Friday, October 31, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University Interest-based English - Travel: Lesson 6


https://www.pexels.com/search/doctor/

Unit 7: How do you feel.
In today's lesson we will learn some English we can use at the doctor's office.
Here's a video. Click this link: A Visit to the Doctor
Now let's practice. Click this link: Passport Online
Next, let's do a practice test. Click this link: Passport Online Test - Japanese

The midterm test is next Friday, 7 November 2008. You need to study units 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.

Remember, if you study and prepare, the test will be easy.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University IE-12 Music: Project 1 - Music Genres. Lesson 4

Image by lastyearsgirl

Today we are going to continue our first project.
First lets listen to a song by a great Jazz musician, Louis Armstrong. Click this link: http://jp.yappr.com/welcome/Video.action?videoGuid=F4E844F5-347D-46B5-8242-E974FBCB911D
Now let's practice some vocabulary. Click this link: Music Vocabulary list 2
Now let's go to our project. Click this link: Voicethread
For information on Classical music click here: http://www.diigo.com/annotated/69139a95ca420bf398392782f19488cf
For information on R & B click here:
You can find pictures on flickr. Click here:

Enjoy!

Toyo Gakuen University Homestay English: Unit 6 - Meeting and talking with people

Today we will learn about meeting people and talking to people.
First, let's review some vocabulary. Please click this link: TGU IE2 Travel List 2.
Now let's join the International Sister Classes Forum. http://edublogs.org/wp-signup.php
Click here to see the Sister Classes Forum: http://esleflstudents.edublogs.org/sister-class-forum/
Next let's watch the video and answer the questions in the textbook.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University Interest-based English - Travel: Lesson 5


View Larger Map

Unit 5: Go straight along Seventh Avenue
Today we are going to practice directions. We will practice asking for directions, and listening to directions.
First, let's practice some vocabulary.
Click this link: Travel Unit 5: Directions
Let's play a game. Click this link: http://www.studystack.com/menu-141943

Now let's practice using Passport Online
Finally let's do a practice test.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University IE-12 Music: Project 1 - Music Genres. Lesson 3

Today we will begin our voicethread project. Before we begin our project, let's watch an interview with Ken Hirai. After you watch the interview, take the quiz.


Now let's start our project.
If you haven't decided which genre you want to research, click this link to find lists of music styles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_music_styles
If you have decided which genre that you want to research, find the wikipedia page that you need. Here are some links for popular musical genres: Rock, J-Pop, Traditional Japanese music, Gospel, Classical, Blues, World Music, Hip Hop, Trance, Jazz, R&B.

Look at the picture below. The picture shows you where to click to see a wikipedia article in Japanese.
Here's a link to help you find pictures: http://creativecommons.org/image/
You can also find pictures on flickr. Click here: http://www.flickr.com/
Also, please read this article about copyright: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/著作権
Finally, please read this article about Creative Commons licences: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.1/jp/

Ok, let's get started!

Toyo Gakuen University Homestay English Unit 5: Communicating with your homestay family

In today's lesson we will learn how to communicate with our homestay family. Here are the lesson points:
  • Explaining your gift
  • Explaining your hometown
  • Personal Questions
You will practice explaining your hometown by explaining your hometown to some students in the international Sister Classes Forum.



Let's get started. Click here to open an Edubloggers' account: http://edublogs.org/wp-signup.php
Click here to see the Sister Classes Forum: http://esleflstudents.edublogs.org/sister-class-forum/

Sunday, October 19, 2008

A Model Language Learner: Ayumi Okada

It's very useful to have a role model. A language learning role model is very useful. Last year, I posted a video interview with Miho on the Daily English Show. Miho is a model language learner. Last April, I wrote about my friend Sanae. Sanae is a model language learner. Today, I'm going to write about another model language learner, Ayumi Okada. Ayumi was a student at Kanto International High School. When Ayumi started at Kanto she couldn't speak English much at all. She was in the Regular course, not the English course. So, she didn't have many English classes, and she didn't have many native English speaking teachers. However, she joined the World School Society. As a member of the World School Society she attended the World School International Forums in Japan and in the United States. She made friends with young people from all over the world.


