I hate applying for jobs. Like many countries around the world, there is a culture of changing jobs on a regular basis in my home country of the UK, but I still do not enjoy it. The whole process of selling your best features to companies does not feel particularly modest. And the judgment process of job interviews feels even worse. A panel of three or more people judging your appearance and every response to their questions is a little scary for everyone. There is also only so much preparation you can do. You can research the company and prepare yourself for the obvious questions, but there are often unexpected questions and surprises.

This is the same in Japan to some extent. Many Japanese companies will have a first interview at a job event and then a series of interviews afterwards, all within the hiring season. However, the graduate hiring season is more organized in Japan, usually being held at one time of the year as specified by the government. This is different from many other countries where hiring events are organized at a more local level. Outside Japan, companies may tour around several universities over a series of months holding many events to attract potential employees. Second and third interviews may then be held up until the time when the student graduates or afterwards. In Japan, most companies would like to secure graduates even before they enter their final year, but the labour shortages in Japan are causing this practice to change. Many companies now fail to hire as many full-time permanent workers as they would like and so are hiring graduates and other workers outside of the traditional student job-hunting season.

Another change that has happened because of Covid is the move from paper applications to online applications. Many large corporations now process all applications online. Resumes submitted online can be screened using Artificial Intelligence to save time and money. Applicants can upload their application documents without having to print out and post them. This enables the company to attract more applicants and saves applicants time and money as well. It also means it is cheaper and easier for applicants to apply to multiple companies in the search for their ideal job. This change can also be seen in Japan with some of the larger corporations. It may be a matter of time before paper applications are a thing of the past.

These changes do not make the job application process any less scary though. There will always be job interviews, even if these are done online and not face-to-face. The best advice is to just try and relax. Research the job before the interview, make some possible interview questions, and practice answering them. On the day, take your time and answer their questions slowly and carefully. Finally, remember that there are always more chances out there. Your job should fit you well.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki @Pexels.com

Q1 What does the author think about interviews?

Q2 How is the hiring period in Japan changing?

Q3 How are companies using Artificial Intelligence with Job applications?

Scroll down for answers

A1 The author finds job interviews scary.

A2 More companies are hiring outside of the official “hiring season”.

A3 Companies are using AI to filter job applications.

Polyglots are people who have learned many languages. The most famous polyglots can speak over 10 languages. Some of the current famous polyglots are Richard Simcott, Steve Kaufmann, and Luca Lampariello. You can look them up on the internet to find out in detail how they study. They might study a little differently than your teachers have told you, but it is hard to argue with their success. This article will summarize what I found out from researching polyglot language learners.

The first thing to know is there isn’t one way to learn a language. Polyglots used a lot of different methods. Some of the methods they recommended were the opposite of what other polyglots recommended. The lesson here is to research what others recommend, try many different methods, and when you find one that works for you personally, use that method. Despite there being many opinions on the best way to learn languages, there were some main themes that emerged.

Maximize Comprehensible Input

Most polyglots were big fans of the American Linguistics Professor Stephen Krashen. Krashen recommends learners expose themselves to as much of the target language as possible. This input should ideally be just above your level and interesting to you. This includes reading easy books, watching videos, and listening to music. The key is to listen and read as much as you can in your target language. Some people call this the immersion approach. Use the time you have such as when you are traveling to school, doing housework, or winding down at the end of the day.

Review Words, Phrases, and Sentences from the Input

Most polyglots advised reviewing what was learned from the input using a Spaced Repetition System (SRS). This is similar to studying from flashcards, but the software tells you when to study the information again just before you forget it. There are many computer applications you can use but the most famous one is called “Anki”. When a word or phrase repeatedly catches your attention, make a study card, and review it until you can recall it easily.

Practice Speaking and Writing

Although most polyglots advise to focus on listening and reading at the beginning stages of learning a language, speaking and writing can help to reinforce and solidify language already learned. To practice writing, the most obvious example given is to write a diary. For speaking, the most obvious thing to do is to speak to others in the target language. If this is not possible, recording yourself can also be good practice.

Learning a language should be fun if you follow the polyglot language learners’ advice. Immerse yourself in as much interesting content in your target language as you can. Pick out bits you want to learn and review them with a spaced repetition system like Anki. When you have progressed beyond the beginner level, use speaking and writing to reinforce what you have learned through listening and reading.

But most of all, make sure to have fun!

Photo Credit: Skylar Kang@ Pexels.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. What is a "polyglot"?

Q2. What is the first piece of advice from polyglots?

Q3: According to the article, what is the name of the most famous SRS flashcard application?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

A1. A person who speaks many languages well.

A2. Maximize comprehensible input.

A3. Anki.

