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"Have you ever lived abroad?" It’s a question I’m often asked, and the answer is, "No."

I’ve studied at language schools in Australia and Ireland, but both times it was only for up to six weeks during my university spring break. I wanted to study abroad for a full year, but since I was enrolled in the Teacher Training Course, it wasn’t possible. So, 19-year-old Ran set out on a little project of her own, which I called "Studying Abroad in Japan." I made a point of always surrounding myself with English, both input and output.

Here’s a rundown of what I did each day:

Write all schedules and to-do lists entirely in English. This helped me plan things properly and stay on top of tasks each day, while improving my everyday English.

Download speeches and interviews featuring your favourite actors. Listening to a range of topics is important, of course, but I found I was more motivated to listen to things I was interested in, so I started with subjects I wanted to know about.

Watch dramas or films in English. I’d watch a 45-minute episode of a drama over dinner. The first time, I’d watch it with Japanese subtitles, then watch it again with English subtitles. I always kept a notebook on hand so I could write down any phrases or vocabulary I wanted to try using in conversation.

Listen to a 5-minute English radio programme. Each night at 10:30 p.m., I’d listen to a five-minute English programme. I’d learn just one phrase a night, but imagine – if you did that every day for a year, you’d pick up over 300 useful phrases!

Output, output, and more output! I used to take an online English practice nearly every day, where I’d chat casually or practise for the Eiken speaking test. On top of that, I made a habit of talking to myself in English, and I went out of my way to join activities with international friends. It was scary at times, but I’ve built lasting friendships through it.

So, do you have to study abroad to become fluent in a foreign language? I’d say, "No." If you’re truly determined, anything is possible. Let’s take it one day at a time and go for it!

Blog Quiz

Q1. What two things did she write entirely in English?

Q2. What did she keep with her when watching English films?

Q3. What did she do every day for 5 minutes to improve her English?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers:

Q1. Her schedule and to-do lists.

Q2. A notebook.

Q3. Listened to an English radio programme.

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Overcoming stress is a common challenge in today's fast-paced world.　Univeristy students often find themselves suffering from stress, and sometimes lack effective strategies and mindsets to overcome it. It is important to have effective strategies in place to manage and reduce stress levels in order to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle. While stress is a natural part of life, prolonged exposure to stress can lead to a variety of physical and mental health issues. Here are some of the best ways to overcome stress:

1. **Identify the Source of Stress**: The first step in effectively managing stress is to identify the root cause. Take some time to reflect on what is causing you stress – whether it's work, relationships, financial issues, or health concerns. By pinpointing the source of your stress, you can begin to address it more effectively.

2. **Establish Healthy Coping Mechanisms**: Developing healthy coping mechanisms is essential for overcoming stress. This can include engaging in regular physical activity, practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing, maintaining a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and connecting with supportive friends and family members.

3. **Time Management**: Poor time management can lead to increased stress levels. Learning to prioritize tasks, set realistic goals, and break large tasks into smaller, more manageable ones can help reduce feelings of overwhelm and anxiety.

4. **Mindfulness and Meditation**: Mindfulness and meditation practices have been shown to be effective in reducing stress and promoting overall well-being. By staying present in the moment and practicing mindfulness, you can learn to let go of worries about the past or future, and focus on what is happening right now.

5. **Seek Professional Help**: If you find that your stress levels are significantly impacting your daily life and well-being, it may be beneficial to seek professional help. A therapist or counselor can provide you with tools and strategies to better manage stress and improve your mental health.

6. **Practice Self-Care**: Engaging in self-care activities is crucial for reducing stress levels. This can include taking time for yourself to relax, practicing hobbies you enjoy, getting a massage, or simply taking a break from your usual routine to recharge.

7. **Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle**: Eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and prioritizing sleep are key components of managing stress. A healthy lifestyle can help support your physical and mental well-being, making it easier to cope with the challenges that come your way.

8. **Set Boundaries**: Learning to set boundaries and say no when necessary is important for reducing stress levels. It's okay to prioritize your own well-being and needs, even if it means turning down certain commitments or responsibilities.

