【講師の英語日記】 How to improve English

One of the best ways to improve your English is to read. Many think they need more grammar or conversation; while these aspects are important, it is equally imperative to read each day–not text books or newspapers–but novels; you’ll see the English you miss when listening.

novels and narratives, such as autobiographies, show us how native speakers really talk. This globalizes learning–adding visual and interpretive cognition to our language processing. Also: watch talk shows; they’re live–not rehearsed and fake–showing culture, mannerisms.

[US] 26. Movies in Japan

One of the most convenient things about living in Japan is how often they show Western movies. I think it’s great that I get to watch American movies and foreign films in Japan, with the original audio. This is because many movies have Japanese subtitles, so I can watch movies in English all the time.

Going to the movies was a big pastime for me when I was in America. It brings back to the time when I would watch movies with my mother and father. My favorite snack is popcorn, so anytime I get an opportunity to eat it is wonderful.

Not only do I enjoy going to the movies (or the cinema as it’s more commonly referred to)  in Japan, but I also like renting movies as well. I have watched many films in Japan that I would never have the opportunity to in the United States. Watching movies in Japan is a fun experience!

Questions:

1) What is your favorite movie and why?

2) When is the last time you watched a movie?

3) When you go to the movies (or cinema), do you eat snacks? If so, what do you eat?

4) What kind of movies do you like to watch?

5) Do you prefer to watch movies with the original audio and just read subtitles or do you prefer to “dub” (change) the audio? Why?

Key Words and Phrases:

films / original / subtitles / pastime

snack / not only / but I also / as well

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[US] 25. Geography

One of the stereotypes about American people is that they don’t know much about other countries. The general idea is that Americans do not care about anything outside of America, and that many people in the country don’t consider other places interesting. I have read the same thing about some Japanese people.

According to some of my Japanese friends, many people in the country do not know about many other parts of the world, nor do they care. Which makes me wonder; how much is geography taught in schools and to what extent is it taught? Growing up in a family of many cultures, I was really fascinated with learning about different parts of the world. My goal is to go to as many countries as I possibly can, in order to expand my horizons. I wonder if many people in Japan want to do the same.

Questions:

1) What country would you like to visit and why?

2) How many countries have you visited?

3) In your opinion, do you think Japanese people in general are not interested in foreign countries? Why or why not?

4) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

5) What is the capital of the United States of America?

Key Words and Phrases:

nor do / geography / what extent

horizons / the same

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[US] 24. Tokyo vs. Osaka; Similar to New York vs. Los Angeles

Living in Japan, I get to see many interesting things. One of the more interesting aspects of living here is seeing the “rivalry” between Tokyo and Osaka. A long term expat told me that I’ll mostly like one or the other, but never both. Before coming to Japan, I thought I would like Osaka more since my idea of the city was more like the “Los Angeles” of Japan. However, since living here, I must say that I prefer the hustle and bustle of Tokyo more so than Osaka. It’s nice to visit Osaka, but I think my personality fits more with Tokyo.

 

In America, there’s a sort of rivalry going on between Los Angeles and New York City. Each with it’s own set of stereotypes, both cities offer a unique flair that sets them apart from each other. Personally, I prefer more of an “LA” style than “NYC” since it’s seems to be more stuffy and fast paced. Either way, the rivalry between both cities is similar to how people look at Tokyo and Osaka.

 

Questions:

 

1) Which do you prefer, Tokyo or Osaka? Why?

 

2) Have you lived in both cities? If you had the chance to move to the other city, would you? Why or why not?

 

3) What are some of the generalizations you have heard about Tokyo or Osaka people?

 

4) What are some of the generalizations you have heard about New York City or Los Angeles?

 

5) If you had to choose, where would you go New York City or Los Angeles? Why?

 

Key Words and Phrases:

 

rivalry

expat

hustle (and) bustle

more with

flair

stuffy

fast-paced

 

[US] 23. New Year’s in Japan and other holidays

One of the most interesting aspects about living in Japan is experiencing different holidays in the country. Personally, I love holidays and festivals in Japan, since I have a chance to eat tons of food. There are many interesting festivals in Japan, and from what I’ve seen, many individual towns and cities have their own unique way of celebrating. In America, we have similar holidays throughout the year, where we share moments with family and eat meals together.

