Michael Sandel and Justic on NHK

Looks at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKtPI8IMuOM

These Tokyo University students are not speaking English. Why is that?? The Shanghai students (and of course Harvard) are speaking English with no difficulty. The Chinese kids are confident, high level English speakers. People around the world have been interested in Sandel these days- and people around the world will watch these videos, especially those focusing on the earthquake and nuclear issues. These university students (from the best universities in Japan) should be speaking English. They are highly intelligent people.
I watched this show last Saturday evening. From what I saw, only one Japanese girl spoke English to Sandel. She was able to communicate without a translator. Good for her! Now what about the rest of them? NHK should have chosen kids that can speak English. This video an embarrassment to the nation.
It is NOT that these kids are dumb or inferior to other Asians. Something is wrong with the education system. And there is a severe problem with confidence and social skills. As an educator and resident of Japan, I am disappointed. Hopefully the next generation will show more ability.

Obon....America

Recently, students have asked me if there is an obon holiday/festival in America.

No. There is nothing similar to obon that I can think of. Actually, we really don't have a custom to visit graves (at least at a specific time of the year). Some people visit the graves of friends/family at various times throughout the year. For example, on the dead persons birthday, or wedding anniversary if the deceased is a spouse. If a person is Christian, they will most likely pray at home or in church, to their dead loved ones rather than take a trip to the cemetery. The good thing is- they can do this anytime! In general, the grave itself is not so important.

Also, often a person is buried far away from home, or the relatives are all in different places. Some people have "famliy" graves, but some do not. Some people are cremated, others buried.

And...there are many different belief systems and religions in the US, so there are various ways to honor the dead. This is often a private matter to people.

We do have fireworks on the 4th of July (Independence Day). Some towns have summer events- things like strawberry festivals or jazz festivals.
And we have a lot of barbecues and family gatherings throughout the summer. Students have 2 or 3 months off from school, so they have a lot of time to see family, take a vacation, or a day trip to the beach or mountains. Adults will often take a week off of work sometime during the summer.

楽しみ！

～（すろの）を楽しみにする
 I'm looking forward to～

    examples (with a verb):
I'm looking forward to seeing the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
I'm looking forward to studying French.
I'm looking forward to going out with you this weekend.
    or (with a noun)...
I'm looking forward to the weekend.
I'm looking forward to Sunday night.
I'm looking forward to dessert.

Try it!! 

Book Off!!!

Strange name for a bookstore...
Anyway, I went there last night and they have many good English books (easy level books too). Some of them are very cheap. Lots of books for adults and children, and some magazines too. So if you can't afford those high-priced Maruzen books, go check out Book Off!

English times

Noon= 12 o'clock in the afternoon

For example: "Let's meet at the station at noon." 

Midnight= 12 o'clock at night

You cannot use midnight if you are talking about 2 am, or 4 am, or any other random time during the night. It is ONLY for 12:00.
For example:"The new Harry Potter movie starts at midnight." or "I fell asleep at midnight."

So use it carefully. ^-^

British v. American English

some differences:

British             American


bath                bathtub
bedsit              studio apartment (small apartment, one room only)
cloakroom        half bathroom (bathroom with just a toilet and sink- no tub)
flat                 apartment
tap                 faucet
toilet               bathroom
wardrobe         closet

idiom!

"once in a blue moon" means rarely; occasionally

Bob: Do you ever go fishing?
Luther: Once in a blue moon.

Jenny: Do you drink much alcohol?
Flemy: I did when I was in college, but now only once in a blue moon.

Frank: What do you think of the school principal?
Eliza: I don't have much of an opinion about him. I only see him once in a blue moon. He's almost always in his office.


Use it wisely!!

仙台コーヒで

Group lessons at Sendai Koffee! 

Sendai Koffee is a lovely cafe. Quiet, comfortable, and good apple pie! I'll be giving lessons there on Thursday nights for 2500 yen. The price includes a drink of your choice.

