I was eating at a restaurant the other night and I realized something I have become used to while living in Japan: Calling over the waiter/waitress when I’m ready to order food. Continue reading
A Gaijin Ordering Food in Japan
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Phrases or Situations That May Surprise an American Gaijin
There are many things to consider when speaking a foreign language or interacting with someone from another country. I’ve been in Japan for almost 3 years and I’m still often surprised and still learning new things about the culture. Here are a few interesting things to consider when speaking to a foreigner, particularly an American. Continue reading
Holiday, Vacation, Day Off – What's the Difference?
It’s always a good thing to have some time away from work. In America, we have a few different ways of referring to these days.
Here are some general rules:
Common English Mistakes
Learning English in your home country is a great thing. However, it’s important to realize that there are some common mistakes and habits by the people around you. Usually these mistakes aren’t huge and native speakers will probably understand what you are trying to say. But, if you want to sound more natural here are some helpful tips:
“Please teach” is different than 教えてください
オンライン英会話を始める前に考えるべき３つの点
オンライン英会話は 多くの利点を持っていますが、それが誰もにとって最適な方法になるとは限りません。教室や受講プログラムはもちろん、自分にピッタリ合う講師を注意深く選 ぶ必要があります。ですから、慌ててクレジットカードを使って申し込む前に、これから挙げる３つの重要な点について、じっくり考えてみてください。何事で もそうですが、時間をかけずに飛びついてしまうと、やめるときもあっという間・・・なんてことになりかねません。ですから、登録作業を行う前にゆっくりと 時間をかけて選ぶことが大切です。
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Why Learn English?
There may be more reasons than you realize as to why learn English. There’s no doubt that it will open new opportunities and allow you to do much more with their life, but what specific benefits are there?
かっこいい英語が学べる英語教師を見つけよう
生徒によく「かっこいい英語」について聞かれることがあります。英語学習者の誰もが、ネイティブスピーカーに囲まれながら英語でペラペラと会話ができることを夢見ていることでしょう。自然な英語を身につけるためには、様々な状況で使われる多くのフレーズを知っておく必要があります。これらを一緒に学べる英語教師やネイティブスピーカーの友人を見つけて、新しい言い回しを学びましょう。
Improve English Intonation
Recently, after teaching an intonation class, I recommended to the students to listen to natural English conversation through T.V., radio, podcasts, the news, movies, etc. There are many options. I asked the class to listen every day for, at least 15 minutes. After I made the recommendation I saw many unhappy faces. They said it was difficult to understand native English conversation, which caused them much frustration.
"Fly by the seat of your pants"
“Fly by the seat of your pants” is used to describe how someone makes decisions. The expression means making decisions as you go, not having a plan, but just using your feelings and intuition.
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"A drop in the bucket"
“A drop in the bucket” is a way to express a very small part of something much larger. Or a smaller part of a whole. It doesn’t change or influence the larger part much at all. It’s often used to say that this “drop in the bucket” doesn’t change anything at all.