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05 .08The Joy of Vinyl RecordsPhoto Credit: Merve @ pexels.comMany people today listen to music using streaming services like Apple Music or downloaded mp3 files played through smart phones. When I was a child in the early 1970’s, we mostly listened to music with vinyl records. Then cassette tapes became popular because they were more portable, and you could record your own music onto them. Later in the 1990’s, CDs became the most popular medium for music. My favorite way to listen to music is the vinyl record. In recent years, records have become trendy again, partly due to their popularity with DJs. I am not a DJ, but I have several other reasons why I like vinyl best.If taken care of properly, records last a long time. I have several hundred records; most of them I bought in my youth or came from my father’s even older collection. Today I listened to the very first record I ever bought – Led Zeppelin IV. It still sounds great, even though the vinyl record is over 40 years old. None of the cassettes from my childhood work at all now, and even some of my CDs from the 1990’s don’t really work well anymore. My old records; however, have become some of my most prized possessions.I believe the analog format of vinyl records provides a better, warmer sound than digital formats. Even the pops and crackles you hear on scratched or dusty records can have some nostalgic attraction for people of my generation. Many audiophiles think analog records contain a wider range of sound waves and give a rich, truer, more authentic sound.Finally, and most importantly, listening to music with records is a more involved, satisfying experience. First, I have to physically find a record by looking through my record collection. The artwork on the record covers trigger memories and helps me choose what I want to hear. Then I have to take out the record from its sleeve, decide if I want to hear side A or B, put the record on my turntable, and manually place the needle at the song I want to hear. Often, I will start from the beginning using the automatic function. This makes me listen to all of the songs in the order the artist intended, something I think is mostly lost today when we skip through and just pick single songs from our mp3 collection. As I listen to the record, I usually spend some time looking at the artwork and the information printed on the album sleeve, and sometimes I can read the lyrics to the songs if they are printed on the sleeve. I think listening to music with records is a more focused, complete, artistic experience than using other formats. When I play vinyl records, I can most fully appreciate what I am listening to.Questions:1. Which of the following is the oldest music medium?A. CDsB. Streaming ServicesC. Vinyl records2. In paragraph 4, what is an ‘audiophile’?A. A professional musician.B. A notebook with notes about music.C. A person who is enthusiastic about high-quality sound.3. Why does the author like vinyl records?A. Because they are very convenient.B. Because the author thinks they provide a better listening experience.C. Because the author is a DJ.Scroll down ↓ for the answersAnswers:1. C2. C3. BBrett Morgan
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03 .13Learning a Language through Loving a TV Program
Do you know what the longest-running animated television series is? Do you think it’s The Simpsons? South Park? Family Guy? Well, it’s my favourite Japanese show–Sazae-san.
You all know that the Isono and Fuguta families never get old, that there’s no way Katsuo can fit his K T-shirts over his head, and that by the end of the credits we begin to feel down at the prospect of the end of the weekend.
But did you know the power of one TV show you love to help your understanding of a language? How many people in the world today have learned Dutch through Nijntje en haar vriendjes, French through La Famille Barbapapa, and Russian through Cheburashka? I can’t tell you which TV program is best for learning English—that you’ll have to do yourself. It’s really just as long as you love the program and want to watch it again and again like I like watching Sazae-san again and again.
Here are some tips. But first you’ll have to have Amazon Prime or Netflix or use your digital recorder. Next, you’ll need a friend. Nobody speaks a language by themselves.
List of tips:
--Watch for 10 minutes, then predict what you think will happen.
--Watch the entire episode, then summarize what happened.
--Freeze any random frame, then describe what is happening.
--Watch a scene with your eyes closed, describe what happened, then watch what really happened.
--Watch a scene with no sound and write down what you think was said, then check.
--Have your friend write down the English subtitles, then erase a few words.
Next, you watch without the subtitles and try to fill in the blanks your friend made.
--Turn the sound off and practice reading the English subtitles aloud.
Afterwards, with the sound on, check your pronunciation and intonation.
--Together write down an English-subtitled dialogue, then practice acting it out.
You both may be better than some of the actors you find on TV these days.
I hope you will try one or two of these tips on your own beloved TV program. As for me, it’s time that I finally figure out what Ikura-chan is really saying. So, from now on I’m going to try to translate everything he says into perfect English.
