英会話スクール・英会話教室山科校（京都府）のスクールブログ

Road Trips Across Japan

 

Hi everyone!

 

My name is Connie, and I wanted to share one of my favourite hobbies…road trips!

 

What comes to mind when you hear the words road trip? For me, it’s the freedom of the open road, discovering hidden places, and enjoying the journey just as much as the destination.

 

This Golden Week, we set off on an unforgettable journey:

 

Kyoto → Kōchi→ Matsuyama → Hiroshima → Itami

 

We didn’t rush from place to place! We took our time, spending a few days in each area and enjoying everything along the way.

 

Kōchi

Kōchi quickly became one of my favourite parts of the trip. We visited six of the famous 88 Pilgrimage temples (四国八十八箇所), each surrounded by peaceful forests and towering mountains. Some days the mountains were wrapped in soft mist, while a light drizzle and cool breeze made everything feel calm and refreshing.

 

We found ourselves stopping at quiet lakes, where the gentle drizzle blurred the reflections of the trees across the water. There were moments when we were surrounded only by the sound of the rain and the peacefulness of nature.

 

The drive itself was just as memorable. Long winding mountain roads, endless greenery, and the occasional breathtaking viewpoint made every turn feel like a new discovery.

Matsuyama

From Kochi we continued to Matsuyama, where we visited three more temples from the 88 Pilgrimage.

 

One of the biggest surprises was the Towel Museum. I never expected to spend so long in a museum dedicated to towels, but it was fascinating! My favourite part was the Moomin exhibition; it brought back so many childhood memories and added a lovely nostalgic touch to the day.

 

Hiroshima

No visit to Hiroshima would be complete without trying Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and it definitely lived up to the hype.

 

We also visited a beautiful museum perched on a hill overlooking the Seto Inland Sea. Looking out across the  water from such a peaceful location made it one of those places where you naturally want to slow down and take everything in.

Itami

Our final stop was Itami, where we were welcomed with my partner’s grandma’s home cooking. After days on the road, sitting down to a warm, homemade meal was the perfect way to end the trip. Sometimes the best part of travelling is simply sharing good food with family.

 

Looking back, this road trip reminded me why I love driving so much. It’s not just about getting from A to B, it’s about discovering places you never planned to visit, taking the scenic route, and creating memories along the way.

 

For Obon, we’ll be hitting the road again, this time driving to Shizuoka.

 

What are your plans for the holiday? I would love to hear about it in our next lesson!

 

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とても元気で優しく、話やすい先生たちばかりです！！(o^―^o)ﾆ
ぜひレッスンや体験レッスンで、いろいろなお話しをされてみてくださいね

 

 

こんにちは♪　英会話NOVA山科校です

今日は、山科の新人講師Choyce 先生からのメッセージです☆彡

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Coming back to Japan!

Hello

My name is Choyce and I’m from the United States of America.

I am so happy to be back here in Japan.

I spent a year teaching kids in South Korea and another year traveling.

While living in South Korea I was inspired, and I wrote a couple of children’s stories that are currently being published.

I really love writing stories, doing activities, and being out in nature.

 

I spent time on the beach in Thailand, and hiking in the jungle in Indonesia. I first visited Japan in 2024.

The day I left I saw a bright shooting star and I knew it was a sign that I would return.

Well, I’m back and so glad to be your teacher.

Let’s have some fun while we learn!

By the way, I recently went to Shijo and visited the Blueberry Café. It was so cute, everything was purple!

Let me know where you’ve been before! What do you enjoy?!

 

とても元気で優しく、話やすい先生たちばかりです！！(o^―^o)ﾆ
ぜひレッスンや体験レッスンで、いろいろなお話しをされてみてくださいね

 

 

こんにちは♪　英会話NOVA山科校です

今日は、山科の新人講師Renaldo 先生からのメッセージです☆彡

 

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My Move to Shiga

 

Moving to Ishiyama in Shiga Prefecture has been an exciting new change of pace for me.