Ayumi is very very musical. Her dream was to study music in the U.K. So, she asked me to help her prepare for the IELTS exam. I did. She got a great score and she was able enter a college in the U.K. Now she is studying Popular Music and Record Production at Southampton Solent University. She presents a radio programme on SIN Radio. The radio programme is called D.J. Yummy's Japanese Takeaway. You can listen to D.J. Yummy's Japanese Takeaway on the internet. Her radio programme is on Thursdays from three o'clock to five o'clock Greenwich Mean Time, that's 11 pm. to 1 am. Japan Standard Time. Look at the picture below. Click this link: http://www.sinradio.co.uk/site/?function=schedule. Click "Listen".



D.J. Yummy's Japanese Takeaway is very good. I listen to D.J. Yummy's Japanese Takeaway. I hope you will too.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University IE-12 Music: Project 1 Music Genres. Lesson 2

Today we are going to continue working on our first project.
First, let's start by watching a Bob Marley video. Bob Marley was a reggae artist. Click this link to see the video: Bob Marley - No Woman No Cry.


Image by "Uh,Clem..."

Look at the picture below. Bob Marley was born in this house.

Image by David E. Waldren


Here's some information about Reggae:

Reggae was developed in Jamaica in the late sixties. Larry Marshall recorded the first reggae record in 1968. The record was called "Nanny Goat".

Reggae has these musical characteristics:

  • 4/4 or Swing time
  • Simple chords repeated
  • a hypnotic effect (催眠効果)

Some famous reggae artists are: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, and UB40

Some famous reggae songs are: "I Shot the Sheriff", The Harder They Come", and "Red Red Wine".

The main musical instruments used in reggae are guitars, bass, drums and sometimes horns.


Next, let's practice some vocabulary. Click this link: Music Vocabulary List 4.
Now, let's review last week's lesson.
Now lets begin our project. Click here: Voicethread.

Toyo Gakuen University Homestay English Unit 4: Fitting into American Homelife

In today's lesson we will learn about helping around the house, helping yourself, and using the phone. Let's learn some vocabulary first. Click this link TGU IE2 Homestay List 3.
What chores do you do at home? Please leave a comment.

Toyo Gakuen University Freshman English 4 - Semester 2 Test 1 Study Guide


Image by estherase

The time has come. You will take your first test of semester 2 in your next class. Here's your task:

Roles: Caller, Receiver
Situation: There's a Hallowe'en Party in the English Lounge
Tasks:
A. Caller
  1. Call your new English friend Chrissie.
  2. When a different person answers your call, ask if you can leave a message for your friend.
  3. Leave a message:
a. Say your name
b. Spell your name
c. Say your telephone number
d. Say the day, time, and location of the party

B. Receiver
  1. Answer the call
  2. Take a message
  3. Check the information: caller's name, telephone number, details of the message
Click these links to prepare for the test:
Unit 7 - Special Occasions
Taking and leaving a phone message
Pronunciation of "th"

Remember! If you prepare and practice you will get an "A".

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University Interest-based English - Travel: Lesson 4


Image by Dash House

Unit 4: Do you have any vacancies.
Today we are going to learn about reserving a room in a hotel. First, let's review some vocabulary and learn some new words too. Click this link:Travel English E-J .
Now let's play some games and practice what we've learned from the textbook. Click here: Passport Online. Next, let's research some hotels. Click here: HotelTravel.com. Download the worksheet below. Do the task. Save the document in your folder.


Finally, let's do a practice test. Click here: Passport Tests.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University IE-12 Music: Project 1 - Music Genres. Lesson 1

Today we are going to talk about music genres.

First, let's learn some vocabulary. Click the link: Music vocabulary list 2
Now let's watch two slideshows. I made the first slideshow. Toyo Gakuen University students made the next slide show. Make a coment.
My Slideshow about music genres


Toyo Gakuen Students slideshow about music genres



Here's a playlist of African music videos.



Here's a playlist of Jazz videos.



Click here to see a playlist of calyspo and soca videos: http://uk.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7B5A9CDAFBFF6AEA

Now it's your turn to make a slide show about music genres.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University Homestay English Unit 3: At Dinner

In today's lesson we will learn about different kinds of food. Also, we will learn about good table manners.

Japanese eat a morning meal (朝食), a midday meal (昼食) and an evening meal (夕食). Many people in other countries eat these meals too. So three meals a day is common everywhere, but sometimes the food is different.