Photo Credit: Taryn Elliott@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
Q1. What is the longest-running animated television series?
Q2. Which languages can you learn if you watch Nijntje en haar vriendjes,La Famille Barbapapa, and Cheburashka?
Q3. What is the best TV show to help you learn English?
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz AnswersQ1. Sazae-san.
Q2. Dutch, French, and Russian.
Q3. The one that you love.Paul Meyer -
02 .13Lessons Learned from Being on TV (Part 2)
Unfortunately, the last three that I mentioned aired really late at night, so not too many people were able to watch them. This is why I was so glad to have gotten this most recent chance.
October 7: MBS Yonchan. This news program showed my feature at 6:40 p.m., which means more people had a chance to watch. It was the longest corner yet, at roughly 12.5 minutes, and the TV crew even came and filmed me at Ritsumeikan University! By then, I had been filmed so many times that I was not too nervous, but I did sense that students and other teachers were a little shy. Anyhow, I learned something about TV on this day, and it is unfortunate. They are not always accurate and do not always want to portray the truth. They want to tell the story that they think will get them the biggest audience. They also do not always allow the subject of the feature to check it ahead of time and make corrections. There were no fewer than six errors or fabrications on the program, including my age, which they got wrong by 5 years.
All in all, I am happy to be getting recognition for the work I am doing to promote the Hanshin Tigers in English to people all over the world. If you want to study English by reading (and hearing) about the Tigers, why not check out my website [www.thehanshintigers.com]?
Photo Credit: Martin Péchy@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
Q1. According to the writer, why did more people watch MBS Yonchan than several other programs he appeared on?
Q2. What mistake did the most recent TV program make about the writer?
a) Six
b) His age
c) His family members
Q3. Overall, is the writer satisfied with his experiences appearing on television?
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
Q1. Because it was shown at 6:40 p.m.
Q2. B
Q3. Yes
Trevor Raichura -
02 .06Lessons Learned from Being on TV (Part 1)
I cannot believe how lucky I am. I would have never imagined that I would be featured on television in Japan FIVE times in a single year! Let me quickly mention the first four, and then focus on what I learned from the fifth one.
January 4: Ikegami Akira no Kansaijin ga Shiranai Kansai. This new year’s special showed me covering the Hanshin Tigers in a special way for English-speaking fans all around the world. Famous panelists that I met in the studio included Black Mayonnaise, High Heel Ringo, Miyu Honda, and Joichiro Fujiwara from Naniwa Danshi.
June 17: News Zero. This late-night nationally broadcast news program, hosted by famous anchor Yumiko Udo, was similar to Mr. Ikegami’s program, but I did not go to a studio to talk to famous people. Instead, TV directors recorded me at a separate studio and at a restaurant. Ms. Udo is a huge Hanshin Tigers fan, and she said she wants to meet and go to a Tigers game at Koshien with me. (I would love that!)
June 28: Sekai wo Chotto Dake Kaeru Summit. For this one, I had to go to the studio for a recording, and sitting right next to me was fellow guest Takeshi Tsuruno. We talked before the recording started, and he was a really nice guy! This program had nothing to do with my areas of expertise (English education and Hanshin Tigers), so I was nervous throughout.
July 7: MBS Ballpark. This was the first time a TV program visited my home, which made me (and my whole family) a little nervous. Still, it was interesting to watch the program and hear Tomonori Jinnai and Reni Takagi (Momoiro Clover Z) say that “Hanshin should acquire Trevor-san.” (I would love that!)
Q1. How many times was the writer featured on Japanese TV in 2022?
Q2. Who said she wanted to go to a Hanshin Tigers game with the writer?
a) Reni Takagi
b) High Heel Ringo
c) Yumiko Udo
Q3. On which two dates did the writer mention feeling nervous during the recording session?
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
Q1. 5
Q2. C
Q3. June 28 & July 7
Trevor Raichura -
01 .09Living with Poison
How do you feel when you hear the word "poison"? You will probably feel scared, or you might remember scenes from some detective movies or TV programs. Obviously, the term does not have any positive connotations.
Despite the impression we receive from the word, poison sometimes plays an essential role in our lives. For example, professor Funayama at Nihon Pharmaceutical University explains that there is basically no distinction between "poison" and "medicine". According to him, we distinguish the words only by whether the element is beneficial to the human body. We call it “poison” when it does harm to our bodies. Medicine, on the other hand, does good for our bodies. Both have in common that they have a particular influence on our bodies. We, in a sense, live with poison.
