English News

Sources of English news

Japan Times

Daily Yomiuri

BBC – British Broadcasting Corporation


CBC – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation


ABC – Australian Broadcasting Corporation



Learning English – web sites
BBC Learning English

World's Top 100 Cities (according to Businessweek)

Mercer a global HR recruiting company ranks world cities by their livability. A good topic for discussion. Does your city rank? Me? I'm from Vancouver (#3 in the world). Tokyo is #35. How do you think the rankings are done. How many of these cities have you travelled to? Which ones would you most like to visit? How do you think Mercer arrived at these rankings?

Here are the top 10 cities
2007
1 ZURICH Switzerland 108.1
2 GENEVA Switzerland 108.0
3 VANCOUVER Canada 107.7
3 VIENNA Austria 107.7
5 AUCKLAND New Zealand 107.3
5 DUSSELDORF Germany 107.3
7 FRANKFURT Germany 107.1
8 MUNICH Germany 106.9
9 BERN Switzerland 106.5
9 SYDNEY Australia 106.5

http://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/livable_cities_worldwide/

10 Famous Movie Quotes

How many of these quotes do you know? Do you know the film that it came from? Have you seen any of these classic American films?

1 Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.
GONE WITH THE WIND 1939

2 I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse.
GODFATHER, THE 1972

3 You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.
ON THE WATERFRONT 1954

4 Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
WIZARD OF OZ, THE 1939

5 Here's looking at you, kid.
CASABLANCA 1942

6 Go ahead, make my day.
SUDDEN IMPACT 1983

7 All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my closeup.
SUNSET BLVD. 1950

8 May the Force be with you.
STAR WARS 1977

9 Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.
ALL ABOUT EVE 1950

10 You talking to me?
TAXI DRIVER 1976

Valentine's Day

Do you want the real story of Valentine's Day or the jaded commercial story?
The jaded commercial story is that modern valentine's day was created by Hallmark- yup, the card company - to sell cards. They did a nice job of it.

For the real story of St. Valentine's Day through out the ages and around the world, visit the Wikipedia entry.

Idioms - Working

Working idioms
work, work, work

1 all in a day's work
2 all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy)
3 a nasty piece of work
4 do someone's dirty work
5 do the dirty work
6 give someone the works
7 run/work like clockwork
8 grunt work
9 have your work cut out (for you)
10 in the works
11 make hard work of something
12 make short work of something
13 Nice work if you can get it!
14 work miracles
15 throw a spanner in the works
16 work your fingers to the bone
17 work against the clock
18 work your arse/backside off
19 work both ways
20 work hand in glove with someone/something
21 work your magic
22 work like a charm
23 work like a dog
24 work like magic
25 work out
26 work something out
27 work your socks off
28 work (yourself) up
29 work up a sweat
30 work wonders
31 the (whole) works

Idioms - The English Language in colour

How well do you know English idioms? There are thousands of idioms in the English language. Learning some can help you to understand how we speak and communicate and to better communicate with others. Idioms are colourful ways to explain a situation, to describe a feeling or to solidify a point. Idioms are used very often in daily English conversation. When you hear English spoken by native speakers chance are that their sentences will be riddled with idioms and slang. The language we speak is not "textbook" English.

I have introduced idioms in class and to private students. Students are always keenly interested in learning idioms and "real" English.

How to teach Idioms? Keep them guessing. Rather send them guessing. Have students individually or in pairs guess the meaning of a set of idioms. It gets them thinking. It gets them talking.

Like Sumo?

If you've never watched or talked about it, it a topic worthy of discussion - rich in history and an enduring symbol of Japan. I was fortunate to attend the opening day of the 2008 Winter Basho in Tokyo. I'm not a huge fan but I enjoy and respect the tradition and spectacle of it all. It was a great experience.

Like it or not, it is a worthy topic of discussion. The world knows about Sumo and it is a strong image of Japan. So there is interest as you travel and meet people in your travels outside Japan. People are likely to ask you about it so it's helpful to talk about it in class or conversation to work out your views, experience and opinions.

For a great English website on Sumo, visit the GOO Grand Sumo Home Page.

Quotations -- Mohandas Gandhi

Quotes are a very good way to engage discussion. The language may be simple yet the meaning may be deep and worthy of exploration, understanding discussion. Quotations are good focal points to discuss the life and work of the speaker, the meaning and importance of the statement and the impact of the statement on the culture. Often I would begin a class discussion with a quotation and often they are challenging to students. That's fine. Help them to understand the meaning and importance.

Quotes are readily available. Watch for a vast collection to be made available here. Let's begin with the very prolific Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi.

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

"Those who know how to think need no teachers."

"We must become the change we want to see in the world."

"A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes."

Mohandas Gandhi

English Tutoring Availability - January 17, 2008

A few adjustments to my tutoring availability...For rates and to reserve time, please contact me directly.

A man walks into a bar...

A man walks into a bar and asks for a drink. The bartender pulls out a gun and points it at him. The man says, "Thank you," and walks out.

This is a good one, and a tricky one. My students got it after a couple of clues... Need a hint?

