THINGS YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT DO IN JAPAN

Japan, while a technologically advanced country is still very much attached to their traditions. In order to avoid offending Japanese people, regardless if you’re headed to Japan for a vacation or simply visiting the home of a Japanese friend it is important to remember a few points. Here is a list of some of the things you should not do in Japan.

Wear your shoes inside the house

A few things you should remember is that there are homes and establishments in Japan that will require you to take off your shoes before entering. In these cases, you will usually be given a pair of slippers to use except if the place has tatami mats. Another thing is to make sure not to wear toilet slippers anywhere but inside the bathroom.

Slip-up with your chopsticks

You’re not really required to be an expert on this, but it is good to be aware that it is considered to be very bad form to pass food directly from you chopstick’s to another person’s as well as sticking them in an upright position in your bowl of rice.

Blow your nose in public


One more thing to avoid is blowing your nose in public as this is considered to be extremely rude, especially if you’re with another person.

Yawn while talking to someone


This one is pretty common not only in Japan. Not only is it rude, it also implies that you’re not interested in whatever the other person is saying.

References:

http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com/2009/10/10-things-you-definitely-should-not-do.html

8 FUN FACTS ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW

It is a well-known fact that the English language is one of the most used in the world today. But how much do we really know about it? Let’s take a break and list down 8 amusing facts about the English language.

1. All pilots have to identify themselves and speak in English while flying, regardless of their origin.

2. Only three English words in current use end in “-gry”. They are “angry”, “hungry” and “hangry” (which was recently added to the Oxford online dictionary)

3. We pronounce the combination “ough” in 9 different ways, as in the following sentence which contains them all: “A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed.”

4. We can find 10 words in the 7-letter word “therein” without rearranging any of its letters: the, there, he, in, rein, her, here, ere, therein, herein.

5. If you wrote out all the number names in order, the first “B” you’d see would be the “B” in billion.

6. The longest word in English has 45 letters: ‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis’! It is a type of lung disease caused by inhaling ash and sand dust.

7. In 1934, Webster’s released a dictionary accidentally containing a ghost word – “dord” – that wasn’t caught until 1939.

8. In English, multiple adjectives are supposed to be listed in the following order: Quantity, Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material and Purpose.

References:

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/10-interesting-english-facts-guest/

https://www.englishclub.com/interesting-facts/

http://www.k-international.com/blog/12-facts-about-english-language/

7 THINGS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS DO DIFFERENTLY

Teachers expect different things from their students and so do students from their teachers. While there are a lot of teachers in the industry, highly effective teachers are sometimes hard to find. But what sets these instructors apart from others? Below are some of the habits of highly effective teachers:

1. They set clear objectives

Effective teachers have a clear goal or a set of objectives when it comes to a student’s learning process. This will help you give more sense and direction to your classes, and if properly discussed with your student or your student’s parent will provide them insight and an appropriate scale for progress.

2. They maintain a sense of purpose and enjoyment

Needless to say, a teacher who possesses a passion for the act will have a better chance of sticking to the job than one without. This will allow you to enjoy your daily activities and while you can’t expect all classes to be great ones, passion will let you push though tedious, boring and disappointing days.

3. They don’t aim for immediate results

Expecting immediate improvement on your student’s skills will most of the time, only lead to frustration both on the instructor’s and student’s parts. It will be more helpful to guide the student step by step and have reasonable expectations that will not place a ton of pressure on the student.

4. They have faith in their students’ potential for learning and give constant support

An effective teacher believes in his or her student’s ability to learn regardless of the difficulties they may encounter along the way, but faith is not enough. As a teacher, you must also provide constant and genuine support to help sustain your student’s thirst and motivation for learning.

5. They reflect on their methods and seek advice from others

An effective teacher will never let him or herself become stagnant. Make a habit of assessing yourself and your methods. Seek advice from other teachers and maybe find a mentor of your own to help you gain new perspectives. You must be adaptable and welcoming of changes that will give you the chance to improve.

