毎日通える英会話教室‐English Garden の英会話ブログ

  

This week we talked about eating out.
There are many great phrases we can use for eating out

1. I went out for dinner yesterday.（昨日の晩ご飯は外で食べた）
2. Shall we go?（行こうか）
3. Let's go Dutch (割り勘しよう）
4. There's a line-up (並んでいる）
5. What do you recommend （何がおすすめ？）
6. Anything's okay with me （何でもいい）
7. I'll keep you company (付き合ってあげる）
8. Can I have a sip? (一口ちょうだい「飲み物」）

We talked about how often you eat out.
I eat out almost twice a day!
Most of you said that you eat out about twice a week.

I really like eating out. It's fun and puts me in a good mood. But people say it's very unhealthy.
I think cooking is such a hassle, because it is endless work. If you can cook every day for one year, I think that's really something. It shows you have patience and endurance. Because it means that even when you're sick, even when you're tired, even when you're feeling down, you don't give up.  

Now that summer is here, we can enjoy snorkeling!
Snorkeling is one of my favorite hobbies in Okinawa.
For some reason, I always end up going to Cape Maeda.
I'm not sure why. Cape Maeda is very crowded, and there aren't many corals.
Also, the water isn't very clear.
But parking is very convenient. And, they have really nice facilities.

I think the best thing about snorkeling is not watching fish, or the exercise.
It's the wonderful feeling you get after swimming for an hour in the ocean.
It's hard to explain, but I feel like a million bucks after snorkeling.
If I take a nap after I get home, I feel SO good.

There is something very healthy about seawater. But I can't really explain it.
But you don't need to go snorkeling to enjoy this feeling. Just wading in the ocean can make you feel the same way.

If it weren't for snorkeling, I would definitely hate Okinawa summer!  

Sorry for the long wait. It's been about 2 weeks since the last update.

I want to teach a few new words for summer:

焼けたくない
1. I don't want to get tanned.

"Suntan" is 名詞. We say things like

You got a suntan.
日焼けたね！

But when you want to say things like 超日焼けてる, we should use the 形容詞 "tanned". For example,

超焼けてる。
I'm so tanned.

腕焼けたな。
Your arms got tanned.

日焼ける男が好き。
I like tanned men.

2.汗かき
I sweat a lot

Sweat is usually used as a verb in English. For example:

超汗かいてる
I'm sweating like crazy!

There's also the idiom:

No sweat!
問題ない！


3. It works well (よく聞く）

  

Hi everyone!

I've been feeling a little sick recently. So I've been getting lots of rest at home.

Today, I will introduce a new phrase: I'm out of shape (運動不足）
.We say this when we haven't exercised for a long time.

For example, if I come to class, and I look tired from running up the stairs, you can say

"Terry, you're really out of shape"

Or if you go walking with a friend, and you get tired easily, you can say:

"Wow, I'm really out of shape"

The opposite of out of shape, is "I'm in shape".

So if your friend can run 10km, you can say:
"Wow, you're really in shape"

Or, if you need to exercise more, you can say:
"I want to get in shape"

By the way, many people have asked me why you need an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad for my new application Real英会話. The reason is because it's very easy to use on a touch screen, than with a mouse and cursor.

If you want to use my application in the cheapest way, I recommend an iPod Touch.
You can buy them at any electronics store such as Best Denki and Deo Deo.
It costs about ¥20,000. You don't have to pay anything else. It's like a portable music player.

If you are a Softbank customer you can think about switching to an iPhone. But the new iPhone will come out in a few months so you may want to wait until it become cheaper.

Also, the application works on an iPad. They are a little expensive and they are hard to get. They cost about ¥48,000 for the cheapest model. If you want one you have to either go to the Apple store in Best Denki Shintoshin, or you have to order one from the apple store online. But the iPad is a very useful device and I don't think anybody will regret buying one.  

Hello everyone!

It's been raining for the past few days. Even though it's not that hot, it's really humid.
Recently, I got some canker sores in my mouth. They really hurt. I was wondering if you know anything that works well.
I've tried Chocola BB but that didn't work well.



This is my favorite kind of coffee, Blue Mountain Coffee. It is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. It is not as bitter as other coffees, but it's a little sour. Sometimes cheap coffee gives me a headache, but Blue Mountain Coffee makes me feel relaxed and wonderful. But, I have to tell you about a little scam. Even though the package says "Blue Mountain Coffee", in reality it only contains 30% Blue Mountain. The remaining 70% is "filler" coffee from Brazil or Mexico. But according to Japanese law, this is perfectly legal.



