ECA (英語基礎表現) II (Super A): writing about music (Part 2)

Hello!

How are you? Here is Part 2 on writing about music.

Here's more on the other two pieces of music I played for you in class. First, here's a video file for the third piece of music I played for you - Booker T. & the MGs' "Green Onions":

If you would like to learn more about the artists who did this song, click here for the Wikipedia article about them (日本語). If you would like to see a clip of these artists performing this song, click here. 

Now, here's a video file for the last piece of music for you - Frank Zappa's "Little Umbrellas":

If you would like to learn more about Frank Zappa, click on this link to read the Wikipedia article (in Japanese) about him.

Hope you enjoyed these. Write comments on this blog post about what you think of this music or these artists!

See you next time!

Image: "Solo Guitar" (courtesy of dan)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Videos uploaded from YouTube. Videos uploaded strictly for classroom use. I do not own the rights to the musical compositions or videos. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). 

ECA (英語基礎表現) II (Super A): writing about music (Part 1)

Hello,

How are you? Do you remember the four pieces of music I played for you in class? We'll do something more with them now! This is a Part 1 post - Part 2 will follow.

I would like you to go through your paragraphs about those pieces of music, and listen to the first two pieces of music again - and this time to click on some videos of the first two artists whose pieces of music I played. I also have information links you can click on about these artists. 

Would these video images, and reading about these musicians, change your ideas about what you wrote? 

First - below is a video sound file of the first piece of music you heard - Jacques Loussier and his version of J.S. Bach's "Siciliano in G Minor."  

If you would like to learn more about Jacques Loussier, click here for a Wikipedia article (in Japanese) about him. 

Next - here is the second piece of music you heard - Moondog's "Dog Trot."

Here is a video file of this piece of music:

If you would like to learn more about Moondog, click here for the Wikipedia article (日本語) about him. 

What do you think of these artists? Does seeing the artists' pictures or some image connected to the music, or reading about them on Wikipedia, change your own images of the music? Write comments on this blog post about what you think!

Hope you enjoyed listening to them again.

See you next time!

Image: "Gondolier's Sonata" (courtesy of sattva)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Videos uploaded from YouTube. Videos uploaded strictly for classroom use. I do not own the rights to the musical compositions or videos. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). 

ECA (Speaking) II (A)/Travel English: 買い物: フリーマーケット

Hello,

How are you? I have a video for you. It's about two Japanese tourists in Frankfurt, Germany, at a flea market. 

Homework/activity
1. Watch the video. How many things can you see in the video? Can you name them? Write down in your notebooks all the things in the flea market you see.

2. Now which things at this flea market would you buy? Talk about these things!

Have fun! See you next time!

Image: "Shop" (courtesy of Dino De Luca)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to this video. Uploaded strictly for educational use. All rights reserved to the owner(s).

ECA (英語基礎表現) II (Super A): 作文3

Hello!

How are you? Today, I will show you the third writing assignment (作文3). In it, you have a choice of two scenarios - choose one (1) of them: 

How to describe a problem at a hotel to a friend, with a warning (注意) about the hotel, or
How to describe a problem with a parent, brother, sister, friend, or boyfriend or girlfriend.       

Scenario #1
You are writing to a friend about your last vacation. Start with a strong topic sentence, like this: 

例えば：Let me tell you about my last vacation. It was great, but the hotel I stayed at was terrible. 

From there describe all the problems you had at the hotel - for example, cockroaches on the floor, brown water coming out in the bathroom sink, dirty toilets, and so on. Use because and so in your writing. Describe many really terrible problems. Tell about the bad excuses (詫び) the hotel manager gave you when you complained about the problems. At the end, give a warning (注意) to your friend, like this:

例えば：So that is why you should never stay in this hotel. 

Scenario #2
You are writing to a friend about a problem you have had with someone you are close to in your life - a parent (mother or father), brother or sister, friend, or boyfriend or girlfriend. Start with a strong topic sentence, like this:

例えば：Let me tell you about my ____________. I really care about him (her), but he (she) is driving me crazy.  

From there describe all the problems you are having with this person - for example, if you are writing about your best friend, maybe you could say something like how he or she has asked you for money, but he or she has never paid you back. Each time you ask your friend about the money, he or she gives bad excuses why he or she cannot pay you back. Use want to, would like to, or have to in your writing. At the end, make a strong conclusion, like this:

例えば：So I do not know what to do, but I think I might have to push this person out of my life. 

