Do you play computer games? If so, what difficulty setting do you prefer? The typical choices are easy, medium, and hard. Some people set their games to easy so that they can enjoy a stress-free experience. Others bump up the difficulty to medium to add a little bit of a challenge. But in my experience, medium difficulty hardly proves a challenge at all. So, do you like to be punished on hard difficulty? For me, when given a choice, my preferred difficulty is somewhere between hard and very hard, which is quite challenging. I need to feel like I can barely survive to get the maximum satisfaction.

Now, if I were to ask you the same question regarding your daily life, your real world, would your answer be the same? Are you someone who wants an easy daily experience that is as free of stress as possible? Or are you up for a challenge from time to time? Maybe some might enjoy the feeling of being totally overwhelmed, as if they are underwater, struggling to breathe. For me, when asked this question, my answer would most definitely be whatever is the easiest difficulty possible. The feeling of being overwhelmed brings me a sense of anxiety that I can’t stand. Indeed, I have had many nightmares about real-world deadlines but never about anxiety related to playing games. In other words, my choices don’t agree with each other at all.

I’m not the only person who feels this way, as many people have brought up this discussion online, pointing out how our actions don’t make sense. Why would someone finish their stressful day at work only to go home and immediately play stressful games in their free time? Some believe the answer is about consequences, which are the outcomes of the actions that we make. In the real world, our actions have real consequences. If we miss a deadline, it could mean that we disappoint others or even get fired from our jobs. And thinking about the consequences makes us afraid of losing control. Games, on the other hand, have a restart button and unlimited chances. Therefore, a game can allow us to experience challenges without having to worry about heavy effects. This is just one theory, and we really don’t know why humans act in this way. But what would happen if we removed the fear of failure? Would we suddenly become more daring and passionate about pursuing difficult challenges? This is an interesting question in my opinion.

Now ask yourself, what type of person are you? What type of person are you in real life? Do you fall apart if you are not in control of your environment? Or do you get excited about the idea of barely managing to hold on?
And what type of person do you want to be? Does it match your preference of game difficulty? And if it doesn’t, why not?



Photo Credit: Ron Lach@pexels.com


Blog Quiz
Q1: Regarding the statement in the last sentence of paragraph #2, “… my choices don’t agree with each other at all,” what choices is the author referring to?

Q2: What preferred difficulty does the author prefer for games? For daily life?

Q3: Why would someone enjoy stressful computer games but hate having a stressful job?


Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.


















Quiz Answers

Q1. The author is referring to the choice of difficulty for games and real life.

Q2. The author prefers games to be significantly challenging while daily life to be as simple as possible.

Q3. Having or not having consequences may change how humans react to a challenge.

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 Answers

Q1. Sazae-san.
Q2. Dutch, French, and Russian.
Q3. The one that you love.

What is Gumbo?
First of all, what is gumbo? Gumbo is the official cuisine of Louisiana, U.S.A. It is a kind of stew usually made with chicken or seafood stock, meat (usually meat, sausage, shellfish, or a mix of them all), a thickener such as okra, and vegetables (onion, celery, and green pepper). To make gumbo, you must first make a dark roux using flour and a fat (usually lard or oil). This can take a long time, and you must be very careful not to burn it. Gumbo is often eaten with rice and/or bread. For some of you, it might seem like a type of curry, but the flavors are very different.

Gumbo’s History
Gumbo is a unique and loved traditional food that shares aspects of different cultures. Gumbo uses ingredients and cooking techniques from African, French, Spanish, and Native American cultures. This follows the history of Louisiana through the decades. An area which was first the home to Native American tribes, it was then settled by the French who used the waterways to trade for goods and slaves. The people arriving from Africa were experienced in farming rice, which was new to the area. After, a group of Germans moved into Louisiana and brought their tradition of sausage making. Later, Louisiana became a territory of Spain, which brought people from the Canary Islands who had experience in fishing. These people fished things such as oysters, shrimp, and crabs. They also brought spices such as cayenne pepper and chili pepper. The Spanish allowed the French people living in Canada to move down to Louisiana. Slowly and quietly, Louisiana came back to French ownership, and then it was sold to the United States in 1803. By this time, rice, seafood, sausages, spices, okra, onion, green pepper, and tomatoes had all been brought by people from different areas.