10 Facts about Australia

1. Australia is a the 6th largest country by land mass (about the size of the continental US) but has a very small population.
2. The highest point is Mt Kosciusko, in New South Wales, which is only 2228 metres above sea level.
3. Australia is the driest continent.
4. Australia became an independent country on January 1, 1901.
5. Former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke was listed in the Guinness Book of Records for drinking 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds in 1954.
6. The 1828 census found that half the population of the Australian state of New South Wales were convicted criminals, and that former convicts made up nearly half of the free population.
7. There are around 120 million sheep in Australia and around 20 million people.
8. Cricket is the most popular sport in Australia.
9. "Australia was founded by Convicts. Its homicide rate is 1.8 per 100,000 population. The United States was founded by religious zealots. It's homicide rate is 6.3 per 100,000. Almost 400% greater than Australia."http://www.convictcreations.com/
10. The animals of Australia consists of a huge variety of unique animals; some 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 90% of fish and insects and 93% of amphibians that are found only in Australia.

Lateral Logic Puzzle - The Murdered Husband

A woman has absolute proof in court that her husband was murdered by her sister. The judge declares, "This is the strangest case I've ever seen. Though it's a cut-and-dried case, this woman cannot be punished."

Robert Burns Day

Robert Burns Day is January 25. It celebrates the birthday of Scotland's favourite son and is a celebration of all things Scot.

The Burns Supper
Haggis is eaten on special occasions like Burn’s Night, a special dinner to celebrate the life of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, which is held on January 25th. A Burns Supper has followed the same tradition since his death in 1796:

1. The haggis is piped into and around the room; the tune played is usually A Man’s a Man for a’ That.
2. The Address to a Haggis – a poem written by Burns – is given with appropriate flourish, cutting open the haggis at the appropriate time, followed by a Toast to the Haggis.
3. A knowledgeable person gives the Immortal Memory (a tribute to Robert Burns).
4. A Toast is made to the Lassies – outrageous, hilarious but gracious to the ladies (Burns was quite fond of the lassies).
5. A reply is given by a lassie.
6. The Selkirk Grace is said.
7. The haggis is piped back to the kitchen and then served, usually with champit tatties an’ bashed neeps (potatoes and turnips).

To some, haggis may look and taste foul. Before you judge it, you should try it.

Perhaps Burns' best known poem / song is Auld Lang Syne heard and sung at the end of the year in many countries or during graduation time in Japan.

If you are interested in attending a Burns' Night in Tokyo, I found one coming February 23 (hmm...). The price is more than a little steep for my Scots blood.

If you would like a lesson and key visual on Haggis, email me and I will forward the lesson to you as a PDF.

11 Facts about Canada

As I wrote earlier: it is helpful to know a handful of facts about your country before you travel. Here I've assembled a collection of 11 facts about my country: Canada.

1. Canada is the second largest country in the world (9,971,000 square kilometres), second to Russia.
2. Canada has the fourth lowest population density in the world – 3 people per square kilometre
3. Canada has the ninth biggest economy of the world
4. According to the United Nations Human Development Index, Canada has the highest quality of life in the world.
5. Vancouver, Canada is tied with Zurich, Switzerland for the highest quality of life of any city in the world.
6. Contrary to popular opinion, Canada does not own the North Pole. In fact, the North Pole is not owned by any country.
7. Canada is the world's eighth largest trading nation.
8. Canada is in the top five producers of the world's natural gas, copper, zinc, nickel, aluminum, and gold.
9. Canada is the fifth largest energy producer.
10. Canada is the home of many great inventions, including: basketball, the electric light bulb, the electric range, the electron microscope, standard time, the television, the telephone, and the zipper.
11. Canada has the world's highest post secondary education enrolment.

English Tutoring Availability - January 7, 2008

Private English Tutoring Availability in Tokyo.
For rate information, please send email.

Lateral Logic Puzzle - Chicago Park

Chicago Park
It is a hot day in the middle of summer. A body is discovered in a park in Chicago. It has a fractured skull and many other broken bones, but the cause of death was hypothermia.

Happy 2008 - New years resolutions and the year of the rat

Happy new year all!

Is this the year you resolve to improve your English? To achieve the TOEIC or TOEFL score that you want, or need?

In western countries many people begin the year by making New Years resolutions (NYR). A resolution is a decision and a declaration to do or achieve something during the year. The most common NYRs are to quit smoking, lose weight, get into (physical) shape, get a new job or the like. [The US government has compiled a list of the most popular NYRs] So often people make these resolutions but they quickly fade into memories - sometimes in the first week!

The beginning of a new year is a common time to set new goals - new year = new life and a fresh start. Though, for many, this is a forced start. I believe you can and should make resolutions and set goals when the time is right for you, and not to match a date on the calendar. It is important to be honest with yourself and know what is needed to achieve these goals before setting out. As well, if you are truly serious and achieving goals it is really helpful to tell people - friends and family - this way you have peer pressure and are more likely to be held to your stated goals.

Well, that's one of the things we do in the west.... in many east Asian cultures, the new year ushers in a new animal in the Chinese zodiac...

The Year of the Rat

Being the first sign of the Chinese zodiac, rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power. They are energetic and versatile and can usually find their way around obstacles, and adapt to various environments easily. A rat's natural charm and sharp demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone, but rats are usually highly exclusive and selective when choosing friends and so often have only a few very close friends whom they trust.

Read more about the rat and the Chinese zodiac on Wikipedia.