easy english

[Easy English Blog] Already October

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autumn autumn leaves blur close up

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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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apartments architecture balconies block

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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

 

[Short Story] Young people today

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light cars traffic bus

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Mrs Bateman is sitting on the bus. There are many people on the bus. They are mostly students. They are laughing and shouting.

Mrs Bateman is tired. She is in a very bad mood.

Look at these young people, she thinks. They are noisy. Their clothes are terrible.

She looks at the young woman sitting next to her. The young woman has pink hair. She is wearing jeans and big black boots. Her T-shirt is very short and tight. She has a ring in her nose and many earrings in her ears. The young woman smiles at her. Mrs Bateman looks away.

Her parents must be so ashamed, she thinks. I am sure she is lazy and rude. Young people today are not polite. When we were young, we were polite and well-dressed.

She looks at another young person. This boy has shaved his head. He has many tattoos. He even has tattoos on his head. And that boy! I am sure he is some kind of criminal!

The bus stops. An old man climbs onto the bus. He asks for a ticket. The bus driver says, “Three dollars, please.”

The old man takes out his wallet. He looks in his wallet. “Oh, I don’t have enough money.”

“Then get off the bus,” says the driver. “If you can’t pay, you can’t ride on the bus.”

The old man turns to get off the bus.

“Excuse me,” says the young woman with the pink hair. She stands up and goes to the front of the bus. “I will pay for you,” she says to the old man. She gives $3 to the driver.

“Thank you,” says the old man.

“No trouble,” says the young woman. She goes back to her seat next to Mrs Bateman.

The old man moves along the bus. He is looking for somewhere to sit, but the bus is full.

“Here, Grandad,” says the boy with the tattooed head. He stands up. “Have my seat.”

Well, thinks Mrs Bateman. I have a lot to think about. Young people today look very different, but they are kind.

She smiles at the young woman with the pink hair.

“Your parents should be very proud of you,” she says.

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

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aston martin automobile automotive car

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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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close up photo of disc

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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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person rolling green gym mat

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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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black microphone

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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

[Easy English Blog] Website update

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person using black and white smartphone and holding blue card

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I had a meeting with our web designer yesterday. He made our website five years ago. I like the website, but I think it needs an update. So, I asked him to change the layout, add Facebook and Twitter feeds, and to make a mobile version.

Five years ago, I didn’t think about a mobile version. But the world is changing. More and more people are using their mobile phones to access the Internet. So I think we need a website that is easy to use and read on a smartphone.

We are also going to add more books in the future, so we need a better layout. I’m not a designer, so I’m going to let the designer decide which layout is the best. I trust him to make us a nice site which is easy to use. I’m looking forward to seeing what he creates!

 

[Easy English Blog] Coffee Coca-Cola

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I tried coffee-flavoured Coca-Cola the other day. It tasted like….well…coffee-flavoured Coca-Cola. It was nice. I usually feel sleepy in the afternoons, so I drank it around 1:00pm. I thought the caffeine in the drink would wake me up. Unfortunately, I still felt sleepy after drinking it. I still needed to drink a cup of coffee afterwards to keep me alert.

Here it is. It just looks like normal Coca-Cola. The can is smaller than a usual can though. It is only 250ml. If you are in Japan, why don’t you give it a try?

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Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press