Sometimes, when I ask my students,
How are you?
....they laugh!
"How are you?" is a normal question! It's not funny. Foreign people ask this ALL the time. I ask my mom almost everyday on Skype. I ask my co-workers and students. Some people say "How's iｔ going?" "What's up?" or "How have you been?" but basically they express the same thing. It's a VERY common question. You cannot ignore it. (And just because it's a group lesson, doesn't make it okay to ignore the teacher and expect someone else to answer!)
And sometimes this happens:
me: How are you?
student: Haha! How are you?
Seriously- you need to answer the question!
Here are some possible answers to "How are you?"
*I'm fine.
*I'm good, thanks. How are you?
*I'm great! I had a good weekend.
*Not bad, thanks.
*I'm okay.
*I'm tired.
*I'm not so good.
*Terrible. I had a bad day at work.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Car talk!
POINT 1
me: How did you get to Yamagata?
B: I went by my car.
Mr B's answer is a little weird. "I went by car," is better. Most people will assume it is his car, so he doesn't need to say "my car." If it's a rental, then "I went by rental car," sounds okay. But actually, the best answer is..........
"I drove."
POINT 2
me: What kind of car do you have?
B: Uh..................a normal car.
C: Just a car.
D: A small car.
B,C,and D are not very specific! Maybe it's not a common question in Japan, but Americans always ask each other what kind of car they have. And by "what kind," they usually mean year, make, and model (in that order). Make is the manufacturer (Honda, BMW, etc) and model is the specific classification (Accord, 320d, etc).
examples:
I have a 2010 Honda Fit.
I have a 1964 Ford Mustang.
culture
Americans are pretty proud of their cars! Some people even name their cars. It depends on the city, but most people drive everyday from when they are in high school (about 16 or 17 years old). Almost always, both the husband and wife of a family have their own car, and usually the kids get their own car after they get their license. Unless they are rich, teenagers often get used cars. A lot of high school students work part time after school to pay for car insurance or gas. Most high schools have student parking lots.
Even if they are old, dirty, or beat up, people are still quite attached to their cars. (Actually, compared to the new, sparkling clean cars in Japan, Americans' cars are often rather old and beat up looking).
Some people are loyal to one manufacturer. For example, some families only buy Toyota. Some people who have a Ford, hate Chevy (and vice versa). Honda is probably the most popular Japanese car, but it is considered expensive. Recently Korean cars, such as Kia are becoming popular, because they are more affordable.
So...cars are pretty important!
me: How did you get to Yamagata?
B: I went by my car.
Mr B's answer is a little weird. "I went by car," is better. Most people will assume it is his car, so he doesn't need to say "my car." If it's a rental, then "I went by rental car," sounds okay. But actually, the best answer is..........
"I drove."
POINT 2
me: What kind of car do you have?
B: Uh..................a normal car.
C: Just a car.
D: A small car.
B,C,and D are not very specific! Maybe it's not a common question in Japan, but Americans always ask each other what kind of car they have. And by "what kind," they usually mean year, make, and model (in that order). Make is the manufacturer (Honda, BMW, etc) and model is the specific classification (Accord, 320d, etc).
examples:
I have a 2010 Honda Fit.
I have a 1964 Ford Mustang.
culture
Americans are pretty proud of their cars! Some people even name their cars. It depends on the city, but most people drive everyday from when they are in high school (about 16 or 17 years old). Almost always, both the husband and wife of a family have their own car, and usually the kids get their own car after they get their license. Unless they are rich, teenagers often get used cars. A lot of high school students work part time after school to pay for car insurance or gas. Most high schools have student parking lots.
Even if they are old, dirty, or beat up, people are still quite attached to their cars. (Actually, compared to the new, sparkling clean cars in Japan, Americans' cars are often rather old and beat up looking).
Some people are loyal to one manufacturer. For example, some families only buy Toyota. Some people who have a Ford, hate Chevy (and vice versa). Honda is probably the most popular Japanese car, but it is considered expensive. Recently Korean cars, such as Kia are becoming popular, because they are more affordable.
So...cars are pretty important!
When I was...??
Many many Japanese people say:
When I was a high school student...
When I was a junior high school student...
etc.
This is perfectly correct English...however, this is better and simpler:
When I was in high school...
When I was in junior high school...
etc.
Native English speakers don't really say "When I was a high school student..." So it sounds a little awkward.
examples: When I was in college, I played volleyball.
When I was in elementary school, I met my best friend.
When I was a high school student...
When I was a junior high school student...
etc.
This is perfectly correct English...however, this is better and simpler:
When I was in high school...
When I was in junior high school...
etc.
Native English speakers don't really say "When I was a high school student..." So it sounds a little awkward.
examples: When I was in college, I played volleyball.
When I was in elementary school, I met my best friend.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Don't forget to say...
When someone sneezes, English speakers almost always say "Bless you."
