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05 .11Kill Two Birds with One Stone
Do you like playing musical instruments? I do. I used to play the piano when I was little although I was not a good player. I also tried playing the guitar in college when I enjoyed listening to Avril Lavigine. I wanted to sing while playing the guitar like her. However, it was so difficult to press guitar strings with my little hands. So, I have given up the guitar and just enjoyed singing at karaoke.
Recently, however, I have started playing a new musical instrument, the ukulele. Unlike the guitar, the ukulele is smaller, cheaper and has fewer strings. This time, I felt like I could play some chords. At first, I tried to learn how to play the ukulele by reading a practice book for beginners. On the first day, I was already able to play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” On the second day, I was able to play “Happy Birthday to You.” Wow. I was impressed. On the third day, I was bored. These are adorable and nice songs. What was wrong with me? I simply did not enjoy singing the songs.
I changed my approach to practicing the ukulele, and this new way worked well for me. I used Youtube videos. Visual demonstrations and step-by-step instructions were much more helpful for me than just following my practice book. I can even use Youtube videos to tune my ukulele! What attracted me more was that Youtube provides many videos for learning how to play famous pop music. At first, I hesitated to practice those tunes, remembering my failure in playing the guitar, but I tried. It was free anyway.
I practiced playing “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. It sounds difficult, doesn’t it? Relax. The video I used was for beginners. For a week or so, my clumsy fingers were a lot slower than my singing, which annoyed me a little, but I was very pleased and satisfied when my fingers caught up with my singing speed. It felt so good. After all, I was able to sing while playing an instrument. Of course, I cannot play the ukulele as professionally as Jake Shimabukuro or Grace Vanderwaal, but I am quite satisfied.
What’s better, I got another benefit from practicing the ukulele on Youtube. I learned some new English words and expressions because I kept watching the same video in English and singing the same song over and over again. You may be able to pick up vocabulary in a foreign language as a by-product of practicing a musical instrument. The approach is extremely simple. Watch Youtube and practice. You may be able to kill two birds with one stone.
Photo Credit: Pixabay@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. How did the author practice playing the ukulele?
A. She used a practice book.
B. She used Youtube videos.
C. She used a practice book and Youtube videos.
D. She used songs played by Jake Shimabukuro and Grace Vanderwaal.
2. What does the passage indicate about Jake Shimabukuro and Grace Vanderwaal?
A. They are professional guitarists.
B. They are professional singers.
C. They play the ukulele as skillfully as the author.
D. They play the ukulele very well.
3. What are the “two birds” in this passage?
A. the ukulele and English skills
B. the ukulele and guitar skills
C. the ukulele and Youtube
D. the ukulele and karaoke
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. C
2. D
3. A
Sachiko Aoki -
04 .27How Do You Watch Movies?
Who does not like a good movie?
“How do you watch movies?” That would have been a silly question 40 years ago. Of course, you go to the movie theater, buy popcorn, and sit down with other moviegoers to enjoy a film as a crowd. With the advent of the Laserdisc and the VHS (and Beta) videotape, people could enjoy a movie of their choice in the comfort of their home. From there, starting in the 1990s, more digital media appeared and the DVD dominated the market for years.
Then came Netflix. Netflix started as being an online rental provider, where customers went to Netflix’s online site and ordered DVDs that were mailed to the customers. As customers received DVDs in the mail, they returned the movies they finished watching and Netflix would send the next disc on their queue. From about five years ago, the business model has changed to the online streaming of movies. Now customers can watch movies anywhere, on a number of devices.
Many people prefer the convenience of watching any movie on demand. I prefer going to a rental shop and bringing home a physical disc and watching it instead of some streaming service. I feel the benefits of the ‘brick and mortar store’ (meaning physically there as opposed to all online) outweigh the inconveniences of the trip there and possible late fees if you do not return the disc in time.
