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)

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

Photo Credit: Pavel Danilyuk @pexels.com 

 

Popular entertainment figures can change the way people think and behave. I was sad to learn that in July 2024, the fitness instructor, entrepreneur, and television personality Richard Simmons had died at age 76. Richard Simmons was someone who started to become famous when I was in junior high. I first saw him on The Phil Donahue Show, a popular television talk show. Simmons’ energy, message, and theatrical style on the show demonstrated a great charisma that made him immediately popular. I bought his first exercise album, called “Reach,” when I was 15 years old. Years later, I still sometimes listen to recordings of it and do the exercises, along with his “Sweating to the Oldies” exercise videos. Richard Simmons was not a typical “hero” in the fitness industry: he was not particularly handsome, nor was he a super-athlete with a very muscular body. Nevertheless, there were several reasons why I really admired him:

 

1. Simmons himself had struggled to lose weight and become fit. While growing up he was picked on for being fat. When he was 15, he weighed about 83 kg (182 pounds) and eventually gained weight and hit 122 kg (268 pounds). However, his fitness programs and healthy eating helped him lose weight and stay at 56 kg (123 pounds) during most of his professional career.

 

2. He built a public stage persona that was super-energetic, outlandish, and silly, and made it a goal for people to have fun and enjoy themselves when they were working out. For example, his “Sweating to the Oldies” exercise videos had themes such as being in an old-fashioned diner, or at an amusement park, and had exercises designed for fun and laughing while moving. He would wear very bright, sparkly costumes or exercise wear with colorful stripes, and make amusing jokes.

 

3. His workout videos featured real people of different ages who were average looking, and many of whom were (or had been) quite overweight. They were not all beautiful young models or athletes. At the end of many of his videos, he would highlight each of the people in his video, commending how much weight they had lost.

 

4. He was a successful entrepreneur. He knew how to market himself and become a very well-known television personality, while producing dozens of videos and books. In addition to his successful workout studio and myriad exercise videos, he also had his own television show for four years. Later he had a popular membership-based website and maintained a strong social media presence through 2014.

 

5. He deeply cared about people who struggled with eating addiction and obesity, and his messages were motivational and inspiring. His books and videos motivated people to take better care of their eating and exercise habits. Although some people discounted Richard Simmons as being too silly, I will always admire him for his energy, his sense of fun, and his sincere caring for other people. Our heroes shape our lives.

 

Questions

 

Q1. Which of the following is true about Richard Simmons?

a. He was a former Olympic athlete.

b. He became popular and famous at age 15 as a child actor.

c. His popularity as a fitness trainer and personality was based on his flamboyant and fun style, as he tried to help average people get healthier.

d. He focused on helping wealthy Hollywood celebrities get fit.

 

Q2. What is NOT one of the reasons that the blog writer admired Richard Simmons?

a. Because he was a successful entrepreneur.

b. Because his sense of caring for his audience who were struggling with weight and fitness issues seemed very genuine and inspiring.

c. Because it was easy to relate to him as a real person who also had experienced trouble with being overweight and unfit in the past.

d. Because he had a very strict, serious, and commanding style of leading his exercise videos, and his workouts were extremely hard, even for very fit people.

 

Q3. According to this blog’s writer, why is considering our heroes and why we admire them valuable to do?

a. Because the heroes we choose look beautiful and strong so we want to try to look like them.

b. Because the positive characteristics they show can motivate us to change the way we think and behave.

c. Because our heroes inspire our sense of fashion.

d. Because our heroes are better than we can ever aspire to be ourselves.

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

 

 

A1. c

A2. d

A3. b

Photo Credit: Erik Mclean @pexels.com 

 

You probably know “The God of Manga”, Tezuka Osamu, but do you know “The King of Comics”?

 

You may not know who this King is, but you might know many of his characters. Over the past 15 years, superhero movies from Hollywood have become very popular worldwide. The most popular of these superhero movies were the Avengers movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). These box-office hits featured characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, and Nick Fury. All of these characters were created or co-created by Jack “the King” Kirby.

