⚽European Championships⚽

Hi!NOVA池袋西口校です🏆

本日は池西に戻ってきたMichael先生ヨーロッパのサッカーの大会についてお話ししてくれました👟


Hi everybody! I started in working in Ikebukuro again so it’s my first blog for a long time. This week I have been watching soccer. It’s the European Championships and people in my country,England,are very excited as we think we have a good team and might win.
We beat Ukraine 4-0 this week, and now we will play Denmark in the semi-finals. I woke up at 4am to watch but it was ok as I went to bed very early! My sister , her boyfriend and their children called me on the internet and were all singing loudly. I hope England will win as it will make them very happy!
It’s good to see sports taking place this summer, the soccer competition was supposed to be held last year but was cancelled due to the pandemic, like the Tokyo Olympics. I hope by next year things will be fully back to normal.

 


皆さん、European Championshipsは見ましたか❓
イギリス出身のMicheal先生のチームが勝ってますね🤩

Micheal先生もすごく楽しみにしているので、
是非、池袋西口校で月曜日にMicheal先生とお話ししてみてください⚽


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🗿Exhibition🗿

Hi!NOVA池袋西口校です💡

本日はCallum先生が先週行った展覧会についてお話ししてくれました🗿


On 2nd, I went to Ueno park to see an exhibition of sculpture by Isamu Noguchi. The exhibition was very interesting and we could see the progresssion of his sculpture from his early work to the most recent. I enjoyed his most recent work the most. These sculptures were all carved from stone at his studio in Kagawa, Shikoku, using local materials. Isamu Noguchi was born to a Japanese father and American mother and he spent many years living in America but he always felt a strong connection to Japan and its cultural heritage.
We can see this strong influence throughout his work, whilst he also includes concepts from Western art theory. I recommend this exhibition to anyonbe who enjoys the beauty of natural forms.


Callum先生も自身で絵を描いたりしているので美術館や展示会に行くのが好きみたいです😳

是非、池袋西口校でCallum先生が描いた作品を共有して詳細についてお話ししてみてください✨


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🐠The Linguistic Merits of Puns and Dad Jokes🐠

Hi!NOVA池袋西口校です👥

本日はTom先生が英語のダジャレについてお話ししてくれました(* ´艸`)


The Linguistic Merits of Puns and Dad Jokes
Thomas Lipschultz

Before I came to Japan, I worked as a translator for video games. My job was to take popular Japanese games and translate the dialogue from them into English, so people who don’t speak any Japanese can play and enjoy them.

My favorite things to translate were always bad jokes — specifically, puns (ダジャレ) and “dad jokes” (おやじギャグ). We have these same kinds of jokes in English, but because the two languages are so different, it’s a big challenge to adapt Japanese puns and dad jokes into English.

As an example, there was one game where a character who loves bad jokes saw a tree, and he said, 「気になる木だ。」 I translated this to English as, “Something about this tree in-tree-gues me.” Do you understand the joke? I took the word “intrigues” (which means “interests very much“) and changed the “tri” in the middle to the word “tree.” I think this is very similar to the Japanese joke, and English speakers who read it will feel just as cold as Japanese speakers who read the original line.

There are lots of popular puns and dad jokes in English, and translating them to Japanese might be a good way to understand the language a little better. Here are ten examples; can you understand what they mean? How might you say them in Japanese to express the same idea? (If you don’t understand any of them, feel free to ask your NOVA instructor to explain next time you have a lesson!)

1. Is your refrigerator running? Well, then you’d better catch it!
2. I wasn’t sure if that was a car speeding toward me or not. Then it hit me.
3. Having a boiled egg for breakfast every day is unbeatable.
4. A pessimist’s blood type is always B-negative.
5. Are you working hard, or hardly working?
6. You can tune a guitar, but you can’t tuna fish. Unless, of course, you play bass.
7. Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.
8. I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together. It was riveting!
9. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
10. Today, my son asked me, “Can I have a bookmark?”, and I was so upset. He’s 11 years old, but he still doesn’t know my name is Brian!