There are many varieties of the English language. There are the established varieties such as British-English and American-English. In addition, there are numerous new varieties including Indian-English, Malaysian-English, Singaporean-English and so on. In fact, in this age of globalisation, new English varieties are developing all over the world, and even in countries without an historical connection to the language. 

Why are these new varieties developing? The answer is complex, but a key reason is concerned with the functions of language. Language has three main functions: for communication, to express identity and to convey culture. For example, American-English developed primarily so that Americans could express their identity and culture, in contrast to England's. 

This need for people around the world to express identity and culture is a primary driving force for all new varieties of the language. As a further example, research has demonstrated that Indian people tend to prefer speaking English like Indians, and not like Americans or British people. Therefore, Indian-English has developed to express the identity and culture of Indians. 

This brings me to the main point: what variety of English should the Japanese speak? In my opinion, in an ideal situation, the Japanese should speak Japanese-English. This is because it best reflects Japanese identity and culture. However, Japanese-English is a long way from being an established variety, and has a low prestige in the minds of many people. Despite this, I believe it is becoming an identifiable variety with unique characteristics. For example, there are hundreds of words of Japanese origin (reflecting Japanese culture and identity) that have become English, not just in Japanese-English, but all varieties. Some examples include tsunami, anime, sudoku, miso and bonsai. There are also words such as kawaii and shinkansen that may soon become English. 

In addition, there are lots of acronyms and abbreviations, which identity Japanese-English. These include NEET, CA, OL, JAL, JR and GW. Furthermore, there are shortened words such as sando (sandwich), konbini (convenience store), depato (department store) and live house (concert hall) that characterise it. These shortened words are no different than when British or Australian people say footie (football), barbie (barbecue) and uni (university). 

There are also words in Japanese-English that have had a change in meaning, such as handle (steering wheel), mansion (flat/apartment), furonto (hotel reception desk), circle (club/society) and baikingu (all-you-can-eat buffet). 

Finally, another characteristic, which is cultural in origin, is that surnames come before Christian names in Japanese-English. Who says that a Japanese person must state their name in the Anglo-American style when communicating globally to, say, Chinese or Brazilians? Therefore, I believe Japanese students should be encouraged to express their identity and culture through Japanese-English, especially to people who have at least some familiarity with Japan and its culture. 

If you are a Japanese learner of English, please say with confidence that you are a circle member or work at a konbini. You may have to explain what you mean at times, but that is the same for all English speakers to a greater or lesser extent, especially when discussing one's identity and culture. I argue that all people with an active interest in the teaching/learning of English in Japan should enthusiastically promote Japanese English development and use. Remember: just because your English may be different than British or American English, does not necessarily mean it is wrong.  

Photo Credit: Sincerely Media @unsplash.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. Is Japanese-English a well-established variety of the language?

Q2. How many main functions of language are there?

Q3. Is the word 'tsunami' Japanese, English or both?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

Q1. No, (not yet).

Q2. 3 main functions.

Q3. Both.

Most people are guilty of procrastinating at some point. It is quite common among teenagers as well as university students and the occasional university teacher. Procrastinating is the act of deferring action or to put things off until a later day. Why do things now when you can do them later? It isn’t a new thing, with some people tracing the existence of procrastination back more than two thousand years to Socrates’s investigations into Akrasia or deficient personal control. Modern psychology takes a different perspective on procrastination suggesting that it is often associated with a very different problem - perfectionism.

Perfectionists are people who have a psychological tendency to only set themselves and others extremely high expectations or goals. Viewed as a healthy form of behaviour, this can be highly motivating with some perfectionists achieving high levels of success. Such healthy perfectionists, known as adaptive perfectionists or positive perfectionists, can live highly successful and happy lives. The problem is that many perfectionists will not recognize that success when they achieve it. This is where it can become unhealthy as such maladaptive perfectionists drive themselves towards ever higher goals or put themselves firmly in reverse. One example of maladaptive perfectionism is procrastination.

Procrastination is a maladaptive behaviour because it prevents the perfectionist from ever achieving their goals. However, it serves a psychological need because it reduces the impact of failure. Maladaptive perfectionists are driven by a fear of failure and low self-esteem. By putting off the pursuit of a goal, ultimate failure to achieve the desired perfection can be assigned to a lack of effort or action on the part of the individual. The perfectionist has not invested their time and effort into the activity, so it is not their fault. They have chosen to delay action, so they have avoided feeling bad about themselves. The problem is that such procrastination becomes a regular feature of life and is associated with lack of success and increased anxiety. 

Procrastination does not really solve any problems because it diminishes the person’s sense of self-worth. They know they delayed taking action to avoid failing. Better to avoid comparison with others and revel in the little everyday successes. Do things today so you have more time to make corrections. Start the homework now, so you can spend more time on getting a better score rather than guaranteeing failure 5 minutes before the deadline. Getting into a routine and keeping to it will bring much more success and fewer failures.

