Hi Japanese friends and peoples from other countries!
How are you getting along with English & Japanese? I do hope that this website would be one of nice places for someone making an effort to improve English and having interest in Japanese culture. I would be more than happy to be of service to you ♪
Please enjoy a pleasant time together with me!!
My parents have been staying at our home since the day before yesterday, Omisoka.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 51: Starting with the review of what he learned became a part of Kiyoshi's daily routine ^^ Today he carefully went over Roman alphabets rather than learning something new.
I'd like to wish you all the best for a very happy new year (^_-)-☆
Thank you all for your kindness over the last year ^^ That means a lot to me! I feel blessed to have gotten to know you.
Let's work hard together this year too, shall we?
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 50: Kiyoshi started a new year with a lot of English!!! I gave him the first lesson in this year even though I have gotten caught up in entertaining my parents and working so hard all the day.
Today he nearly came to the end for mastering the whole Roman letter after working on for a total of 4 hours in a day. Then when I finished teaching him, it already came to a quarter to 22:00 p.m. Oh my goodness!
Finally the day came! It's Omisoka meaning New Year's Eve in English! I'm ashamed to say, I cleaned the whole house in the very last minutes, what's called Osoji is known as one of the most famous Japanese cultures. But I should have certainly done it by this time. Anyway all were finished before greeting the New Year!
Meanwhile, my parents came out from Wakayama to spend the New Year with us.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 49: I'm pleased to say that it's confirmed for sure to be quite effective to give Kiyoshi a lesson in the daytime. In fact the words he learned the cardinal numbers in the early afternoon yesterday seemed to be memorized firmly in Kiyoshi. He remembered all of them with just an one-time learning. We seriously studied the Roman letters with the flash cards I made up yesterday. Whoa, he totally studied for more than 4 hours again today!
We had lunch at a kaiten-zushi restaurant. And then, after less than a hour, I went to a used bookstore, Book-off in Namba with Kiyoshi to buy a English textbook for him.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 48: Today, I couldn't afford to give a lesson during the daytime with one thing and another. So I couldn't help but teach him English at night even though I knew well his nature of the weakness that he tended to be vulnerable to a night-lesson. I'm so sorry Kiyoshi. Today's lesson continued by midnight which was over the course of about three hours. You must have done your best to learn English tonight (^_-)-☆
By the way, what I found incredible tonight was how much attention he sustained during learning (@o@) What happened to him tonight!!!
I made flash cards to help him memorize all the Roman letters, continuing yesterday. I believe them keeping his memory alive ^^
Kiyoshi studied English so hard and it was over the course of about 5 hours in total of twice a day.
The thing he learned mainly today is Roman letters (Hepburn system). Roman letter "A" up to "n" were done and echoic words were supposed to be done tomorrow.
As continuing to yesterday's diary, I can say that teaching Kiyoshi English seems to be a battle against the time in a means. In fact, it was so hard today to spare the time to do for him who was out in the morning, even though he has more than a sufficient time in his winter holidays.
Good boy Kiyoshi. He came back home at noon as ordered. Soon he start helping set the table for Nabe. And when all cleared the table together after we enjoyed lunch, it already came to 2:00 p.m. "Okay, we are on!" I said. But having said that... After little more than an hour of teaching English, I got an unexpected client without an appointment. Anyway I had provided a quick consultation for our client, then resumed the lesson.
While all this was going on, I noticed it already entered the busiest time of the day, 4:00 p.m.... When the time available for me came again, it's already past 7:00 p.m. It means, as I mentioned on yesterday's diary, it's really not an adequate time for him to go with English! This is today's story of how I struggled to gave him a lesson before he would be getting drowsy.
Anyhow, I admired him who has done his best to go through the following learnings given by me.
For starters, I let him brush up some points from what he has ever learned as usual. Today's new words: mouse / fan / fun / sea she is ~ / he is ~ Difference between three and tree in pronunciation. the cardinal numbers of from six to nine: six / seven / eight / nine The Roman alphabet: n
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 45: Looking back over the past more than a month, I became firmly convinced of Kiyoshi's characteristics. Every time he has learned English in the evening, he has had trouble to do. For instance, sometimes he started knocking off just a few minutes after I began a lesson at night. On the other hand, he seemed to be very quick at learning in the daytime, even early in the morning. Well, in fact this is a tough problem for me to continue the lesson.
Usually he comes back home from school in the early evening on weekday. But the available time for me to do something privately is at earliest after 7:00 p.m. To be honest, I have some time on my hands during daylight while I'm up to my neck in work toward evening. Nevertheless, at that time, of course he is still in school. Thus this winter holidays became a big help for us! I'm pleased to say that he, who basically seems to show a positive attitude toward learning English, is hard at his study every day!
