Field Trip to the World Railway Exhibition 2016

We visited the World Railway Exhibition 2016 at Pacifico Yokohama, which ran from July 16 to September 11 that year.

Even on the bus, teachers spoke in English about the scenery and the displays we would see, continuing our immersion approach.
The children were fascinated by cars and the view outside, and it was rewarding to see their English develop through questions and songs.

Inside the exhibition, there were trains everywhere!
The small models actually moved rather than simply standing on display, and the children watched with great concentration.

Specialist railway discussion was still beyond their English, but familiar questions worked well.
Asked how many trains were running, they counted, “One, two, three, four…”
Asked a train’s color, they answered, “Blue!” or “A blue train!”

Numbers and colors were things they had already learned in lessons.

We choose questions carefully so a new experience not only introduces new ideas but also deepens understanding of familiar expressions.

Meaningful, direct experiences matter.
Although the exhibition trains were models, seeing them offered something more tangible than pictures, videos or vocabulary alone. We want to continue valuing these outings.