During these 100 years, gumbo started to be made in different forms and slowly new things were added to what we now know as gumbo. Now, gumbo is eaten year-round all over the South-Eastern area of the United States, and it has expanded to different parts of the world. You can even find gumbo in Japan if you look for it.

Be Gumbo
Just like gumbo, people should explore new cultures and not only observe them but also let them become a part of you. Learn from others and try to take the best parts and make them yours. So go out into the world and be gumbo. But be careful, gumbo can be spicy!


Photo Credit: Towfiqu Barbhuiya@pexels.com
Or Gumbo-Best-Wallpaper 【https://yesofcorsa.com/gumbo/】




Blog Quiz
Q1. What vegetable is used in gumbo?
a. carrots
b. celery
c. eggplant

Q2. What is one country that gumbo uses cooking techniques or ingredients?
a. Egypt
b. Cambodia
c. France

Q3. Gumbo is often eaten with what other food?
a. Naan
b. Fruits
c. Rice




Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.




















Quiz Answers

Q1. b
Q2. c
Q3. c

Could you live an isolated existence devoid of the Internet, television and radio reception, cars, telephones, streets, and stores? As a child, I did just that.
 
Half a century ago, when I was nine and ten years old, I lived in a remote part of Alaska called Coffman Cove, which had a population of less than one-hundred people. Coffman Cove was a logging camp and the only way to get there was either by boat or by seaplane. Most people who inhabited Coffman Cove were either loggers or the family of loggers. I lived there with my mother, who was the schoolteacher, and my four siblings.
 
It would be easy to think that a place like Coffman Cove would be a boring place to live. Indeed, when my mother first announced that we would be moving there, I was sad because I knew I would no longer be able to watch reruns of Star Trek, which was a popular science fiction television show. However, life in Coffman Cove proved to be amazing.
 
Every Sunday morning, a barge brought supplies and food to the various logging camps that dotted the island, including my town. People would gather at the dock to pick up what they had ordered. Often the grocery store that sent us our food would rip off the covers of various comic books and pack the comics in with our goods. At the time, nothing seemed better than free comic books.
 
I would often go into the woods to play. My friends and I would build forts and set up our own kingdoms. We would make wooden swords and defend our land.
 
In the summer months, I picked wild blueberries and raspberries from the numerous bushes found in the woods. My dog would often accompany me and eat the blueberries right off the bushes. After picking berries for an hour or two, I would bring a bucket of them back home and my mother would use them to make pies and pancakes.
 
Fishing was another activity I enjoyed. Most families in Coffman Cove owned small boats. We would take the boats several miles from shore and fish for salmon and halibut. Every year, there was a contest to see who could catch the largest salmon.
 
In the summer, my brother and I would sit on the dock and watch the sun set at midnight over the inlet, which was framed by mountains. Memories of those sunsets still make me smile.
 
The quiet life also afforded much time alone. I would often read books to entertain myself, which made me into an avid reader. My love of reading persists to this day.
 
Unfortunately, with modern technology, life in Coffman Cove has changed. All the logging camps have been connected by roads, and now there are satellite dishes so people can watch TV. However, I still look back on those years and realize that my generation was the last one to experience a way of life in Alaska that doesn’t exist anymore.
 
 
Photo Credit: Chris Newsom@pexels.com
 
 
Blog Quiz
Q1: What was unusual about Coffman Cove?
Q2: How did food and supplies get to the camp?
Q3: Name four activities the author enjoyed doing.
 
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quiz Answers
Q1. It was a remote logging camp that did not have television or radio reception, cars, telephones, streets, and stores
Q2. By barge
Q3. Playing in the woods; picking berries; fishing; and reading

My interest in foreign countries has not been really traveling but experiencing and feeling different perspectives and ways of thinking in life: understanding different cultural aspects, communicating in the local language, and meeting people in new environments. For me, these are the reasons for exploring or learning foreign languages.