And finally, here’s an English + Japanese pun I wrote a few years ago. Please enjoy:

Q: If you lose your suitcase, what is the best Disney/Pixar movie to watch when searching for it?
A: Finding Dory. だって、ファインディング・ニモ・ツーでしょう?


陽気なTom先生( ´∀` )


皆さん、Tomが作ったこのダジャレの意味分かりましたか?
ニモ・ツー、ニモツ、荷物ですね❕❕🐠(笑)(笑)

違う言語でダジャレを作るのは難しいかもしれないですね🤨
Tom先生が作った例文もとっても難しいので、わからないものがあったら
是非、池袋西口校の先生に聞いてみてください🐟


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🍰周先生🍰

你好!NOVA池袋西口校です🍭

本日は中国語の講師周先生が甘い物の言い方を教えてくれました🤤


皆さん

こんにちは
皆さんは甘いものが好きですか?
今日は甘いものの中国語を紹介させていただきます。
今回は洋菓子、次は和菓子!笑笑
1. 提拉米苏              1.ティラミス
2.马卡龙                2. マカロン
蓝莓味儿的马卡龙
抹茶味儿的马卡龙
巧克力味儿的马卡龙
3.芝士蛋糕                3. チーズケーキ
4.珍珠奶茶             4.タピオカ
5.蛋挞                       5.タルト
6.布丁                    6.プリン
你记住了吗?
谢谢!

ぜんぜん漢字を見ただけではわかりませんね😅
周先生は甘い物が好きみたいです🎂

是非、池袋西口校で周先生と好きな甘い物を話してみてください🍩


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🍴Restaurant experience in Japan vs America🍴

Hi!NOVA池袋西口校です🥢

本日はアメリカ出身Tom先生が日本とアメリカのレストランの違いを教えてくれました🥦


Cultural Differences Between the U.S. and Japan: Restaurants
by Thomas Lipschultz

Hello! It’s me again! 😉

Although the Coronavirus pandemic means nobody can go on vacation to foreign countries right now, the situation is starting to get better, so maybe by the end of 2021, we will all be able to travel once more. What countries would you like to visit when you can travel again?

It seems a lot of Japanese people are interested in visiting the United States, so I thought maybe I could give you some advice on cultural differences between the United States and Japan. This may make your vacation a little easier to manage.

Today, I’d like to talk about going to restaurants, but in the future, I hope I can introduce you to some other differences that may help you in your travels!

You may already know about this, but the restaurant experience in the U.S. is very different than in Japan. To start with, in Japan, your waiter will not usually come to take your order until you raise your hand or yell, すみませ~ん!. Although you can do this in most American restaurants, many waiters will think you are being rude or impatient. Instead, you’re supposed to wait until the waiter comes to your table and asks if you are ready to order.

In Japan, when the waiter brings you your food, he/she will usually bring the bill, too — which we call the “check.” In the U.S., the waiter will not bring you the check until you ask for it. You may need to wait until he/she comes to your table and asks if you are enjoying your food, at which point you can say, “Check, please!”, and the waiter will bring you your check. Sometimes, you may need to raise your hand and call your waiter over, though it’s best not to do this very loudly or it msy seem rude.

When you get your check, you do not usually pay at the front desk like in Japan. Instead, you will set the money on your table, plus the tip, then leave the restaurant. The tip should always be 15% or more of the meal’s total cost, though it’s always best to leave at least 20% if you can, since waiters are often not paid very well in the U.S.

If you are paying by credit card, you may need to call the waiter over again and say, “I’m paying by credit card. Here you go.” The waiter will then process the payment and return your card. Please take a look at the receipt, where you will need to sign your name, and also write how much tip you will give. After you do this, it’s OK to leave.

Of course, this will be different for every restaurant, so if you’re not sure how the restaurant you’ve visited operates, please look for a sign, or ask your waiter.

It can be a very difficult adjustment, but fine dining in the U.S. is very nice, so I think if you try it, you’ll get used to it very quickly.

For me, though, I really appreciate the Japanese way. I wish more American restaurants would operate just like restaurants in Japan!