Today, like every day's work, Kiyoshi starts reviewing what he has ever learned. Then he tried "the being verbs" and a couple of new words like the following.
Learned the verb pattern of being verbs: I am, You are, It(this that) is As new words: prince princess
It's harshly cold today! Even in this coldness, Kiyoshi says "It's OK for me, not so much cold!" He must be a very child! Here is one of best Christmas Presents for Kiyoshi this year following the day after yesterday's radio control car.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 44: He newly learned the vowel sounds after finishing the following lesson. * Reviewed what was learned until now. * Spelling each English vowels of "a i u e o". * Memorize some new words from the cards Bessie gave him the other day. fox gold house king lion mother father orange piano queen rabbit school table uniform voice water yacht zebra
It so delighted me when I found him to have already grasped the way to pronounce all the words written on the above cards, before I taught him how to spell them. I asked him like "how did you get the way to say about each word?" "Did you study by yourself as soon as you were given the English word card from your mother?" His answer was like "Yes, I have engaged in study since I got a quick lesson from my mother." Oh, what a boy, Kiyoshi! Sleep tight.
I have never failed so far to write about how and how far Kiyoshi has been learning English every day.
We went to church to attend Christmas Mass. After an hour and a few, Bessie, Kiyoshi and me, who happened to meet with her co-workers and her brother there, enjoyed dinner with them at Loyal Host.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 43: As I thought before starting a night lesson, Kiyoshi was really not good at study. Every time he learn English late in the evening, especially after dinner, he tends to get less study done. In fact, during the study tonight, he came near to doze off once or twice. Despite all of that, I gave him a lesson for more than an hour because he couldn't afford to study English enough yesterday from the reason why I wrote in yesterday's diary.
A new English expression he learned tonight is... I am seven years old.
Bessie had a Christmas party with close colleagues in the morning. It held from about 7:00am. Then, I heard, they moved to a Karaoke house and enjoyed singing songs for a long time. Kiyoshi had been with them all the time there. Oh, I almost forgot to write about a radio control car which was given to Kiyoshi as a Christmas present today! I took a picture
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 42: It was only a few minutes to have studied English today, in which he just went over some things of what was learned
Is your business busier since it's the Christmas season?
I'm happy to say, YES!!! In fact tomorrow we are supposed to serve our special cuisine for many Filipinos gathering at a Christmas party. In this season, every year, we have some kind of parties to help them enjoy themselves, sometimes also as one of sponsors for some Philippine communities. Dancing, singing, having a various kinds of Japanese and Philippine food. They are so much fun! (=^_^=)
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 41: Kiyoshi already starts getting himself up for the winter vacation.
Today I taught him a pronunciation in earnest for the first time just after let him reviewed what was learned. He seemed to learn more easily than I expected first.
Here are the things he worked so hard to pronounce precisely as paying a careful attention to differences between them.
Kiyosh gave a speech to students and teachers at the podium as a representative of the first graders at the closing ceremony of the second school term. Good job, Kiyoshi!
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 40:
As usual, today's lesson started with going over the things he hasn't completely grasped among what he was learned. Then he stepped toward a practical uses of "this, that and it." And he first learned about the way to say about his age. Next, he worked on new words, the cardinal number, up to five.
one two three four five
More over the lesson continued with a pleasant new educational tool. Thanks Bessie, it's really nice for him to learn new words by using such enjoyable vocabulary cards that you bought today. In fact, today Kiyoshi seemed extremely enthusiastic about English. So I gave him lessons twice today. Wow, when I came to it, already the total hours of both had amounted over the course of more than four hours!
Kiyoshi practiced a speech for a while which is supposed to be given all the students and teachers tomorrow. He was appointed as a representative of the first graduaders to make a speech on the podium in the gymnastic hall at the end of the second school term.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 39: Today's lesson began and end up with reviewing carefully the English expressions and words he has ever learned.
There was an individual parent-teacher meeting at Kiyoshi's school. There I first heard from his teacher about his speech to be made on the podium in a gymnastic hall as a representative of the first graders at the end of the second school term. I'm so proud of him. In the evening he worked so hard to practice the speech time and again.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 39: Because of the above situation, Kiyoshi couldn't afford an English lesson tonight
After Bessie, my parents and me enjoyed coffee and light meal at Ikea, my parents left for Wakayama at around 3:00pm.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 38: Today's Kiyoshi was a bad boy. He was goofing off after school until almost the school closed. No English lesson was done.
Kim Jong Il Dead: Top 10 Crazy Facts Cited from ABC News: [広告] VPS Kim Jong Il, North Korea's supreme leader who ruled over one of the poorest countries in the world, died Saturday of heart failure.