Photo Credit: Brett Jordan @pexels.com

Blog Quiz

Q1. What word in the text means 'delaying action'?

Q2. In this context, if 'adaptive' means 'positive', what does 'maladaptive' mean?

Q3. According to the writer when should perfectionists not do homework?

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

Q1. Procrastinating

Q2. Negative

Q3. Five minutes before the deadline

For centuries human beings have noticed unusual phenomena in the skies such as comets and shooting stars. In ancient times people called them 'signs' which could predict the future. In modern times we call them ‘UFOs’ or 'Unidentified Flying Objects.' Many people believe they are spaceships piloted by aliens who are visiting our planet from distant galaxies. However, UFOs have a natural explanation: belief in alien visitors is caused by the influence of popular culture and mass psychology. In addition, there is no reliable evidence for alien visitation.

The study of popular culture shows that science fiction entertainment is a major cause of belief in UFOs. In the early 20th century, ‘aliens’ were originally thought to be from the Moon or Mars. But after those planets were visited by spacecraft and no ‘little green men’ were found, we started to look at more distant galaxies. As technology improved, the 1930s saw an explosion in science fiction writing and movies about space travel and alien visitations. As paranormal investigator Joe Nickell explains, when people reported seeing aliens, their descriptions were similar to those portrayed in the movies - small creatures with large heads and big eyes - the "official alien." For example, UFO reports increased dramatically after the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), especially reports of alien abductions. 

The Internet wasn’t always so popular as it is now. In the early years of the Internet, it was really a very exclusive platform for people to use. Even after it moved from research and academics into the public, it was still only for those curious enough to try. My older brother and I had connected to a local bulletin board system (BBS) using a dial-up modem that was annoying for the family because it used our one telephone line (we eventually got a second phone number for the computer). 

Those times were much more experimental and friendly than what I’ve seen in recent years. You knew that the other person you were talking to was a human being, and the owner of the BBS even hosted some get-togethers in the real world for people who used it. There weren’t people trying to attack and insult others because of tiny differences, but most often things were just talked about. Part of that is because the software wasn’t ready for the general public, but I also think it attracted a smaller group of people whom genuinely cared about what the Internet could be used for.

This slowly began to change as software improved. Chat rooms became a common feature with easier interfaces, and people who couldn’t handle the technical requirements earlier now had access. The Internet became more of a tool to connect people, but it also challenged what was comfortable for most people. That’s when I began hearing more about people who would eventually become what we know now as trolls. While this wasn’t new to me since I had already developed an understanding of the Internet, it began to turn me off a little bit to what the Internet was becoming.

During college, even though the university had cable Internet access (a revolution at the time), I was less attracted to it. Computers also became an expensive business, so the friendliness of building computers was complicated by convenience. After graduating, I worked in developing countries, and getting the newest, most expensive computers seemed silly. I continued to have technology as a part of my life, but I found the changes made to the Internet less interesting than how they were in the beginning.

Now, the Internet is tightly woven in the fabric of society, especially because of more recent events. In the past it was more of an optional, leisure time outlet for people, recently the Internet’s role as a tool seems to have been made more important. The idea of technology just for the sake of more technology seems less interesting when people just need it to work. In a way, things have returned a little bit to the way things were in the beginning because the Internet is taking a more fundamental role in society. It isn’t easy, but, to some extent, the life side of it makes the “tech” side of everything less obvious. Tech is being replaced by living.

Photo Credit: Burst@pexels.com

Blog Quiz

1. According to the blog what is a ‘troll’?

a) An ugly mythical creature who lives under a bridge

b) A person who intentionally upsets people on the internet by posting inflammatory messages

c) A small spade used for gardening

2. How did the author’s experiences in a third world country change his view of technology?

a) He realized there were more important things in life than having the latest technologies.

b) He decided to donate all his money to charity

c) He became more interested in travel than technology

3. According to the author why is technology becoming less obvious?

a) People can’t understand technology

b) People who build computers aren’t friendly

c) Technology is taking a more fundamental role in society

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

1. B

2. A

3. C

“What is a typical dish from your country?”

Food is a great topic when meeting people of other nationalities. The question above is good for breaking the ice and can lead to interesting discussions. Japanese people have many answers to choose from when hearing this question; sushi, tonkatsu, okonomiyaki, tempura, udon… These are undeniably good examples of Japanese cuisine.

What is interesting is the deceiving nature of the question. This is because the person asking might think it means the same as asking “What food is typically eaten in your country?” Indeed, for Japanese people, the dishes mentioned above could answer either question, so the distinction between the two questions could seem unimportant; however, the point of answering is a little problematic for me.