 

Kirby started working in American comics when he was about 20 years old. A few years later, he met up with his creative partner Joe Simon, and together they created Captain America in 1940. On the cover of the very first Captain America comic, Captain America punched Adolph Hitler, This was a year before the United States entered the Second World War. It established Captain America as an ideal of America: the very best that America could be.

 

After joining the American army and fighting in Europe during the war, Kirby returned to drawing comic books. By this time, superhero comics had become less popular, so Kirby and Simon created a new genre of comics: romance comics. In 1947, their comic magazine Young Romance was the first and most popular of over 100 different romance comics published until the mid-1950s.

 

But it is from the 1960s that Kirby became the King. He joined Marvel Comics, and in 1961, Marvel published The Fantastic Four with art by Kirby. In a period of about ten years, Kirby helped create some of the most famous superheroes of American comic books. Not only did Kirby create the characters named above, he also was the original artist for the X-Men (made into their own series of movies) and helped co-create Ant-Man and Black Panther. In all, 21 of the MCU movies feature Kirby-created characters as the main heroes of the story.

 

By this time, Kirby had developed his own dynamic art style and innovative storytelling techniques that changed the way comic book stories were told. His art had a sense of movement and energy when many other comic artists drew stiff figures that seemed motionless in comparison. The stories that he told through his art were often at a cosmic scale. With these stories, he made the reader think about the meaning of being human in a universe that was so vast. Kirby’s work set new standards for visual storytelling that still influences artists today.

 

Questions:

Q1. Kirby co-created Captain America in 1940. Who was his co-creator?

 

Q2. When did Kirby do his famous work for Marvel Comics?

 

Q3. What was special about Kirby's art?

 

Scroll down ↓ for answers.

 

A1. Joe Simon

A2. During the 1960s

A3. It was very dynamic with a lot energy. He told stories that were on an epic scale.

Photo Credit: Hai Nguyen @ Pexels.com

 

A former graduate student of Ritsumeikan University wrote me an e-mail from the London School of Economics (LSE) in England. She was coming to Kyoto for a visit and wanted to come by the campus to say hello. A few years ago, when she was going through the application process, another graduate of Ritsumeikan University who was already there studying took her under her wing and showed her the ropes. Now, here she was already about to graduate and very willing to help her kohais who were curious about their own future after Ritsumeikan. I felt proud and happy that she wanted to keep this magic chain going.

 

Often many students are divided between going immediately to graduate school and working after graduation. Some feel that they want to expand their knowledge and study further. Others, for various reasons, want to work and gain experience in the “real world.” More often than not, those who choose the latter path of working immediately say that they may also like to eventually go back to school for a higher degree. I wanted to share the pros and cons of these two paths for my very active and ambitious students this semester and knew that she would be perfect to give a talk to her kohais.

 

Just in time, a message came to my Linkedin account. It was a former student, now a career woman working her way up the corporate ladder as a bilingual human resources consultant. She wanted to inform me of how her consulting session went with an advanced student of mine who was at the moment looking for employment. The young, vibrant, and smart international consultant of Bangladeshi and Japanese heritage, and the passionate, savvy, and cosmopolitan graduate student of sociology of Indian ethnic background from LSE volunteered their time, knowledge, and experience on May 24, 2024, during the Senpai Kōhai Network Connection Spring 2024 Event titled “Graduate School and Corporate Life: Advice from Senpais.”

 

I sat in the back watching these two young, powerful, and energetic women, full of life and passion speak and share their experiences, knowledge and wisdom with their kohais who listened carefully to their every word with awe and respect. They confided that they, too, felt unsure and insecure during their first year but through the help of their senpais who reached out and lent a helping hand, they eventually also found their best path – one that has brought them to where they stood now. I felt proud – not only of their brilliant shine but also because they were solidifying the circular connection of the “Magic Chain” by never forgetting to give thanks to the outreach of helping hands.