 

The last time I was living in Japan, I lived in Tokyo so the scenery is different but surprisingly there are some similarities.

Normally I’d prefer living in bigger cities where there’s a lot of lights, but the Ishiyama area is really growing on me. So far, my favourite thing about Ishiyama is the boardwalk along the lake.

 

The other day I saw a crane for the first time while walking during the day. Paper cranes is the first origami I learned to make while I was in elementary school in Canada, it was cool to actually see a live crane.

 

The last time I was living in Japan I lived in Shinagawa ward, in the Oimachi area, just like Ishiyama there’s a wide variety of restaurants and izakaya’s near the station.

 

The biggest difference is you have to leave the prefecture to get into bigger cities areas. In Tokyo I would often go to Shibuya for more of the bigger city vibe. Here in Ishiyama, I can see myself travelling somewhere in Kyoto when I want to get a similar feel.

 

Have you moved recently, what’s the biggest difference or not so big difference you’ve experienced?

 

Let us know!

 

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とても元気で優しく、話やすい先生たちばかりです！！(o^―^o)ﾆ
ぜひレッスンや体験レッスンで、いろいろなお話しをされてみてくださいね

 

 

 

 

Hello everyone!

5月いっぱい、水漏れの影響により改装工事を行っていたNOVA山科校ですが…

✨ついにリニューアルオープンしました✨

工事期間中はご不便をおかけしましたが、皆さまのご理解とご協力のおかげで無事に工事を終えることができました。本当にありがとうございます！

今回は、新しくなった山科校を少しだけお見せします♪

📸

入口付近の様子です！
明るくなった山科校で、皆さまをお迎えしています♪

📸

こちらは教室エリア！
より快適な環境でレッスンを受けていただけるようになりました✨

ピカピカになった山科校で、講師・スタッフ一同、皆さまにお会いできるのを楽しみにしております😊

ぜひ新しくなった山科校へ遊びに来てくださいね♪

See you at NOVA Yamashina School!

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とても元気で優しく、話やすい先生たちばかりです！！(o^―^o)ﾆ
ぜひレッスンや体験レッスンで、いろいろなお話しをされてみてくださいね

 

 

 

 

こんにちは♪　英会話NOVA山科校です

今日は、愛嬌たっぷりで人気の講師Nikayla先生からのメッセージです☆彡

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Osaka Outing

During Golden Week, I spent three days in Osaka. Most of my students know that Osaka is my favourite city.

On the first day, I met my friend at Kusatsu station and we went to Osaka together by train.

We went to a lovely art cafe called Unimocc Art Cafe Gallery.

They had something called a canvas cake, where they give you a small cake with a palette of icing to decorate it with. I ended up decorating mine with a koi fish.

 

On the second day, my friend and I went to a really popular taco restaurant near Dontonbori, the name is Blue Entrance Kitchen (BEK).

The weather was really hot, and we had to wait in a really long line too but the wait was worth it.

They had a variety of American themed tacos, I got a Nashville taco with a piña colada (my favourite cocktail). It was incredibly delicious, I highly recommend trying BEK!

On the third day, I did some shopping in Umeda’s Daimaru.

Recently, Top Toys is really popular for cute dolls and blind boxes of beautifully made figures.

I really liked the “Sugar Pocket,” blind box and hoped to get the “moth lamp,” character.

I did get one of my top three choices though, I got the “Lotus,” and she’s gorgeous!

Towards the end of day three, another friend contacted me asking to go to Takatsuki together to see the carp flags (鯉のぼり) at their Sakura river.

There were so many families playing in the water and relaxing together.

The carp were lined across the river and the breeze made them dance gently against the sky.

It was really nice to see!

What do you usually do during Golden Week?

Let us know!

