Acronyms in our bureacracy: An epiphanyThis article discusses bureaucracies and acronyms. I've always been somewhat contemptuous of bureaucracies in that they have too many rules, too many forms, and too many acronyms. This morning, however, I had an epiphany. We had become a bureaucracy. We had acronyms, and we were creating more of them.
Technology and language changesAlong with each new technological development, whether the development is mobile phones, cars, or computers, comes a new vocabulary. What is notable about the new and not-so-new technological vocabulary is its sheer size and volume. Perhaps that is not so surprising given the impact that computers have had on most of us working and living in the computer world.
How To Start Writing an Essay: The Five Paragraph Essay Model Shows The WayIf you're trying to write an essay, this five paragraph model might help get you started. The sample essay is about computers. The first paragraph introduces the topic.
The Golden Gate Bridge, an icon: The Bay Bridge, a bridgeThe Golden Gate Bridge is the oldest, longest, tallest single span bridge in the United States. The bridge is a uniquely special bridge because of age and construction. Plus from the bridge, you can see Alcatraz and Angel Island, which makes it even more special. Right? What we're saying is true, right?
Teaching English in Japan: Four mistakes to avoidFor both students and teachers, teaching is a learning process. Teachers may make the most progress in the first years of their career, but the learning should never stop. The learning stopping is a dangerous sign indicating that the teacher needs to be doing something new to continue becoming a better teacher. Mistakes are a part of learning. This article will present some mistakes I made in teaching English communication in Japan.
Christmas in Japan: Mixing Mesopotamia with KFCThis article discusses Christmas in Japan. December 25 has been a holiday going back to at least the Mesopotamian festival of Zagmuk. Now, thousands of years and thousands of miles later, Japan has its own form of Christmas, shaped by some of the old aspects and some new ones: Kentucky Fried Chicken and Fujiya Food Service Co., Ltd. These two corporations, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Fujiya, have helped to shape modern Christmas in Japan.
Teaching English communication in Japan: Four additional mistakes to avoidIn this article, I would like to present four more mistakes for teachers teaching English communication in Japan to avoid. Some are mistakes that I have made and some are mistakes that I have seen in teaching English communication in Japan. Mistakes are inevitable for both students and teachers; mistakes are the diving platforms for teachers to find success.
Japan, Reservations, New Years Cards and Fried ChickenIn Japanese to English dictionaries, definitions of 'yoyaku' include reservation, appointment, booking, subscription, and advanced order. Japanese communicating in English almost always use reservation, but advanced order may be the most appropriate of these terms for New Years cards and fried chicken in Japan. This article will discuss why advanced orders are relevant to New Years cards and fried chicken in Japan.
Business and Language Education in Japan: Another Step in the Nova SagaIn late August of this year, the Osaka District Court handed President Nozomu Sahashi of Nova a prison sentence of three and a half years for participating in skimming off employee funds. The crime was committed in 2007, a little before October, when the giant foreign language school went bankrupt. Nova was Japan's biggest foreign language school chain and employed more foreign nationals than any other company in Japan.
Ways to Treat Writer's BlockWriter's block is what happens to writers when they cannot think of what to write. They are unable to write. Something is blocking them from writing. Some varieties of writer's block are short-term, while some writer's blocks can be longer. Writer's block can be related to an actual writing project or something else. We have six suggestions that may help you to recover from writer's block.
Taiji, Japan and Broome, Australia: Sister City Status Suspended Due to Commercial Dolphin HuntingThis article discusses the suspended sister city relationship between Taiji, Japan, and Broome, Western Australia. Today in Taiji, commercial dolphin hunting is a major business. Dolphins are either sold to aquariums or slaughtered and sold to eat. Broome, subject to criticism and pressure concerning the sister city relationship, suspended their relationship with Taiji until commercial dolphin hunting stops.
Tips for improving your life as an expatriate in JapanJapan is an awesome country to live in. In this article, we would like to present our top six tips for living in Japan so you can get the most out of your expatriate experience.