There may be some places lacking this custom, but it is the norm in America, England, Canada, and many other countries. In fact, if you don't say it, it is usually considered rude. Yes, ignoring the person (or worse- simply laughing at them) is very rude. Almost every native English speaker I know says "Bless you," or "God bless you," after a sneeze. Sometimes we even say it to nearby strangers on a bus or in a shop.
Not only English speakers, but people all over the world have some typical response to a sneeze (usually a reference to health or long life). According to Wikipedia, Japan is the only country where, "nothing is said."
So...next time you're speaking English and someone sneezes- you might want to say "Bless you!"
PS: Some English speakers also use the German "Gesundheit." That's good too- it means health.
(article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_sneezing)
There may be some places lacking this custom, but it is the norm in America, England, Canada, and many other countries. In fact, if you don't say it, it is usually considered rude. Yes, ignoring the person (or worse- simply laughing at them) is very rude. Almost every native English speaker I know says "Bless you," or "God bless you," after a sneeze. Sometimes we even say it to nearby strangers on a bus or in a shop.
Not only English speakers, but people all over the world have some typical response to a sneeze (usually a reference to health or long life). According to Wikipedia, Japan is the only country where, "nothing is said."
So...next time you're speaking English and someone sneezes- you might want to say "Bless you!"
PS: Some English speakers also use the German "Gesundheit." That's good too- it means health.
(article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_sneezing)
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Bagels and Pork Chops
Be more specific.
Bread.
There are many kinds of bread. Toast with butter, croissants, bagels,
pancakes, waffles, rolls, French toast, English muffins, Italian bread,
raisin bread, danish bread...
Often, when I ask my students, “What did you have for breakfast?” they reply, “Bread.” When most Americans hear “bread,” they think of a slice of plain white bread. No butter, no jam. Not toasted. Just a piece of...bread. So, it’s better to be specific when asked. For example, “I had toast with strawberry jam,” or “I had a cream cheese danish.” No one really says, “I ate bread.”
Same with meat. We only say, “I ate meat,” if we cannot tell what kind of meat it was which we were eating. Which means, it was so strange looking and odd tasting, that we couldn’t figure out its origins. As in, “Gee, I don’t know if this is from a cow, pig, or chicken! I’ll have to call it ‘meat.’” (Unfortunately, public school lunches sometimes have “meat.”)
Compare it to fish. It would sound unnatural if we replied “Fish,” in Japanese when asked what we ate. We would say what kind of fish, or how it was cooked. Grilled fish, tuna, sashimi, etc. Not just “fish.”
Be more specific.
Often, when I ask my students, “What did you have for breakfast?” they reply, “Bread.” When most Americans hear “bread,” they think of a slice of plain white bread. No butter, no jam. Not toasted. Just a piece of...bread. So, it’s better to be specific when asked. For example, “I had toast with strawberry jam,” or “I had a cream cheese danish.” No one really says, “I ate bread.”
Same with meat. We only say, “I ate meat,” if we cannot tell what kind of meat it was which we were eating. Which means, it was so strange looking and odd tasting, that we couldn’t figure out its origins. As in, “Gee, I don’t know if this is from a cow, pig, or chicken! I’ll have to call it ‘meat.’” (Unfortunately, public school lunches sometimes have “meat.”)
Compare it to fish. It would sound unnatural if we replied “Fish,” in Japanese when asked what we ate. We would say what kind of fish, or how it was cooked. Grilled fish, tuna, sashimi, etc. Not just “fish.”
Be more specific.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
How do you do?
"How do you do?"
I've seen this question in English text books. I was surprised because I NEVER say this. I thought maybe people other than me (30-year-old American girl) might say it. So I asked my mom (50's) and people from other English-speaking countries (such as a teenager from England). And apparently....
No one uses it anymore.
I did some research. It's old. It was used in the 1800's among the British upper class. You might see it in a very old British novel. It is rarely used anymore- only very formal situations in Britain. (Even that is doubtful. -.-;; )
So if you are meeting someone for the first time, "Hello. Nice to meet you," will suffice. And if you are meeting people you already know, then just "How are you?" or "Have have you been?"
If you are young, "What's up," is okay too.
I've seen this question in English text books. I was surprised because I NEVER say this. I thought maybe people other than me (30-year-old American girl) might say it. So I asked my mom (50's) and people from other English-speaking countries (such as a teenager from England). And apparently....
No one uses it anymore.
I did some research. It's old. It was used in the 1800's among the British upper class. You might see it in a very old British novel. It is rarely used anymore- only very formal situations in Britain. (Even that is doubtful. -.-;; )
So if you are meeting someone for the first time, "Hello. Nice to meet you," will suffice. And if you are meeting people you already know, then just "How are you?" or "Have have you been?"
If you are young, "What's up," is okay too.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
bakin' bakin' bakin'
I baked peanut butter cookies. Very good! I prefer chocolate chip, but these are nice too.
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