Mike 's
E pisodes A broad
My name is Mike Kondo , and I teach the high school student course.
Here, I would like to talk about various experiences I had during my more than ten years of overseas business postings (Italy, the United States, and Germany).
Being immersed in a different culture was a valuable experience and gave me more than just words.
I hope this will be useful for your English studies.
MEA
Latest Episode
#5 mother tongue
Let's value Japanese as well
Listening to English is difficult, although it's not a problem in my native language, Japanese. Mother tongue is called mother tongue. While "mother language" is also acceptable, "mother tongue" makes more sense to me. When living abroad, there are times when you can't help but be conscious of Japanese. For me, that was the church I attended when I was stationed in Germany. I was a member of the local church choir as a member of the last row. I wrote German sheet music in katakana and listened to recordings every time I practiced to correct my pronunciation/voice (;^_^ As my pronunciation gradually improved, it started to sound more musical. Unlike Japanese, you use your tongue more widely and the back of your throat, which uses different muscles than Japanese, and my jaw got tired. Japanese doesn't tire your jaw (lol), and I really felt the gentle sound of the words was wonderful. The other day, I went to the N-Con (NHK Choir Contest), which is considered the Koshien of choirs. The Aichi Choral Competition was held. The junior high school choral piece was "Because We Are Living Things," a piece by Ryokuiro Shokugyo Shakai. Famous conductor Yuko Tanaka, one of the judges, commented: "Use a rich palette and pay attention to the tone of your words. The "ka" in "hard," "kawaii," and "kami" (hair) are not the same, are they? By being aware of this, you will be able to connect more effectively with the audience." Hearing this, I was reminded, "I see! The voice has color, too. Words take on soul when spoken aloud." From personal experience, people who are fluent in foreign languages have a strong command of Japanese. I believe they have a strong sensitivity to language as a means of communication. Try reciting Japanese aloud and feeling the sounds with your whole body. Speaking aloud will allow you to feel the words with your body. Also, try reading aloud in English. After listening to listening materials, read aloud in English, record it, and compare it with the material, paying attention to differences in rhythm. If you can pronounce the words, you should be able to listen to them as well. Listening materials are everyday sentences, so they will also help improve your conversational skills.
#4 Homework and assignments from school
Summer vacation is over! Do you remember finishing your summer homework in the last week of elementary school? (lol) Homework = homework (literally, completing assigned tasks at home; the opposite of classwork). The summer homework of a colleague's son (aged 6th grade to 1st year of junior high school) from my time in the United States was: "Read and summarize books by three famous people in your field in order to pursue your future career." I think it should be called an assignment rather than homework. There is no correct answer; it requires you to think for yourself and summarize your opinion. I remember this as a typical example of the American emphasis on expressing your own opinion. By the way, assignment means an assigned task (in the case of work, it would be good to translate it as "task"). The verb is assign (commonly translated as "to assign"), and it's a word used in the workplace as well. If you're going to study, don't just passively do homework, but think about how to get closer to your goals. If you're studying for school, don't get too excited or upset about your grades; instead, give yourself assignments on how to reach the level you're aiming for. For example, don't leave questions you couldn't answer on a regular exam unanswered; instead, revise them and devise ways to get them right next time. This attitude will be useful even when you enter the workforce (^^)/
#3 It's not just about country
The Paris Olympics and Paralympics will be held soon. I don't know much about them, but I can't help but root for the Japanese athletes (^^)/ How do you translate "country"? The most common translation is "country," but there are several others. When I was working in the United States, I often discussed with my American colleagues what a country is. 1) "There are many countries in the world." Kenkyusha Dictionary Example Sentence (Translation) There are many countries in the world. 2) The international organization to which nations (sovereign states) belong is the United Nations, inheriting the name of the victorious nations of World War II, the United Nations. The Chinese translation is "联合國" (= 合国). Meanwhile, the Japanese translation is "国際国立" (the "nation" is not translated). 3) The United Mexican States is the United Mexican States. 4) The Federal Republic of Germany is the Federal Republic of Germany. The definition of "nation" dates back to the French Revolution. If you'd like to know more, please contact me on Crane. (^_-)-☆ The word "republic" also comes from the Latin "res publica," meaning "public property, public interest, public law." While you're at the Olympics, why not check out the names of each country in English? You're sure to discover something interesting. Putting all that aside, let's cheer on the amazing performances of the Paralympics athletes with applause!
#2 “How are you?” ≠ How are you?
at a clinic
It's tough to get sick in a foreign country. Even if you can do your job in English, Japanese has a lot of onomatopoeia (like saying my head is throbbing), so it can be difficult to explain your condition. In reality, all you have to do is answer the doctor's questions, so it's not that difficult. I found that out later. That was the first time I went to the clinic because I had a fever. Since everything in the US is basically by appointment, even the initial phone call to make an appointment left me in a cold sweat (;^_^A. With a headache in my arm, I headed to the examination room. The doctor smiled and asked, "How are you, sir?" I was thinking, "Huh? 'How are you? => Fine, thank you. And you?' is the standard English conversation answer. But I have a fever, so 'Fine' can't be it. What should I say??" My headache got worse (-_-;). In the end, I didn't say "Fine," but answered, "I have a fever," and began the examination. In the US, I have a feeling that "How are you?" is a greeting similar to "Hello." So, when the doctor asks, "How are you?", I simply replied, "Fine, thank you, but I have a fever..." and explained my symptoms. It's best not to go, but if you end up going to the hospital, please keep this in mind (^^)
#1 "Plastic vs. Plastic"
at a supermarket
Let me start with a story from my first day working in the US at the end of the 20th century. It's a funny story now, but back then I was like, "Huh?" (lol). What do you imagine when you hear the word "plastic"? Do you imagine slightly hard cases of various sizes? I drove on the unfamiliar right-hand side of the road (there were no navigation systems back then) and headed to a huge supermarket. I was amazed by the huge shelves, about three times my height, as I shopped (I was also surprised to see guns being sold in locked cases). When I went to pay, the cashier asked me, "Paper or Plastic?" I muttered to myself, "Huh?...I didn't buy any plastic products..." The cashier then showed me a plastic bag. I thought to myself, "This is vinyl, so it's vinyl." When I answered, "It's vinyl," the cashier's response was, "Huh...." A chill spread through the air (lol). As you can see, a plastic bag is a "Plastic Bag." "Paper or Plastic?" was "paper bag or plastic bag." "Plastic" in Japanese is not the same as "Plastic" in English. Encountering English in everyday life can be a bit disconcerting at first, but once you get used to it, it's fun. A few days later, he develops a fever and goes to the hospital. What did the doctor say first? The answer will be revealed next time.