アメリカのレストランで注文をするとき
日本と同じようにしてしまうとマナー違反になってしまうので
最初は困惑してしまいますよね💦

またアメリカはチップもあるので高く感じてしまいますよね😓

Tom先生はとても知識が豊富なので、
是非、池袋西口校でTom先生とアメリカの文化の違いについてお話ししてみてください🏳‍🌈


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Brendan

Hi!NOVA池袋西口校です😊

本日は金曜日の講師アメリカ出身Brendan先生が自己紹介をしてくれました✨


Hello! My name is Brendan Ellis! I’m from the US. My hometown is in the state of Maryland, near Washington, D. C. The name of my hometown is Bel Air. It’s a small town, with friendly people, some farms, and lots of open space. So nice! My state, Maryland, is famous for seafood, and especially crab! We love to eat crab in the summer with all our friends. We even eat crabcakes, which are lick crab burgers. Very tasty!

In high school, I studied computer programming. When I went to university, I thought that was what I wanted to do. Later, I changed my mind, and studied to be an elementary school teacher. After graduating, I decided to change again, and become an English teacher in Japan. Definitely one of my best decisions ever!
I came to Japan in April 2018. I live in Itabashi ward in Tokyo. It’s a nice place to live. I came to Japan for a few reasons. First, I really love Japanese music! I started listening to Japanese music in university, and it’s great! I also love Japanese games, like Metal Gear and Biohazard. I’ve been playing games since I was very young, and I always played Japanese games. Japanese anime is something else I like. It was on TV a lot when I was a kid. I’m a big Gundam fan!
Playing games is not my only hobby. I also like to play guitar. I bought an electric guitar soon after I came to Japan, and I play a few times a week these days. I’ve also started recording my own original songs, too. It’s fun! I take a lot of inspiration from Japanese music. I also like cooking food from many places around the world. Pizza is one of my favorite things to make!
Moving to another country has helped me become more creative. I’ve learned a lot, and I hope I can teach you soon! Keep on learning!


Brendan先生金曜日のお昼の時間のみなので予約が取れたらとてもラッキーですよ❕❕❕😝

是非、池袋西口校でBrendan先生とたくさんお話ししてみてください☆彡


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🗽Summer in New York🗽

Hi!NOVA池袋西口校です🍔

本日はニューヨーク4年住んでいたKenneth先生が夏のニューヨークについてお話ししてくれました🍟


Summer in New York

Summer in Japan and summer in New York are like complete opposites. In that sense, summer in New York is a lot more like it is in Japan,but it’s not quite as extreme. In New York, it gets a bit humid during the summer and rains on occasion, but nothing like the rainy season in Japan. Rain showers aren’t nearly as sudden or unpredictable either, and the temperature just isn’t as hot.
I don’t miss the New York City subway system in summer though. Most of the subway stations in NYC don’t have air conditioning, and being underground, they’re well insulated and quickly build up heat with all the people and machinery down there. It’s not to bad in winter, but during summer it’s like stepping into an oven. Add to that the fact that the subway trains are hardly ever on schedule, there’s rarely signboards telling you when the next train will arrive, and people don’t hesitate to complain loudly about the heat or the wait, and standing on a subway platform in summer can quickly become one of the most unpleasant experiences in New York! It really makes you appreciate how nice the trains in Japan are.
Still, I miss the street markets and festivals celaebrating all kinds of different cultures with different kinds of food and entertainment. Walking down the street between the skyscrapers while loud music plays and you eat some food from a country you’ve never visited can be one of the best experiences you ever have in New York. They really have everything there.


電車に冷房がないなんて考えられませんよね😓💦

ニューヨークには観光客も含め様々な人がいて、たくさんの文化に触れられることができる街だと思います👨👩

是非、池袋西口校でKenneth先生に日本とニューヨークの夏の違いを教えてあげてください🗽🗻


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🌴Summer in Miami🌴

Hi!NOVA池袋西口校です🥵

本日はMiami出身のLance先生が夏のMiamiについてお話ししてくれました🌴


Happy June,everyone! 🎈I hope you’re enjoying the hot weather! Don’t you just love it? The sun is out, the wind is blowing, and ice cream tastes extra delicious this time of year.
In my hometown, Miami, summers are very hot and humid. However, to combat the heat we spend a lot of time in the swimming pool or going to the beach. Miami Beach is in downtown Miami where the restaurants are delicious and the atmosphere is electric. A lot of people like to drink and dance the night away to Latin music.