This is my favorite beer. For some reason, I can't get tired of Kirin Tanrei. I got tired of Asahi Super Dry, I got tired of Orion Rich, I even got tired of Kirin Ichiban Shibori. But I've been drinking one can of Kirin Tanrei every day for the last four months, and it still tastes great for me every time. And I can't complain about the price! I think low-malt beer (発泡酒）is a great thing, because we can enjoy alcohol at very low prices.



In other news, the Apple iPad came out two days ago. I tried it at the Apple Store in Best Denki Shintoshin and I was very impressed. You can surf the web, you can listen to music, you can check maps, you can look at beautiful photos. You can do many many things with the Apple iPad. Many people say "I can already do that with my computer at home". But the iPad is a touch screen device, and it ies much lighter and more portable than a notebook computer. You can't understand the appeal of the iPad unless you try it once.  

iPhone,iPod Touch,iPadを持っている日常英会話を学習したい方に：









  

Hi everyone!

Here are the handouts for starter and beginner class.

Starter Class
Beginner Class



This week, I'll talk about a very popular sightseeing place in Canada.  This is Niagara Falls.  It's a 1 hour drive from my house.  I've been there more than 10 times.  Whenever relatives or friends come from abroad, we always take them to Niagara Falls.

The falls are very impressive.  You will probably say "Amazing!" when you first see them.

You can do many things at the falls.  Of course, you can watch the falls from the Canadian side or the American side.  Everyone says the Canadian side is better.   You can take a boat ride and go very near the falls.  You have to wear a raincoat, because everyone will get a little wet.  And finally, you can actually go behind the falls through some caves.

After you finish enjoying the falls, you can go to Niagara Casino by foot.  Unlike pachinkos, casinos have a positive image in Canada, because they are very clean and elegant.  Many people in casinos dress nicely and behave very politely.

Even though the Falls are a must-see, I think you will get tired of them after going there 10 times.  But, it's definitely worth going once.  Personally, I think they are a little overrated.

Can you introduce any great sightseeing places in Mainland Japan?  I've never been there, so I would like to know some nice sightseeing places.  

Hi everyone! The rainy season is here and the weather is very depressing, don't you think?

Starter Class (handout)
Beginner Class (handout)

In starter class we talked about what's near your house, using there is:

For example:
- There is a Coco store near my house (家の近くにココストーアがあります）
- It's a 5 minute walk from my house（落ちから歩いて５分です）

Be careful.  You cannot say things like:

- There is Main Place near my house
- Main Place is near my house. (家の近くにメインプレースがあります）

Main Place is a unique (唯一）thing.  We should not use "there is" with unique things.

In beginner class we talked about music and the different kinds of music. Some good phrases we learned:

Here are different past time expressions.  Try reading them out loud:

5 years ago
a long time ago
before I got married
after I got married
when I was 15

Here are some example sentences with the above:

When I was 15, I was crazy about video games.
Britney Spears came out a long time ago.
I started listening to classical music after I graduated from university.

similar to (似てる)
Bossa Nova is similar to Jazz.

We also talked about some good words to describe music:


upbeat 
depressing
cheesy
relaxing
mellow


In intermediate class we talked about very useful word: last (もつ)

For the present tense, we can use this word like this:

A new car lasts about 10 to 15 years.
Nitori furniture doesn't last very long.
Romantic love only lasts 4 years.
My cell phone battery only lasts about 8 hours.

For the future tense, we can use it like this (useful when you go shopping)

How long will this chair last?
These shoes will last three years.
This notebook computer will last you about four or five years.  

Hi everyone!

The rainy season (梅雨) has come!
That means (ということ）it will be very humid (蒸し暑い）from now on.
And it will probably rain every day.

Last week, we talked about a few interesting words in the Intermediate Class.

obsolete (すたれた, もう使われていない)
Analog TV will be obsolete next year.
Your computer is obsolete.

vicious (激しい,ひどい)
That was a vicious dunk!
It's a vicious cycle (悪循環）
The piranha (ピラニア) is a vicious fish.

out of shape (運動不足）
I'm totally out of shape.



This week, I'll talk about something different.

We do a lot of conversation in my class. But we rarely do any writing. Is writing in English important?

