東京理科大学 Writing & Composition 1a: Origins of the Ainu・アイヌの起源

Hello!

How are you? Today let's look a little more at the origins (起源) of the Ainu. 

There are some interesting theories about where the Ainu come from - some of which are very different from one another. 

Before we begin, here's a refresher about last week's (6/10) board notes:

Activity
Genetic testing shows that most Ainu belong to Y-haplogroup D-M55, and have a higher frequency of Y-DNA haplogroup D1b than most Japanese. 

What do you think are the origins of the Ainu? Are they a completely indigenous (先住民) people, or did they come from somewhere else? If so, where did they come from, and how did they get to Japan? 

Here are two maps showing two (2) possible routes about where the Ainu might genetically have come from: 

Write out some notes about your ideas - most importantly, give some reasons why you think so in your notes. If you believe they came from elsewhere, draw a rough map - or find another map on the internet - of where you believe they came from. 

Then write 1-2 practice paragraphs about where you believe they came from and how they came to Japan. 

Then let's share our ideas to each other with our writing, and show any extra maps you might have found or drew.

I hope this helps you further with your understanding of the Ainu. 

See you next time!

Images: By A_large_blank_world_map_with_oceans_marked_in_blue-edited.png: Mmiklederivative work: Ephert (talk) - map: A_large_blank_world_map_with_oceans_marked_in_blue-edited.png*data: W. W. Howells, Getting here: the story of human evolution (1993), p. 206, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16425098/Board notes - personal photograph/Upper genetic route map - by ABCEditer - Own work by reference to 崎谷満（2009）『DNA・考古・言語の学際研究が示す新・日本列島史 日本人集団・日本語の成立史』勉誠出版, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62921263/Lower genetic route map - by Y-dna data file - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63590897 
All rights reserved on personal photograph. 

東京理科大学 A英3: Origins of cats & dogs・猫と犬の起源

Hello!

How are you? Today I have two short videos for you that I hope you find interesting - one is about the origins (起源) of cats, and the other is about the origins of dogs. 

Both videos show where these animals came from and how they became domesticated (馴れた).  

Activity/homework

Watch these short videos. Watch each one as many times as you want or need. The first is about where cats came from and how they spread around the world. The second is about dogs, and where they came from and how they also spread around the world. 

There are no set questions about the videos that you have to report to the class. Mainly, they are to give you some background as to where cats and dogs came from, how they both first came into contact with humans, and how humans first found them to be useful, and how they also found them to be good as pets. 

But - make notes about the videos, because if you do any writing about cats or dogs, the information you'll see in the videos may be very useful for you!

First video - about cats:

Second video - about dogs: 

Hope these were very interesting for you!

See you next time!

Image: Personal photograph. All rights reserved. 

Videos uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the videos or the content within them. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for educational purposes. 

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). 

ECA (Travel English): 外語の挨拶

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. All rights reserved to the copyright owner(s). Uploaded for educational purposes only.

週1・2 - ECA (Speaking) I & II (All, J, D & A): 外語の挨拶

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 photo (waving man) - "Smiling African man waving hands" (courtesy of stockimages)/Thai people greeting - unattributed photo from the Internet. All rights reserved to the owner(s). Uploaded strictly for non-commercial educational use.

週1・2 - ECA (Survival English) - 外語の挨拶

Hello Survival English students,

 

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!

Image copyright: All rights reserved. I do not own the rights to this image. Uploaded strictly for non-commercial educational use.

週1・2 - ECA (Survival English) - 外語の挨拶

Hello Survival English students,

 

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
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! 

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!

津田塾大学オペン・スクール時事英語でディスカッションII・2/27 - societal roles, relationships & changes

Hello to my discussion students,

Image "The Exit" courtesy of Elwood W. McKay III/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How are you? Thank you again for the lively discussion on the themes we've had so far!

Here are some things on what might be a quite wide topic - societal roles, relationships, and change. I had to search around for what might be the most interesting things to upload here, and while there is so much out there that we could build a whole course around this theme, I had to choose what I could. 

I also had to decide - do I stick with Japan, or cover topics related to this abroad as well? That was also a hard thing to decide, but having found the things I did from a number of places I decided to upload the best and most interesting. 

So here is our homework for discussion on the blog, and that may also perhaps give you some ideas on your final presentation topics. 

So first up is a short clip from Fox News in the U.S. about the effect Facebook may be having on marriage in the U.S.:

Here's a very different one on Muslim women and social change - a photo essay clip with some incredible images. While it will appear small on the screen shot below, it is quite moving and consists of the narrator's own photography:

Here's a longer, but equally-dynamic TED talk from a Vietnamese-New Zealander university student on social norms and social change:

These videos uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to these videos. They are strictly for classroom use.

Watch each of these as many times as you like or need. Post comments to this blogpost about these, or send to my email address if you have trouble posting comments directly. 