 

Questions:

 

Q1. Who came for a visit and from where?

Q2. How many speakers were there and who were they?

Q3. What is the "Magic Chain"?

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

 

 

A1. A graduate student from England and a consultant from Bangladesh

A2. Two. They were former Ritsumeikan students.

A3. The practice of receiving knowledge from those who have come before and passing knowledge on to those who come after.

Photo credit Andrea Piacquadio @ pexels.com

 

I am a sloth. When the morning alarm rings, I stay cocooned in my bed, stretching those “just five more minutes” into eternity. No matter how bright the light streaming through the window, I revel in the soft warmth, savoring the continuation of my dreams.

 

Being called lazy may sound like a criticism, but within this idleness, I find life's little pleasures. Amidst the rush of daily life, I often pause to watch the clouds drift across the sky or to enjoy the fragrance of flowers in the garden. This, too, is a privilege of being a sloth.

 

Household chores are frequently postponed. Laundry piles up, and dishes accumulate in the sink, but I view this scene as a “challenge for another day.” Without self-reproach, I whisper to myself, “Well, I’ll do it tomorrow.” This ease alleviates daily stress.　Yet, one might wish to say so; curiously enough, I manage to tackle household tasks with thoroughness.

 

Work follows the same pattern. As deadlines loom, I calmly brew a cup of coffee and take a deep breath before I start. Rather than rushing for results, I proceed slowly and surely. Although others may urge me to be more diligent, I believe in maintaining my own pace.

 

This slothful nature is, in fact, the wellspring of my creativity. In those moments of doing nothing, sudden ideas emerge, and solutions present themselves. What remains unseen in the rush of busyness often becomes clear in the quiet moments.

 

I am a sloth. Yet, these lazy times are precious to me, enriching my life in their own way. No matter how fast the world spins, I will continue to savor these leisurely moments. This is my way of living.

 

 

Questions:

Q1. How does the author react when their morning alarm rings?

Q2. How does the author feel about being called lazy?

Q3. What does the author believe helps their creativity?

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

 

 

 

Answers:

A1. The author stays in bed, for longer and (probably) goes back to sleep again.

A2. The author acknowledges it might sound like criticism but finds things he enjoys in his idleness.

A3. The author believes that moments of doing nothing (being idle) are important for their creativity.

Photo credit: Satoshi Hirayama @ pexels.com

 

Kyoto, especially Gion Kobu, has been in the news a lot recently. Two typical headlines are: “Tourists banned from private alleys in Kyoto’s geisha district” (The Japan Times) and “Kyoto bans tourists from parts of geisha district amid reports of bad behavior” (The Guardian). The tourist ban that all these stories talk about was supposed to start at the beginning of April. I walked through Gion Kobu in early April, when the cherry blossoms were still in bloom. These are some of the things I saw that day and my thoughts about them.

 

Since you study at Ritsumeikan University and spend at least some of your time in Kyoto, I hope my thoughts will help you develop your own ideas about the over-tourism in Kyoto issue. When I go to Gion Kobu, I get off the subway at Sanjo Station and walk down Hanami-koji towards the district. Hanami-koji is the main artery through Gion, and is often jammed with tourists, but just a few minutes north of Gion (near Sanjo Dori), the street is mostly deserted. All the shops on the East side are shuttered and have been for years. The buildings are dilapidated.

 

Once you cross the Shirakawa River, things begin to change. Hanami-koji is lined with bars and restaurants. There are some new hotels, too. Who stays in hotels? Tourists! As I get close to Shijo Dori and Ichiriki, the most famous tea house In Gion Kobu, I start to see tourists dressed in kimono. Some men are dressed in hakama (wide-pleated pants). There are couples and groups of friends. Many of these tourists are not Japanese, but some are.