The deadline (締め切り) is next week (10/29).

Good luck! See you next time!

Images: Top - "Pillow" (courtesy of mrsiraphol)/Bottom - "Young Man Thinking Seriously" (courtesy of pod pad)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

ECA (Travel English): 外貨

Hello!

How are you? Today we're going to look at money from different countries. What money do you see in the picture above? What country does it come from? 

The money in the picture is Vietnamese dong. 

Now here is an activity, with homework, about money in different countries!

Activity
Which countries do these different kinds of money come from? Write out your ideas in your notebooks.

1.

例えば：1. I think this money is the dollar. It's used in the U.S.

Now try these!

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

Homework 

Let's find out more about money from different countries! On the Internet, find one (1) example of money from another country, with 2-3 pictures of the money. Find out how much the money is in yen. Print out the pictures - or save them on your Smartphones - and bring them to the next class. 

外国のお金について！ネットで写真を探し、印刷して持ち、スマートフォンにダウンロードしてください。日本円でおよそいくらになるかも調べてください。

Have fun!

Other currencies photo credits: 1. "New Brazilian Currency - Real" (courtesy of David Castillo Dominici) 2. "100 Euro" (courtesy of Ambro) 3. "Uk 

Images: Top - Personal photograph/1. "Money Pile $100 Dollar Bills"/2. "New Brazilian Currency - Real" (all courtesy of David Castillo Dominici)/3. "100 Euro" (courtesy of Ambro)/4. "Uk Sterling Money Notes And Coins" (courtesy of -Marcus-)/5. "Hundred Thai Baht" (courtesy of foto76)/6. "Australian Cash" (courtesy of zirconicusso)/Images 1-5 from FreeDigitalPhotos.net. All rights reserved on personal photograph.

ECA (Culture) B: コミュニケーションの問題

Hello!

How are you? Today I will share a song with you in class - "The Things We Do for Love," by 10cc. Here are the words to the song:

1. Too many broken hearts have fallen in the river

Too many lonely souls have drifted out to sea,

You lay your bets and then you pay the price

The things we do for love, the things we do for love.

2. Communication is the problem to the answer

You've got her number and your hand is on the phone

The weather's turned and all the lines are down

The things we do for love, the things we do for love.

Chorus:

Like walking in the rain and the snow

When there's nowhere to go

And you're feelin' like a part of you is dying

And you're looking for the answer in her eyes.

You think you're gonna break up

Then she says she wants to make up.

Bridge:

Ooh you made me love you

Ooh you've got a way

Ooh you had me crawling up the wall.

Repeat chorus

Repeat bridge

3. A compromise would surely help the situation

Agree to disagree but disagree to part

When after all it's just a compromise of
The things we do for love, the things we do for love…

Here is a video of 10cc performing this song live:

Activity

Now let's talk about the theme of this song with these questions!

1. What do you think this song means?

2. What do these lines mean?

You've got her number and your hand is on the phone

You're looking for the answer in her eyes

You had me crawling up the wall

Agree to disagree but disagree to part

3. (If you are a woman) Have you had these difficulties in any of your relationships with men – even with male friends?

(If you are a man) Have you had these difficulties in any of your relationships with women – even with female friends?

Have fun! See you next time!

Image: "Couple Sitting Of The Couch Having Problems In Their Relationship" (courtesy of David Castillo Dominici)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Song: Written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman/copyright Schubert Music Publishing O.B.O. Man-Ken Music Ltd., 1977
Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the musical composition, lyrics, or the video. All rights reserved to the copyright holders. Lyrics, music and video all uploaded strictly for educational purposes.

ECA (Speaking) II (A): 思い出こと

Hello!

How are you? Today let's talk about our memories (思い出)! What are some of your best memories when you were growing up? 

I will show you some pictures that are special to me. They are my family's old passport pictures. The one at the top is a very old passport picture of my mother. It comes from 1954!

Here are some more pictures from my family's old passports:

This is my father, with my older brother and older sister. 

Here is another old passport shot of me with my father. I was less than 3 years old at this time! 

These pictures mean a lot to me. I can say many things about them. How about you? What about some old pictures you have, and what do they mean to you? Let's talk about our memories with our old pictures.