 

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とても元気で優しく、話やすい先生たちばかりです！！(o^―^o)ﾆ
ぜひレッスンや体験レッスンで、いろいろなお話しをされてみてくださいね

 

 

 

 

こんにちは！

本日は山科校の校舎内の様子をご紹介🍭🍭🍭

ＮＯＶＡ山科校はNOVAの中でも大変珍しいカフェ風の内装でざいます。

おしゃれな照明でデコレーションされたロビーでは、

かわいいNOVAグッズや今月のニュースが掲示されるなど

とっても賑やかな空間🌟

無料でコーヒーも飲めます🌟

もう本物のカフェ☕にいるような感じですね❕

また、レッスンルームもとっても可愛いんです🌳

カラフルな壁にはおすすめレッスンのご案内が掲示されており、

多様でユニークな授業を受けることが出来ます🍓🍓🍓

こんなゆったり寛げる空間で楽しいレッスンを受けに来てください🎵

ご来校をお待ちしておまちしております

 

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アクセス抜群♪JR・京阪・地下鉄東西線　山科駅・より徒歩3分！
京都市、大津市で英会話をお探しなら、NOVA〇〇校へ!!

無料体験レッスンも受付中♪♪

 

営業時間：
火・水・木　12:30-21:30
土・日・祝   9:00-18:00

※休校時間　14：30-15：30

定休日：月・金曜日

TEL：075-583-5486

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皆様こんにちは！

ＮＯＶＡ山科校でございます(^^)/

4月が終盤に差し掛かり、ゴールデンウィーク目前となってまいりましたね🐶

環境の変化が激しいこの季節・・・お疲れが出てくる方も多いですよね☕

そんな感情も英語で表現するとどうなるのかな・・・という疑問がわき(笑)

先生から、アドバイスを頂きました💌

是非ご一読ください🍓

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Getting Used to Changes

April is really a season of change isn’t it?

If not for work or school, at least the weather is changing!  Not to mention prices at the supermarket!

Many of our students have just started studying English, leveled up, or joined new classes.

One topic that I focused on in a recent lesson was adapting to these changes.

It takes time to get used to doing new things.

 

“get used to”  =  adapt to adjust to a change

 

• I’m not used to the increasing prices at the supermarket. = It is difficult to accept and I cannot adjust.
• I’m getting used to the new bicycle rules. = I’m learning to adjust and becoming comfortable
• I’m used to teaching online lessons. = I’ve finished adjusting to this change and am now 100% comfortable with it

 

When you’re visiting NOVA, let’s talk in English about any changes you’ve experienced recently.

Are you used to, getting used to or not used to the change?

 

Looking forward to my next conversation with you!

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ご来校をお待ちしておまちしております

 

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アクセス抜群♪JR山科駅より徒歩3分！
京都市、大津市で英会話をお探しなら、NOVA山科校へ!!

無料体験レッスンも受付中♪♪

 

営業時間：
火・水・木　12:30-21:30
土・日・祝   9:00-18:00

※休校時間　14：30-15：30

定休日：

月・金曜日

TEL：075-583-5486

 

こんにちは！

NOVA山科校でございます☆彡

皆さま、今年の春お花見にはいかれましたか❓🌸

寒い冬から一気に春が訪れ、そろそろ桜は散りかけてきました・・・と、そんな今日この頃😆

私も先週お花見に出かけた際、桜を見に海外から沢山の旅

行者が来られており、とってもにぎやかでした🎶

今日はNOVAの大人気講師Andy先生から京都の生活での気づきや京都ならでは

の、外国人観光客とのエピソードについてメッセージが届きました💌

皆さまならこんな時どうされますか？

🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂

 

 

English is all around us!

These days with all of the foreign tourists, it’s common to hear English while using public transportation.  Have you ever tried to join in on a conversation?

A few days ago I was waiting for a train at Kyoto station and I heard some tourists speaking to each other in English:

“Does this train go to Osaka?”

“Uh, Yes, it does.”

“Okay, let’s just take this one.”

I interrupted their conversation by saying, “Excuse me.  Are you going to Osaka?”

“Yes. Is this the right train?”

“Yes, this train goes to Osaka but it’s the local train and stops at every station so it will take longer. If you wait a few minutes for the next train, it will be an express and you can get there much faster.”

“Oh thanks!  Do we have to pay extra?”

“No, it’s the same price.”

