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). 

ECA (Culture) B: アメリカに礼義正しさのポイント

Hello!

 

How are you? Today here is a video about some things Japanese should be careful not to do when in the U.S. The woman's name is Rachel. Answer some questions about the video after you watch. You can watch the video as many times as you want. Write your answers in your notebooks:

1. What did Rachel say about eating soup?

2. Instead of sniffling your nose, what did she say you should do?

3. If a person sneezes, what should you say to the person?

4. What should you do if you accidentally bump into a person?

5. What did she say about doors in public places?

6. In a restaurant, if you want something from a waiter or waitress, what should you do?

7. What did she say about giving money when paying for something at a shop or store counter?

 

I hope Rachel's talk was interesting for you. 

See you next time!

 

Image: Thai wai picture - unattributed image downloaded from the Internet. Downloaded strictly for classroom use. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s).

Video uploaded from YouTube. Video uploaded strictly for classroom use. I do not own the rights to this video. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s).

ECA (English Through Songs) B: Maroon 5 - "This Love"/マルーン 5「ディス・ラヴ」

Hello!

How are you? Here was our first song, "This Love," by Maroon 5.

Maroon 5 is an American band from Los Angeles. They are one of the biggest rock bands in the world right now. They toured Japan in September.

We listened to this song in class. But here is the song again from YouTube - you can listen to it again:

This song is about a man who feels he has to break up with his girlfriend because their relationship has become so much trouble for the both of them. 

I hope you enjoyed this song. If you would like to know more about Maroon 5, click here for their article on Wikipedia (日本語).

See you next time!

Image: "Woman Do Not Look Happy Standing" (courtesy of nuttakit)/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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

お帰りなさい！

Hello!

How are you? I'm Lee Arnold. Welcome to my blog, The Daily Sekaijin! On it I will post videos, pictures and other things for you for our classes. You can write comments here too. We can have fun in these classes!
classes! 
お帰りなさい！ブログにようこそ！ブログが授業のためにヴィデオ、写真、画像やアップする。どちでも英語とか日本語コメントの書くができる。楽しいクラスしましょう！

Now - I will show you a little bit about myself. The picture at the top is me - in Vietnam (ベトナム)! In August I went to Vietnam to a conference (研究会) and gave a presentation. I met many nice people there. 

This is me with Tran. She just finished her studies at the Hue University College of Foreign Languages (フエー大学外語学部). She helped me a lot when I was there. She has great English and is very friendly. A very nice person! 

Here are some more pictures:

I had a great time there. How about you? How was your summer? Did you take a trip anywhere? Do anything fun? I hope to learn from you. I'll be happy to be your teacher this term! 

I hope you can tell me about yourselves. So let's have a great semester together!  

ができる。楽しいクラスしましょう楽しい

クラスしましょう

あとでね！See you in class!

Images: Personal photos. All rights reserved.