Paddington Bear

Before class watch the video and answer the questions.

1. Have you seen this movie?
2. Would you like to see it?  Why/Why not?
3. What animal stories are there in Japan?

Recently I watched the movie Paddington on DVD. I had seen it once before at the cinama, but I wanted to see it again. Paddington is a bear from Peru, who goes to London. The story is his adventures in London. There are a lot of American movies shown in Japan, but few British ones. Paddington is a really British movie. The Paddington books are a very important part of British culture. If you are interested in British culture and British English, please watch this film.

Before class please prepare a two minute talk. Choose one of the beginning lines.
  

• Recently I watched the movie...
• Recently I read the book...
• Recently I saw the TV program...

 

What is Important in your Culture

Fish and chip shops are an important part of British culture. In every local area in every city and town you will find at least one. Sometimes you can eat in, but really they are take away shops. Usually the fish is cod, which is tara in Japanese. But other kinds of fish are available. Also a variety of meat pies are served. The fish and and chips are wrapped in paper and you eat them with your hands. It is frowned upon to eat on the street in Japan, but part of the culture in Britain, so many people eat fish and chips while walking along the street. In England I did not eat fish so much, I preferred pie and chips. I recommend avoiding tourist areas fish and chip shops, local area ones are much better. In my opinion fish and chip shops in Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester are better than the ones in London.

Before class write a two minute talk about something from Japanese culture. Be careful to pluralize nouns when needed. Also take of your use of a, an and the.

This week

There is no post this week. Next there will be a new one.

1984

My Father's favorite writer was George Orwell. He had many of George Orwell's books.  Therefore when I was young I also read George Orwell's books. My Father's favorite novel was 1984, but I preferred Down and out in Paris and London. That book was about George Orwell's real experiences. His family was not poor, but he went to Paris and lived a poor life. After, he went back to London and lived with the homeless. It is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it. 1984 is a novel about a dystopian future. When I was young I had more belief in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.  But now I am reading 1984 one more time. An important theme in the book is Newspeak , a new contradictory slogan like language. For example:

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength

The Dictator of this society is Big Brother. His way of controlling this society is to change history. Above this he highly simplifies the language.  It is a really dark tale of the future.  Recently Trump has become America's president. He usually uses very simple English and above that it is usually meaningless. He is always a liar, but often accuses the media with giving false news. Because of Trump's awfulness, I was reminded of 1984.  It really is a great book and I highly recommend it. After I have read it again, I plan to read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World again.


Here I have written about three books that I really like. Before class make a two minute talk about a book that is special for you.



私のお父さんの好きな作家はジョージ・オーウェルだった。彼はたくさんのジョージ・オーウェルの本を持っていた。だから、若い時、私もジョージ・オーウェルの本を読んだ。彼の好きな小説は「1984」だが、私は「Down and Out in Paris and London」の方が好きだった。 その本はジョージ・オーウェルの経験の本だ。彼の家族は貧乏じゃなかったけど、彼はパリに行って、貧乏の人生を送った。そのあと、ロンドンのホームレスと一緒に住んでいた。本当に素晴らしい本なので、おすすめだ。「1984」はディストピアの将来の小説だが、若い時オルダス・ハクスリーの「Brave New World」の方が信じられた。でも、今もう一度う「1984」を読んでいる。「1984」の大切なテーマは「Newspeak」、新しくて矛盾しているスローガンっぽい言葉　例えば．．．

戦争は平和
自由は奴隷
無知は強さ

社会の独裁者は「Big Brother、彼の社会の支配のし方は、歴史を変える。その上言葉を簡単にする。本当に暗い将来の物語だ。最近、Trumpはアメリカの大統領になった。彼はいつも簡単な英語を使う、その上意味がない。彼はいつもうそつきだが、マスメディアに「そのニュースは偽物」とよく非難している。Trumpのひどい事のせいで、「1984」を思い出した。本当に素晴らしい本なので、おすすめ。読んだ後もう一度オルダス・ハクスリーの「Brave New World」を読むつもりです。

Time or Money?

For me time is more important than money, but work is also important. In the past I taught English for a big nationwide English conversation school. Every day I taught eight lessons, without any preparation time. The salary was good, but I did not have very much spare time.  Above this creativity is more satisfying than work for me, therefore I did not like that job so much. Now I teach English in a variety of good places. I teach five lessons a day and above this I have a lot of preparation time. I also have a lot of spare time. Mysteriously my salary is also good. I am very lucky, I have time and money.

Which is more important for you time or money?

Before class choose a title from below and make a two minute talk. 

• ______is more important for me than________
• ______is more satisfying for me than________
• ______is more interesting for me than_________
• ______is more exciting for me than__________

私の場合、お金より時間の方が大切ですが、仕事も大切です。昔、大きくて全国的な英会話学校で英語を教えていた。毎日、８レッスンを教えた。準備の時間がなかった。給料は良かったが、自分の時間があまりなかった。その上、僕の場合仕事より創造の方が満足できる、だから、その仕事はあまり好きじゃなかった。現在、いろいろないい所で英語を教えている。毎日５レッスンを教えている。その上、準備の時間が多い。自分の時間も多い。不思議に給料がいい。時間とお金があるので、運がいいね。

Silent Comedy

Before class watch this silent comedy and then write the story of the video to read out in class.

How to remember what you have studied

Recently I read about two psychological researches about memory. I am an English teacher and above this a Japanese student, therefore memory is very important for me. William Klemm wrote if you sleep a little after studying, you will remember what you were studying very well. Two things happen: while you are sleeping nothing new enters your brain, so it is not disturbed and above this while sleeping the brain decides the level of importance of new memories. Therefore if you plan to re-study those things again after sleeping, your brain will strongly remember them.

最近、二つ心理学の記憶の研究を読みました。私は英語の教師です。その上日本語の生徒なので、記憶は本当に大切です。William Klemm　は「もし勉強した後少し寝たら、その勉強の事をよく覚えられます」と書きました。二つの事が起こっています。寝る間新しい事は脳に入りませんので、脳は妨げません。その上寝る時は脳は記憶の順番を決めます。だから、もし寝る後でその事をもうー度勉強するつもりだったら、脳はその事を強く覚えます。

The other research said that after studying, physical exercise is very important.  There is no difference in memory if you don't exercise or exercise after studying, but if there is a rest between studying and exercising, the brain will strongly remember those things.

他の研究は勉強の後、運動は大切です。勉強の後、運動すると運動しないでは記憶は変わりませんが、もし勉強と運動の間ちょっとだけ休憩があったら、勉強の事をよく覚えられます。

Sleep and exercise are opposites, but I think if after studying you sleep a little and then exercise, your memories will become strong. Absolutely this should be researched. For me I have to study Japanese and I really have to exercise, so this is a good chance.

寝ると運動は反対ですが、もし勉強の後、少し寝て、運動をしたら、記憶は強くなると思います。絶対、その事を研究した方がいいです。私の場合、日本語を勉強しなけらばなりません。その上運動をしなければなりませんので、いいチャンスです。

1. Do you think it is good to sleep after studying?
2. Do you believe it is good for your memory to exercise after studying?
3. Do you think it is good to do both or choose one?

 Before class write a two minute talk about how you study and remember outside of class, and give some recommendations.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201103/how-sleep-helps-memory 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-truth-about-exercise-addiction/201606/when-exercise-if-you-want-boost-memory