Lesson content: lots of conversation and some text book study. Plus some other fun stuff.

Come and learn English! 

BOOK OFF!

has good English books. I got some today- 2 text books, 1 book of American idioms (some outdated), TS Eliot's cat poems, and 2 readers. They also have a lot of novels, magazines, and cook books. I wish they had more books for children, but they only had a few. So cheap too! I'll have to go back.

And now folks, here's an outdated idiom for you:

"spruce up" means- to clean or redecorate

for example: My living room was a mess, so I spruced it up before my friends came over. 

English- it's good for you.

Once a week?

Is one hour per week enough for English study?


No.

And this is not a conniving attempt to get people to sign up for more lessons. Both children and adults need to study outside of their English school. When they get home, in the library, or at a cafe with friends- anytime, anywhere. Obviously it is best to talk to foreigners, but if native speakers are not available, there are many other options.

Outside of class you can...

Have a conversation with foreign people (in an English cafe, bar where foreigners frequent, with friends, etc.). You can pick up lots of natural phrases, improve your listening skills, and become more comfortable in a social situation.
Review the text book. Or you'll forget what you learned!
Watch TV/listen to music. In English. There are several English dramas for rent, movies on TV, and music for free online. Find something you enjoy, and it will be very helpful.
Read books/magazines. Pick a topic you love and find a book on it. If the original book is too difficult, try graded readers, such as "Oxford Progressive English Readers." Famous books are simplified and made easy to read. Several levels are available. Manga is useful. Books for adolescents are fun and easier to read as well.
Write. Writing is VERY helpful, especially if you get your teacher to check it. You can learn lots of things that will be useful for future conversations. Also, it's good to actually write down and then see the sentences on paper. For example, write a diary about your daily activities, an essay on current events, or your opinion about a topic important to you. You can learn a lot from your mistakes.

There are several ways to practice and use your English skills outside of the classroom. It's VERY important that you do something. If you take piano lessons, you should practice the piano at home everyday. If you take Karate lessons, you should practice or exercise at home as well. Same with art, cooking, and everything else. Once a week is not enough. 頑張ってね。

Japan...and the rest of Asia

I bought "プレジデントFamily" magazine, because it has several articles about English education. One of them compared junior high text books for Japan, Korea, China, and India. Unfortunately, (yet predictably) the Japanese book was pretty pathetic. The English level is fairly low (appropriate for elementary kids).  The Korean one incorporates, not only English, but logical thinking skills. The Chinese one seemed useful for learning natural everyday conversation (at a fairly high level). And the Indian one was just....advanced. But then the University entrance test was high level (fluent) English. How can one master a language in just 6 years? It's impossible.

I realized that the problem lies with fact that children start learning English far too late. They should start in kindergarten. They should have English class at least once a week in elementary school.  They need to play and talk with native speakers (or Japanese people with VERY good English). Instead of getting it crammed in their brains from 13 years old, they should pick up naturally and in enjoyable classes from 5 or 6 years old. Kindergartens should have foreign and Japanese teachers. At that age, they can pick up 2 languages with no problem. I have taught several students who went to international kindergarten, and then normal Japanese elementary school. They spoke very well (good pronunciation, natural speech), but also had no problems learning Japanese.

It seems as if the writers of such articles, parents, (young, modern-thinking) teachers, and educated people of Japan all seem to realize this problem. It's obvious and everyone knows it. For the sake of the future, these problem need not only to be recognized, but solved. And soon.

English Schools, Large and Small

Yes, it's hard to care about your students as individuals with specific needs and goals when you have over 1000 of them, most of whom you've never met.  And I've never much cared for gray walls and plastic cubicles either!

