HAVE FUN While Learning English

One of the exercises I had to do while taking a voice class at Temple University was to stand up and secure one bent leg with one hand behind me while extending the other hand in front of me.  Why?  That's what I was wondering at the time too.  The point is not only to help you "center" and "direct" your voice, but to distract you while trying to do it.  And it helped!  Letting go of inhibitions can really help when it comes to anything to do with vocalizing whether it be learning to sing, or learning a new language.
I've always been told I'm a serious person.  Having integrity is important to me, but a sense of humor can be important too.  After establishing what a student's goals are, and targeting their problem areas, I like to help them "become distracted" and have fun while making improvements.
Using clips from sit-coms (comedy programs) for exercises is one way students can have fun while learning English.  A short vocabulary list is given for the student to learn before watching the brief video clip, and then some questions are provided for the student to answer.  So along with building vocabulary, the ability to utilize context for comprehension is also being developed.  Having a laugh about something funny we've read is also a great way to find ourselves distracted while making improvements during a lesson.

Lastly, alcohol is a natural muscle relaxer.  As the tongue is a muscular organ, why not have a glass of wine before practicing your English.  I'm not recommending making a habit of it, but once in a while might be ok!

How NOT to Read in English

English online is the most convenient and effective way for people in Japan to learn English.

Click here to view article about language preparation for the Olympics in Japan .

Communication Tips

Tips for speaking to an American   

                           Eye contact

Making eye contact with someone is important in America.  Holding eye contact with someone during a conversation demonstrates confidence and tends to generate a feeling of trust.

Personal space

This may be more important in America than a lot of other countries, as most Americans don’t feel comfortable if someone is standing too close to them while speaking with them.  It is important to maintain a distance of about four feet or more between yourself and the person you are talking to. 

       Exhibit good listening skills and don’t interrupt

In some cultures it is ok to interrupt, but not in America.  Making sure you show the person you are talking to that you place value on what they are saying is important, and not interrupting them is one way you can do this.  Another way you can demonstrate your good listening skills is to look interested in what they are saying and once in a while repeat something important they have said back to them.  Click on the link for more information about this. 

Different settings call for different and more specific etiquette.  For example, if you are conversing with a standardized patient for the Step 2 CS test to get your U.S. medical license, you need to exhibit a lot of empathy during the conversation.  For a business meeting, empathy may not be appropriate, but attentive listening would be. 

Along with good speaking skills, communication skills, which include body language and cultural norms, are important.

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English- Evolving or Devolving Language?

Is English an evolving or devolving language?
As I use clips from various television programs for student exercises, I find students having more difficulty understanding what people are saying in recent shows, as opposed to older television programs.  Speech from older programs seems to be more intelligible (understandable).  I've chosen two clips from two programs- one is from Mike and Molly which is a very recent program, and the other is from I Love Lucy which was produced in the 1950's.

•  Please watch the two clips below and leave comments as to which was easier for you to understand.

Sorry your comments are not showing up!  I am going to have to work on this and fix it.  Thank you.

Which video can you understand better?  I Love Lucy or Mike and Molly?

A Cry of Hope

-An initial cry echoed in a town that was filled with rubble and debris…..

Translated by: Masaharu Yamauchi, from Focus magazine, Japan                      

山内　雅晴

Edited by: Rebecca Silva

Words sometimes show their cruel fangs.

“Hang in there.” “I support you.” Encouragement given to the sufferers.

But, they had already hung in there. How could they hang in there anymore?

There is nothing like a hope that is formed from ‘warmth’, not empty words.

“She was born on an unforgettable Spring day. People treated us very kindly, and that’s why we had to express much thanks to them. My husband and I talked about that. We named her ‘Sumire’ (it is composed of three Chinese characters that represent congratulations, beauty, and thankful.) to convey our feelings for her.”

“In an evacuation center, I was blessed with a lot of kindness. Some people brought portable heat packs and put a stove on for me even though it was forbidden because of the oil shortage.”

Parents’ smiles and Sumire’s sleeping face are a shining ray of recovery.

Existence beyond helpless words.

A tiny life brings big hope to the devastated area.