9. **Practice Gratitude**: Practicing gratitude can help shift your focus from what is stressing you out to what you are thankful for. Keeping a gratitude journal, where you write down things you are grateful for each day, can help foster a more positive mindset and reduce stress.

10. **Engage in Relaxation Techniques**: Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, or visualization can help calm your mind and body in times of stress. Taking a few minutes each day to practice these techniques can have a significant impact on your overall stress levels.

In conclusion, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to overcoming stress. It's important to experiment with different strategies and find what works best for you. By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you can effectively manage stress and improve your overall well-being. Remember that it's okay to ask for help when you need it, and that taking care of yourself is essential for living a balanced and fulfilling life.

Blog Quiz

Q1. What is the first step, when trying to reduce stress?

A.  Set boundaries

B.   Seek professional help

C.   Identify the source of stress

Q2. University students often _______ effective strategies to deal with stress.

A.  lack

B.   lose

C.   laugh at

Q3. When practicing ______________, you will shift your focus from the stress to what you are thankful for and feel a more positive mindset and feel less stress.

A.  gardening

B.   gratitude

C.   gourmet cooking

Scroll down for the answers to the quiz.

Answer Key

Q1. C

Q2. A

Q3. B

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Let's try thinking about "memory." First, please try playing the game at the following link. The rules are simple: memorize the numbers that appear momentarily, then click to answer. Free Working Memory Tests [https://www.memorylosstest.com/free-working-memory-tests-online/]

How did you do?

The human brain has two types of memory: "short-term memory" and "long-term memory." This game is a test of short-term memory. Short-term memory is also known as "working memory," and refers to memories that are stored temporarily in the brain.

According to research conducted by Princeton University psychologist George Miller, short-term memory is retained for only about 20 seconds. After that period of time, it is considered unnecessary and forgotten. Try to answer the questions in the previous game 20 seconds after you see the numbers. It should be much more difficult for you to do so.

We can expect to achieve increased efficiency in language learning if we understand and utilize this characteristic of memory.

In fact, George Miller made another important discovery: the fact that “humans can only commit 7±2 pieces of information to memory at a time." In other words, we are able to memorize 5–9 pieces of information. This is known as the “magical number”.

Up until now, many people have been tested to see how many digits they can remember, and there are almost none who can remember more than 9 digits. This seems to be the limit of human beings.

So, how can we remember an 11-digit phone number? We can do this because we use a method known as chunking. For example, we can divide the phone number 08012345678 into 3 groups, "080," "1234," and "5678," and memorize them as 3 pieces of information. By doing so, we can get around the short-term memory limit of 7±2 pieces of information at a time.

Put another way, a person can only memorize 7±2 "chunks of information" at a time. By applying this knowledge, we can make it easier to memorize longer English sentences for English presentations, and so on. For example, the sentence "I object to the idea that classical music and popular music should be dealt with as totally different categories." can be divided into the following groups:

"I object to the idea"

"that classical music and popular music"

"should be dealt with"

"as totally different categories."

It is easier to memorize sentences by dividing them into groups in the manner shown.

Questions:

Q1. For how long is short-term memory retained in the brain?

Q2. How many pieces of information can a person memorize at a time?

Q3. How can we make information easier to memorize?

Scroll down↓for answers

A1. Approximately 20 seconds

A2. 7±2 pieces

A3. By dividing it into chunks

Photo Credit: Bruno Mattos @Pexels.com

Food that is common in one country can be changed into something new and original when it is taken away from its traditional roots. However, for us, it is so normal that we can hardly imagine it being any different.

A good example of this is green tea. A matcha drink at a cafe in Kyoto will be carefully prepared by someone who probably appreciates the ways of the tea ceremony. He or she pays special attention to the grade of tea, makes sure that it is not clumped together before whisking, checks that the color is emerald green and that the water temperature is just right.

Another familiar food is mochi filled with red bean paste (anko). It can be found almost anywhere: in supermarkets, fancy “wagashi” shops in department stores, and along Nishiki Market. Some of these shops have been selling Japanese tea snacks for centuries. The most modern of them have added fresh strawberries inside, but nothing more radical than that. Although these things are common in Kyoto, they can take on other forms abroad.