I enjoy browsing the many videos of the store. There are many movies that I do not know about and I would never meet if those gems did not catch my eye while I was strolling down the aisles. I can talk to the staff and hear what they recommend or what is the latest movie news. Most importantly for me is the picture quality is better than what is sent over the internet. For people who consider themselves cinephiles (devoted movie watchers or knowledgeable about the cinema), they may enjoy the bonus content that is on the disc or the better sound played from the disc media.
Unfortunately, most consumers do not share my love for the rental experience.
According to the Digital Entertainment group, starting from three years ago, 2017 saw a significant drop in all forms of consumer spending on physical media. Income from subscription streaming services like Netflix or Hulu has almost doubled DVD/Blu-ray sales.
However, if you are thinking about improving your English, using a streaming service will help you to improve your listening skills at an attainable price. I do not want to change sides in my argument, but this is a blog, not an academic paper.
The more you practice something, the better you will be at it. The more you practice listening to English with the programs you enjoy, the more you will be able to recognize the nuances of English speakers. You will hear how speakers use ‘connected speech’ or speak quickly and smash words together. (for example, ‘wanna’ instead of saying ‘want to’) The more you meet speakers (characters in the show/movie) speaking that way, along with different accents and speaking with different emotions and situations, you will become a better listener. Not only that, as you become a better listener, please try to watch the show again with English subtitles. That could help reinforce your listening comprehension and may increase your reading speed.
I hope you will be able to enjoy English with your next movie or TV show streamed to your home or after you go to your local video rental shop. After that, come to the BBP and share with the staff your movie experience and which movies you recommend.
Photo Credit: JESHOOTS.com@pexels.com
Blog Quiz
1. What was NETFLIX's first way of business?
A. Selling movies from stores
B. Sending movies in the mail
C. Online streaming of movies
2. What is one benefit of going to a store to rent a movie?
A. There are late fees.
B. We can see movies that we did not know about before.
C. You need a DVD player to watch movies.
3. What are some benefits of watching English movies/shows?
A. You can practice listening to different types of speakers/accents.
B. You can practice speed reading using English sub-titles.
C. You can practice speaking with the BBP staff about the movie/show.
D. All of the above.
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. B
2. B
3. D
Scot Matsuo -
04 .06BBP Blog Update: How to Use the New Style of Blog on the BBP Website
Hello everyone and welcome to the updated BBP blog! I hope you are all getting acclimated to the new 2020 school year. In this post I would like to explain some changes this year to the BBP blog. These changes have been implemented to make the blog more useful as an English language study tool for both students and instructors.
If you are visiting the BBP website for the first time, let me explain a few things about the BBP blog. Every week throughout the whole calendar year (sometimes twice a week), a blog post written by a Ritsumeikan language facilitator from one of the three Kansai campuses will be posted here. These blogs cover a wide range of topics such as language learning tips, stories from daily life, travel recommendations, food, hobbies and interests, advice and much more. If you are interested in a specific topic, you can use the Category function near the top right of the page to find postings within that topic.
This year we have added two things to the blog to make it a more useful study resource both for students to self-study and for teachers to use as a classroom/homework assignment if they wish.
First, we have added a short quiz to each post. Starting this week, all blog postings will be followed by three questions about the post. Users can answer the questions from memory or refer back to the reading to find the answers. The answers to the questions can be found by scrolling down to the bottom of the page, so users can check their understanding of the post themselves.
Second, we have added a Level function. Starting this week, all blog postings will be put into one of three levels (Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced) according to the difficulty of the English and the quiz questions in the post. Next to the Category function near the top right of the page is the Level function. This Level function allows users to choose posts that better fit their reading ability or the reading ability of their students.
We hope that students and teachers will find the updated BBP blog useful for their language learning practice. The blog is open to anyone who wants to use it at any time. Good luck with the new academic year and feel free to visit the blog anytime to practice your English reading skills!