Finally, here's one more old passport picture - from one of my old passports. Here is me when I was 21 years old. I have really changed! 

Have fun! 

See you next time!

Images: Personal photographs. All rights reserved.

ECA (Travel English): パスポート・出入管理のヴォキャブラーリ

Hello!

How are you? Today we'll look at some things you will see at immigration control (出入管理) when you are at an airport in another country. 

This picture at the top is a visa for Vietnam. Americans need a visa to visit Vietnam, but Japanese do not. But there are things that Japanese travelers have to know before going to other countries. 

Look at the first picture below. See the word "transit" - what does it mean? Who can guess the meaning the fastest? Make a guess – then check the word in your dictionary! 

1.

Now look at these passport stamps in the next picture below. What names of countries do you see? Hint - they're mostly in Africa! 

2. 

Activity/homework 
1. Look at these passport pages below. In 5 minutes or less, look for these words on the pages. You can get a partner to help you if you want:

arrival

admitted

departed
employment
entry

immigration
permitted

arrival

2. When you're finished, find the names of countries, cities or places on the pages. 

3. After you finish - check any words in the dictionary you don't know! 
4. Write sentences using four (4) of these words in your notebooks. I will check them in our next class. 

Have fun!

Images: Top - Personal photograph/1. "Passport Stamps" (courtesy of Arvind Balaraman)/2. "Travel Notes" (courtesy of africa)/Bottom images - "Passport Visa Stamps" (both courtesy of Christineg)/Images 1 and 2 from FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Bottom images from Dreamstime.com/Top image - all rights reserved. 

ECA (Travel English): about me/私について (Part 1)

Hello!

How are you? Here is Part 1 of some answers to your question on your pre-teaching surveys. I hope I can answer these great questions of yours well!

To begin with, some of you asked me this question: how long have you lived in Japan? 

I have lived here for 18 years - first, in Ibaraki for seven years (Tsuchiura and Tsukuba Science City), then in Kashiwa in Chiba for three years, and since 2007, in Tokyo, in Nerima-ku (between Shakujiikouen and Takanodai).

Here are some more questions:

Why did you decide to live in Japan? 
Because I had been here before - in the U.S. Navy (海軍), from 1981 to 1983, on the base in Yokosuka. (The picture at the top is from an old passport picture of me when I was in the Navy. I was 21 years old in this picture.)

I really liked it here, and I said to myself that if I ever had the chance to come back here after the Navy, I would. In 1997 I had the chance, so I came back, and I have stayed ever since! My impression of this country is that it is an easy and safe place to live, with great food, great sights, and great transportation. Another person asked a related question about what the charm of Japan is, and I think it's this - the easy living and things in the culture and society that are nuanced, convenient, and that make life comfortable here.

The same person also asked me what the difference is between where I come from in the U.S., in Idaho, and Japan. Well - Tokyo, where I now live, is very different! But Idaho is not so different, I think, from a place like Hokkaido, or the Tohoku, or perhaps the northern part of the Kanto like Tochigi or Gunma. It has beautiful scenery, with mountains and forests, but also desert (砂漠) just south of my hometown, Boise, which is the largest city and is the state capital (首都) of Idaho.

Here are some pictures of Boise. Here is downtown Boise, right near the city center:

Boise has a nickname - the "City of Trees," because it has so many parks. It is beautiful around this time of year - October is very nice in my hometown! This is a typical fall shot looking towards downtown Boise:

This is downtown Boise in winter:

Finally, here's a night shot of downtown Boise:

Maybe Boise is a little like Yamagata, or even Sendai. This is a sightseeing spot in America - one even most Americans in the rest of the U.S. don't know!

The link for the Wikipedia article in Japanese about Boise is here.

Two people asked this kind of question - why do you work in Japan? Why as a college teacher? 

Well, I think it's also because it's safe and easy to work here (and the money's good!). Working on the university level is also a great challenge with interesting classroom atmospheres and student dynamics, with great students like all of you! I got into university teaching because I knew a professor at Tsukuba University who really helped me a lot when I was working at my first job here - an eikaiwa school in Tsukuba. I still know him too - he's now at Chuo University, and through him I began to meet many other people who worked at universities, and I learned a lot from them too. Plus, I think a university is an exciting place to be at. So here I am at Seigakuin four days a week, and Daito Bunka University once a week on Wednesdays. I love it!

