easy English blog

[Easy English Blog]Feeling sleepy

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I’ve been feeling sleepy lately. I think it is because of the change of seasons. Although, I spent most of spring feeling sleepy because the weather was warm, then I spent most of summer feeling sleepy because it was so humid, and now I feel sleepy in autumn because the temperature has dropped to a comfortable level. Maybe I am just a sleepy person!

I sleep well at night. I ususally sleep for 8 hours. Even so, by around 2:00pm, I start to feel sleepy, and it is difficult for me to focus on my work. I drink coffee or have a nap (nap = short sleep). I also eat chocolate. This gives me energy. But I know, too much sugar is not good. Maybe I need to exercise more. Maybe that will give me more energy.

For some reason, I feel especially sleepy on Tuesdays. I think most people feel sleepy on Mondays, but I feel energetic and motivated on Mondays. Maybe I feel sleepy on Tuesdays because I use so much energy on Mondays. I don’t know. I’m feeling a little sleepy now. Time for a nap. zzzzz

[Easy English Blog] Reading goals

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I’ve been thinking about my goals for next year. One of them is to read more books. In particular, I would like to read more Japanese books.

Although I read Japanese every day in my job, and I read Japanese newspapers, I think I should read more. Especially fiction. I have only read three Japanese novels this year. When I read novels, I forget that I am reading, and I enter the world of the book. So when I read in Japanese, I don’t feel like I am studying. I am just absorbing the langauge and the language patterns as I participate in the fictional world.

I usually read books by Matsumoto Seicho, but next year, I’d like to try some different authors. I would like to read something by Naoya Shiga. I would also like to read more books by Yukio Mishima. I have only read two or three of his books, and I enjoyed them (although they were a little difficult). I think I should also read some contemporary novelists too.

Maybe I will start going to the library again. I haven’t been there for many years. It will be cheaper than the book shop!

I wonder, how many books can I read next year? I guess that will depend on how busy I am with work. But I will try to read one in English, then one in Japanese, then one in English, then one in Japanese… I wonder if I can do it?

[Easy English Blog] Studying while driving

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I don’t think studying a language while driving is a good idea. I am learning Russian, but I don’t have so much time to study every day. So, I decided to use my driving time to study. I have started listening to the CDs from my textbook while I am driving.

Usually, I listen to English music CDs or Japanese radio while I am driving. I understand both languages, so it doesn’t cause any problems.

However…when I listen to my Russian CDs, I start thinking things like:

“What did she just say?”

“Is that how you pronounce XXX? I’ve been pronouncing it wrong.”

“I didn’t catch that. I must listen to it again.”

“Ah! That conversation was the one on page 10 of my texbook!”

“Oh! That sounds different from what I expected!”

And so on….

This is not good. It takes my attention away from the road. I think I will stop studying while driving, for everyone’s safety!

[Easy English Blog] Already October

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It’s already October. This year has flown by (= passed very quickly). In January and February we had very heavy snow. I remember that clearly. Every day I had to dig my car out from under the snow. Then, in March, I went to Tokyo. That doesn’t seem like it was seven months ago. It seems like it was only two or three months ago. Maybe that’s because I have been very busy this year. Time seems to pass more quickly when we are busy.

The summer didn’t pass quickly though. We had a very hot summer, and it seemed to last forever! I thought it would never end! August was a particularly long month. But of course, it passed, and now it is October, and the days are much cooler.

It will soon be Christmas. Then, the end of the year. And then a new year will begin. As I get older, I feel like time is speeding up. Christmas and New Year seem to come around very quickly. At the end of every year, I make a plan of all the goals I want to achieve in the next year. I am going to start thinking about my goals for 2019. I am going to start now, because the end of year will come around quickly. I want to be ready!

[Easy English Blog] Nice neighbours

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I live in an apartment block, so I have many neighbours. Most of them are nice, and say hello, when they see me. Some of them are not so friendly. Some of them ignore me when I see them. Maybe they don’t want anything to do with (= to have any contact with) their neighbours. That’s fine.

My next-door neighbour is very friendly. She always says hello when she sees me, and asks me how I am. She likes to talk, so sometimes we talk about the weather, or the neighbourhood. Sometimes she asks me about the UK and my family.

Another neighbour likes to talk too. He lives on a different floor, but when I see him in the car park, he always stops for a conversation. He is retired, so he spends most of his time at home. He often asks me about the weather in the UK. He wants to know the differences between life in Japan and life in the UK. Sometimes we talk for ten or fifteen minutes.

The caretaker (or kanrinin-san in Japanese) is very nice too. He always says hello, and keeps the apartment block very clean and tidy. I gave him some English tea as a present when I moved into the apartment. He seemed surprised, but happy. I hope he enjoyed drinking it.