I am often asked the first question “What is a typical dish from your country?” when Japanese people are getting to know me, and they likely expect an interesting answer that can teach them something new. However, it is tricky because my quick and simple answer cannot carry over as a reply to the second question (like it does for Japanese). Why is that?

The reason is because I am from Canada. What is typical food in Canada? Well, a quick and simple answer is pasta, pizza, hamburgers, steak, dumplings, curry… and sushi! However, surely those are unexpected responses for a Japanese person to hear—especially those who have not been abroad. I am not Italian, German, American, Chinese, Indian, or Japanese. I am Canadian.

The point of difference between “from your country” and “in your country” is what I wish to address, and this can also nudge into the spotlight the feature of the so-called Canadian mosaic.

There is a story I like to tell whenever I get asked about Canadian food. When I was young, after school I often went to a friend’s place. Depending on the day or friend, I might stay for dinner, and over a span of years this amounted to a wonderful introduction to international cuisine because everyone I knew was either an immigrant or a child of immigrants. One day I might eat homemade Indian food. On other days it might be homemade Italian, Chinese, British, and—especially in my hometown of Edmonton—Ukrainian food. Then when it was my friend’s turn to visit my house, my mother would cook Cuban food.

I am not joking when I say that the food I ate as a young Canadian varied among such delicious dishes as homemade spaghetti, Chinese-style dumplings, Ukrainian-style dumplings, curry with naan, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding (from Britain), and fried plantain (a Caribbean dish).

True Canadian food? Look that up on {Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_cuisine]} and I cannot say that I experienced—as far as typical food is concerned—what is listed as examples: poutine, salmon jerky, Montreal-style bagels, ginger beef, and butter tarts. I look forward to trying all those when I return, though. I hear they are more available now than when I was young.

Photo Credit: Social Soup@pexels.com

Blog Quiz

1. What does the author’s first question usually mean?

A.    What is the most popular food in your country?

B.    What food is commonly eaten in your country?

C.    What food represents your country’s cuisine?

2. Why did the author eat many different cuisines when he was young?

A.    Because there were many restaurants with foreign cuisine in Edmonton.

B.    Because he didn’t like typical Canadian food.

C.    Because his friend’s families were immigrants.

3. Which of these dishes would the author like to try on his next visit home?

A.    fried plantain

B.    salmon jerky

C.    Yorkshire pudding

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

1. C

2. C

3. B

Writer and poet Gentle Ehrlich said, “Walking is also an ambulation of mind.” In other words, when you’re walking, not only your body but also your brain is moving. For many writers, walking is one way to take a break from writing and come up with new ideas for stories. How can employees and students apply this idea?

In her TED Talk, Nilofer Merchant, a business innovator, suggests that a walking meeting is one solution to sitting though boring meetings at work. In a walking meeting, employees walk and talk instead of sitting at a table. At first, people thought the main benefit of walking meetings would be that employees would sit less and exercise more. However, the walking meeting had another surprising benefit: employees increased their creativity and developed innovative ideas. In fact, according to researchers, walking has a significant impact on creative thinking. This could work for students too. After studying for a long time, going outside or taking a walk may be just what you need to look at a topic in a new way.

Another way for students to move more is to combine walking with doing other activities. Merchant says, “I used to think about it as, you could take care of your health, or you could take care of your obligations, and one always came at the cost of the other.” In other words, in the past, she thought that it was difficult to complete all her tasks and exercise too. However, it is possible to combine walking with errands. For example, depending on where you live, it might be possible to walk to the supermarket or station. Also, it might be possible for students to combine walking and studying. While walking in a familiar place, you could listen to music, podcasts, or listening exercises in English. In this way, you can study but spend less time sitting.

Sometimes walking outside isn’t an option because of the weather or other reasons. In this case, just a change of scenery may be helpful, so how about taking a virtual walk in a far away place or trying another type of indoor exercise? The main point is that if you need a break or a new idea, the solution might just be to move your body!

https://www.ted.com/talks/nilofer_merchant_got_a_meeting_take_a_walk?language=en

Photo Credit: Yogendra Singh@pexels.com

Blog Quiz

1. What is a walking meeting?

A.   When people have a meeting in a conference room

B.    When people have a meeting while taking a walk

C.    When people have a virtual meeting

2. What are the two main benefits of walking meetings mentioned in the article?

A.   Getting more exercise and making new friends

B.   Discovering new places and getting new ideas

C.   Decreasing sitting time and increasing creativity

3. Can you give an example of a task mentioned in the article that can be combined with walking?

A.   Doing the laundry

B.   Writing a research paper

C.   Going grocery shopping

Scroll down ↓ for the answers to the quiz.

Quiz Answers

1. B

2. C

3. C