Recently, I've been writing some Japanese on the computer. When I write Japanese, I realize I have many problems distinguishing between the particles が and は. Many people have tried to explain the difference, and I understand the difference on a logical level, but it's difficult to really use that knowledge in conversation.

Up until now, I never really cared about the difference between は and が when I speak with other Japanese people, because they can still understand me perfectly. But I realized that if I want to write Japanese, even in a small letter or e-mail, it is necessary to distinguish between them.

There are so many small and confusing grammar points in English, and students often ask me about them. For example, what is the difference between a and the, how to distinguish between prepositions (前置詞）and so forth.

Unfortunately in English, there are very few Golden Rules we can use. So I think the best way to improve your English grammar, especially on small points, is to write something in English, and have a teacher check your mistakes.

In regular English conversation, I think you shouldn't worry too much about small grammar mistakes, unless it's a very serious mistake. If you spend too much time thinking about grammar, it will be difficult to speak at a normal speed.   

Hi everyone!

How's your golden week been so far?
I've been a couch potato for the last five or six days.  It's been wonderful!  What have you been doing during Golden Week?

I went shopping at Living Square Awase (a furniture mall).  I needed to buy a new computer chair because my old computer chair was worn out.  I ended up buying a really expensive chair, but it's so comfortable! I definitely think it was worth it.


Starter Class (handout)

In starter class we talked about your daily routines again.  We talked about the following things.

What time do you get up?
What time do you leave home?
What time do you get to work?
What time do you finish work?
What time do you get home?
What time do you go to bed?

On weekdays,
I usually get up at 9 in the morning.
After that, I drink coffee and have breakfast.
Then, I watch TV for about 15 minutes.
I usually leave home at 10:00am.

On the weekend, I usually get up at 10 to 11am in the morning.
On Saturday night, I usually go to bed at 2am.

Beginner Class (handout)


In beginner class we talked about things that you have in your house.

When you explain things that you have in your house, usually we use two different phrases, I have and There is:

I have a TV in my bedroom.
There is an air conditioner in the living room.

（自分の所有物は、「I have」をよく使う」）
（部屋に元々設置されてるものは、「there is」をよく使う）

Examples:
I have two computers in my room.
There is a big TV at English Garden.
There is a very nice view of the ocean from my veranda.

Even when we talk about abstract things (抽象的なもの）like time, space, energy, we also use the same idea:

Please think about the difference between:

I have no time.
There is no time.

I have no space.
There is no space.

Also we talked about the phrase enough （十分）and just right　（丁度いい）.

For example, on your air conditioner, what do you set the temperature to in the summer?

I think 26 degrees is just right.
But some people think 28 degrees is enough.

For an LCD TV in your bedroom, what is the right size?

I think 32 inches is just right.
But some people think 26 inches is big enough.

How long do you want to stay at a drinking party?

Well, it depends.
If the atmosphere is good, sometimes five hours isn't enough.
If the atmosphere is bad, sometimes one hour is more than enough.  

Starter Class (handout)

In starter class we talked about what you do in your free time.

Here are some examples:

1. I play video games every day
2. I go shopping at Naha Main place.
3. I go drinking with my friends.
4. I go to Karaoke for three or four hours.

The most important thing to remember is, after go, "to"を入れるか入れないか:

go shopping 
go drinking
go jogging

go to Jusco
go to Main Place
go to the park




Beginner Class (handout)

In beginner class we talked about how to get to know someone better.

If someone asks "Do you like Karaoke?" you can say:

1. I love Karaoke （大好き）
2. I like Karaoke （好き）

3. I'm not interested in Karaoke　（あまり興味がない）
4. I don't really like Karaoke　（あまり好きじゃない）
5. I don't like Karaoke （嫌い）
6. I hate Karaoke.  （大嫌い）

7. I'm not good at singing (歌うの苦手）

Also, we talked about having something in common (共通点)


I like UK Rock
Really, I like UK Rock too!
That's cool, we have something in common!

Do you have a lot in common with your husband/wife or girlfriend/boyfriend?


Intermediate Class (handout)

In intermediate class we talked about music.

With music, there are many words we can use to describe music.

cheesy  (ださい)
mellow (爽やか)
intense (うるさい、激しい）
dark / depressing (暗い)
upbeat (明るい）

Also, because everyone has different tastes when it comes to music, we should sometimes use these two phrases:

To each his own (みんなの趣味はそれぞれ違うので、しょうがない)
It's not my cup of tea (私と合わない、趣味じゃない）


We also talked about how the music world changes so quickly.