6. They never stop learning

As stated above, teachers must seek new perspectives, but not only that. You must also be curious and constantly seek new knowledge. English as a language is constantly evolving and to be an effective educator you must be able to adapt and continue to be knowledgeable.

7. They listen to their students

Students have different views compared to their teachers and teachers who know how to listen to their students fare better when it comes to achieving learning goals. If your current style is not working well with your student, you might be better off asking them what works for them and what doesn’t. Don’t just stick to your goals; ask them what they want to learn too.

Reference:

http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/25-things-successful-teachers-do-differently/

USEFUL JAPANESE PHRASES TO HELP YOU SURVIVE YOUR LESSONS

Attempting to communicate with Japanese (or any foreign) students can be a bit tricky. There will be a number of barriers that will hinder the understanding and the flow of communication: heavy accents, poor listening skills, limited vocabulary, etc., and the process can be particularly frustrating if your student is a beginner who can barely understand the basic instructions. Keeping this in mind, we’ve made a list of useful Japanese phrases that will help you survive your class without tearing your hair out.

Nice to meet you, my name is …	Hajimemashite, watashiwa … desu.
Pleased to meet you.	Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
What’s your name?/ May I know your name, please?	Anata no namae wo oshiete kudasai.
All right then, let me introduce myself first.	Soredewa saisho ni watashi no jikoshoukai wo shimasu.
Is it okay if you introduce yourself as well?	Anata no jikosyoukai wo onegaishimasu.
Can you hear me?	Kikoemasuka?
Yes, I can.	Hai, kikoemasu.
No, I can’t.	Iie, kikoemasen.
Can you see me?	Watashi ga miemasuka?
I will write it in chat.	Chat ni kakimasu.
Please write it in the chat box	Chat ni kaitekudasai.
Why do you want to study English?	Doushite eigo wo benkyou shitaino desuka?
What aspect/s of the English language do you want to focus on?	Eigono donobubun wo benkyou shitai desuka?
One more time, please.	Mouichido onegaishimasu.
Your pronunciation is good.	Hatsuon ga iidesune.
Let’s practice the pronunciation.	Hatsuon no renshuu wo shimashou.
Is there anything that you didn’t understand?	Nanika wakaranai tokoro ga arimasuka?
Is there any vocabulary that you don’t understand?	Nanika wakaranai tango ga arimasuka?
Do you understand?	Wakarimasuka?
Yes, that’s right.	Hai, sono tooridesu.
You’re a fast learner.	Rikai ga hayai desune.
You did well. / Very good.	Yoku dekimashita.
Okay then, Can we proceed to the next part?	Soredewa tsugini susunde iidesuka?
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand Japanese very well.	Moushiwakearimasen. Nihongono imiga yokuwakarimasen.
I can’t speak Japanese.	Watashi wa nihongo wo hanasukoto ga dekimasen.
I think it’s time to call it a day.	Jikan ni narimashita node kyouno lesson wa korede owarimasu.
Well then, see you soon in my class.	Soredewa mata chikai uchini o aishimashou.
Thank you so much for today.	Kyouwa hontou ni arigatou gozaimashita.
Long time no see.	Ohisashiburi desu.
How are you?	Ogenki desuka?
I’m fine.	Watashi wa genki desu.
How are you doing?	Choushiwa doudesuka?
What did you do today?	Kyouwa naniwo shimashitaka?
Are you busy with your work?	Shigotowa isogashiidesuka？
Do you have any news?	Nanika news wa arimasenka?
You’re getting good at English.	Eigo ga totemo umakunarimashita ne
Please take care of yourself.	Karada ni ki o tukete kudasai.
How is the weather in Japan?	Nihon no tenkiwa dou desuka?
Please try to say it in English.	Eigo de itte mite kudasai.
What is your favorite food?)	Tabemono wa nani ga suki desuka？
Please go ahead./ Please feel free.	Hai, douzo.

AN INTRODUCTION INTO THE JAPANESE VISUAL ARTS

One part of the Japanese culture is their love for beauty and the Japanese visual arts is remarkably different to the Western style in many ways. Japanese literacy was adopted from the Chinese system of writing and phonetic alphabet and pictographic characters were the important elements in the visual symbolism associated with plants, animals, and other objects that strongly affected the content and meaning of Japanese art and design. In this article, we will introduce you to the different facets of Japanese visual arts.