Email messages and landing a jobGetting an interview is a major accomplishment in this dismal job market. If you've been looking for a job, I suspect you've sent out dozens of email messages but not received dozens of responses. In this article, I'd like to offer some suggestions based on our experience of screening applicants via email.
So you wanna be a proofreader: Ten tipsThis article provides ten tips to help proofreaders. Follow these ten tips; you will learn and get better. Writing, editing, and proofreading are not mysterious skills that come to us naturally. If we work on them, we will get better.
Enjoy Cold Noodles in the Summer in Japan: Ramen, Soba, and UdonThis article discusses cold noodles eaten in the summer in Japan. Ramen, soba, and udon may be the three most popular types of noodles that can be served hot with a broth, or cold without one. Most ramen is made from wheat flour, salt, water and kansui. Soba is made by combining buckwheat flour with wheat flour. Udon is made from wheat flour. Soba noodles are probably the thinnest with ramen not that much larger. Udon noodles are thicker.
Teaching About Alternative American Lifestyles in JapanIn Japan, students are taught grammar and vocabulary in much the same way as Americans generations ago were taught Latin. Many students who want to learn to communicate in English go outside the normal school system to study languages in private language schools. In this article, we present one topic that we have found of interest to students in Japan who want to practice their English: alternative American lifestyles.
Hachiko, the Japanese symbol for loyalty, to star in Hollywood movieThis article is about Hachiko, the loyal Akita dog, and the Richard Gere movie. Next month a remake of Hachiko starring Richard Gere will be released in Japan. I believe we take to this narrative of Hachiko because Hachiko becomes the symbol of unconditional love and loyalty in a world in which both have conditions. I'll be able to forget the sometimes harsh realities of life and enjoy vicariously participating in Hachiko's world.
Teaching The Handshake in JapanAmerican culture, and culture from around the world, fascinates English students in Japan. Many English students around the world share this fascination. In this article, we would like to share two pieces of culture that we teach about in Japan: handshaking and the changing American family. If you teach English in Japan or anywhere else around the world, these two items may be of interest to your students too.
Small claims court: What to do when someone owes youThis article discusses going to small claims court as a legal remedy if someone owes you money.
Japan and foreign residents: The Immigration Bureau and privacyIn Japan, the current Diet session has bills in progress for revising the immigration law. The bills are expected to pass. Human rights groups are concerned that the Immigration Bureau will be able to access the personal information of all documented foreigners in Japan, infringing their privacy.
Japan, poverty, and single mothersUp through the 1990s, you could meet hundreds of Japanese people and they would all be middle class. Then came the recession of the 1990s, the recession that has been continuing on and off and since then, but mostly on. Japanese today no longer all say they belong to the middle class. The Japanese underclass is growing as the recession continues and single mother families increase.
Valuable Free Photo Resources for Your Small Business Website: Try FlickrThis article discusses using photos to improve the surfing experience for potential clients. As beautiful photos require more resources than we have, we are unable to take all the photos that we need. Flickr has the answer for us, providing us with many beautiful pictures.
Listening to examples of improved writing: Strunk and White on audioMillions of students and writers have read 'Strunk and White' over and over. Now 'Strunk and White' is available on audio. This article discusses 'Strunk and White' on audio and what Strunk might have said about his book being on audio.
From China to Japan: The Story of Orihime and HikoboshiMuch of what we see and experience in Japan has roots in China and farther West to India over the past thousands of years. These roots are the same as the roots and heritage of Western civilization arriving in America after a journey of thousands of years from ancient Greece and Rome across Europe to North America. This article discusses Tanabata, the Japanese Star Festival, an example of this Japanese borrowing from China.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Profit and PRCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the United States is self-regulating corporate behavior. In theory, the corporation has an ethical responsibility to contribute to the health of the community and avoid harming the community. This article, however, is not about theory, but about practice. Unfortunately many corporations with CSR programs do harm, significant harm.
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