A lot of creatures live with the poison as well. For example, some animals risk their mobility to eat poison, and others intake it to protect themselves from predators. You often see sleeping koalas when you visit a zoo. They often spend their days sleeping most of the time. This is because they cannot survive without eating eucalyptus leaves, a plant which is poisonous to their body. They sleep to digest the harmful substances in the leaves.
Some frogs and snakes intake poison from their food and utilize it to protect themselves. Toads, for example, have a potent poison called bufotoxin in their body. Dogs and cats sometimes, unfortunately, lose their lives when they eat the frog while they are taking a walk. The tiger keelback, yamakagashi in Japanese, are bold enough to eat the poisonous toads, and they use the toad-derived poison as a weapon against their predators. Poison dart frogs, toxic frogs, save poison in their body using the same method. Wild poison dart frogs eat some ants and millipedes (yasude in Japanese) with poison and keep the poison in their skins. Interestingly, captive-bred poison frogs lose their toxicity because they don't have the chance to capture such food.
"Poison" might sound scary, but the substance with the label can be a blessing to animals, including us. It will be interesting to see how other creatures make use of poison.
Photo Credit: Doug Brown@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
Q1. According to professor Funayama, how are poison and medicine different?
Q2. What can happen when dogs eat a toad?
Q3. What do tiger keelbacks and wild poison dart frogs have in common?
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
Q1. A substance is called poison when it has a negative influence on the human body. Medicine refers to a substance with a positive effect on the human body.
Q2. It can lead to a deadly accident for the pet.
Q3. They both capture poisonous creatures and save the poison in their body.
Yoshitaka Seto -
08 .29Traveling in Laos
During these Covid-19 times it is not easy to travel internationally, but we are all hoping that changes for the better soon. Today, I would like to tell about one of my favorite countries for traveling – Laos. I have made several trips to Laos and never grow tired of this unique country. As a tourist destination in Southeast Asia, Laos is not as popular as some of its neighboring countries like Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam. I think this is one reason it is such an interesting place to visit.
Many people start their trip to Laos by flying into Vientiane. Even though it is the capital of Laos, Vientiane is a small, relaxed city. People are very friendly, and it is a great place to just walk around for a day or two and get a feel for the culture. The mighty Mekong River forms the eastern border of the city, and eating local dishes for dinner in an open-air restaurant on the banks of the Mekong while watching the sunset is a highly recommended way to finish your day.
A few hours bus ride north of Vientiane is the small, fun town of Vang Vieng, which is very popular with young, backpacking travelers from around the world. It is surrounded by beautiful karst mountains and jungle and is a great place for outdoor activities. You can go tubing and kayaking in the river or try caving and rock climbing.
Further north is the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang. Also set on the banks of the Mekong, it is a fascinating city with many Buddhist temples and historical French colonial architecture. A great thing to do here is to take a boat ride for a couple hours up the Mekong to the Buddha caves of Pak Ou. Luang Prabang also has excellent restaurants and a cool night market for shopping.
For the adventurous traveler with more time, Laos has some other interesting destinations. In the far north around the town of Luang Namtha you can go trekking to remote hill-tribe villages. In the south of Laos there is the coffee producing Bolaven plateau and the incredible Falls of the Mekong, the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia.
Fairly close to Japan and very affordable to visit with fascinating cultures, friendly people, and incredible natural beauty, Laos is a great choice for adventurous university students wishing to explore off the beaten path in Southeast Asia.
Q1 What are 3 countries mentioned that are next to Laos?
Q2 What is the capital city of Laos?
Q3 What are some adventurous outdoor activities you can do in Laos?
Scroll down for answers
A1 Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
A2 Vientiane.
A3 Tubing, kayaking, caving, rock climbing, and trekking.
Brett Morgan *Photo Credit: The Author* -
08 .22Fountain pens
Today, I would like to introduce the idea of using a fountain pen for daily use. I know that electronic media such as smartphones and tablets have become a part of our daily lives, but it would be nice to enjoy a traditional writing method instead. Recently, I went to Kinokuniya near Osaka station and found a section of fountain pens. There were a lot of them lined up in a row for us to try them out casually. Many people just enjoy such pens as a collection, but fountain pens have many purposes: to enjoy the pleasure of writing, to use as a tool, and to appreciate having time for yourself.