When you talk about rapid changes in the world, you can use the words nowadays and in this day and age.

In this day and age, everyone has a computer.
In this day and age, women don't cook so much.
Nowadays, people buy music online.
Nowadays, people listen to music on their MP3 players.  

Starter Class (handout)

This week's starter class topic was family.

When we talk about family, we should always use the words "my, your".

For example,

My father is 62 years old.
I sometimes get along with my father.

We learned three good phrases for talking about your family.

1. look like (「外見が」似てる）
I look like my mother.
I don't look like my brother

2. be similar to (「性格が」似てる）
I'm similar to my mother.
I'm similar to my father.

3. get along with (気が合う）
I get along with my father.
I don't get along with my mother.


Beginner Class (handout)

For Beginner Class, the question was:


What do you do in your free time?

There are two kinds of activities, indoors and outdoors.

Outdoors activities:
- going to the beach（海に行く）
- playing golf
- playing tennis
- swimming
- jogging
- fishing

Indoor activities
- spacing out（ぼーっとする）
- watching DVDs
- reading books
- taking it easy

One important skill you should learn in English is how to make the infinitive （原形）and gerund (動名詞) of a verb.  For example:

I play golf every weekend.
Playing golf is very fun!

I often space out at home.
Spacing out is very relaxing.

I hardly ever watch movies alone.
Watching movies alone is embarrassing.


Intermediate Class (handout)

In intermediate class we talked about how to look for jobs, and job interviews.

First, we have to apply （申し込む） for a job.





(The book says "fill in" an application form.   This is also correct but in America and Canada, people always say "fill out". Example: please fill out this application form)

However, we say fill in your name （名前を記入してください）
For example, Please fill in your name here.

In Japan, when you apply for a job, you have to fill out a resume by hand.  You also have to attach a picture to your resume.  To Americans and Canadians that is very strange, because we never attach pictures to our resumes.  Also, companies are afraid that they will get sued if they choose people based on their appearance.

Then, we hand in the application form （提出する）
(we can also say submit)

If you're lucky, you will get the interview.
People say "I got an interview!"

During the interview, you are the applicant （応募者）and they are the interviewer（インタビュアー）.  In Japan is it very common to see three interviewers for only one applicant.  But in America, generally speaking interviews are conducted one on one.  

Starter Class (handout)

In starter class we talked about work again.  The important question we learned was

What do you do?（仕事は何をしてるんですか？）

What do you do?
I work at DFS（DFSで働いてます）

What do you do?
I'm a cram school teacher.（塾の先生です）

What do you do?
I'm retired.（もう退職した）

Do you like your job?

It's interesting.（思い白い）
It's fun.（楽しい）
It's boring.（退屈）
It's stressful.（ストレスになる）
It's tough.（キツい）

I have overtime. (残業あります）
I have two days off a week (週に二回休みの日がある)
Today is my day off.（今日は休みの日）


Beginner Class (handout)

In beginner class this week we talked about family and relatives. We had many good vocabulary for talking about family and relatives.

get along (気が合う、仲がいい）
1. I get along with my father.  (① get along with ②)
2. My father and I get along. (① and ② get along)

argue (口喧嘩)
1. I argue with my father all the time.
2. My father and I argue all the time.

similar（性格が似てる）
1. I'm similar to my father
2. My father and I are similar.

We also talked about blood types.  In Japan blood types many people talk about blood types.  I heard some of the following:

People say:

• O and A get along


• O and B get along


• O and AB don't get along.


• B and AB don't get along


• B and A don't get along


• B and B don't get along

Some people wanted to say 血液型に気にしない.

In English, we can say;

I don't really care about blood types.

I think blood types don't really matter.

Intermediate Class (handout)

In intermediate class we talked about one of my most favorite topics, love and relationships.

First, some grammar.  With many -ed adjectives, such as married, divorced, engaged, and other useful ones like used to (慣れてる), tired of （飽きた), fed up with (飽きれた), we use two different verbs, be and get.

Instead of talking about the difference, let's look at different examples for married:

be
1. I'm married
2. I was married.
3. I've been married for 30 years.
4. Being married is like living in a prison (joke!!)

get
1. I got married 30 years ago.
2. You should get married
3. I want to get married
4. After getting married
5. Before getting married

be married is a state (状態)
get married is an action.

