom Baseball more interesting with added pressure on each hitter to do well, and with more back and forth action between teams. A three-out Classroom Baseball game tends to become one-sided very quickly, often leading to slackening efforts on the part of the players. In a 50-minute class period anywhere from five to eight innings are playable with a two-out game.
Students should be divided into two relatively equally matched teams of batters. This can be done in any number of ways, but often the easiest way is to simply split the class in half. The two teams then choose a name for their team and appoint a captain. As suggested in Martin (1996), to promote team spirit and identity, the students themselves should be allowed to write a team name logo on the blackboard above the space where the JTE or ALT will record that team's runs and outs. At the ALT and JTE's discretion, the students may be allowed to decide their own batting order, or the batting order may simply follow the students' classroom seating arrangement. The captains of the two teams should then play "scissors, rock, paper" or flip a coin for the privilege of batting first.
Game Play
Structure of play is as follows. The team that bats first sends its leadoff hitter to the improvised batter's box. The ALT/Pitcher asks the batter if he or she would like to try for a "single, double, triple, or home run?" i.e., a one-, two-, or three-base hit, or home run question. The ALT then "pitches" an appropriate selection from a prepared list of single, double, triple, and home run questions. If the batter answers the question correctly, he or she moves to the corresponding base. If the batter answers incorrectly, then he or she is out. Runs are scored either by correctly answering a home run question, or by "batting in" a runner already on base. There is no base stealing in Classroom Baseball. It is important to make this clear beforehand, as some zealous players (often school baseball club members) will invariably attempt to steal bases.
Pitch Questions
If the game is played to review content from specific units, it may be helpful to inform the students beforehand from which units the questions will be drawn. An appropriate "single" question in a first- or second-year junior high school English class might require the batter to translate a vocabulary word into Japanese (in a case such as this, the JTE/Umpire's judgment and expertise may be very helpful). A "double" question might involve spelling a more difficult vocabulary word on the blackboard. A "triple" or "home run" question might involve orally paraphrasing or translating a key textbook phrase into English. At the ALT & JTE's discretion, a partially correct answer on a three base or home run question can be ruled as a single, rather than an out (of course, it is important to be fair and consistent with this policy).
Special Considerations
In certain classrooms there may be problems with teammates helping a player by way of shouting out the answer, or otherwise clueing in the batter. The ALT and JTE should try to nip this potential problem in the bud by explaining beforehand that these illegal actions will result in an automatic out for the offending team.
In some situations when the game runs long or starts late, teachers may wish to make a written record of the game's present condition (score, inning, number of outs, and names of players on base) and continue the game in a future class.
Conclusions
Classroom Baseball is a useful and flexible review activity for junior high school English classes in Japan. The game is enjoyable for students and teachers alike. Classroom Baseball can make the routine task of course content review more active and communicative as it challenges lower achieving students to make an effort for their team, and at the same time gives more accomplished students a chance to show off and be "heavy hitters."
References
Martin, B.D. (1996). The busy teacher's survival guide. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials Inc.
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