暑くて水をかぶっているふりをしているLance( ´∀` )


皆さんは、今年の夏は何をする予定ですか?
Miamiのきれいなビーチに行ってみたいですね✨

今年もコロナ禍の夏にはなるとは思いますが、頑張りましょう😧💪


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🌼The Language of Flowe🌼

Hi!NOVA池袋西口校です☺

本日はJoe先生が““についての英語の言葉を教えてくれました🌷


The Language of Flowers

One of my favorite things about Japan is the wonderful variety of beautiful plants and flowers you can find. I love the language of flowers (“hanakotoba“) and what each flower signifies. With each passing season I look forward to seeing all the different new flowers bloom and appreciating their meaning.
In March I felt lucky to see Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) blowing around Shinjuku Gyoen in the wind. Cherry Blossoms are said to express kindness, gentleness and transcience.
Last month I enjoyed the Moss Phlox (Shibazakura) displays in Hitsujiyama Park in Chichibu. All the different shades of pink were super beautiful! Moss Phlox are said to represent harmony, partnership and unity.
Rainy season will arrive in Japan soon which means I can see some of my favorite flowers, Hydrangea (Ajisai). Last year I visited the long road filled with thousands of blue, purple and pink Hydrangea next to Asukayama Park. If possible, I would love to visit Meigetsu-in in Kamakura this year. Hydrangea represent pride.
Here are some more of my favorite flowers you can find in Japan with their names and meanings in English. What ones do you like the most?

Azalea (Tsutsuji) Patience and modesty
Forget-me-not (Wasurenagusa) True love
White Lily (Shirayuri)Purity
Tiger Lily (Oniyuri)Wealth
Sunflower (Himawari)Radiance and respect
Lotus (Renge)Purity and distance
Peony (Botan) Bravery
Violet (Sumire)Honesty


↑Joe先生が行った秩父の羊山公園の芝桜の写真


Joe先生はとてもお花が好きみたいです😳🌼
日本は四季があるので、シーズンごとによって様々なお花を見ることができますよね🌻

是非、池袋西口校でJoe先生に好きなお花を教えてあげてください❀✿


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🔥Some tips for improving your vocabulary🔥

Hi!NOVA池袋西口校です👓

本日はRobert先生ボキャブラリーを増やすためのヒントをくれました📚


Here are some tips for improving your vocabulary.

1) Read. Vocabulary building is easiest when you see words in context. Seeing words appear in a magazine or a newspaper article is more helpful than seeing them appear on vocabulary lists. I also recommend turning on the English subtitles or Closed Caption when watching you favorite shows or videos on Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. Not only do you gain exposure to unfamiliar words, but you also see how they’re used.

2) Use the dictionary and thesaurus to find some synonyms and antonyms for any new words you learn.

3) Play word games. Classic games like Scrabble or crossword puzzles can function as a fun way to expand your English vocabulary.

4) Use flashcards. In today’s day and age, smartphone apps make flashcards convenient and easy to organize. Aiming for one new word a day is reasonable. You can always go for more, but it may not be a good idea to attempt to learn a lot of English words every single day.

5) Subscribe to “word of the day” feeds. Some web platforms will provide you with a word a day—either on a website, an app, or via email—to help you expand your vocabulary. You can check your thesaurus for some synonyms and antonyms and add these words to your flashcard word lists.

6) This is very important! It’s possible to have a huge vocabulary without actually knowing how to use the words. For that reason, you have to practice the words in conversation. This not only helps you not to forget the word, but you can practice the art of word choice. You could try by experimenting with the new words in Nova lessons. With a little bit of trial and error, and the help of Nova teachers, you will be able to hone in on the right word for a particular context.


単語を覚えるのってとても大変ですよね💦

勉強の方法はたくさんあると思いますが、
Robert先生が言っているように会話で使うことが一番大切です❕❕👀

是非、池袋西口校で沢山の先生たちとレッスンをして単語を勉強しましょう🔥


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