Yes, I use katakana in my lessons. It’s really something that gets me kind of bummed out to the max,like you know…But I just don’t have the time to put some phonics into the lesson. I do throw phonics in sometimes but largely it’s throwing a huge curveball at the students. But I also use katakana for the Japanese teacher who is usually afraid to talk and most of the time is gonna sit in the back staring at their watches(hopefully not). And now for the humdinger…. I use katakana to keep a speaking ratio of 60 percent students and 40 percent me. First of all, I made sure that the students understand the meaning of said lesson. Next it’s written up on the wall and put into the mix. The mix is usually a pass game or a standing game or a quiz game to make it a little fun. I will not do such games as Yama-Michi that will turn any English lesson back into a Japanese Lesson. But think about it…Your a part timer ALT now teaching 1st grade elementary to 3rd grade Junior High..And probably doing some Eikaiwa stuff afterwards(Thank you cheap BOEs and Greedy Dispatch Companies)…Time and effort are not quality resources any longer. Throw some katakana in to help you save your voice for one thing…But I also find it gets the students and teachers more involved because it’s familiar. Jay Onyskin