 

There are quite a few of these kimono rental shops. I just googled “kimono rental shops Gion Kobu” and found 16 shops within a five-minute walk of the Hanamikoj-Shijo intersection, the center of Gion. People who dress up in kimono are going to want photos of themselves in their costumes for Instagram and other social media sites. And since they are dressed in traditional attire, it stands to reason that they want to take these photographs in front of traditional buildings. And where are the most photogenic buildings and alleys? Gion Kobu, of course!

 

In addition, many of the mom-and-pop shops on Shijo Dori (a bookstore, a shop that sold authentic maiko and geiko hair ornaments) have disappeared over the years. What replaces them? Convenience stores, souvenir shops, and the like. Who goes to souvenir shops? Tourists! This is cause and effect. If businesses that cater to tourists open in an area, tourists are going to come to that area, especially an area as beautiful as Gion Kobu.

 

What do you think? Do you think there is too much tourism in Kyoto? Is the bus or train you take to Ritsumeikan too crowded? If so, what can be done, especially since Kyoto needs the money tourists bring to the city?

 

 

 

 

Questions:

 

Q1. What does dilapidated mean?

a. in good condition

b. in poor condition

 

Q2. Only foreign tourists like to dress up in kimono and walk around Gion Kobu.

True or False

 

Q3. The busiest part of Hanamikoji Dori is near the Sanjo subway station.

True or False

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

 

 

Answers

Q1. b

Q2. False

Q3. False

Photo Credit: Vallentin @pexels.com 

 

As an English teacher living in Japan, experiencing the seasons here has been quite different from what I’m used to back in the UK. Both countries have four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—but the way each season feels and is celebrated can be very different.

 

Spring: Cherry Blossoms vs. Daffodils

In Japan, spring is famous for the beautiful cherry blossoms, or sakura. People in Japan love to have picnics under these pink and white flowers during the cherry blossom festivals. In the UK, spring is also a lovely season, where flowers like daffodils and bluebells cover the parks and gardens. While we don’t have big picnics under the trees, the blooming flowers are a cheerful sight after the cold winter.

 

Summer: Festivals and Rain

Japanese summers are hot and full of lively festivals. People wear yukata, which are like light kimonos, and enjoy fireworks and street food. In the UK, our summers are usually cooler and, let’s be honest, a bit rainy. We do have music festivals and barbecues whenever the sun decides to shine, which makes for a fun time too.

 

Autumn: Leaves and More Leaves

Autumn in Japan is as stunning as the spring, with the leaves turning bright red, orange, and yellow. People go to parks and mountains just to see this colorful display. In the UK, autumn is also beautiful with the leaves changing color, but it’s generally more subdued. We enjoy cozy evenings as it starts to get colder.

 

Winter: Snowscapes vs. Dark Days

Winters can be quite different. In Japan, places like Hokkaido are famous for their snow festivals with huge ice sculptures. In other parts of Japan, New Year is a big celebration where families come together. In the UK, winter is more about short days and long nights. We get some snow, but it’s not as common. Christmas is a huge deal, and cities light up with decorations and markets.

 

Living in Japan has shown me how differently seasons can be experienced and celebrated in another culture. While the UK seasons are more about subtle changes and quiet beauty, Japan’s seasons are full of vivid colors and festivals. Both places have their unique charm, making each season special in its own way.

 

 

Questions:

Q1. What season do British people associate daffodils with?

Q2. What is one problem with summers in England?

Q3. Which of the countries gets more snow?

 

Scroll down ↓ for answers:

 

 

A1. Spring

A2. It is too rainy.

A3. Japan

Photo Credit: Oz Art @pexels.com

 

Here, I will introduce a powerful technique to improve both your listening and speaking skills at the same time! It's a method called shadowing, where you practice repeating the English you hear, as if you are its shadow.

 

Let's take The Beatles' "Let It Be" as an example for our explanation.

 

The Beatles - Let It Be

You can find the song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYfEBY9NM4

 

When you hear "When I find myself in times of trouble," you immediately repeat "When I find myself in times of trouble." As you repeat this, the next phrase, "Mother Mary comes to me," will play, so you quickly start repeating that phrase. You continue in this way with "Speaking words of wisdom..." and so on.