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20101102zg.html

~~~~~~~~~
And I will become a better teacher.

youth

Start young! Babies (and young children) and language skills. Easy article (with glossary):

http://www.english-online.at/science/language-learners/babies-are-good-language-learners.htm

I wish I learned Japanese when I was a baby...

Useful

Lots good articles for learning English, easy to read, many topics:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/

work

I started working again today and I am so happy.

 While in Tokyo, I got this! Very useful book.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/Barrons-504-Absolutely-Essential-Words/dp/0764128159/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302698459&sr=1-1-catcorr 
I usually don't like vocabulary books, as they can be tedious and ineffective, but this one- I like!

春春Postcard!!

小学生と英会話３

Lesson Content:
(レッスン内容)

15 minutes (or more) - Speaking/ conversation. Young children learn to introduce themselves and ask and answer simple questions. (For example: My name is ~. I like ~. What's your favorite animal? Today is Friday. etc...) Older children enjoy more complex conversation.

10 minutes- Vocabulary practice/review with cards or games.

15 minutes- Text book and work book: "Let's Go 1" or "Let's Go 2"
Usually one page/lesson.

10 minutes- Phonics. Young children start with alphabet writing and pronunciation practice; older children write words or simple sentences.

10 minutes- Game (spelling game, memory game, bingo, etc.) for review.

*Children who start learning English early (elementary school rather than junior high/high school) most often have better pronunciation. "Katakana English" is corrected and they learn native English pronunciation by listening to their native English teacher.
*They also have more confidence when they get to high school. With a fews years of English experience behind them, they often feel more comfortable speaking English in their high school class, or speaking to foreigners. Not only do they learn proper grammar and spelling, but also how to communicate properly and effectively with foreign people.
*An early English education prepares them for their future, whether in Japan or aboad.

小学生と英会話２

近年、楽天やユニクロのように社内で英語が必須になっている会社が増えています。

すべて英語ではなさなくてはいけない！

というとことまでいかなくても、パナソニックのように日本での新卒採用を減らし、海外で採用活動の比率を増やす会社もまた増えてきています。

仮に海外に出ないで働いたとしても、英語を話す人が同僚になるかもしれません。

日本の人口構造を考えると、近い将来そのような環境になる可能性はかなり高いのではないでしょうか？

私の知り合いにはTOEICで800点以上を取りながらも、あまり英語を話せない人がいます。

本当に必要なのは試験の点数ではなく、コミュニケーションスキルです。

私は特にここにこだわっています。

なるべく早くコミュニケーションスキルを磨くにはどうしたらよいのか？

これに対するの私の答えは「なるべくたくさんネイティブと話すこと」。これに尽きると思います。

私はプライベート、グループでも少数の授業しか行いません。

話す機会、特に英語で進んで質問できる能力を伸ばしていきます。

小学生と英会話１

小学生ぐらいの年頃の子供たちは外国語を学ぶのに一番適しています。

５年間で５００人近くの子供たちに教えてきた経験から私はそう考えています。

子供たちは「楽しい」と思うことはどんどん吸収していきます。


今お子様が習っている英語の授業は「楽しい」内容でしょうか？


また、英語を話す時間は授業に充分取り入れられているでしょうか？


英語を話すための近道はなるべくたくさんネイティブスピーカーと楽しい会話をすることだと考えています。

体験レッスン実施中です

内容：Normally, a lot of conversation (listening/speaking) (about 30 minutes)
30分はたくさん会話をしていただきます。
ネイティブとたくさん会話をするのが上達への近道だと考えています。
Text book work (with reading, writing, grammar, etc)
テキストブックも使用します。リーディング、ライティング、文法用です。
丸善で購入できる一般な物です。大手のように高額なテキスト代金はかかりません。

Sometimes vocabulary review, news articles, something else
時々、単語やニュース記事など新しいものを授業に取り入れて行きます。
 
*But if you have a request, I can make a plan to suit your needs.
ただ、生徒さんの要望にはなるべく合わせます。 
 
費用：　first is free. then 3500. 3000 for university students.

費用は3500円/１時間となります。　体験レッスンも実施中です。