 

I’ve always thought it would be nice if I could speak multiple languages. I was interested in what kind of person I would be if I could manage several languages. When I was younger, right after I started working in Japan, I made up my mind without hesitation to live abroad. I was expecting to live in a European country one day, so I started preparing and learning German (because I learned some German at university) in addition to English by myself.

 

I finally got a chance to do an internship at an international hotel in Belgium. Therefore, I started to learn French a few months before my departure so that I could work there in French. Of course, it was not easy without speaking proper or professional French, and it certainly was an unforgettable struggle at that time. However, after my internship for 6 months, I kept challenging and finally this experience inspired me to move on to the next stage. I worked for other company/organization using both English and French, and eventually I spent nearly 12 years of my life in Belgium.

 

Perhaps the lesson from this experience is that I would say that my curiosity about learning a foreign language brought me unexpected value. Certainly, the emphasis is not merely on perfect language acquisition. So, for myself, in terms of "speaking", "listening", "writing", and "reading", each foreign language has its different level. However, I can say that I am fascinated by learning new languages, and that this new experience enriched my way of thinking about my own life. I always look forward to opportunities to start learning other languages (they are on my checklist) because I feel that this multilingual learning challenge is a great opportunity to change myself and to discover new values and experiences in my life.

 

 

Photo Credit: Anna Tarazevich@pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

Q1. What is the topic of this essay?

Q2. According to the author, what inspired her to start learning French?

Q3. According to the author, what does it mean to have an opportunity to learn a new language?

 

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Quiz Answers

Q1. The essay discusses the challenges of multilingual learning and the value the author received from her own experience.

Q2. The author started learning French in preparation for her internship in Belgium.

Q3. Learning and exploring a new language is a great chance to change yourself and discover new values and experiences in your life.

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

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

The other day, I finally brought myself to take an ID photo in order to apply for “My Number Card” after being hesitant to create one. I have never really liked my own ID photos before. Who would? I wonder why ID photos always look like mug shots.

 

In my first passport photo, I had orange hair, and I looked flushed and sweaty as if I had run a dozen miles. Why did I have orange hair? Well, upon entering college, I had my hair dyed brown for the first time. I’d hoped it would turn brown, but for some reason, my hair turned bright orange. To make matters worse, I had to take an ID photo for my passport application with that hair. I took one in the ID photo booth, and fortunately, my hair looked a lot darker in the photo than it actually was thanks to the poor lighting. I went to the passport center with the photo to apply for my first passport, but they did not accept the photo. I guess the poor lighting became a problem. I ended up having another ID photo taken at the passport center, but they did not let me see or choose the photo. My face was flushed red because I was frustrated at the inconvenience, and I was sweaty because I literally took a thirty-minute walk to the passport center. I felt mortified every time I had to looked at the passport photo for the next five years. So much for the story of my failure.

 

Anyway, I took an ID photo for the Individual Number Card in a photo booth. The experience was rather amusing. I was busy choosing things from many options. First, I had to choose for what purpose I needed the photo. Second, I had to choose whether I wanted to retouch my photo or keep a digital copy. Depending on the options chosen, the price of the photo varied. Then, I had to spin the chair to adjust the height so my head would be at the appropriate level. After that, the machine automatically took two shots. I had to choose if I wanted to take another two shots or choose from the two photos that were already shown on the screen. The machine even asked me to choose a skin tone, which I found very odd. I thought I was finally done with the photo taking process, but I had to choose the background color too. After fighting the audible count-down from the machine, I finally finished taking an ID photo. I did not like the photo, but I did it.

 

If you have to take an ID photo in a photo booth, here is a piece of advice: When the machine says, “Relax,” it means that you should relax your shoulders, not your facial muscles! My brother made that mistake, and his ID photo is the funniest of all time!

 

 

Photo Credit: Dom J@pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

Q1. Did the author run a dozen miles to the passport center when she had her first passport photo taken?

Q2. What does the word ‘mortified’ mean?

Q3. What was the author’s brother’s mistake in the photo booth?

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. No, she did not. She walked for 30 minutes.

Q2. Very embarrassed.

Q3. He relaxed his facial muscles too much instead of relaxing his shoulders.