Another interesting aspect of Japanese and American culture is how they celebrate the New Year. In Japan, many people visit temples and shrines and wish for a better year. In America, depending where you are, many people do different things. For example, last year, I went to downtown Houston and counted down the seconds until it turned midnight. These differences are very interesting and unique in their own way.

Questions:

1) What do you usually do during festivals and New Year’s?

2) What is your favorite holiday?

3) When you celebrate New Year’s, what do you usually do?

4) When you celebrate holidays, do you spend time with mostly family or friends?

5) What holiday are you looking forward to in the future?

Key Words and Phrases:

tons of / throughout the year / counted down

the seconds / midnight

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[US] 22. The Conveniences of Japan and America

Living here in Japan, I get the unique opportunity to compare and contrast the differences between cultures. One thing I like about living in Japan is the convenience of some parts of daily life. An example of this is paying bills at the convenience store. In America, there is no way I can do this (as far as I know), so being able to pay bills conveniently is something I really like about living in Japan. Like I’ve mentioned in my other article, service here is generally top notch. I have never felt more appreciated as a customer than in living in Japan. While service isn’t “bad” in America, Japan just takes it to a new level in terms of how to treat people. The kindness and consideration I’ve felt here by the people is something I’ve never experienced before.

In America, there are advantages to living there as well. For example, if I need to get something done quickly, America is the place to do it. For example, when I go to the bank for an inquiry, I am usually finished within 30 minutes or less. In Japan, there are many “steps” that people take before I can get things done. While this isn’t an issue for me (to counteract this, I just go to places earlier than usual), I can see how some Americans won’t be used to the pace of Japanese life.

Another aspect of American convenience is the ability to “wing it”. This means that there is a large amount of flexibility when dealing with transactions and interactions with people that, in my experience, haven’t really seen here in Japan. There is a certain adherence to the rules in Japan, that for some Americans, seems to be rather stiff and suffocating. Overall, one isn’t better than the other, it’s just a different style.

Questions:

1) Have you ever lived in another country? What did you like/dislike about it the most?

2) In your opinion, is it important to have the ability to “wing it” or be flexible? Why or why not?

3) What are some things you find convenient about living in Japan?

4) Do you pay your bills at the convenience store? If so, do you go to the same store, or different stores?

5) What conveniences would you like to see in Japan?

Key Words and Phrases:

notch, in terms of, wing it, adherence, stiff, suffocating

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[US] 21. Vegetarianism in Japan

Nowadays, vegetarianism and veganism (which means not eating ANY animal products) are quite trendy in America. Having lived that lifestyle myself, I chose to eat that way for health reasons, so I am not as strict as others. Although, I’ll sometimes eat a piece of fish, I mostly eat nothing but fruits and vegetables. Living in Japan, it was surprisingly tough at first to eat mostly a plant-based diet, but after doing my own research, it isn’t difficult to get the hang of it.

At first this was puzzling to me, since Japan is a “traditionally” Buddhist country, so I thought the prevalence of vegetarian alternatives would be abundant. In some cases you can find these items without much problem, but it does take a little extra looking around to do so. Additionally, you are starting to see healthier foods being advertised such as chia seeds and kale. So, being vegetarian or vegan isn’t as tough as some make it out to be. Reading food labels and making sure there aren’t a lot of additives in foods goes a long way in being able to have an alternative eating style in Japan.

Questions:

1) Do you know anyone who is vegetarian or vegan?

2) Have you ever tried eating vegetarian style or any other type of diet? What effects did you notice?

3) What is your opinion of vegetarianism?

4) In your opinion, why is it a little more difficult to find food that is vegetarian or vegan friendly in Japan?

5) What did you eat for lunch yesterday? What did you eat for dinner yesterday?