Blog Quiz
1. How often are new blog posts put on the website?
A. once a week
B. once or twice a week for 12 months a year
C. every week during the semester
2. What is new this year on the BBP blog?
A. a quiz answers
B. a level system and a quiz
C. a category function and a quiz
3. Who are the new changes on the BBP website for?
A. Ritsumeikan instructors
B. Ritsumeikan students
C. Everyone
Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.
Quiz Answers
1. B
2. B
3. C
Brett Morgan -
03 .03Phrases from Shakespeare's WorksHi, there. I’m Yumi Yamamoto. How was your winter holiday?I really love Holiday Season because the atmosphere reminds me of my happy memories in the UK back in 2010-2011. I was studying English literature at Bristol University then. As a student, I had to read a certain amount of books or papers every week. While reading them, I often encountered idioms which I couldn’t understand from the literal meaning. Gradually, I found out they came from the Bible or older literature. They are still used in literature, and even in daily conversation. Today, I’d like to show you such expressions from 16th century literature: the phrases rooted in Shakespeare’s works.By the way, do you know Shakespeare? Shakespeare is the greatest writer in the history of British literature and his works have been read worldwide. You must have heard of “Romeo and Juliet”, “Othello” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. They are all his works.1. Let’s start with this expression. “Love is blind” from The Merchant of Venice, Act II, Scene VI."But love is blind, and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit, for if they could Cupid himself would blush to see me thus transformèd to a boy." — JessicaThis phrase became popular after Shakespeare used it in his play, The Merchant of Venice. It’s a well-known phrase in Japanese, too. This three-word phrase means that people only see the virtues and ignore the vices. Everyone can be blind when they’re in love. Have you experienced that?2. Love is one of the fundamental feelings. This is another expression about love. "Green-eyed monster” from Othello, Act III, Scene III"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on." — IagoSince Shakespeare used this metaphor, green has become the color of jealousy.By the way, the game Othello, which was invented by a Japanese company, is named after this Shakespeare play. The black and white pieces symbolize the two main characters. The protagonist of this play is a dark-skinned commander, Othello, and his wife, Desdemona, was a white lady. Isn’t it interesting?3. We can find a famous saying from Shakespeare even in a widely-known children’s book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. “Off with his head" from Richard III, Act III, Scene IV"If? Thou protector of this damnèd strumpet, talk'st thou to me of "ifs"? Thou art a traitor—Off with his head." — Richard IIIThe protagonist of the historical play, Richard III orders his vassal to execute the Lord of Hastings in the Tower of London. Richard III is described as a cunning and cruel leader. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Queen of Hearts shouts this when she’s dissatisfied. I wouldn’t like to have that person in my real life, but it’s fun to see in a drama.4. The last expression is a humorous one if you use it in conversation. "It’s Greek to me" from Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene II"Nay, an I tell you that, Ill ne'er look you i' the face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me." — CascaNext time you have something you can’t understand, perhaps you should use this phrase, “It’s Greek to me.” You can use this when you hardly understand the contents of the story because it is too complicated or full of technical words. This is a more interesting way to describe your situation than saying “I don’t know” or “I didn’t get it.”Have you found your favorite? I hope you’ll enjoy these expressions in conversation. If you’re interested in phrases like this, you can find out more at the first website below. Enjoy!The Phrase Finder. The website shows 135 phrases from Shakespeare’s works.https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-sayings-shakespeare.htmlShakespeare’s Biography. If you want to know more about Shakespeare:https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Shakespeare Shakespeare’s Globe Theater.If you want to see Shakespeare’s plays in London:https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/Photo Credit (Mike@pexels.com)Yumi Yamamoto