We also had some very interesting phrases that relate to love:

I asked her out.
彼女を誘った。

We're going out.
付き合ってる。

We went out for one and a half years before getting married
結婚した前には一年半付き合っていた。

Was it love at first sight?
一目惚れだった？

She's the one.
彼女は運命の人です。

I'm having second thoughts.
考え直してる。

But the best phrase, which is very useful in my class because I like to ask personal questions:

Let's leave it at that.
これ以上聞かないで。

For example, if I start asking personal questions and you feel uncomfortable:

Me: You asked your husband out first?
You: Yes, that's right.  Let's just leave it at that.  

Hi everyone!

How was your weekend?

Starter class / Beginner class Handout



Do you know her?

Her name is Higa Rino.
She's from Okinawa.
I heard she's from Okinawa city.
She's my cup of tea.
She's in the Willcom commercial.

Here are some very useful words for people.

- He has a beard (髭）
- He has a buzz cut (ボーズ）
- He's kind of annoying (ちょっとうるさい）
- She's my cup of tea （彼は私のタイプです）
- He's childish (子供っぽい）
- He's mature (大人）
- She's in the movie Okuribito (「おくりびと」の映画に出てる）
- He's in the Kirin Ichiban Shibori commercial (キリン一番搾りのCMに出てる）



Intermediate Class

In intermediate class we talked about different kinds of work.

When somebody asks you "What do you do?", it means 仕事は何をしてるですか？

You can say: I work for Tomishiro Central Hospital as a nurse.

Other examples
- I work for NHK as an engineer.
- I work for ACC as an air traffic controller.
- I run my own computer company.
- I'm unemployed / jobless.
- I'm between jobs.

We also talked about NEETs.  The word "NEET" actually comes from England.  It stands for "Not in Education, Employment, or Training".  I have never heard this word in Canada, but it seems to a be very popular phrase in Japan.   Usually in America/Canada we say "you're a bum".  A bum is somebody who doesn't want to work, and just wants to kill time everyday at home.



From : http://eow.alc.co.jp/公務員/UTF-8/?ref=sa
公務員



There are so many words here, but I think the best thing to say is "I work for the government".  It's general and there's no confusion.  I would avoid using the word "servant" because the word servant has a very negative meaning to it (召し使い).

Finally we talked a little bit about the word commute, which means 通勤.  For example, if you drive to work every day, that is a commute.

I always think it's incredible that people in mainland Japan often have two hour or three hour commutes. And they talk about it like it's a matter of fact（当たり前な事）  I don't think I could ever get used to a two hour commute.   

Starter

This week in starter was review.  There was no handout.

Beginner (handout)

In beginner class we talked using the word the best and the worst.



For example:

I think Capriciosa is the best Italian restaurant in Okinawa.
（カプリは一番おいしいだ思う）

We can also say

Capriciosa is the best Italian restaurant in Okinawa I've been to.
（私が行ったことあるの中で、カプリが一番おいしい）

or

Capriciosa is the best Italian restaurant in Okinawa I know.
（私が知ってるところの中で、カプリが一番おいしい）

Then, it isn't your opinion anymore, but a fact. Here are some real examples.

What are the best restaurants you know?

• Capriciosa is the best Italian restaurant I know.


• Jygoo is the best cafe I've been to in Okinawa.


• Sanchikujuu (三竹寿）is the best ramen I've ever had in Okinawa.


• On Yasai is the best shabu-shabu restaurant I know in Okinawa

Please write down the best places you know in the comments section.

We also talked about world facts.  We usually use words like

• the longest


• the biggest


• the richest


• the most beautiful


• the most interesting


• the most crowded

Who is the richest man in the world?

Before, it used to be Bill Gates.  Now, it's a different man.  You can check his information here.

My uncle in Taiwan once told me that every man's dream is to live in an American home, to eat Chinese food, and to have a Japanese wife.

The reason?

• American homes are the biggest


• Chinese food is the most delicious


• Japanese wives are the kindest and the most supportive

But people say, the last one is not so true anymore.

Intermediate Class (handout)

In Intermediate Class the topic was your shopping habits.
We talked about the various kinds of shoppers:

1. Impulsive shoppers

Impulsive shoppers always end up buying things too quickly.  They don't take the time to think and cool off before buying.

2. Careless shoppers

Careless shoppers always end up buying crappy things.  They are often tricked by low prices.  People often say to them "There's no such thing as a free lunch"

3. Frugal shoppers

Frugal shoppers always try to save as much money as they can.  They love saving even small amounts, like 5%.  They will often say "It all adds up" （チリを積もれば山となる）.  