 

Shadowing is an excellent exercise for both listening and speaking practice. It is great for listening because it trains you to hear and understand English directly, without translating it into Japanese in your head. Additionally, being able to shadow well means you can accurately mimic the unique rhythm of English.

 

For example, if you can pronounce "When I find myself in times of trouble" in sync with the audio, that means you are able to follow the rhythm rules of English: You stress and elongate content words (words that carry meaning) like "find," "myself," "times" and "trouble," while pronouncing function words (words that indicate grammar) like "when," "I," "in" and "of" weakly and briefly.

 

If you take too long to pronounce function words like "when" or "I," you won't be able to say the line in sync with the audio. Now, let’s actually try shadowing this song.

 

As you shadow, avoid looking at the text as much as possible, and focus only on the audio. It might feel difficult at first, but it’s important to practice the same material repeatedly until you can do it.

 

Observing the rhythm of English in songs and mimicking it is a highly effective learning method. You can practice shadowing with other pop songs, nursery rhymes, and even jazz when you've gotten the hang of it. However, not all English songs are suitable for shadowing, so be selective.

 

Here, we used a song for shadowing, but anything can be suitable as long as it matches the learner’s vocabulary level and an English script is available for reference if needed. You can practice shadowing with things you enjoy, like dramas or movies. Be sure to incorporate this into your English learning!

 

Questions:

 

Q1. What skills improve with shadowing?

 

Q2. What is the typical rhythm in the English language?

 

Q3. What tips are given for shadowing?

 

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

 

 

A1. Listening and speaking skills.

A2. Content words are pronounced strongly and are longer, while function words are pronounced weakly and are shorter.

A3. Focus only on the sound/ Repeat the same material multiple times.

Photo Credit: Maitree Rimthong @pexels.com

 

Savings and Investing

 

Children often learn their money skills from their parents. For example, parents often tell their children to make a habit of saving money.

 

The problem is that many parents have very poor money management skills. Studies show that in America more than 25% of people have less than $1000 savings.

 

This situation is obviously stressful for the individual, as any job loss would spell disaster. The individual is locked into a job that they may not like, and they, and their family, are in a financially precarious situation.

 

The importance of saving and investing, and teaching these skills to our children, cannot be overemphasized. The power of compounding interest shows that a person who invests $10,000 at the age of 20 and leaves it in an ETF paying 7% would have over $210,000 if they retire at the age of 65 (and almost $300,000 if they retire at 70!!) with no additions!

 

Do you save? Do you have a part time job?

 

What are your financial goals for your 20s? For your 30s?

 

What age would you like to retire?

 

What does financial stability mean to you? How much money do you need to reach financial independence?

 

Recently, the idea of financial independence and even early retirement has taken hold in American and many western countries. What financial independence means to one person will, of course, be different from another person. One person can live a simple life surfing and playing guitar in a small beach town, and live very frugally. Another person may wish for boats and sports cars.

 

Neither preference is better or worse than the other. The important point is, however, to be true to yourself, and know what will make you satisfied with your own life.

 

How much do you need to retire (or become financially independent)? The question is not one of values, but a simple mathematical equation. When your income from passive investments (or “passive income flow”) exceeds your outgoing expenses, you have reached a position of financial independence.

 

The art of learning to save money (and learning to invest our savings) is a skill fundamental to our daily life. Unfortunately, this skill is very poorly taught at schools. The necessity for schools (and parents) to instill the mental requirements for saving and investing in children has many additional positive effects.

 

Questions:

 

Q1. What percentage of US citizens have less than $1000 in savings?

 

Q2. Who teaches kids about money?

 

Q2. What is the main problem when parents teach their kids about money?

 

Scroll down ↓ for the answers

 

A1. Over 25%

A2. The parents

A3. The parents are poor money managers, so they do not know how to teach good habits.