“Thanks so much!”

Actually, I have the same conversation with tourists at Kyoto station almost every month! Most visitors seem to really appreciate this kind of advice from locals.

What would you do in this situation?

One of the common things that tourists say after visiting Japan for the first time is that Japanese people are very kind and helpful and I agree with this 100%.

Let’s talk about this at NOVA!  I’d love to hear your stories!

 

Kind regards,

Andy

 

🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂 🚂

現在、NOVAではこんなシチュエーションにピッタリなレッスンを絶賛発売中！

★。☆。☆。期間限定販売中。☆。☆。★
スペシャルマンツーマン「おもてなし英会話」

例えば、
駅で突然、道を聞かれたら？
街でおすすめの場所を聞かれたら？

お買い物で困っている人に「通訳しますよ」と言うには、
I’ll 〇〇 for you.
ｰ〇〇には何が入るでしょうか？

外国からの観光客が増えてきた今、使いやすい表現が沢山学べるコースです！
質問されて答えるなど、普段の会話にもすぐに使える内容を
全6回のマンツーマンレッスンで学べます♪

英語でのコミュニケーション力アップに、短期集中コースを受けてみませんか？

■スペシャルマンツーマンレッスン
5月31日（日）まで
43,780円（税込）

受け方などのご相談は、お気軽にスタッフまで♪

ご来校をお待ちしておまちしております

 

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アクセス抜群♪JR・京阪・地下鉄東西線山科駅より徒歩３分！
京都市、大津市で英会話をお探しなら、NOVA山科校へ!!

無料体験レッスンも受付中♪♪

 

営業時間：
火・水・木　12:30-21:30
土・日・祝   9:00-18:00

※休校時間　14：30-15：30

定休日：月曜日・金曜日

TEL：075-583-5486

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こんにちは！

NOVA山科校です。4月に入りとても暖かい気候となってまいりましたね♪

ですがまだまだ毎日気温が変化し、本日は少し肌寒い日となりました❄

皆さま体調管理にはお気を付け下さいませ😆

さて4月と言えば、NOVAのBOOK　A　テキストの開始時期でございます🐰

1年以内にレベルアップされた方や、まだご入会1年未満の方はご購入が必要となりますので、受付にてご購入をよろしくお願い致します🎶

定価　3,300円

※以前よりお伝えさせて頂いていたのですが、4月よりキャッシュレス決済のみ利用可能となりました。ご理解ご協力のほどよろしくお願い申し上げます。

それでは本日は、NOVAが自信をもってご紹介する新コースについてのご案内で

ございます☆彡

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

最近、街中で外国人を見かけない日は無いくらい、観光客が増えましたね！！

と、いう事は日本にいても英語を使う時代✨という事（笑）

せっかく日本の来ている外国人観光客と接する機会があるのなら、

使える英語身に付けたいですよね🍓🍓🍓🍓

ということで🍇🍇🍇こんなコースが誕生いたしました✨

✨外国人観光客との英会話を楽しみながら学べるレッスン😆✨

・空港でのお出迎え✨

・街中での道案内✨

・観光地・道案内✨　などなど

※実践的に英語を使いながら日本文化🍧・マナーの伝え方を学べる画期的なコース💖

期間：　4/1（水）から5/31（日）

料金：　6レッスン　43，780円　（初回より3か月間レッスン受講が可能）

★実際にガイドのお仕事をされている方はもちろん、英会話の初心者や中学生etc・・・普段のレッスンと一味違った角度でレッスンを楽しんで頂きたい！！！

 

ぜひぜひ、この機会にご体験ください♪

 

ご来校をお待ちしておまちしております

 

▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽▲▽

アクセス抜群♪JR山科駅より徒歩3分！
京都市、大津市で英会話をお探しなら、NOVA山科校へ!!

無料体験レッスンも受付中♪♪

営業時間：
火・水・木　12:30-21:30
土・日・祝   9:00-18:00

※休校時間　14：30-15：30

定休日：月・金曜日

TEL：075-583-5486

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