The 69-year-old was known for decadent and eccentric tastes and for outlandishly stretching the truth about his personal history and prowess. Here is a look at some of the most famous and controversial facts and fables about Kim Jong Il.
Kiyoshi, my parents and Bessie not including me had a wonderful time at the Tamatsukuri church. It's a Christmas party with a lot of food, cake, drinks as well as live band, dance, lottery and etc. Bessie and other Filipinos served their special cuisines.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 37: Today's lesson was off.
Kiyoshi's grandpa and grandma came up to Osaka all the way from Wakayama. They arrived here just after 3:00pm while Bessie was out for the year end party with coworkers. So we not including Bessie went see Mido-suji illumination lit up with a colorful small LED lights. Millions of them extremely overwhelmed us! We were so impressed
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 36: It's Saturday! Just because there was no school today, Kiyoshi studied English well in the morning.
Today's lesson was the way to put the prases he learned yesterday to practical use as the following: This is my... / That is your... / It's my... / ~'s To wrap up this day's lesson, he leraned a timely prase of "Merry X'mas!"
The US military has marked an end to its mission in Iraq.
US President Barack Obama has declared the end of the nearly 9-year war on Wednesday. Almost all the units are due to withdraw from Iraq as early as this week.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 35: Early morning lesson has done.
The things he learned today are the way to point out something using English as the below.
We hung an ornament in the shape of the star from the cell near the window and lit it up for the first time since we bought it at Ikea the other day. And we also decorated the tree in front of our shop with small X'mas litghts like the following pictures.
Today's Dinner
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 34: He was not given a lesson due to the task like the above.
Kiyoshi just studied English for a while before went to school in the morning. This morning's new English expression was a self-introduction, continuing from the previous lesson of "I am Kiyoshi. My name is Kiyoshi."
Here are today's new phrases he learned. Nice to meet you. I am(came) from Nagahashi.
Kiyoshi spent a happy time with his grandfather and grandmother until the time when he went to school in the morning. Later Bessie came home from Shinobu. We, Bessie and my parents went out for shopping and lunch at Ikea. After enjoyed ourselves enough there, I took my parents to O-cat (JR Nanba St.) from Ikea by a shuttle bus. Then we started walking toward Nankai Nanba St. hanging around an underground shopping mall. They looked very interested in everything they saw for the first time. To wrap up this short trip, they ate a fried sweet potato which indeed attracts people in Osaka. Yes, it's 551 Nanba Horai. I'm pleased to say that my parents seemed to have fully enjoyed themselves in these two days. Thank you.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 31: There was no lesson today.
Bessie, Kiyoshi, me were at Tamatsukuri church for a Tailgate sell to Filipino people. In the evening we (my parents, Bessie, Kiyoshi and me) had a Yakiniku dinner at home.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 30: He learned English more intensively than ever just after dinner.
Today's lesson is about the way to introduce himself.
My family spent a lovely time in my hometown Wakayama. We came back home in Osaka with my parents late at night after dropping by a noodle restaurant in around Suminoe.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 29: So, today's English lesson was off.
In his school there was a regional research presentation as a part of their classes. I proud of him performed so cool among them. But regretably I couldn't shot his picture at all because I thought the way to do so in class as a bad behavior. Well, that said, after all, I couldn't refrain myself when I saw a parent took a picture Here is a sole picture of the scene I took in a desperate attempt. But he is not in it
The following are of those which were on the wall in the hallway.
Kiyoshi's English Education Report Vol. 28: This day he just studied English for a while.
Took a day interval yesterday from learning English, today he just got checked up whether to remember all the things he has ever learned. I was just surprised at him remembering the words much more than I thought That's all for today.
Teaching Kiyoshi last night, I felt he looked getting tired after working so hard on learning English for nearly a month. So, I decided to let him go a whole day today.
Today's lesson began with review of all the words he had learned for almost a month. Above all, the names of the countries as thus far learned seemed to be terribly difficult for him to spell out on the notebook. But it looked like speaking out and pronouncing correctly were pretty good. I felt that he has tended to learn how to speak English wards far faster than writing them. I consider this disparity between writing and speaking comes from which he is familiar with. I mean he is spending daily life as being exposed to the flood of English every day. I wonder if he has gotten used to the sound of English. On the other hand, writing was a definitely first trial for him. I believe the more time is going, the more accurately and faster he would be able to memorize English words to write.
Sorry kiyoshi T_T Can I take a rain check on the planned early morning lesson today as well as a regular daily one in the evening? I couldn't afford to teach you English yesterday. That's why today's early morning lesson has been planned though, I'm not likely to perform as promised, just not for morning, but for evening...
Let me make it up to you tomorrow (><) It's definitely my fault that the whole two days have been done nothing at all at home.