The first idea is to enjoy the feeling of writing. It is a feeling that only those who have tasted it can understand, but even just by drawing a line, you can feel it in your hand. When I wrote with a fountain pen for the first time, I was amazed at the sound it made when I wrote. Later, after using it several times, I began to feel the steady sound was comfortable. In particular, it is a beneficial tool for people with weak writing pressure compared with regular pens or pencils.
Second, a fountain pen is an excellent tool for organizing your thoughts. Nowadays, it is easy to make voice recordings and convert your ideas into text. However, there is a limit to how much you can write by hand compared with electronic media. In this sense, you can unconsciously replace writing time with organizing time in your mind.
The third is to set aside time for yourself. This idea is similar to the second benefit but different. As long as you have a pen and paper in front of you, you can think only of yourself. No person or sounds will disturb you. In this age of IT advancement, it is precious to be in a space where you are not connected to the Internet, where information is flowing. Especially for writers, such a tool can be a treasure trove of great ideas.
In conclusion, many people love fountain pens, such as writers and cartoonists. However, fountain pens are not only for specialists but also for people in general to enjoy the benefits and pleasure we have discussed. There are several series of pens for beginners with an economical price. So, why not give it a try?
Q1. What is the first benefit of fountain pens?
Q2. What is the second benefit of fountain pens?
Q3. What is the third benefit of fountain pens?
--- Scroll down for answers ---
A1. They help you to enjoy the feeling of writing.
A2. They help you to organize your thoughts.
A3. They give you space to think of and for yourself.
Akiko Watanabe **Photo courtesy of Pixabay @pexels.com** -
08 .01Let Your Light Shine in the World
When I was young, I used to love watching American TV shows and dreamed of America. I wanted to go there someday but traveling abroad was not something anybody could do at that time. Flights were very expensive and there were hardly any opportunities for young people in Japan to learn practical and conversational English in the late 1970’s.
My interest in America and its language grew as I became a junior high school student. I was motivated to study English and was determined to enroll in the YMCA High School Conversation Course after graduation. YMCA was probably one of the very few institutions that offered practical English learning to high school students at that time in Osaka. In my senior year, I participated in the English speech contest hosted by the Osaka-San Francisco Sister-City Association as the representative of the YMCA. Winning the contest gave me a free ticket to California to do homestay for 6 weeks in the coming summer of 1981. There are no words to express the joy and excitement that I felt then.
The experience I had in the U.S. that summer instilled in me a strong desire to study at an American university. As I look back on my life, the funny thing is that I learned more about Japan and myself as a Japanese when I was living in the U.S. I grew to love my country and appreciate being a citizen. The experience made me want to teach English and help young Japanese people have positive experiences in their lives just like I did.
Being able to speak English has blessed me and brought much happiness into my life over the years, and I would like to share one experience I had this summer. The year 2021 was a special year for Japan to hold the Olympics in Tokyo after 57 years even though it was in the middle of the Covid pandemic. I decided to volunteer for the Olympics, and they put me in the Athlete Village where all the athletes from 220 countries stayed. My responsibility was to help the athletes install the smartphone game that IOC created for them. The booth I worked at was inside the cafeteria building, so I must have seen and met most of the athletes and coaches. I had never seen so many different nationalities of people before. Being able to meet and talk with them is one experience that I will always cherish and remember. I learned that it surely is possible that all the people from different nations can be one regardless of politics and religion. How wonderful it would be if all the people in the world could love and respect each other! It is my hope that you strive to improve your English skills and let your light shine in the world by sharing your talents and kindness. I believe that this is something we can do for world peace.
Q1. How did the writer make his dream to go to America come true?
Q2. What was the writer’s responsibility as a volunteer at the Tokyo Olympics?
Q3. What does the writer think we can do to contribute to world peace?
Scroll down for answers
A1. He won a speech competition that had a homestay in the US as a prize
A2. To help athletes install a smartphone game
A3. You can learn English and share your talents with the world
Nobuaki Irie **Photo courtesy of Porapak Apichodilok @Pexels** -
06 .20Acting for a Sustainable Future
Every day, we are reading in the news media and experiencing the effects of climate change. Often here in Japan, this may seem unconnected with our daily lives, and it may seem like there is nothing we can really do about it. We may think that one person's actions will not make any difference. But remember, this global problem that will affect our future was caused by a lack of awareness of how our daily lifestyles were creating all the environmental problems we are now facing. Therefore, since we humans are the cause of the problem, we can also be the solution.