Take care! See you next week!

KIFL WIT Discussion I (1st period) - 2/6 - some open class short presentation images

Hello to all my 1st period discussion students (and anyone else who reads this!),

How are you? Today we had a period of short open class presentations on topics of
How are you? Yesterday we had a period of short open class presentations on topics of student choice. Above is one of the pictures of Tomoe Haga's talk on alcoholic drinks in various countries and areas. Good job Tomoe!

I am posting these to show what students like yourselves are capable of doing, and as a "thank-you" to all of you for your effort - especially in the terrible weather we had yesterday morning that made coming to KIFL difficult for many students. 
that made coming to KIFL difficult for many students. 

This next shot above is of Mana Inoue's talk on American-style diners. Very good - and it
This next shot above is of Mana Inoue's talk on American-style diners. Very good - and it makes me hungry! Here's another shot:
makes me hungry! Here's another shot:

Below is Shiori Nonaka's poster on Valentine's day customs in various countries and
Below is Shiori Nonaka's poster on Valentine's day customs in various countries and areas. Good job Shiori!
areas. Good job Shiori!

 

Finally - while I wasn't able to get any shots of it as it was Internet-based - thank you to
Finally - while I wasn't able to get any shots of it as it was Internet-based - thank you to Natsuki Sakurai for her talk on Japanese-influenced American animation. It was very entertaining!

Good job to all of you! See you next class! 
Good job to all of you! See you next class!

Cheers!

Cheers!

芝浦工業大学英語総合1B - final presentations poster shots (Part 2)

Hello to all my Eigo Sogo students,
Hello to all my Eigo Sogo students,

おつかれさまでした once again!
おつかれさまでした once again! Here's another post on your poster presentations from today (1/15). (Special note: All students whose names are on the poster shots gave their permission to me to show their names.) 

Let's take a look at some more of these, like the one above, and this one:
today (1/15). Let's take a look at some more of these.

Here's another one: 
Here's another one - a one-person poster: 
Here's another one: 

Check this out - they covered two separate sheets of plotter paper for their presentation!
Check this out - they had two separate sheets of plotter paper for their presentation!
Check this out - they covered two separate sheets of plotter paper for their presentation!

Here's one more:

Here's one more:

Here's one more:

Really great job from all of you. I was impressed with those who spoke very well and used the points of language from my last post for all of you. Many of you went from one point to another in your talk very well.

I will miss having you as students, as I am leaving Shibaura after this week to start a new full-time job at Seigakuin University in April. So good luck to all of you in your Shibaura life and careers after university. 

And goodbye to all of yoImage "Girl Showing Thank You Board" courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

And goodbye to all of you. Take care - and good luck!

芝浦工業大学英語総合1B - final presentations poster shots (Part 1)

Hello to all my Eigo Sogo students,
Hello to all my Eigo Sogo students,

おつかれさまでした！How are you feeling? You did a great job today in your poster 
おつかれさまでした！How are you feeling? You did a great job today in your poster presentations and I'm very proud of you all. Take a look at this poster above!

So I would like to upload some shots of your posters here, to show anyone who sees these what you are capable of doing. (Special note: All students whose names are on the poster shots gave their permission to me to show their names.) 

Let's take a look at this one:
Let's take a look at this one:

Good job there! Check this one out: 
Good job there! Check this one out: 
Good job there! Check this one out: 

Good job there! Check this one out: 
And these ones too: 
Good job there! Check this one out: 

Let me upload some more on a follow-up post! Good job to you all!

Let me upload some more on a follow-up post! Good job to you all!
Let me upload some more on a follow-up post! Good job to you all! See you on the next post right after this!

芝浦工業大学英語総合1B 12/4 - homework about love & marriage (Part 1)

Hello to all my Eigo Sogo students,

Image "Wedding Rings" courtesy of sscreations/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How are you? Today we'll start a new theme - about love and marriage. 

In our first reading today, we read about a marriage custom in another culture. Take a look at the list of countries and cultures below: f countries and cultures below: 

China	India	Iran	Ethiopia
Mexico	Israel	Thailand	Sweden
Canada	Egypt	Colombia	Ireland
New Zealand (Maori culture)	Spain (Basque culture)	the U.S. (Hawaiian culture)	Europe, Middle East, India (Roma culture)

Now choose one of these countries/cultures and with a partner, and over the next two
Now choose one of these countries/cultures and with a partner, and over the next two weeks, research about marriage customs in that country/culture. 

GUIDELINES & RULES
This homework will be a little different than what we did before. 

Part 1 - choose a country/culture and begin finding out a few facts about their marriage customs - do this by next week (12/11). 
Important rule!
*Important rule! Every pair has to choose a different country/culture! Do not do the same country/culture as another pair! 

Part 2 - after next week (12/11), we will then find out more in detail about the country's/culture's marriage customs. I will tell you more about what you can do then.

See you then!