Archive for May 2004
English for children
As I said before in Finding Time, I am now an assistant of a sports club for children in my village, and I joined it yesterday. When I was doing exercise with the children, the club instructor suddenly suggested that I should teach an English word or an English phrase at the end of the club meeting every Saturday. He seems to think it's a very good idea because I major in English education in university, though I feel it's a bit strange to teach English in a sports club.
Anyway, starting yesterday, I had to teach English to elementary school children. Since it was my first time to teach English in the club, I taught them to say "Good bye" and "See you." But almost all of them seemed to know these expressions already. I think these phrases are too easy for them, but complex or long phrases may be too difficult. Also, since I teach English to children, I'd like to teach them useful phrases, because they'll be interested in English when they can communicate with foreign people. I'm trying to figure out what English words will be most useful to them: greetings like "Good morning" or "Good afternoon"? Or basic words like "cat" or "dog"?
At the end of the club activity, the instructor told me that children will never forget the English words they learn in their childhood. I think he is right, because I still remember the English phrase I learned first, which was "shut up", though … So, I want them to learn good and useful English.
Yackety-yack
Announcing the
#Tawawa IRC channel
starting
Friday, 4 June 2004, 3:00 pm (JST)
Join for a chat with the makers of this Web site!
Suggested further reading:
- The history of IRC as told by its creator, Jarkko Oikarinen.
- quick introduction to IRC by IRChelp.org
- A list of Basic IRC Commands
A Visit to Osaka
Last week, I went to Osaka to meet my boyfriend. I hadn't seen him for three weeks. Using Kintetsu and JR (Japan Railway) lines, it takes about three hours to go to the city.
I had to change trains three times, which was complicated. The first change was easy: I got off the train at Ise Nakagawa, and took the one bound for Uehonmachi. The second change was very complicated, though: I had to walk across the Tsuruhashi station, and then I took the JR line. Here, my boyfriend came to meet me because he thought I would get lost without his guidance. I was very happy to see him after a rather long time. At Kyobashi, I changed trains for the third time. I was very tired because I had to walk around the station and stand up on the train. When we finally reached his house at 9 p.m., my legs were aching a little.
The next day, Saturday, we traveled to Umeda to go shopping together. There are many, many shops underground: clothes, shoes, foods, games, socks, caps and so on. We lost our way and could not reach the mall where we wanted to buy clothes. So we dropped in at some other shops around there. I bought summer sandals, a blue-white-and-red-striped camisole and a beige linen cardigan. My boyfriend bought a pink T-shirt, brown sandals and two short-sleeved shirts. We enjoyed shopping very much and we were happy to get some things we wanted.
In Osaka, we bought anpurin, a green powdered-tea pudding which contains bean jam. It tasted good, of course, because it is an Osaka staple. Shiokonnbu, dried kelp coated with salt, is attached, and it enhances the flavor of the pudding. Do try it if you go to Osaka!
My small trip to Osaka was very successful and wonderful. I want to go to Osaka again soon.
Cleaning it a bit
Thoughts about music
Music makes me both feel happy and, sometimes, a bit unhappy. Some people say that music gives us power and refreshes us. I believe in the power which music has, but sometimes I also doubt it. One of my hobbies is listening to music, and I like to listen to music, especially at night before I go to sleep, even rock music, although I usually listen to Japanese pop music. By listening to it I can relax and sleep well. But recently I have come to think about the power of music: Does music really have the power to refresh me, encourage me and calm me down? Why are musicians continuing to create music? Sometimes I think music is harsh as well as warm-hearted.
I can be encouraged by some music; some musicians sing songs which encourage the listeners. Some examples are: "Do your best!", "Stand up!", "You can do it!", and "You're my only one (this phrase is very popular now, because SMAP, a big Japanese entertainer group, sings such a song). When I'm in low spirits, I can lighten up with such music.
Apart from these encouraging songs, my favorite music, which is not necessarily encouraging, cheers me up as well. Listening to my favorite music, generally band music, works for me.
Musicians also reveal their thoughts and feelings in their songs. "I love you" or "I'm here" is very popular. But "Save our earth", "I'm running on my winding road" and even criticism of Japanese politics is often voiced by some musicians, especially by Japanese rock musicians. Their hearts and minds are passionately conveyed to me through their art. Touched by their fiery hearts and minds, I am encouraged. So it's not only the melodies but also the lyrics that make me happy.