Key Words and Phrases:

vegetarianism / veganism / mostly / nothing but / at first to / the hang of

chia seeds / kale / out to be / additives / alternative

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[US] 20. Exercise

What I have noticed since living in Japan compared to America is how much more walking and bicycling I do on a given day. In the American state of Texas, things tend to be rather far away, so having a car is essential. With the availability of transportation in Japan, you don’t need to have a car at all. So therefore, I am walking longer distances and exercising more.

Going to the gym was interesting as well. When I signed up for a membership, the staff would walk me through how to use all of the weights, when in America, I just register for the fee and start training. Perhaps, this was a special gym I went to, so maybe it isn’t the rule, but I thought that was an interesting observation.

For me, it is rather tough to gain weight here. Due to getting more exercise than ever before, as well as well as eating smaller portions, and having long working hours, losing weight has never been easier. In the US, it can be quite the opposite depending on what you do. Since you have to use cars to get to many places, as well as having portion sizes that are much bigger than in Japan, gaining weight isn’t that difficult.

Questions:

1) Do you exercise? If so, what do you do?

2) Many foreign men tell me about how when they first get to Japan, they lose weight. Why do you think this happens?

3) In your opinion is it difficult to gain weight in Japan? Why or why not?

4) Do you think exercise is good? Why or why not?

5) If someone wanted to exercise in Japan, what would you recommend?

Key Words and Phrases:

on a given day / to be rather / far away / membership

rather tough to / due to / depending on / Since

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[US] 19. Pop Culture in Japan

One thing that is really fascinating about living in Japan is seeing what’s considered “popular” here in the country. When I used to teach younger students, I would ask them about what kind of music they liked or something pertaining to pop culture. I noticed many patterns. Many of the students were into bands such as ARASHI, and Kanjani-8. Then, they showed me pictures of these artists. It is quite different than America!

If you watch mainstream movies and listen to popular music, you’ll see a trend. Handsome performers with big muscles and beautiful women. Comparing them to the male entertainers in Japan (which usually have incredible looking hair, but are a little thinner than American actors), the idea of what is “cool” in Japan compared to America is something that fascinates me. Although this is just one example, it is one of the most distinct differences between cultures.  

 

Another aspect that is interesting about Japanese entertainment and popular culture, is the prevalence of the jimusho. In the US, actors and entertainers do have representation and agents, but the artist still collects a large amount of the money. I am not sure about the jimusho system however, as I read in the past that the people in charge of the promotion tend to make more money than the stars themselves. That was something I couldn’t believe. All in all, both cultures have interesting approaches to popular culture.

Questions:

1) Who is your favorite actor or singer and why?

2) When is the last time you saw a movie? What did you see?

3) What do you think about pop culture or trends in Japan?

4) How often do you follow and listen to entertainment news?

5) What are jimusho and why do you think they are used in the Japanese media industry?

Key Words and Phrases:

pertaining / mainstream / entertainers

entertainment / prevalence / representation

in charge of / all in all

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[US] 18. Seasons in Japan

What I like about Japan is the availability of seasons in the country. Spring, summer, fall, and winter. You can feel and see the change of seasons in a distinct and clear manner. With Spring, come the cherry blossoms. Summer, the beaches open up and you can eat tsukemono and unagi. Fall (or autumn) is upon us when the leaves change color and fall, while winter snows and you can enjoy warm foods like nabe and oden.

In my home city, it generally doesn’t have four seasons. In Houston, it is mostly hot nine months out of the year, followed by 3 months of cold and rain. Essentially, the city has two seasons. So coming to Japan and experiencing four seasons was surreal.

Now, the stereotype about seasons in America is that all the cities in the country are similar to my hometown of Houston. That is actually not true. For example, places such as Washington DC, have a similar season climate to Japan, so there are places that have four seasons.

Overall, I love being able to experience different seasons and Japan is the perfect place for that.

Questions:

1) What season do you like the most? What season do you dislike the most? Why?

2) In the spring, what are some activities you like to do with family or friends?

3) In the summer, what are some activities you like to do with family or friends?

4) In the fall, what are some activities you like to do with family or friends?

5) In the winter, what are some activities you like to do with family or friends?

Key Words and Phrases:

distinct / essentially / surreal / climate / overall

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