We also talked about borrowing money from friends.
If you want money from someone, you borrow（借りる）it from him.

Example "Can I borrow ¥1000?"
Your friend, if he's nice, will lend（貸す） it to you.

Example "Sure, I'll lend you ¥1000"

After you've borrowed money, you owe (負う）your friend ¥1000.
Example "I owe my friend ¥1000"

If you're a nice guy, eventually you will give it back (返す）
Example "I'll give it back to you next week"  

Hi everyone

Here are the handouts for last week:
Starter/Beginner
Intermediate

Starter
In Starter class we talked about this question:

"What are you doing this weekend?"

If you have plans, we say:
"I'm going to my parent's home this weekend." 実家に行く
"I'm going to the park with my grandchildren"　孫たちと公園行く

But if you don't have plans, we say:

"I don't have plans"　予定ない。
"I haven't decided yet"　まだ決まってない
"Maybe I will go for a walk at the park"　散歩するかも。


Beginner

In Beginner class we talked about ingredients (材料、原料） that are good for you（体にいい） or bad for you（体に悪い）.  Do you ever check the ingredients on a package?



For example, Nestle's coffee contains artificial flavor（香料）  It bothers me a little bit!
Here are some ingredients that people may worry about:

• MSG (化学調味料）


• Artificial sweetener (甘味料）


• Artificial color (着色剤）

We also talked about your New Year's resolutions.  When we talk about New Year's resolutions, we often say things like:

• I'm going to exercise more. （もっと運動します）


• I'm going to eat out less.　（外食減らす）

But it's March now.  So if you want to talk about what you said before, we can say:

• I said I would exercise more. (もっと運動するって言った）


• I said I would eat out less (外食減らすって言った）

Do you remember your New Year's resolutions?  Did you keep your New Year's resolutions?

Intermediate

This week's topic was gossip and news.  We talked about six common words that are used in the news

1. criticized
2. kicked out
3. bullied
4. picked on
5. caught
6. arrested

Have those things ever happened you?

• I was kicked out of a bookstore and shopping mall in high school.


• I was picked on for having a cheesy pencil case in junior high school.


• I was almost arrested by the police for hacking in high school.

On the handout, we talked about the following news:







We often use the word apparently (…らしい）when we talk about news that we are not sure about, or when we think it might be gossip.

"Apparently, Terry likes to criticize everything!"  

Starter Class (handout)

In starter class we talked about your high school days, and what kind of student you were:

• I was a good student


• I was in the volleyball club


• I was very popular


• I had a girlfriend


• I skipped school


• I shoplifted candy from Marudai.

Also, we learned a useful phrase:

I thought you were a good student.
（いい生徒だと思った）


Beginner Class (handout)

In Beginner class we talked about what's good for you and what's bad for you.

Please remember, in English, the word "you" does not always mean あなた.
Sometimes, it means みんな（一般的に）.

（ちょとNHKっぽい講習ですみません！）

例えば：
「コーヒを40杯飲んだら死ぬよ！」
を、英語で言いたい。

日本語は、一般的の話をすると、主語が抜けています。でも英語の文は、主語は必ず必要から、上の文を訳すと、どうなる？

1. If drink 40 cups a day, die.


2. If I drink 40 cups a day, I will die.


3. If people drink 40 cups a day, people will die.


4. If we drink 40 cups of a day, we will die.


5. If you drink 40 cups a day, you will die.

1. （×　直訳で、主語なしで違和感がとても強い）


2. （×　自分だけ40杯を飲んだら死ぬ、一般的は大丈夫）


3. （×　意味は当たっていますけど、「people」という言葉を言い過ぎるとよくない）


4. （×　「I」のケースと同じように、自分のグループだけに適する文になる）


5. （○　一番標準で、正しい分は、「you」を使う）

So, if someone asks you "Is coffee good for you?"  please say:




If you talk about general topics, you might have to use you many, many times!
遅くても、私の学校の陸上部に入れた。
Even if you're slow, you could've joined my high school track & field club

一日１回ストレーチしたら体にいいよ！
You should stretch at least once a day!  It's good for you!