But sometimes I think that music is nothing but an illusion. I do not know the real characters of the musicians, and the musicians themselves do not even know about my existence. Musicians are blind, and they have no specific objectives, so if they sing "Fight!" for me and everyone else, they do not know who I am and why I am troubled. Practically, their message is pretty abstract; they cannot give me any advice on what I should do. If I go to sleep contently by listening to music, I just get up in the morning and nothing changes. They are just singing songs on their CDs. They have no relationship with me.
It may be a natural thing, but sometimes when I hear such encouraging songs, I am fairy disappointed in the possibility of music and become suspicious of its power. Everyone can say "Fight", and musicians have the privilege of revealing their feelings, but I feel as if they are abusing the privilege. So sometimes I doubt if I am I really stimulated by music.
But I can rely on music, I can believe in music itself. If I find a good piece of music, I continue to listen to it a hundred times and more. In fact I'm still listening to one CD I bought about five years ago. And although I have heard it so many times, I'm still impressed whenever I hear it.
I often go to my favorite bands' live performances. Of course some people, including my friends (especially my senior Chie-san) like to go too. I think the reason why people who like to go to concerts, despite the narrow halls, the heat, the stifling crowds and the dirty atmosphere is that people can identify with the bands by raising their hands and dancing along. People have a good time even in small and crowded concert halls.
All in all, I like to listen to music. I can feel the musicians' strong will in their songs. I do not know their real character, but I can feel their passion for music, and this passion is the same with everyone who loves music; it seems that no reasons are needed for enjoying it: I want to listen to music according to my instincts, not my head, and music is nothing but music. But it has much ability to impress many people and I am somebody who is influenced by music. In the end, the conclusion is that I like music very much. So today I also went to university while listening to my favorite music on the crowded train, and I will probably turn off the light in my bedroom while listening to music.
Rainy days
Lately, we've been having lots of rain. In Japan, we have a rainy season in June and it's moist and muggy. I don't like rainy days because I cannot dry my clothes after washing, and because I cannot ride my bike to go out. When it rains, I usually watch TV and rent some videos. I am fairly active, so I am bored sitting at home. And then I start playing video games ...
I don't enjoy my life very much during the rainy season. I like playing tennis, talking with friends, going out and so forth -- and I am poor at spending time alone. So I want to know how others spend their time on rainy days. Listening to music? Doing hobbies? I can't bear being alone in my room.
Doubts about video games
I like video games very much. When I was a high school student, my parents allowed me to play only an hour a week, but I live alone now, so I can play video games for as long as I want to. Yet I have my doubts about the habit.
One of the biggest problems is to waste time. If I manage to kill the villain on the final level of a game, there is no benefit in the real world. Spending so much time on video games isn’t good for my life, but it is very difficult for me to play a video game only for a short time; I can’t stop playing it. I think of video games as a kind of drug.
Video games are also bad for my eyes. As soon as I start playing one, my eyes hurt. But in spite of the pain I continue to play. If I play with my personal computer, my eyes become worse than with the television set because the screen is close to my eyes.
The price of video game software bothers me too. One game costs about six thousand yen, which I find very expensive. When I don’t have money, I cannot buy software. I have to bear this situation because if I buy some game software, my life becomes harder.
Video games are my hobby. I think I'd be sad if they'd disappear suddenly. But I have to stop playing them every day because I am a student, so I have to study hard. Maybe I should look for another hobby ...
Strange Virus
Recently my computer at home hasn't been working well, maybe because of a kind of virus. Sometimes a string of characters appears; for example, '￥￥￥////' or 'zzzzzzzz' come up everywhere on the screen. Such characters appear even on the Start button, so that I can't run any programs or change users. Other times, the characters appear in the address bar or search bar, so I can't use any search engines.
I guess this phenomenon occurs due to a kind of virus. It isn't very persistent, though: it doesn't always happen when I use the computer, but it troubles me anyway. Have you ever met such virus? Or do you know about it? If you do, please tell me how to deal with it!
English in High School
The Yomiuri reports on a survey which shows that South Korean high school students are both more confident and more proficient when it comes to using English in actual communication.