Many people may think that adapting our lifestyle to one that is more sustainable and eco-friendly means giving up things that we enjoy. However, discovering new environmentally friendly activities can actually bring us a sense of joy and a renewed sense of hope. They can also be a gateway to meeting young people all over the world who are exchanging creative and innovative ideas. The solutions to this issue are connected with three main parts of your daily lifestyle: what you eat, what you buy, and the energy you use. The greenhouse gases we are producing (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) come mainly from these three parts of our life and do not just lead to climate change but are also poisoning and polluting the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil from which our food comes.
Here are some simple suggestions that you can try, step by step, to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle.1. Eat less meat and buy organic and locally produced in-season food whenever possible. 2. Think “quality” rather than “quantity” when you shop. Be prepared to pay more for something that is durable and well-made and that you can use for a long time. 3. Spend just five minutes switching your energy provider to a company that is using renewable energy to provide your electricity. There are many such small companies now in Japan and you can easily find them on the internet and decide which one is best for you.
Finally, remember that humans are the only species that make garbage (waste) and that often this 'waste' can be made into a resource, such as by composting your leftover food, using old clothes for rags, or to give to younger friends as presents, or reusing plastic bags as many times as you can. Remember, it is YOUR future and you are the ones who can make a difference!
Photo credit Markus Spiske@Pexels.com
Q1: What are the three main parts of our life that are connected to climate change?
Q2: What are the three main greenhouse gases our lifestyles are creating?
Q3: How long will it take to find a utility provider that is eco-friendly?
Scroll down for answers
A1: What we eat, what we buy, the energy we use for electricity and travel.
A2: Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide
A3: It only takes a few minutes.
Chris Summerville -
05 .16The Experience of Studying Abroad
In university, many students are offered a chance to learn overseas and experience study abroad programs. During my time as an undergraduate student, I attended a smaller university in my city that did not have many study abroad programs. However, it did offer an interesting summer program. Basically, the university offers some of their own classes, taught by their own teachers in different countries. Students go there and take their regular university classes in English while living in a different country and culture.
Before this, I had never left my country, the United States, and had no experience with international travel, so I felt I had to go before I graduated! My first experience abroad was nowhere other than Kyoto, Japan. I spent six weeks in Kyoto taking university classes in the morning and wandering around the city in the afternoons and evenings with my classmates and Japanese university students we met during that short time.
Though this time was short compared to many study abroad experiences, I came back to my country with three simple lessons that I still try to follow to this day:
1. Go for it! – Don't be afraid to take a chance. It can sometimes be overwhelming due to being in a new space, but the reward is greater than the struggle.
2. Don't be shy! – Generally, I am a shy person, so I understand how hard this advice can be. However, you must try your best to be outgoing and friendly. In the case of studying abroad, this will give you more chances to communicate with local students and better learn the language of the country you are in.
3. Go outside! – Whether you are in a city or a rural area, the best thing you can do is go outside. Whether it is for a walk, a bike ride, a train ride, or something else, try to experience a place that isn't just your comfort zone. Just because you must study doesn't mean you have to study in your room. Go to the university library, a café, a park and turn that study time into a study away time.
If you are interested, study abroad in the future if you can. If not, take a lovely trip somewhere that you are interested in. You never know how it might change your life. Maybe you will end up like me. Ten years after studying abroad, I am now happily living in the same city where I had some of my most memorable experiences, Kyoto, Japan.
You can find out more about studying abroad here. {Ritsumeikan Study Abroad [https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/studyabroad/]}
Photo credit Artem Beliaikin@Pexels.com
Q1: How long did the author study in Japan?
a. 2 Weeks
b. 6 Weeks
c. 6 Months
Q2: What is a word with the opposite meaning of "shy"?
a. Funny
b. Loud
c. Outgoing
Q3 Ten years after studying abroad, where does the author live?
a. Kyoto, Japan
b. Nara, Japan
c. Osaka, Japan
Scroll down for answers
A1: b. (6 Weeks)
A2: c. (Outgoing)
A3: a. (Kyoto, Japan)
Nicholas Marx