Intermediate Class (handout)

In intermediate class, the grammar for this week was the passive, which is formed usually by the rule be + pp. For example, the word scold (叱る）is used like this:

My father scolded me in high school. (叱った）
I was scolded in high school.（叱られた）

We can also use get + pp. if it happened recently and it was a very quick action, like:

I got scolded yesterday by my wife.（叱られちゃった）

We covered some very common words that are used with the passive:

get caught (ばれる,掴まれる）
get picked on （いじめられる）
get kicked out (追い出させる）


We talked about canned coffee.  Did you know these interesting facts about canned coffee?

1. It was invented by UCC.
2. It's only sold in Japan. Surprisingly, it's not sold outside Japan.
3. The can is made from steel, not aluminum.




The last point was very interesting.  Generally speaking, aluminum cans are used for carbonated drinks. Steel cans are used for canned coffee.

Aluminum is lighter and more expensive than steel.  It's also easy to recycle.  But steel is much stronger. You cannot crush a steel can with your bare hands, but even a small child can crush an empty aluminum can.

So the mystery is: why are aluminum cans used for carbonated drinks, and why are steel cans used for canned coffee?

Students gave me some theories:

If coffee were put into a aluminum can:

• hot coffee would mix with the aluminum


• a full can of coffee could be crushed too easily because there is no fizz inside


• it would look cheap (coffee has a "high-quality" image)

If carbonated drinks were put into a steel can:

• the can might explode if the drink became a little hot (the fizz inside would expand)


• the can would be too heavy (usually carbonated drinks come in 355mL and 500mL sizes)


• it wouldn't be environmentally friendly (people drink beer almost every day at home)

  

Hi everyone!

Here are the handouts from last week

Starter
Beginner
Intermediate

The big new last week was the earthquake!  It was very surprising!  In all clases we talked about the difference between scary and scared.  Both mean 怖い, but we use them in different places.

I was scared.　怖かった！
I was scary. 私は怖い人だった。

The earthquake was scared.　地震は怖がっていた。
The earthquake was scary.　地震怖かった！

一般的に、「I」から始まる文は、その形容詞は「-ed」で終わる。
「It」で始まる文は、その形容詞は「-ing」で終わる。

There are many words like this.

• excited/exciting


• tired/tiring


• bored/boring


• surprised/surprising


• interested/interesting

How did you feel about the earthquake?


Starter

In starter class we talked about your part-time work experience and high school life.  Remember we use 「I was」 and 「You were」 for だった in English.

I was scared.
I was a waitress in high school.
Were you scared?
Were you popular in high school?



Beginner



In beginner class we talked about different kinds of jobs.  Some jobs you should know:

• accountant


• architect


• lawyer

We also talked about how to say 〜みたい in English.  For example, look at this picture:


What can you say about her?

1. 怒ってるみたい（心はどんな）


2. 男みたい（何かの物）


3. 私を睨んでるみたい（行動）

In Japanese they all use the same grammar, but in English we must use different sentences:

1. She looks angry （心はどんな）- like が抜けてる！


2. She looks like a man. （何かの物）


3. It looks like she's staring at me.（行動）- 主語は２つ言わないといけない！

よく間違ってるのは、①と③。Please be careful!



Intermediate

In intermediate class we talked about annoying problems in life and how to deal with them.  I heard some really interesting stories.

First, do you ever lose your keys?  It seems most students don't lose their keys, because as soon as they get home, they put their keys in the same place every time.  However, I always leave my keys in my pocket, so I often misplace my keys.  When I can't find my keys in the morning, I usually freak out and lose my cool.

On a different topic, one student said that when her husband comes home from work, he never uses his key to open the door.  Instead, he rings the doorbell and she opens the door for him.  That's unbelievable.

I also asked if you ever had problems with your car.  For example, maybe you run out of gas while driving, or your car battery runs out in the parking lot because you left the lights on.  Usually, you have to be absent-minded to let these things happen to you.

One student said he ran out of gas over 10 times in his life.  I thought he was exaggerating, but apparently it's the truth.  He said that when he was young, he had no money so he often tried to avoid filling up on gas.  When he ran out of gas, he would go to the gas station and ask for 50 yen's worth of gas.  The gas station attendant would give him about 400mL of gas in a plastic bottle, and he would take it back to his motorbike and then go home.

Finally, have you ever had this problem?  You go to Naha Main Place, go shopping, and then when you come back you can't find your car?  It seems to be a very common problem and everyone has a different way of dealing with it.  Most students try to remember the zone by looking at the pillars.  Some students actually take pictures of the pillars with their cell phone.  One student just parks at Tsutaya next to Main Place, so that he can always find his car easily.  How do you deal with this problem?  