In Canada, many people skip breakfast on weekdays. Some people only have a very light breakfast on weekdays. For example, some people just have coffee. Some people just drink a glass of juice. Some people eat fruit. Some people have a muffin and a coffee.


A muffin and a coffee is, perhaps, the most common weekday breakfast in Canada. Many people eat breakfast on the way to work. They buy a muffin and a coffee at fast-food restaurants including: Tim Hortons, Coffee Time, and Second Cup.


On weekends, sometimes Canadians eat big breakfasts. Click this link to see some popular breakfasts in Canada: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mc_sensei/sets/72157607825427625/

Britain is famous for it's breakfast. What kinds of food are in a full British breakfast? Click the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joits/164373609/


Click this link to learn about breakfast around the world:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast#Typical_breakfasts_by_world_regions

The midday meal in the United States and Canada is called lunch.
Click this link to read the wikipedia article about lunch in English: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch
Click this link to read the wikipedia article about lunch in Japanese: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%98%BC%E9%A3%9F

The picture below is a picture of me having lunch at my aunt's house.

Look at the table. Many Canadians serve each dish in a separate bowl or on a separate plate and put the dishes in the middle of the table. Everyone serves themselves. This is very convenient. You can take the dishes that you like.

You can see the dishes I chose in the picture below. Click the picture. What kind of food is on my plate?



Lunch, originally uploaded by mick62.

Now, let's learn about dinner.
Dinner is the main meal. In Canada, people eat dinner in the evening. In some countries, including Trinidad, people eat dinner in the afternoon. In England, dinner is called tea.

Finally, let's learn about table manners in America and some general etiquette in Canada and the United States.

Bon Appétit

Monday, October 06, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University Skills-based English - Conversation: Talking about the past

Today we are going to practice talking about the past. For example, we are going to talk about we did on holiday, what we did yesterday and what we did a long time ago. The video is from PodEnglish.
Enjoy!



This video is from Real English. Watch the interviews and listen to the answers. Enjoy!



Here's another video from Real English. In this video, many people answer the question, "Were you good at school?"



Let's practice some more. How about you? Were you good at high school? What did you do yesterday?

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University Freshman English 2 - Reading Unit 8: Dilemmas

The topic of this lesson is dilemmas. Often people want advice when they face a dilemma. They sometimes ask for advice from advice columns. In the Japan, the Jinsei Annai is a popular advice column. Click the image below for a larger view (画像をクリックして拡大イメージを見る).

Let's learn some vocabulary for this unit. Click here for the Unit 8 vocabulary on Quizlet, and click here for the Unit 8 vocabulary on Study Stack.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University Interest-based English: Travel Lesson 3


Unit 3:Can I change some money here?

In today's lesson we are going to learn about exchanging money. First let's review some vocabulary and learn some new vocabulary. Click this link: Travel English E-J. Now click this link to do some practice: Passport Online. Next, click this link: Passport Online Tests. Let's do a practice test.

Finally, here's so important information to remember:
You can change money in many places including hotels, post offices, banks, travel agencies, and at a foreign exchange office. A foreign exchange office is sometimes called a bureau de change in Britain.

Also, it's best to exchange your money for travellers' cheques. NEVER CARRY A LOT OF CASH WHEN YOU ARE TRAVELLING!!!

Keep your money safe and enjoy shopping!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Toyo Gakuen University Interest-based English 12 - Lesson 3: If I had a million dollars by the Barenaked Ladies


Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

Today we are going to listen to one of my favourite songs. The song is called, "If I had a million dollars". If I had a million dollars is by a Canadian pop band called The Barenaked Ladies. The Barenaked Ladies are from my hometown, Toronto.
Enjoy!

Toyo Gakuen University Freshman English 4 - Unit 7: Special Occasions

Today we are going to talk about special occasions. Look at the picture. What special occasions can you see? What other special occasions can you think of?
Holidays are special occasions too. What holidays are on these dates?:
  • January first
  • February third
  • February fourteenth
  • March third
  • April first
  • April twenty-nineth
  • May fifth
  • December twenty-third
  • December twenty-fifth
Let's listen and practice saying dates.
Click this link: Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab - Calendars.

Let's review the pronunciation of "th".