When you’re a kid you don’t think about being a kid—you’re just a kid. It’s not until you get older that you become a little more aware, and maybe the “kid stuff” turns into “older kid stuff” or “teenage stuff” or, worst of all, “adult stuff.” With my kids, I’m reminded daily of the “kid stuff” and how I need to be more patient in understanding where they’re at. It becomes harder to do that when so much time has passed since I was their age.

 

Why share this at a university that is filled with students who don’t have kids? Because it is easy to forget where we came from. At this time, my kids couldn’t even get out of their bedroom if my wife and I didn’t pick them up and take them out. We do not remember life from that time, but that is what happens when we grow up: we forget how much we’ve grown.

 

I know that my kids will not remember much from this time. They may not remember the “what” from this time in their life but the “how.” Their impression of me and their mom will be made clearer, and, later, their feelings about the outside world will also be shaped. Will they be excited or fearful about the real world? A lot of that starts from the time when “the real world” for them is the play area in our home and getting a chance to see the other rooms from their height (or when we go on errands with them strapped to our chests). We can help shape those feelings up to a point, but it’s better for them to determine it for themselves.

        

Life can be like that. You are left to wonder how something is a certain way, but you cannot be given the answer to everything. You have to find things out for yourself. Maybe you are ready for that, or maybe you just want to be told what to do. Regardless of how you feel about stepping out into the unknown, it may help to think back on where you started out and how far you’ve already come. A few more baby steps are fine—just keep moving forward.

 

 

Photo Credit: Kateryna Babaieva @pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

Q1. Why should we remember how we were when we were young?

Q2. What is something the author's kids cannot do on their own?

Q3. How can life be difficult when we get older?

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. To remember how much we've grown

Q2. Getting out of their bedroom

Q3. We have to find answers on our own.

How do you feel about giving a presentation? It can be quite a scary experience, especially in a foreign language. Practicing and improving your skills in explaining research results, expressing your opinions, introducing your ideas, and answering questions from an audience are all valuable skills for your future. Not only will those skills be useful in the workplace, but they will also give you more confidence in your social life.

 

This checklist of questions and advice will help you prepare for your presentation, improve your delivery, and hopefully result in a better score for your grade! Let’s look at two presentation formats: (A) poster and (B) projected. They have some similarities, but their differences are important to think about.

 

Topic - Q1. Are you interested in your presentation topic? If you’re not interested, your research will probably be poor, and your audience will become bored easily. Ask your teacher if you can change the topic to something you want to talk about and have strong opinions about.

 

Content – Q2. Does your research information match your English ability? If your research information is difficult for you to understand, it will be difficult to explain and probably very difficult for your audience to understand too. Make your content easier by first describing examples of difficult vocabulary.

 

Materials – Q3A. Can you read and see all the important details on your poster from 2 meters away? For a poster presentation, you will talk to a small group, face-to-face. Before you give your presentation, print a first draft, look at your poster through your audience’s eyes, and then edit it for your final draft.  

 

Materials – Q3B. Is there too much or too little information on each slide? For a projected presentation you will stand at the front of the room and your audience will be far from you and the screen. Your speech should be more detailed than your slides, so don’t write full sentences! Also, titles can be large, but all other key words should not be smaller than 24-point font.  

 

Rehearsal = Better Delivery – Q4A. How can you create appeal for your audience? A poster presentation environment is similar to a conversation, so by rehearsing in advance, it will be much easier to make eye contact, relax, and enjoy your speech. This will make a bond between you and your audience, helping them to focus and relax too.

 

Rehearsal = Better Delivery – Q4B. Can your audience hear you? A projected presentation is often done in a large room, so if you are looking down at the computer screen, the sound of your speech will go down to the floor! Rehearse your presentation 10 times. Then on presentation day, speak to the people at the back of the room. Good luck!

 

 

Photo Credit: Christina Morillo@pexels.com

 

 

Blog Quiz

Q1. What should you do if you’re not interested in your presentation topic?

Q2. How can you make your presentation content easier to understand for

your audience?

Q3. For a Projected Presentation, what is the smallest size your key words

should be?

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiz Answers

Q1. You should ask your teacher if you can change it.

Q2. By first describing examples of difficult vocabulary.

Q3. 24-point font