In Central Europe, in Warsaw, Poland, I had the opportunity to try some very different matcha and mochi. Japan is located on the other side of the world from Poland, making its food and customs feel very exotic. It seems that the farther away the country is, the more interesting and appealing Japanese things are. Sushi restaurants are popular in big cities in Poland, but I was surprised to see new ideas for matcha and mochi designed to appeal to a different market. At a trendy cafe called Deseo on the beach of the Baltic Sea, I had iced matcha with fresh raspberries. The barista made it with Uji green tea powder using an electric milk frother. He said nobody is trained to use a tea whisk (chasen). Another drink had half tonic water and half matcha, and both drinks had big ice cubes. This was not what I was used to in Kyoto!

Simply using matcha powder is one thing, but making mochi and filling it requires more skill and expertise. I walked into a little shop with blue neon lights and signs with their mascot, a harp seal that looked like the “Shirotan” plush toy. The little mochi pouches were enclosed in plastic capsules that looked like they were packaged for the “gacha gacha” machines selling toys in Japan. The flavors to choose from did not include any with red bean paste. The choices were mango, creamy Snickers, Oreo, cherry brownie, pistachio, lavender, strawberry, and coconut almond. I chose lavender. It was delicate and delicious, made with slightly sweetened lavender jelly with mascarpone cream. The texture was like tiramisu tucked in a pillow of mochi. I was really surprised how good it was.

However, there was one thing I wanted to know. I asked the shop clerk if there were any “real” Japanese flavors. Alas, the clerk did not know anything whatsoever of the mochi native to Japan, its fillings and that it was certainly not sold in plastic capsules. In effect, their products delight a new crowd of young people looking for something new to try from the exotic country of Japan but not caring about the originals.

Questions:

Q1. How was the mochi shop decorated?

Q2. How was mochi packaged in the Polish shop?

Q3. What was the texture of the mochi filling in the Polish shop?

Scroll down↓for answers

A1. Blue neon lights and harp seal characters

A2. In plastic capsules

A3. Soft and creamy like tiramisu

Photo Credit: Julia M. Cameron @Pexels.com

How do you study English? Do you take regular lessons as part of your university courses? Do you join free communication sessions like those offered by the BBP Communication Rooms on campus? Do you have a pen friend or a private tutor? There are many conventional ways to learn a language, but have you ever considered these ‘alternative’ ways to get better at a language?

Is talking to yourself a sign of genius or an indication of craziness? By ‘talking to yourself’, it means speaking softly (or louder) when it’s only you present. You might talk to yourself in the shower or taking a walk or washing the dishes. It’s a sign of an active mind and a happy disposition. How about if you started talking to yourself in another language? Start with simple words like describing the things around you or exchanging imaginary pleasantries. As you get better at it, start commentating on live TV news or sports you’re watching. Keep it light and fun and spontaneous. It will help you grow in confidence as a speaker in your target language.

That’s the speaking way - now how about the writing way? Start a micro blog on Threads or Bluesky or other such social media platform. Micro blogs are short, topical comments which help start interaction with other users on the same site. Create a page with your name in English and a few words about yourself and the kind of topics you’re interested in blogging about. Search for similar topic blogs and comment on them regularly. You will soon build up a small community of followers and be able to practice your writing in the target language in a fun and spontaneous way.

These are two simple, fun ways to use your target language on a daily basis and inject a little spontaneity into your language learning.

Questions:

Q1. Is a ‘pen friend’ someone you speak with or write to?

Q2. What word best matches ‘disposition’ from the text?

a: Hope

b: Manner

c: Intention

d: Place

Q3. Does being “spontaneous” mean acting slowly or acting quickly?

Scroll ↓ down for answers

A1. A friend you write to

A2. B. (Manner)

A3. Acting quickly

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The Japanese people are known to be sensitive and appreciative of the seasons. We have four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter, and each has its own beauty. There are many festivals and customs to celebrate the seasons.

One of the customs is called “Koromogae”: a seasonal change of clothing. In Japan, it’s usual for the people to start wearing short sleeved clothes at the beginning of June, and they go back to long sleeves at the beginning of October. I have always followed this tradition up until 2024.

