毎日通える英会話教室‐English Garden の英会話ブログ

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.