Prof. Kensaku Yoshida of Sophia University, who has also analyzed the survey, said he found the confidence shown by South Korean students very interesting.
"They have more opportunities to use English outside the classroom and this experience seems to boost their confidence," he said.
The professor pointed out that increased confidence probably helps students feel more like using the language, creating a virtuous circle of progress.
"If South Korean students enjoy more and more opportunities to use the language spontaneously on a daily basis, I believe it's much more likely that they'll make further progress," he said.
Yoshida is a member of the foreign-language education committee of the Central Council for Education, an advisory panel to the education, science and technology minister. The panel is looking into potential reform of English-language education in the nation.
"It is necessary (for Japanese students) to make greater use of opportunities to utilize English both in and outside the classroom," he said.
I don't have any statistics to prove that South Korean highschoolers would be more likely to bump into native speakers of English in their daily lives, so, if they are more likely to use English "outside the classroom," my best guess is they're using the Internet. As for what goes on in classrooms, the survey probably bears testimony to the fact that the Japanese language classrom, whatever its other merits may be, is not the most communicative learning environment ever devised.
For some strange reason, I'm also reminded of a conversation I recently had with a middle-aged Japanese lady. She was convinced that assistant language teachers, the foreign nationals employed in large numbers at Japanese schools, exert a bad influence on Japanese students because they're not properly educated in the art of teaching. Moreover, she questioned the wisdom of teaching English as a mandatory subject; it would be far better if the students were instructed in Japanese culture rather than in the English language. In fact, those who felt they needed English for travel or business should study the language privately.
While I don't know how widely held this opinion is, it does show a certain xenophobia, which strikes me as a strong undercurrent in Japanese society and, possibly, a hurdle to mastering foreign languages.
Five weeks on
One time of the year that seems to pass almost without notice is the beginning of April, and yet it is at this time that so many things actually change.
I was thinking about this on my way to work on the Metro this morning. The what? The Metro. This is the rebranding of several of the private subays in Tokyo. Out go the green uniforms, in come the blue, and a new numbering system for all the stations to make it easier to get around.
When did that happen? The beginning of April.
Whilst thinking about that, I walked into my local konbini and picked up an onigiri for 105 yen. Wow, it had its real price -- not just the price minus 5% consumption tax. Again, from the beginning of April. There are plenty of other things which start (and stop) at this time of the year, as it coincides with most companies' financial year. I'm just curious what other things, big and small, happen around this time.
Do you know your Constellation?
Most people kow their zodiac sign. I know that mine is Cancer. But have you ever seen your constellation in the sky? I guess many people haven't: I'm taking a science class with about eighty other students and none of us have ever seen our constellation in the sky.
In that class I learned that the opposite was true about forty years ago; people didn't know their zodiac sign but they did know the constellations. I think it shows how much our lives have changed. Today, there is much information available all around us, but in many cases it is not connected to the real world. Many years ago, however, there was less infomation than now, but people knew many things about the real world and their lives. Maybe they also had more time to look up to the stars.
Although my constellation, the Cancer, doesn't show now, I'm sure I'll find it some day.
Finding Time
I'm very busy now! I'm taking eight university courses in Education, I have to study to pass a test for being a teacher, I have to prepare plans for practice teaching, I teach part-time at a cram school twice a week, and I do volunteer work at a gym where I help an instructor teach P.E. to elementary school children.
But all of these activities are necessary for me, I think. University classes are essential for getting a teacher qualification and for my graduation from university. I can learn many things from teaching English in cram school, for example how to make a class understandable for students, how to treat junior-high school students in puberty, and how to deal with the difference in their English skills. In addition, I have a lot of fun exercising with elementary school children, who are very cute and pure. Also, I can learn many things from the instructor, who was my P.E. teacher in high school, because he has much experience in teaching P.E. and handling students with different and unique characters. So, doing all these things helps me develop, I believe.
But recently I have come to think that I should use my limited time more effectively, which is very difficult, though. Once I have a job, I'll be busier than now, I guess. One of my fellow seniors who is a teacher says that time is a thing that people need to find. As he says, time is not coming to us of its own accord, even though we are waiting and waiting. I have to find precious time for myself!