The world had its hottest summer in 2024, including Japan. Global warming seems to be speeding up these days. In Osaka, where I live, from July to September for 2 months, the temperature was over 35 degrees Celsius. And even in mid-October, the temperature was as high as 29 degrees. In my entire life, this was the first time that I wore short-sleeved shirts in mid-October.

However, the majority of the people here in the Kansai area wear long-sleeved clothes in October, even when it is hot. Why?! I believe that’s because the Japanese people are faithful in following tradition. Let me share my personal experience of when I was going to graduate school in the U.S.A.

I went to a university called Brigham Young University, the largest private university in the U.S. It’s in a small town called Provo, an hour south from Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah. Utah has a lot of deserts, so it’s very dry. It gets very hot in the summer, but very cold in the winter. Utah is famous for its snow and has many famous ski resorts.

What surprised me was that most people in Utah wear short sleeves all year around. In the winter, they just wear heavy jackets over the short-sleeved shirts. And in the spring, even though it’s still cold, when there was a sunny day, I saw many students (boys) lying on the grass shirtless. I thought this would never happen in Japan.

I love the fact that Japanese people are sensitive to the seasons and there is a custom like “Koromogae,” but this custom may change in the near future due to the unusual warm weather. I think that we should be wearing short-sleeves when it’s hot, even if it’s in the middle of October. Until then, Japanese people will be wearing long sleeves regardless of the high temperature in October!

Questions:

Q1. Why does the author think that Japanese people wear long-sleeved clothes regardless of the high temperature in October?

Q2. What surprised the writer when he was going to school in America?

Q3. When do Japanese people usually start wearing short-sleeved shirts?

Scroll down↓for answers

A1. They are faithful in following the custom of "Kromogae."

A2. Male students would lie down on the grass shirtless in April when it was a sunny day.

A3. They usually start wearing them at the beginning of June.

Photo Credit: Cottonbro Studio @Pexels.com

As with learning anything - the guitar, calligraphy, yoga, cooking - a new language takes time to acquire. If you’re going to be a good guitarist, writer, yogi, cook or foreign language speaker, you need many hours of practice over a long period of time. Many people feel motivated to start learning a language in the beginning, but that motivation often falls away as time goes on. What are some simple ways to keep motivation up?

At the beginning, habitualise your language learning. Embed it in your day. Set your alarm in the morning to play a new English song every day. Prepare an alert on your smartphone every morning to read that day’s news or weather in English. Listen to regular English podcasts on your commute into school. These are three technology-based ways to bring language learning into your daily routine in a simple, regular, automatic way.

Further to this, reward yourself if you do these three things in any one day. Keep a record of it in your smartphone calendar or ‘notes’ app. At the end of the month, if you have done these listening / reading tasks every day of that month, buy yourself a prize like an English magazine or book. Rewarding yourself on a regular basis for your language learning efforts is a smart way to keep up your motivation.

Lastly, set a tangible goal. Download the next year’s calendar for the EIKEN or TOEIC tests in your area. Pencil in a few target test dates over the course of the year - for example, EIKEN in January; TOEIC in June; TOEFL iBt in November. Many of the most popular language proficiency tests are spread at different dates throughout the year. Having a few concrete test dates and a sensible target level will give you sufficient motivation to keep up your language learning all through the year. Measure your progress by taking practice tests along the way too.

Questions:

Q1. An action that you ‘habitualise’ is something you do…

a: At your own pace

b: On a regular basis

c: Only in your free time

d: Sometimes

Q2. True or False? Rewards enhance motivation.

Q3. A goal is ‘tangible’ when it is…

a: Sensible, achievable, measurable

b: Ambitious, difficult, expensive

c: Clever, motivating, impossible.

Scroll↓down for answers

A1. On a regular basis (B)

B2. True

C3. Sensible, achievable, measurable (A)

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I grew up in the southeastern part of the United States. While there is a lot that comes as a result of being from that part of the country, lately it has involved natural disasters. The state where I’m from was horribly affected by Hurricane Helene (hurricanes are Atlantic Ocean-equivalents to typhoons in the Pacific Ocean). It should always be sad to see the effects of disasters around the world, but it’s different when the location is your hometown.