Some of you asked these ones: what kind of Japanese food do you like? What's your favorite Japanese food?

I like so much here! There's very little I don't like.

My single favorite dish is unagi. I love it! But of course, it's so expensive, and high in calories - not good for someone like me! I'm thin, but I have high cholesterol, so I have to be careful (I had unagi only once this summer. It was great!). When I go for sushi, one of my favorites, and one I have more than once, is anago - of course, related to unagi!

Look for more to come in Part 2 next week!

Images: First picture - "Boise Skyline 2013" by Lordchadwick79 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boise_Skyline_2013.jpg#/media/File:Boise_Skyline_2013.jpg/Second picture - "Autumn in Boise" by Lordchadwick79 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Autumn_in_Boise.jpg#/media/File:Autumn_in_Boise.jpg/Third picture - "City of Boise Idaho Winter" by Charles Knowles - Flickr: City of Boise Idaho Winter. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:City_of_Boise_Idaho_Winter.jpg#/media/File:City_of_Boise_Idaho_Winter.jpg/Fourth picture - "Downtown Boise Midnight Skyline 2013" by SniperProgrammer - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Downtown_Boise_Midnight_Skyline_2013.jpg#/media/File:Downtown_Boise_Midnight_Skyline_2013.jpg

ECA (English Through Songs) B: Lenny Kravitz - "Fly Away"/レニー ・クラヴィッツ「フライ・アウエイ」

Hello!

How are you? Today I will show you another song - Lenny Kravitz's "Fly Away."

Lenny Kravitz is a rock singer and songwriter from New York. He has been popular since the late 1980s, when he released his first album.

"Fly Away" is one of his biggest singles. It was a hit in 1999. Here is the video of the song:

What does this song mean?

If you would like to learn more about Lenny Kravitz, click here for the Wikipedia article about him (日本語).

I hope you enjoyed this song.

See you next time!

Image: Personal photograph. All rights reserved. 
Video uploaded from YouTube. Video uploaded strictly for classroom use. I do not own the rights to the musical composition or video. All rights reserved to the  copyright holder(s).

ECA (英語基礎表現) II (Super A): hotels

Hello!

How are you? Let's think about, and write some notes, on hotels! 

Warmup/activity
What kind of hotel would you like to stay in? Let's look at some pictures of different hotels.

1. This is the first one - the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore:

1. 

What do you think of this hotel? 

2. This one is very different - an English village house made into a country hotel: 

2.

What do you think of it? 

3. How about this one - a motel on the beach:

3. 

What do you think of this place? 

4. What about this one? It's a tropical resort in Thailand:

4. 

Would you like to stay here? 

Now - think about all these different hotels and places. Which one would you like to stay in? Write two (2) sentences about the hotel you like. Give some reasons using because. 

例えば：
I want to stay in hotel #2 because it is very quiet, and looks comfortable and peaceful. I think I can get good rest in this hotel. 

Have fun!
Photo credits: 1. "Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore" courtesy of posterize/2. "Typical English Village House" courtesy of Stuart Miles/3. "Motel 

Images: Top - "Hotel Room" (courtesy of Evgeni Diner)/1. "Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore" (courtesy of posterize)/2. "Typical English Village House" (courtesy of Stuart Miles)/3. "Motel on the Beach" (courtesy of Aleksandr Kutsayev)/4. Image "Tropical Resort in Thailand" (courtesy of nuchylee)/All images from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

ECA (Travel English): 外国語の挨拶

Hello!

How are you? Look at the different greetings (挨拶) from different languages below: 
How are you? Look at the different greetings (挨拶) from different languages below.

jó napot  xin chào  أهلاً (ahalan)
merhaba     guten tag   
merhaba  guten tag
 merhaba     guten tag

hyvää huomenta  dzien'dobry

hyvää huomenta            dzien' dobry

Activity/homework
Which countries or languages do you think these greetings come from? Take some guesses on which languages or countries they come from - and how you say them! 

Extra homework
On the Internet, find 1-2 greetings in some different languages and bring them to the next class. How do you say them? Teach the class about these greetings!

See you next week!

Images: Top - "Smiling African man waving hands" (courtesy of stockimages)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Thai wai (greeting) - unattributed image from the Internet. Downloaded strictly for classroom purposes. All rights reserved to the copyright owner(s).