There is less than a day left in 2021. From tomorrow, we will be using 2022, which still sounds unreal to me. At least it is easier to type two consecutive 2s. I hope it was fruitful year this year to you all.
Friday, December 31, 2021
Sunday, October 18, 2020
ビジネス英語のための公開討論会
ビジネス英語のための公開討論会を開催します。もちろん無料です。でも討論は英語にします。
開催日は明日と明後日で、午後6時から7時までです。Zoomで行います。Zoomをご存知ですか？サーチエンジンを開けてZoom.us.comと入力すると、Zoom入会のページが出ます。右上の「サインアップは無料です」というブルーのアイコンをクリックして入会して下さい。無料です。
何でそんなことをするかって？英語で仕事をしている人の助けになりたいからです。私はビジネス英語が専門の講師です。だから英語で苦労している人達の助けになりたいのです。金儲けが目的なんだろって？いいえ違います。
テーマは「日本のビジネス社会の裏と表」です。ある会社で起きた事件をテーマに１時間話します。背景を以下に示します。これは当事者のぼやきです。
My boss does not speak or understand Japanese. He is not familiar with Japanese business practices either.
Our corporation has designed a gas station. The chief architect, who was in charge, and I visited the client to mark the end of the project. The client thanked us with a smile. We happily returned to our office.
When we came back to the office, the boss was unhappy. He said the client called him to complain about something. This news surprised us because the client was smiling only a few hours ago. However, I know clients may smile at you and complain over the phone. My boss wanted to talk to the chief architect.
お待ちしています。
ミーティング１（10月19日 午後6時から7時）
トピック: Zoom meeting invitation - Nicky SekinoのZoomミーティング
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ミーティングID: 792 6229 8075
パスコード: 4bdBpS
ミーティング２（10月20日 午後6時から7時）
Nicky Sekinoさんがあなたを予約されたZoomミーティングに招待しています。
トピック: Zoom meeting invitation - Nicky SekinoのZoomミーティング
時間: 2020年10月20日 06:00 PM 大阪、札幌、東京
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ミーティングID: 782 0946 1947
パスコード: 1MLWcB
Saturday, August 8, 2020
Do You Speak English?
My book "Do You Speak English?" will be available soon. It will be published through Amazon on Aug. 24th, 2020.
The book is written as a textbook for university students. In it, there are people like struggling students who are not sure how to study English, amateur teachers, sincere teachers, and many more.
It is a unique book that has not been available in Japan. A bit controversial, too.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Friday, September 13, 2019
A Street Beggar in Yokohama
I met a friend of mine in Yokohama. We had lunch and were walking toward Yokohama train station. As we were approaching a bridge, I saw a young man sitting on the pavement with his head deep over the chest. I first thought he was sick, and then there was an empty can in front of him. He was begging for money.
It was in the spring of 2019.
Some homeless people live on the bank of a river in Tokyo. You will see their tents as the train goes over the river. You often wonder what they eat. Do they catch fish in the river? Do they bathe in the river? You must designate the same spot for the bathroom. But it was my first time to see a homeless openly begging for money in broad daylight.
I wondered if Prime Minister Abe knew it.
Decades ago, Yokohama had some homeless people with empty cans in front of them. Near Sakuragicho train station, they were sitting on the streets. They were former soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army. Among them was a one-legged man in a soldier's uniform, who stood with the help of a walking stick. A few years after World War II, they did not have money or home.
But it was in the early 1950s when Japan was recovering from the ruins of World War II. Is the country still suffering now like it was 70 years ago?
It was in the spring of 2019.
Some homeless people live on the bank of a river in Tokyo. You will see their tents as the train goes over the river. You often wonder what they eat. Do they catch fish in the river? Do they bathe in the river? You must designate the same spot for the bathroom. But it was my first time to see a homeless openly begging for money in broad daylight.
I wondered if Prime Minister Abe knew it.
Decades ago, Yokohama had some homeless people with empty cans in front of them. Near Sakuragicho train station, they were sitting on the streets. They were former soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army. Among them was a one-legged man in a soldier's uniform, who stood with the help of a walking stick. A few years after World War II, they did not have money or home.
But it was in the early 1950s when Japan was recovering from the ruins of World War II. Is the country still suffering now like it was 70 years ago?
Thursday, August 1, 2019
He came to the class earlier than anyone else.
He came to the class earlier than anyone else yesterday. I said to him, "You're early today." He said, "Yes," and smiled. This simple conversation was a success for him because he used to say nothing. When he was in the class, he kept looking at the desk and said nothing unless I happened to talk to him.
He broke the ice for the first time when I complimented on his look. He was indeed a handsome man. The second occasion that melted his ice was when he said he liked a fashion model from the United States. I did not know about her. I promised him that I would study her. He was happy to hear it because his English teacher showed some interest in what he said. And today, his teacher made a comment about his early arrival.
Now, he is not a child but an adult in his mid-20s. How would you describe him? Is he childish? Yes, he is. But because he is one of many Japanese young men and women who act like him. I should look at his case as someone who lives in oppression. Three months ago, he had no confidence in English. Because of this, he may have had an inferior complex. Therefore, he always stayed low keyed and hid behind his classmates. He has gradually changed and gone out of his private cocoon, which is nice.
The job of an English teacher is more than teaching the language but also to break the barrier of a defensive mindset.
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Chatty vs. Non Chatty Students
A student of mine told me yesterday that the classroom was cold. Yes, it was. But his intention was not to complain about the room temperature but to chat with me. Yes, it would take a Japanese person two months to relax and chat with his English instructor.
In another class with non-Japanese persons, I had the opposite experience. The ice melted in 30 minutes. My students talked nonstop until the end of the class.
The next day, I received a complaint: the students did not learn much.
Now, my question is, "Which is better between Japanese people who would wait two months to know that it is OK to relax and chat with their English instructor or non-Japanese people who would chat from the beginning and learn little?"
My answer is first.
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