Here are the handouts for last week

Super Beginner
Beginner
Intermediate.

In super beginner we talked about things you like or don't like.
Do you like Namie Amuro?

「I don't like Namie Amuro」って言うより、もっと優し言い方があります。

1. I don't really like Namie Amuro.


2. I think she's just okay.


3. She's not my cup of tea.


4. I don't really listen to Namie Amuro.


5. I'm not interested in her music.

In beginner class the topic was traveling, especially Disneyland.

Have you ever been to Disneyland?
What's so good about Disneyland?


Some people have been to Disneyland over 10 times.  The record was: 50 times!?!
Is Disneyland that good?

• You can feel like a princess.


• You can escape reality.


• It's like a fantasy world.

In intermediate class we talked about homes.  Many students didn't know the word "condominium", so here is a picture of a condominium.  It's similar to an apartment except it's much nicer.  It's usually a 15-story building (or more), and has several facilities such as an exercise room, swimming pool, and a front desk.  They are very popular in Canada and America now.


In japanese the world マンション means "apartment" in English. When we say "mansion" in English, we actually mean a very big house with a very big garden. Only very rich people live in mansions. I heard there is a nice mansion in Urasoe. It belongs to the Monaco Pachinko owner.

decent (adj)

You can use the word decent to mean that something is just okay, something is acceptable, in a positive way. If I ask you, "Do you like your home", you can say "It's decent", which means in Japanese, ま、悪くない. If you say It's just okay, it means 普通, which is a negative meaning.

For example,
Hyper Hotel is very cheap, but it's a decent hotel. (positive)

mortgage (n)

The word mortgage means 住宅ローン. So we have phrases like 30-year mortgage, and "I have to pay mortgage", and "My mortgage is killing me".

renovate (v)

When you want to say リフームする, we say "renovate" in English. For example, "Last year I renovated my home". The noun is "renovation". For example, "Renovations are very expensive".  

Hi everyone!

Here are the handouts for last week!

Starter (places) (same as last week!)
Beginner (movies)
Intermediate (traveling)


Starter
In Starter class we talked about places again. Please remember when you want to say ある or いる, or 多い we usually use "there is" and "there are"

There is a McDonalds near my house （お家の近くにマックがある）
There are many souvenir stores on Kokusai Street　（国際通りにお土産さんが多い）
There aren't so many people in Kochinda　（東風平では人があまりいない）

When you want to say 多すぎる, you should use too

There are too many people in Taipei.
There are too many cars in Shintoshin.

Also if someone asks you a Yes or No question, for example "Do you like Urasoe?", you can say

Kind of (まぁね）
Not really (そんなに）


Beginner

In beginner class we talked about movies. Here are some very useful phrases with movies

1. It's out in theaters - 今映画館でやってる
Have you seen the movie Avatar? It's out in theaters now!

2. It's out on DVD - 今DVDが出てる
Let's rent Avatar from Tsutaya.
I don't think it's out on DVD yet.

3. Who's in the movie? -だれが出演する？
- Do you know the movie "Gladiator?"
- No, I don't. Who's in the movie?
- Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix are in the movie

4. It's not THAT good - そこまでじゃないよ！
- I've watched Sen to Chihiro over 20 times
- 20 times!?! Come on, it's not THAT good!

5. Is there a movie you want to watch? - 見た映画がある？
- Is there a movie you want to watch?
- Not really. How about you?

6. It's really cheesy
- Do you like Ryujin Mabuya?
- No, I don't. I think it's really cheesy

Intermediate

In intermediate class we talked about traveling.
Have you been to any exotic countries? Some people have been to Egypt, Nepal, Peru, Fiji Islands. It was interesting to hear about these countries because most people don't know anything about them!

When we talk about traveling plans, especially if they are close and already decided, we usually use phrases like

I'm leaving for Tokyo this Saturday.
I'm staying at my mother's house.
I'm coming back next week.

The feeling is different from saying "I will go to Tokyo". If you say I'm leaving for Tokyo, I think you already have the plane ticket, you're definitely going, and you can't change your mind anymore.

We also discussed whether traveling is a hassle. Most people said traveling is not such a hassle, but they don't like lining up at the airport or sitting on a crowded plane. A few people were afraid of getting a crappy hotel.

Personally I think traveling is quite a hassle. If I want a feeling of novelty, I usually just go to PC Depot and look at the new computers!