Painting

Japanese painting developed during the 17th to 19th centuries when the country isolated from the outside world. Japanese painting is both abstract and naturalistic allowing greater spontaneity and individuality. Many works focused on intimate and limited subjects permitting explicit perspective and lighting effects.

Calligraphy

It is called shodou or ‘the way of writing’ in Japan. It is widely practiced by Japanese of all ages and status. Japanese children are mandated to learn calligraphy in their elementary school education. There are three basic writing styles in Japanese calligraphy. They are Kaisho, Gyousho, and Sousho.

Kaisho literally means ‘correct writing’. It is a style which each stroke is made in a deliberate and clear way. Students learn this calligraphy first. It gives them the opportunity to get used to using the brush accurately.

Gyousho is defined as the ‘traveling writing’. It refers to the semi-cursive style of Japanese calligraphy. Separate strokes in Kaisho style flow together form a more rounded whole in Gyousho. The majority of educated Japanese can usually read texts written in this style.

Sousho means ‘grass writing’.  It refers to the flowing cursive style of calligraphy. The form replaces readability as the writer rarely allows the brush to leave the paper that results in graceful, swooping shapes. Japanese who are trained in shodou are usually able to read this type of script.

Sculpture

The sculpture of Japan started from the clay figure. Sculptures were made at local shops. Most sculptures were found at areas in front of houses and along walls of important buildings. In particular, sculpture came to be most firmly centered on Buddhism. The materials that were traditionally used were metal, especially bronze, and more commonly wood.

Ikebana

The Japanese art of flower arrangement is known as ikebana. Nature and humanity are brought together with the arrangement of flowers. It is created with certain rules of construction. The materials used are living branches, leaves, grasses, and blossoms. The beauty of ikebana results from the combination of colors, natural shapes, graceful lines, and the meaning hides in the overall form of the arrangement.

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/nonwest/japan/japanhis.htm

http://www.japanese-name-translation.com/site/about_japanese_calligraphy.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_sculpture

http://www.ikebanahq.org/whatis.php

5 USEFUL TIPS FOR TEACHING KIDS

Teaching kids is vastly different from teaching adults. Children’s attention spans are definitely shorter, they are more easily frustrated and their vocabulary even in their native language is quite limited. However, helping these kids learn a foreign language is also incredibly fulfilling and so to help teachers, we’ve compiled a list of ideas that can help you manage your young students.

1. Prepare

Just like with teaching adults, teaching kids also requires enough preparation to do and while tenured teachers might be able to pull off an excellent class with minimal planning why risk a disaster if you can prepare beforehand?

2. Prevent boredom

This is probably one of the most well-known tricks in teaching kids. A bored child makes an uninterested and frustrated student. To avoid this, you can use games, songs, and visual aids during lessons. This is particularly effective if paired with lessons taught in context, like playing a round of ‘Simon Says’ when learning about actions.

3. Change things up

While some routines are good, make sure to keep your class alive by occasionally changing things up. Don’t play the same game or sing the same songs every day. Instead, try to introduce new activities from time to time.

4. Maintain the smiles and encouragements

Keep on smiling and giving encouragements to your students. Be patient and instead of saying ‘That’s wrong.’ if they make a mistake, try saying, ‘That’s a good, but let’s try it this way.’ instead.

5. Be ready to deal with parents

Children’s lessons are obviously set by their parents, and unlike in teaching adults, you have to be ready to deal with them. One good way is to go over your lesson plans and learning goals for the student or even giving them brief evaluations on where their children’s skills currently stand.

Those are just some of the tips in handling children’s lessons. Some people might think that teaching kids is an easy job, but what most don’t realize is the amount of effort, patience, and creativity it requires. Still, kids will definitely always amaze you and you might be surprised by how rewarding the experience could be.

Reference:

http://busyteacher.org/2831-teaching-kids-english-10-things-to-consider.html