I think I am lucky to live in such a friendly place. The only thing I don’t like about living in the apartment block is the children running up and down in front of my door. After school, they race each other through the apartment block, and they are very noisy! I wonder what my neighbours think about that? I will ask them next time I see them.

Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press

 

[Easy English Blog] It’s better to be safe than sorry

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The other day, my car had its 12-month inspection (１２か月点検). The inspection itself is not so expensive, unless they find a problem…

For a few days before the inspection, the warning light in my car had been coming on, and the alarm had been sounding. This only happened when I turned the engine on, and only lasted for about two seconds. But I was worried. So, when I took my car to the inspection place, I asked the mechanic to look into the problem.

He called me a few hours later to say that the problem was the battery. It was old and becoming weak. He recommended I buy a new battery. So I did. The battery was double the cost of the inspection, so I ended up paying more than I expected.

But it’s better to be safe than sorry. (←This is an English proverb!) It’s better to spend the money now, and be safe, than to have trouble later, when I’m driving on the highway, or am far away from my home.

Cars are expensive to buy, and they cost money to maintain. I suppose this is the price we pay for convenience.

 

[Easy English Blog] Longer nights

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It is starting to get dark earlier and earlier. I love cold, dark nights! Many people like summer nights when the sun sets later. I prefer autumn and winter nights. I like running in the dark (no one can see my sweaty face!) and I like being at home on cold, dark nights. I like sitting in the living room on the sofa with the fire on, reading a book. It’s cozy.

The sun sets quite late in summer in the UK. When I was a child, I didn’t like this. I had to go to bed when it was still light outside. This felt strange to me. I always looked forward to autumn, when it would get darker earlier. So maybe my love of long autumn and winter nights comes from my childhood.

It is not cold enough to put the fire on yet, but I have started wearing long-sleeved shirts in my house. It already feels cozier. Now all I need is a warm cup of cocoa and a good book, and I’m ready for autumn!

[Easy English Blog] Buying CDs

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I love music. I studied it at university. So I am always listening to music. I listen to all kinds – pop, classical, jazz, traditional folk…almost anything, except heavy metal. I was wondering the other day, “When was the last time I bought a CD?” I can’t remember. I started downloading music years ago. Since then, I haven’t bought any CDs, or been in a CD shop.

When I was a child, I bought cassettes. I used to love going to music shops and browsing. I kept the cassettes in special cassettet cases. Then, I started to buy CDs. I have so many. When I came to Japan, I couldn’t bring them all with me, so many of them are still in the UK.

I have a big box full of CDs here in Japan. I don’t listen to all of them (I don’t have time!), but they remind me of people and things, so I don’t want to throw them away. There are no recently released CDs in my collection. All my recent purchases are on my computer. I guess my CD collection won’t grow anymore. Maybe this is a good thing. They take up a lot of space.

I still like to use CDs for language learning though. If I have the choice between downloading the audio or buying a CD for a language textbook, I will buy the CD. I find it easier and I like sitting down with a textbook and a CD when I study. Maybe I am old!

Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press

[Easy English Blog] Trying to be more active

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I spend most of my time sitting in front of my computer. This is not good for my health. So I am trying to be more active. I go running, but not as often as I would like. I need over an hour to have a good run. Most days, I start work at 7am and finish late at night. I would like to go running in the middle of the day, but this is a busy time for me.

So, I am trying to be active while I sit at my desk. I have a set of weights next to my desk, which I use when I take a short break from writing. I also stretch a few times during the day. I feel more relaxed when I do this, and it helps me to work better.

Still, I think I need to make more time to exercise. I could get up 30 minutes earlier and exercise before I start work. I have an exercise bike which I could use. I should stop making excuses and just do it!

by Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press

[Easy English Blog] Speech contest

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The other day, I judged an English speech contest. The contestants were school students. I judge the contest every year. This year was my 11th time. There were about 30 students in the contest. As usual, I was very impressed with the standard of the speeches.

In speech contests, while pronunciation is important, it is also important to think about non-verbal communication and the impact your speech has on the audience. Factors such as eye-contact and gestures are important. Some students used too many gestures, which was unnatural. Others used them well – adding expression to their speech.

When practicing the speech, it is important to ask yourself “what impact do I want to have?” “How do I want the listeners to feel?” The students who scored highly in the contest gave moving speeches. They successfully communicated their feelings, not only their words, to the listeners.

I was impressed with all the contestants though. It must be very difficult for a teenager to stand up in front of everyone and give a speech in a foreign language. I’m sure I couldn’t have done it when I was their age!

Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press