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12 .13English LearningStudents often ask me about how they can improve their English skills. There is no simple answer to this question as learning a language is an extremely complex thing. However, here are three pieces of advice that I often give my students.1. Read, read, read! You should read extensively in English. This is because your mind subconsciously picks up language such as grammar; collocations (words that usually go together – example: torrential rain) and you broaden your lexical (vocabulary) knowledge. I often use Penguin Readers in class so that students can enjoy reading in English every week. I would recommend picking reading material that is a slightly higher level than your current reading ability. For example, read a page of text (about 300 words). If there are about three to five words (excluding proper nouns) that you do not know, then the text may be suitable for you. However, I would encourage students to read anything that is of interest to them, even if it is a simple text. You should always enjoy reading in English; it should never be boring.2. In my view, vocabulary learning is the single most important thing that a learner of English can do. A phrase I often say is ‘without grammar little can be conveyed, but without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.’ Put another way, learning vocabulary is even more important than learning grammar. I tend not to use the word ‘vocabulary,’ instead I use the word ‘lexis’. While vocabulary tends to focus on the single word, lexis also focuses on collocations, multi-word phrases such as idioms, phrasal verbs and so on. A thorough knowledge of lexical phrases and collocations is the foundation for verbal fluency. My advice is to think bigger than the word. For example, you may know the word ‘die’ but do you know the lexical items ‘pass away’ ‘kick the bucket’ and ‘give up the ghost’? They all mean 'die' as well. That is why the memorisation of lexis is so important because your language knowledge will increase dramatically if you do so. Therefore, I recommend learning as many lexical items as possible. Use words cards to note the target language and memorise it. Use the cards as much as possible, for example whenever you are on the train or bus.3. Who owns the English language? English began in England so do the English own the language? In my view, everyone who uses English owns the language. The Japanese should not consider English a foreign language but as their second language used for international communication. You do not necessarily need to speak English like a British or American person. Nor is it necessary to speak English with a British/American accent. Your accent and use of language may differ from British/American usage but it doesn’t mean it is wrong. My advice is to speak English as a Japanese person with a Japanese accent and to be proud that your English usage reflects your identity and not someone else’s.Gary Littlecott
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12 .03Remembering Names
As a teacher, I have to try and remember all of my student names. Teaching at Elementary school and Secondary school (combined Junior and Senior High school), it was a lot easier to remember students’ names, particularly my form (home-room) students. I spent a large part of each week with the same students. I got to know their personalities, interests and hobbies. I knew which students hated which foods and I knew their parents and family life. More than 10 years after I left that school, some of my former students recognized me in London and said hello and I could easily remember their names.
It has not been so easy to remember my students’ names in Japan. Firstly, Japanese names often have a very similar pronunciation meaning that knowing the Kanji can be quite important. When I first arrived in Japan, I could not read any Kanji characters at all, so this did not help much. Secondly, in English class, we often do not use a person’s family name. This is a result of how using a person’s family name in English indicates relative social status, which creates a social distance. Historically, teachers were seen as being extremely scary because of the way in which they exerted their social status through language. We use first names because we want our students to feel less intimidated and less anxious about speaking. Thirdly, I am teaching at university now where I see my students once or twice a week. I have very little chance to get to know my students.
These three facts did not help when I was faced with my first class of Japanese students, but I did learn their names. Even now, many years later, I do remember their names, and I do remember their faces. They even send me New Years cards every January. Their names were Tomoko, Tomoko, Tomoko, Tomoko, Tomoko, Tomoko, Tomoko, and Mariko. Unfortunately, in the first few lessons, I could not remember who was Mariko. As I got to know them better, I could remember as I connected their personalities with what they did and said in class.
Like most people, I remember the names of people who I have most communication with. Sadly, this often means that I remember the really good students and the really not-so-good students. Those students who are quiet and try to avoid speaking in class tend to be the most difficult to remember. I try to remember their names by using {the story method [https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/link-and-story-method-infographic.html]}. By creating a story and linking together interesting things, it becomes easier to remember things. As a teacher, I can help refresh this in my mind by taking a roll-call at the beginning of class, but this technique does help. Eventually, I can remember everyone’s names, but then the semester ends and I have to start all over again.
(Photo credit: )
Dominic Edsall