For me, I’ve been away from my hometown almost all of my adult life, and only really have an address there for citizenship purposes. With family and friends moving on in their lives, I had felt the connection weaken recently, but the effects of the hurricane have challenged that some for me. Even if there is less of what connects you to a place, there are still memories of what was.

It is hard to see so much of what used to be in my hometown either be totally flooded, uprooted from its foundations, or simply washed or blown away. Images and videos I saw almost seemed like they were from another place, but then I’d see a familiar storefront, a very particular street name in a headline, or adjacent towns or counties being mentioned. Then, the feeling just sinks in that it both is and isn’t the place I used to know.

Over time, places that we know will change their meanings for us. Sometimes a positive will become a negative, a negative will turn positive, or they’ll stay the same but we’ll find something new to maintain that feeling. Buildings and people will come and go, and, in the case of me with Hurricane Helene, entire towns practically disappear. It is a part of life you cannot always predict.

Change will happen, and the reasons for it do not have to be bad, though they sometimes are. The main thing to remember is changes to where you were do not suddenly change who you are. The people and places you have and had known will always hold their place in your memory, but what you do with them now determines their weight.

Do not let circumstances decide what you know to be true in yourself. You know what has made you the person you are today.

Questions:

Q1. What recent event has happened in the author’s hometown?

Q2. How long has the author been away from their hometown?

Q3. For the author, what should NOT have final say in what influences our lives?

Scroll down↓for answers

A1. Hurricane Helene

A2. Almost all of his adult life

A3. Circumstances

Photo Credit: Roman Ska @pexels.com 

Imagine you are a fresh university student who decides to live by yourself. What kind of home would you like to live in? There is quite an interesting housing option in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, which is easy on the wallet. Can you guess what it is like? They are container homes. I once found an article about these unique houses, and I would like to introduce them to you.

First of all, why were container homes born in Amsterdam? The biggest reason is that housing in the city is quite expensive, similar to living in Tokyo, and it is very challenging for students to find low-cost apartments. Therefore, there is a shortage of reasonable housing for students. The next question would be, “Where did the idea of building houses made of containers come from?” The answer is that there are thousands of unused shipping containers in ports around the world. Although steel companies recycle some of the old containers, they cannot recycle all of them. That’s why there are just so many containers left behind. Therefore, the idea to reuse the shipping containers as student housing came up. Actually, the materials are suitable for creating houses.

First of all, shipping containers are basically all the same size, so it is quite easy to build up and it does not take a lot of space to make a new residential area. Also, it takes very little energy to reuse the containers for housing because there is no need to create a house from scratch. Next, containers are made of steel and the steel is strong. Strength is quite an essential factor when building a house. Finally, the containers are so widely available that they are quite cheap to buy. That can lead to offering students affordable housing.

How affordable is it, by the way? According to the article, the monthly rent is about €400, which is around \65,000. (Note: it was in 2015 when this container housing project started) It is about half the price of the average rental fee of a so-called studio apartment in the Netherlands. That is a brief background that shows why the container houses were born and why they are suitable for housing.

What is the inside of the container houses actually like? Do you think it is attractive enough for university students that they would want to live there? According to students who have actually lived in the container houses, each apartment is quite spacious. It has a kitchen, a bedroom with a study area, and a bathroom. Some students say that it is bright, and it also has its own balcony. It is warm and quiet. In addition, it has a high-speed Internet connection, too. Therefore, it seems like a comfortable environment for university students.

Nowadays, shipping containers are not only used for homes but also for a huge container shopping mall, container offices, restaurants, coffee shops, and mobile health clinics, for example. Would you like to live in a container house?

Questions:

Q1. In which city are the container homes the author talks about located?

a. The Netherlands

b. Amsterdam

c. Tokyo

Q2. Which of these is NOT an advantage of container homes?

a. They are strong

b. They look beautiful

c. They are affordable

Q3. How do you think the author feels about container homes is?

a. They are a good idea.

b. They are over-priced.

c. The author would prefer a normal apartment

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

Answers:

1. b

2. b

3. a